Feelmax Niesa RE-Review

   

History

When we originally released the review of the Feelmax Niesa in August of 2009, the response from Feelmax was strong. Feelmax felt that we had not done our homework and that the review was not accurate. They also insisted that we had not spent enough time with the Niesa. As our review was less than favorable, many suggested that the size might be the issue. Feelmax sent a larger sized Niesa and we committed to sending out another review of these shoes once the re-testing was complete.

We feel it is extremely important from an ethical perspective, as well as from that of reader trust, that we review our products in a balanced and honest fashion. To that end, we will never release a review that is not honest. The result of which is that our reviews are not always positive, but they are accurate. While some sites may take a financial incentive to review products in a positive light, we refuse to take financial incentive in exchange for positive reviews. Therefore, any company sending us product runs the risk of receiving a negative review if the product they send is not seen positively. We make no apologies for this as our integrity is more important in the long run than making manufacturers happy.

It should also be noted that readers should not assume that a negative review of one product extends to an entire product line. In fact, the fault may be with the particular specimen we received and may not be reflected in other items of the same model. As we do not have the luxury of always reviewing more than one product from the same line, we can only base our review on the product we have been sent.

Re-Review

To make understanding the differences between the first review and the second review easy for you as a reader, we are including the original unmodified text here with comments from our more extensive testing BELOW the original text

First Impression

These shoes have a modern look, are incredibly light, and look much like a regular shoe. They came packaged in a big green box, each inside a protective fabric bag. Our review shoes have a high-top design and are matte black in color. They are very lightweight, and look well-made.

First impressions from the second shipment did not change. The delivery and packaging are consistent.

Comfort

Putting the shoes on is easy. Laces are replaced by elastic bands arranged in a lace-like pattern. While the elastics make it easy to put the shoe on, they do not provide for an adjustable fit. While I did not find the fit too tight, I would suggest the lack of adjustment may be a problem for some. Despite being the correct size, my toes felt squished immediately. The issue seems to be the shape of the sole. Unlike Vibram FiveFingers and Vivo Barefoot, these shoes do not seem to be made for wide feet. I find it difficult to grasp how a company that markets itself towards people who want a more barefoot experience, and who has just released a new design, would not make a wider sole. Adding to the disappointment, the shoe is far less flexible than expected. While the materials themselves are quite flexible, the placement of the seams and the material itself is poor. Areas where allowance needs to be made for the normal flex of the foot are stiff and bend only under pressure, buckling the fabric in an uncomfortable way while walking. The fabric on the inside of the shoe is soft and comfortable to the touch, however, I did not find the shoe comfortable.

While at first we did find these shoes easy to put on, we found after extended wear that the insole, which is not secured to the sole in any way, became loose in one shoe and started an ever increasing ride up the side of the shoe. This was not only uncomfortable while wearing the shoe but also took time away from putting on the shoe as the insole had to be repositioned each time.

The larger size of the new samples made it more comfortable, however, I maintain my insistence that these shoes are not made for wide feet. In particular, the barefooting community often finds that feet widen over time. Thus, barefooters and minimalist shoe wearers often have wider feet than the general population. These shoes would fit a narrow standard foot well, may fit a wide variety of standard-width feet reasonably well, but are simply not made for wide feet.

The placement of the seam in the second pair of samples became an even greater problem with prolonged wear. Even though my feet are used to rough surfaces, the placement of the seams combined with the ever-moving insole was uncomfortable and frustrating.

I also maintain after prolonged use that these shoes are not as flexible as they should be. While the material does soften over time, placement of the panels is not ideal or well thought-out and limits the flexibility of the shoe unnecessarily . I believe this was a situation of form over function. The shoe looks great, but doesnʼt work well with the chosen design and materials.

These shoes were in no way comfortable.

Weight

This is the lightest of the “barefoot” shoes we have reviewed thus far. The rubber sole of most shoes makes up a significant portion of the shoeʼs weight. The sole on these shoes is made of an ultra-thin material that resembled a coated fabric. This design makes the shoes very light. It would be easy to carry a pair of these in your bag without feeling their weight.

All weight comments remain unchanged in the extended review.

Flex / Sole

While the sole is the thinnest we have reviewed thus far, it is not all good news. The sole lacks the grip of Vivo Barefoot and Vibram FiveFingers shoes. The sole also lacks the long-term wear resistance that rubber can provide. The upside is that the ground transmits well through the membrane, allowing for an excellent barefoot feel.

I found the grip to be adequate and more resilient than I had experienced during my first review. The grip of a more standard rubber sole, however, I find to be more predictable. The grip itself maintained its resilience over the longer test. I am less concerned about the longevity of the grip on the sole. As mentioned before, the barefoot feel through the incredibly thin sole is the best tested so far.

Support / Insole

There is no support, which is as it should be. There is no insole.

The insole is of poor design and the seam work inside the show should not be felt by the foot while wearing the shoe. A better insole that has no movement, or the use of seamless stitching and no insole, would allow for a more usable shoe.

Barefoot Feel

While the sole transmits the ground well, the inability of the shoe to flex makes not only for an uncomfortable experience, but also takes away from the barefoot feeling of the shoe. The narrow design of the shoe further amplifies these issues.

The larger sample provided better flex given the larger overall shoe size, but did not increase the flexibility as much as I would have preferred. I maintain the panel placement and fabric choice are not ideal and if adjusted, could make for a much more comfortable shoe.

Breathability

Much of the upper is made with mesh. This venting makes for good air circulation.

Quality of Materials / Manufacturing

Putting aside the design of the shoe, the materials seem to be of a good quality and the construction quality is excellent. We found no errors in stitching.

Water Resistance

These shoes are not water resistant. Furthermore, unlike both Vibram FiveFingers and Vivo Barefoot, the shoeʼs sole is sewn to the upper at ground level, making for an easy path for water to enter.

Again, I did not find the shoes water resistant. While walking in rain and through shallow puddles, water is easily absorbed into the shoe.

Sizing

The size seems accurate in length, but they are built for a narrow foot. This makes them unlikely candidates for a typical wide-footed barefooter, however, they may fit well for many.

If one accepts that the second sample pair was the correct size, then the Niesas run roughly one size too small. They are not for wide-footed people, although someone with normal- to narrow-width feet may find these comfortable.

Price

While the review pair is not listed on the Feelmax website, the closest style retails for 60 EUR. At over $100 USD, this price seems high for a shoe that is not all that different from a pair of water socks. While the quality of these shoes is higher than the typical pair of water socks, the price difference is significant.

If I were happier with the quality of this product, the $100 USD price tag is a reasonable price to pay. Given the basic issues of the seam and insole that I have had, I feel the price is too high for a shoe that needs refinement.

Style

These would blend in well for normal street wear. At closer inspection, they resemble a combination of water socks and running shoes.

Break-in Period

Given the materials used to make these shoes, I doubt that time would change the flexibility of these shoes. For the right foot type, they may be suitable for casual wear, however, I suspect that these shoes would remain uncomfortable for most. Feelmax does make other styles that do not have the high sides, however, as this style is not yet listed on their website, I suspect that all current styles are or will be changing.

The material does soften a little bit over time and makes for a slightly more flexible shoe. They were not comfortable for me for extended wear.

Shoe Care

The material for our testing shoes was a matte black material. Although the material looks great out of the box, it is also the type of material that attracts small fuzzy cling-ons. The material should clean up well with some effort and cleaning with water should be sufficient. There is no mention of whether these shoes are washable in a washing machine. I would suspect this is not the case.

Warmth

The materials used are thin and there is ample venting. These shoes are about as warm as wearing socks. The thin sole transmits the temperature of the ground more easily than a rubber-soled shoe. The black material absorbs the sunʼs heat easily. During a sunny day, they can feel quite warm. A lighter material color would have been a better choice of color for hot days.

Uses

Given a good fit, walking, running, and light activities shouldnʼt be a problem. The grip of the sole is not as well-suited for climbing or for wet conditions. They are not great shoes for hot days due to the color and the amount of fabric, and even hot pavement can start to be noticed through the sole.

Further testing in conditions where climbing was necessary and in wetter conditions yielded positive results. These shoes performed well in both situations. Hot weather does make these shoes hot due to the black material. This, of course, is the case for any black shoe. The fabric is thin and thus hot pavement is perceptible by the foot although with a temperature reduction that should allow continued wear in most situations.

Availability

According to shipping options available online, it appears these shoes are available only in Europe. It is, of course, possible that they will make special arrangements for an extra fee to ship to other location around the world.

Feelmax shoes are now available from several retailers, including www.giftsfromfinland.com.

Summary

These shoes have the thinnest sole we have seen thus far and, therefore, have an excellent barefoot feeling. They look like regular shoes and the build quality is good. The narrow width of the sole together with poor design, and thus an inflexible upper, is a huge problem. Even a narrow-footed individual may find the shoes too inflexible to enjoy. The longevity of the sole is also in question. Vibram FiveFingers and Vivo Barefoot shoes win hands down for comfort, flexibility, and longevity. With some modifications to the design, they would make an excellent alternative to bare feet, however, for the time being there are better choices on the market.

The Feelmax Niesas continue to have the thinnest sole we have tested. The barefoot feel through this thin membrane is outstanding. After testing this new pair of Niesas in a larger size most of our concerns remain valid and some new concerns have appeared through more extensive wear. The most prominent problem is loose insoles that move during wear and make it more difficult to put the shoe on properly. The seams connecting the sole with the upper are not flat and can cause chafing with prolonged wear.

The shoe is not wide enough for a wide-footed wearer and a more flexible upper design would make the shoe more comfortable.

It is important to note that we have since had the opportunity to review the Feelmax Kuuva boot. The Kuuva is an outstanding product with a substantially different build quality. This review should in no way be used to make assumptions about other Feelmax models. I believe the design of this particular shoe is at fault and many, if not all these issues, would likely be resolved in subsequent models.

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• Best Shoe of 2011 – By Living Barefoot
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Christopher McDougall is a well-spoken, humble man who has through the popularity of his book brought about some of the biggest changes in the perception of feet and running in recent years.  Join us in learning about how this talented author wrote his book, discovered his feet, and how he feels about barefooting and running.  This interview should not be missed.

We Talk about:

- Chris’s recent appearance at the TED Conference

- Thoughts on Interviews In General

- His first exposure to barefoot running

- How he came to find the Tarahumara while on assignment for the New York Times.

- He thoughts on his influence over barefoot running and ultra running

- How he struggled with writing Born to Run

- This thoughts on minimalist shoes

- And much more!

To learn more about Christopher McDougall visit his website: http://chrismcdougall.com