Barefoot running is what your feet were designed for; however, because of glass and rocks and debris on the ground is actually quite dangerous. These shoes, brand Vikram, were created to give you the barefoot running experience while also protecting the bottoms of your feet.
You can do many things in these shoes beyond walk and run. You can hike and do water sports, as well. If you’re looking to hike somewhere and take a swim shortly after, these are for you.
These shoes are not for regular people. They’re for runners. They do come in a number of colors – some like them hot pink and yellow, or bright blue and orange. They also come in grey, or all black. The black ones kind of blend in together and at first glance you don’t even notice they’re “creepy toe shoes” (as I call them).
These shoes have actually been around and been marketed to runners for almost a decade. If you do not like the toe-style, Vikram and other brands offer other minimalist sneakers that look a bit more normal but contain less rubber for more movement.
These shoes are not a fad. They’re also not for everyone.
I used to work at a chain sporting goods store that sold them. I was required to learn about them in order to make sales.
We’d sell 4 or 5 pairs every shift I worked.