Living Barefoot | 2011 November

Archive for November, 2011

Jambu Bare Feet Designs Birmingham Barefoot Review

By Tina Dubois ⋅ November 29, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Jambu is one of those shoe companies with great ideas, and even the occasional great execution, but the Birmingham Barefoot is not one of them. This shoe is not comfortable, not wide enough in the forefoot and too wide in the heel seat to accommodate most feet, doesn’t hold your foot in place, doesn’t have good ground feel, and has a slight heel rise in the outsole. They look great but, sadly, don’t feel as great as one would hope compared to their looks. I would recommend trying them on in a store before buying them and determining if the fit is one that you can live with. Jambu has several types of shoes in the Bare Feet Designs line, and although I liked the Barefoot Vegan, I do not like the Birmingham Barefoot. I still think that if you’re interested in Jambu products, they’re worth trying on and seeing if they work for you.

Vibram FiveFingers Jaya Shoe Review

By Tina Dubois ⋅ November 27, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

The Jaya is another excellent product by Vibram FiveFingers. Although this particular model doesn’t have the outstanding ground feel of some of the original VFF models, they are considerably more stylish than some with well-thought out details in colours and accents. They are incredibly lightweight and comfortable against the skin. They have some distracting qualities in the design of the sole, which are probably sacrificed due to increased durability and grip with the use of the TC1 rubber pads. If you like the toe pocket design of VFFs, you’ll probably like the improved esthetics and casual look of the Jaya.

Merrell Lithe Glove Shoe Review

By Tina Dubois ⋅ November 25, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

Merrell’s Pace Glove shortcomings were not improved in the release of the Lithe Glove. As a minimalist shoe, the Lithe Gloves are too narrow to allow the foot to function naturally and the sole has a myriad of issues that make them uncomfortable to walk or run in. The upper isn’t even comfortable as the heel seat digs painfully in the back of my heel. The only things going for this shoe are its added warmth for cooler temperatures and excellent grip.

Barefoot Banter: Session 2

By Al Gauthier ⋅ November 25, 2011 ⋅ 6 comments

What are our responsibilities as barefooters? Do we have a responsibility as “ambassadors”? How to respond to comments and questions made by the public. Strike patterns – how do they differ between barefooters and minimalist shoe wearers. Defining the word “minimalist”. What are the benefits and difficulties of creating a standard definition. Is the loose use of the word “barefoot” causing problems?

Stem Footwear Survival Origins (Women) Review

By Al Gauthier ⋅ November 22, 2011 ⋅ One comment

Review of the Stem Footwear Survival Origins – A Comfortable, Casual Lace up for Any Woman By Tina Dubois We had the opportunity of getting a sneak peek at Stem footwear during their pre-production development. Now that their development is complete and the first pairs of production shoes are rolling out, we’ve been given the [...]

Oetzi Troop Leather Review

By Tina Dubois ⋅ November 18, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

There’s a fine line between minimalism and adequate cold protection when it comes to footwear. Often you sacrifice great ground feel for sufficient insulation from the cold ground, not to mention style. In the Oetzi Troop Leather, you get the best of all these features in a comfortable, warm, water resistant, and stylish package. I love these boots and look forward to many winter walks with warm feet

We Interview Inov-8 on The Living Barefoot Show

By Al Gauthier ⋅ November 16, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

An Interview with Gina Lucrezi, representative from Inov-8 Tina interviews Gina about the Inov-8 lineup of minimalist shoes. Learn the Inov-8 phillosophy behind minimalist products as well as more about what is currently on offer and what is coming up! Learn a little about about Inov-8 products from the [...]

Eddie Izzard planning 1,100-mile barefoot run through Africa – mirror.co.uk

By Al Gauthier ⋅ November 6, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

I just read this article: Eddie Izzard planning 1,100-mile barefoot run through Africa – mirror.co.uk While I commend Eddie for his enthusiasm, I want to be sure that I clearly communicate my perspective on this type of barefoot running. Let’s step back. Eddie has decided that he is going to run barefoot through Africa, a distance [...]

VIVOBAREFOOT and Terra Plana going their separate ways!

By Al Gauthier ⋅ November 3, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment

VIVOBAREFOOT Just released the following statement: This is to announce that Terra Plana and VIVOBAREFOOT are going their separate ways. For the foreseeable future terraplana.com will be re-directed to vivobarefoot.com. Terra Plana created VIVOBAREFOOT in 2003, and over the years many iterations of the barefoot shoe revolution have been developed. Today the VIVOBAREFOOT patented, ultra-thin, [...]

The Living Barefoot Show – Introducing: Barefoot Banter

By Al Gauthier ⋅ November 2, 2011 ⋅ One comment

Barefoot Banter – Episode 1 Episode 39 Originally released November 2nd 2011 Join us in this exciting new show format – our very first Barefoot Banter episode! A new and exciting addition to The Living Barefoot Show, Barefoot Banter is a casual sharing of ideas and important topics between [...]