WHITIN Minimalist Barefoot Sock Shoes

I bought these to protect my feet in a pools lazy river. I walk with and against the current. Its amazing low impact exercise..not only are the sizes spot on but so far very durable. I have relized that i wear these more now that my other shoes. You want to be vrazy comfortable try driving long distances with them. But as far as for the pool i love them. Great comfort and amazing traction.

I have foot issues, so I’m going the barefoot shoe route. I bought a pair of barefoot shoes specifically for my long walks. Then I came across these sock shoes and thought they might be great for general walking about, on errands, to restaurants, etc. It’s winter here, so I’ve set them aside for spring. I did try them on and walked about the house a bit … and they are so comfortable. I think I’ll be very happy with them. If my opinion changes, I’ll add an update.

I’ve been an amateur running enthusiast for around 15 years. About 10-years-ago, I made the switch to barefoot (zero-drop) running. I was convinced of the data coming out of places like Harvard and University of New Hampshire. You have to realize that decades of million (and now billion) dollar ad campaigns and athlete sponsorships have muddied the waters of science to sell more sneakers. No running shoe is going to provide as much shock absorption or rebound as my calve muscle. I’ve run half-marathons on a whim and sustained literally no injuries that I can think of in years of running.

Anyway, you’re here looking at these so you’re probably already onboard or willing to try.

I’ve used several varieties of vibrams for years. They don’t hold up. The fit is tough. The toe slots are unnecessary. Just get these. They last, they feel EXACTLY the same as vibrams, and are a fraction of the cost, and already have lasted three times longer.

I’ve got everyone in my family from my younger sister who runs to adopt them to my brother, to my mom who has balance issues and LOVES them.

CONS:

– UPDATE: As others report, the sole material is very soft, to the point where it begins to *stick* to the treadmill or to the asphalt or get torn up in rocks as it begins to gum and melt with any sort of outside heat or friction. Because of this, they tend to wear out a bit sooner than they otherwise would. The material seems to degrade faster over time and my experience is that I get about 3-4 months of daily use out of these before they’ve got lumps on the bottom or outright holes. If they can use a slightly harder and temperature-resistant material, it would go a very long way to improving these.

– They are NOT very breathable. If you run in hot climates, expect your feet to warm up fast and to sweat quite a bit. It seems my feet have adapted after a couple months of use. I hope in future iterations they incorporate something a bit more breathable on the top of the foot.

– They might be slightly inefficient at sprinting paces since you can’t tighten them down, but they still fit pretty snugly for my needs. Maybe they can widen the toe box slightly which would allow to go a half-size down. In any case they still feel snug like a sock. If you’re concerned about efficiency loss I recommend perhaps getting “grip socks” that have rubber grips on the bottom to wear in conjunction with these.

– Wash them frequently, for because they’re not breathable and don’t dry out they are a bacterial haven and smell quite quickly like a used sock.

– The cuff of the sock (the top part above the ankle) loses its elasticity after a couple months of use. Be careful not to over-stretch. Hope they can strengthen this more.

– Style: Well, some find them kind of neat and some think they’re a little odd. I actually don’t mind them but I’m not at the stage of my life where fashion is my priority.

Overall assuming they fall within this similar price, I will continue to purchase this product.

Bought the green ones for $40 in March. First time buying any kind of minimalist shoes.

On one hand, they are very comfortable. They’re essentially socks with a rubber sole that wraps around the feet a little. I can throw them on as fast as putting on sandals, but they’re warmer, so perfect for spring around here. I’ve used them to go on walks in the neighbourhood, and they worked well.

I don’t know how “barefoot-like” minimalist shoes can get, but I’d say the feeling of the ground is about half-way between being barefoot and being in typical running shoes. You’ll be able to walk on small rocks with these that you’d avoid if you were barefoot.

The cons is that they breathe very poorly, so they get warm. They work better in colder weather. Due to getting warm, the feet gets clammy. And due to the rubber not breathing well, a smell can develop.

They look ok, but I can’t say that they look great. The rubber going around the feet makes them look odd I think.

I see them as a temporary solution for me. If I’m not going to be walking barefoot, then I’d rather do it in something with a more conventional look.

I may edit my review when I get more usage out of them. I saw that the more popular similar product, the Skinners, are supposed to only last 100 miles, which seems very low to me. If you walk 10 km a week, that’s only 16 weeks of usage.