Frequently Asked Questions with 30 Years of Shoe Geekery Behind The Answers

Q: Where do you stand on these weird barefoot toe shoes?
A: Short Answer - As far back as possible. Sorry, couldn't resist the joke. Actually, as a runner, I've seen plenty of people who have benefitted from going to a far more minimalist shoe, just as I've seen a ton of people who shouldn't be anywhere near them. So the real short answer is that a percentage of people will be able to handle the minimalism, andwill gain real benefits from them, but, as always, it won't be everyone.

The biggest danger is not people going minimalist, but believing that there is only one way to do things, without carefully looking at a number of factors: age, foot and leg strength, long term athletic goals, injury history, form, and workout history.