Tennis shoes

[SkerleeWerg]

I haven't any idea what "toeshoes" are. I have shoes with laces, showes with straps and locks and shoes with cables. They all fit properly and are comfortable enough but the shoes with laces are by far the most comfortable after several hours of really rough riding. All the other one's spread the forces over fewer connection points and press here and there. For reasonably short rides (40 of fewer miles) or less than 3 hard hours off-road it doesn't make much difference. But on long rides it sure does. But the most comfortable shoes I have are straps and lock Sidi's which were given to me. These are comfortable because the leather is such high quality it totally conforms to your foot perfectly. You don't even notice the closure method. But it isn't like I would spend $400 on a pair of shoes myself.

People give them **** all the time, but if you're ever walking up a hill with some leaves on the ground with a pair of toeshoes and a pair of tennis shoes or boots, I guarantee you that your feet will prefer the toe shoes. Vibram fivefingers made them popular but there's a ton of brands that make them, I thought they were silly at first but once I used a few different brands, it's harder to go back to regular shoes than it was to switch over, 100%

Edit: Those are also more of a minimal model, there are some with much more grip. The toes are more flexible than you might think, it is basically just a glove for your foot with a bit more firmness towards the heel and arch. You really have to see a few different pairs in person to get a feel for them, most people just stick to shoes.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

I've been using them for runs for the last 5+ years, they're very durable.

When the 'bare foot' running thing started to take hold I saw a few runners try FiveFingers. I have not seen a pair in use by a runner in years though. With every foot and leg geometry issue runners have I can certainly see a FiveFingers style shoe helping people walk correctly, run without pain and do all kinds of activities that would be limited by conventional shoes.

Sure, they may look stupid, but if it works...it ain't stupid.

I wonder if any of the Boston Marathon pics show any runners using them this year?

Edit: 2013 story of a guy that ran a sub 2-1/2 Hr. Boston Marathon in FiveFingers:
http://birthdayshoes.com/running-the-boston-marathon-under-2-30-in-fivefingers

 

[Damien Lee]

I've worn tennis shoes and even Converse sneakers when out for a ride. I just make sure to tuck in the laces so that they don't come lose or get stuck in the chain, which will just lead to trouble. Of course, I don't wear these shoes for performance but for practical uses.

 

[ZXD22]

Don't want to be mean but those funny looking webbed feet shoes would make you look a bit funny. I would guess that many people think that you are going to go swimming or treading in murky waters in those!