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Totally stole this one off you dav, thanks.

Sick of my inch thick soled uncomfortable as hell cold weather shoes. I need suggestions for what people wear in cold weather when seeking as little useless padding in their footwear possible. For reference, I pretty much never take my Minimus' off when it's warmer out.

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past questions paleohacks.com/questions/9310/… – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Nov 18 2011 at 4:37
paleohacks.com/questions/68613/… – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Nov 18 2011 at 4:38
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Love the minimus too. I've been wearing them so far in the cold... but you're right, the uppers are kind of airy. – gydle Nov 18 2011 at 12:38
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definitely not Vibrams...toes get stone cold after being outside for too long. – San Diego Dude Nov 18 2011 at 21:26
Thanks Melissa, I guess I didn't search thoroughly enough before I asked this, neither of those threads showed up in my search results dammit. – Nutritionator Nov 18 2011 at 23:41

20 Answers

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I have found that the best approach to minimalist footwear in cold weather, is to make a point of being barefoot on a beach in Maui, as often as possible.

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Most excellent use of Occam's razor. – Kamal Nov 18 2011 at 17:03
A real paleo wears flip flops. – thhq Sep 15 at 14:18
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Has anyone tried Minnetonkas? Some of the boots are kind of cute: http://minnetonkamoccasin.com/CatalogMocsClogs.asp

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I wear their softsole moc for work and just ordered the softsole boot for winter. From my perspective, it's the feel of a VFF without the toe hassle ;). – Beth-WeightMaven Nov 18 2011 at 12:45
haven't worn them in years, but still love them – The Loon Nov 18 2011 at 19:02
Awesome, thanks! – Karen P. Nov 18 2011 at 21:41
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I've been drooling at these for quite some time:

http://www.softstarshoes.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1805

Havent tried them, tho.

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Lars!!! Striking again with your wintery expertise! – Nutritionator Nov 18 2011 at 4:06
Thanks. Once the first snow comes, you should try to do some barefoot running. The barefoot running I did last winter was the best runs I've had in my entire life, esp in fresh snow right below freezing :) – Lars Nov 18 2011 at 4:16
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Terra Plana's EVO II is great for colder weather.

http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/mens/evo-ii-mens-13.html/

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Both merrell and NB have released "cold weather" versions of their very popular minimal shoes.

New Balance MO10 http://www.shopnewbalance.com/men/shoes/outdoor/multi-sport/MO10BK

Merrell Embark http://www.merrell.com/US/en-US/Product.mvc.aspx/24666M/0/Mens/Barefoot-Train-Embark-Glove-GORE-TEX?dimensions=0

and of course, there is the VFF Flow, which has been out for a while http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/Five-Fingers-Flow-Mens.htm

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I've been wearing these: http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=cat10088&subCatId=cat10045&skuId=087976075&productId=69798&lotId=087976&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

They're not perfect, but pretty good if you can't afford the more expensive options. My shoe requirements were 1. as minimal as possible 2. as cheap as possible 3. won't disintegrate in the constant rain we have out here.

I bought them in wide so I have a larger toe box. They have no padding. The sole is flexible. They also stretch, so after a few weeks of wearing them, they are even more comfortable. I'd buy 'em again.

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I wish I could find something like that for men. They seem to assume we need at least an inch of something between us and ground. – August Nov 18 2011 at 16:59
I was just thinking about checking out Payless, thanks for the recommend. – Karen P. Nov 18 2011 at 21:40
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These should be warm. And they're guaranteed to get you more weird looks than the regular VFFs.

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And they would probably smell funky even more rapidly then the regular ones! – Lars Nov 18 2011 at 4:27
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I don't think teir any weirder looking than regular VFFs. But ouch - $160! – AdrianaG Nov 18 2011 at 12:21
I suppose it's nice if you need to get your sprint on in Minnesota during January. – maryeeclarkisouthunting Nov 18 2011 at 23:20
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Mocassins, or maybe Toms fleece lined Botas: http://www.toms.com/womens/botas/highlands-green-leopard-fleece-women-s-botas

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http://budoguten.futagotrader.com/tabi/

Jika-tabi. Tarditional soft spilt toe Japanese workshoes -waterproof version. That is what you want.

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Those are nice. I might have to try a pair for winter clam digging. – thhq Sep 15 at 14:21
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For something warmer than Feiyues or VFFs, there's sheepskin slipper/shoes, like at http://www.kiwi-sheepskins.com/ . I have a pair of the Bootie Slippers and they are totally suitable for wearing out all day with no socks, and are extremely comfy. They're not cheap, but at half the price of SoftStars they're not overly pricey either.

If you want to take a step up to something suitable for really cold weather, you can try mukluks. The biggest two makers are Steger and Manitobah. I had some trouble finding Manitobah ones I liked (they're cheaper and have Vibram soles), so I went with the Ojibwa Short that Steger sells. These are not as minimalistic as true minimalist shoes, but much moreso than almost any winter boot in a store. You'll pay at least 160 + shipping, but they'll last. Make sure to ask for cheaper shipping if you order from them - you'll probably get it. Size up, and if your feet are wider than average get the Wide even if you don't normally wear wides.

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I'm wearing my Vibrams with crew length Injinji socks. Our winters here in Atlanta are fairly mild so they should be fine down to the high 30's.

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Injini makes a wool sock now that adds a bit more warmth too. (might be what you're referring to) – JimV Nov 18 2011 at 16:05
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I was gonna say mukluks if you want to go old school Inuit. But then I remembered that I just ordered myself a pair of NEOS overshoes so I can snowshoe while wearing my lightweight trail shoes. They have several models which should work for nearly every winter scenario.

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FWIW I've run in my vibrams in 16-degree temps because I think it's fun. But walking into the office or attending class with wet feet because the snow is deeper than my footwear is high seems out of the question. The more I think about it I'm planning on getting a lot of use from my overshoe this year. – Touch the Clouds Nov 18 2011 at 4:01
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For men, the VFF Bormio is probably the warmest option, replacing the Flow for cold weather (casual) use.

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I wear knock-off crocs with thick socks. What I like about crocs is their great price, their easy washability and the bottom is thick enough to provide plenty of insulation against a cold floor. When it is rainy and I need traction, I go with a pair of loose water sport shoes. They will still fit with socks.

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I tried them all, vffs, softstar, terra plana, feelmax you name it. The only thing that is warm enough for me when it's really cold while acceptably thin-soled for running in is a cheap neoprene shoe --supplementable with a pair of neoprene socks when it is really extreme

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How about these tall, flat bottom leather boots with a faux shearling lining: http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/ladies/brooklyn-27.html/

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i only like shoes i can put on and take off fast (to avoid dirt in house and be barefoot as much as possible.) thus cant do vff. whats with the ridiculous pirces of barefoot shoes? why cant one just wear cheapo flat moccs?

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What do you consider "fast"? I can put on most of my VFFs in a matter of seconds. You figure it out after a bit. ;) – WyldKard Dec 21 2011 at 17:28
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Summer or winter I am required by OSHA to wear sturdy steel toed shoes so the concept of "maximalist" is operative for me. I've found that these heavy 10" boots are just the thing for staying active walking 10 miles a day all winter long. Locally made and well fitted. If I were a hunter they'd work just as well. I've never seen anyone out elk hunting in minimalist shoes.

And what's more paleo than being active? If your shoe choice keeps you indoors and sedentary rather than out hunting and gathering at least 2 hours a day you've completely missed the point.

For indoors I wear locally made deerskin gluvmocs. If I was properly ancestral I'd be wearing a heavier version outdoors. But at present I'm not giving up my job for a better reenactment.

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Forty Below® Light Energy™ TR SHORTY Overboots

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I think this kind of shoes is suitable for cold whether, http://www.upere.com/upere-wedge-sneakers-suede-in-yellow-tongue-p-9.html,

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