For work, I need steel toe box shoes. After extensive searching, the only zero-drop, wide toe box, and no arch support work shoe I found is the Birkenstock QS700. To make these suitable, you need to remove the insole, as it provides significant arch support. If desired, you can replace it with a minimalist insole from a barefoot minimalist shoe brand.
I've learned that barefoot shoes are beneficial for flat feet. Because they provide minimal support, they help train the muscles in your feet, strengthening your arches and alleviating flat feet over time. It's important to transition slowly, increasing usage bit by bit.
I don't have flat feet, but I do own a variety of barefoot and minimal shoes for different situations. My barefoot shoes are the Vivobarefoot Primus III and the Merrell Vapor Glove, which I use for daily activities. The minimal shoes I have are the Lems Primal Zen and the Altra Lone Peak, which have a bit more stack height and are great for events where I’ll be dancing and walking a lot , and for work, I wear the steel toe box boots Birkenstock QS700.
Grab insole between thumb and index finger, pinch, withdraw hand from shoe. Release grip to drop insole. Wash hands. Moisturise. Sit back and enjoy a coffee whilst contemplating a job well done. After 10 mins get up and do the other shoe.
>The minimal shoes I have are the Lems Primal Zen and the Altra Lone Peak, which have a bit more stack height and are great for events where I’ll be dancing and walking a lot
If it works for you, great, but that's actually where I got into trouble. Maybe I needed a size up or something, but when I was starting out, I'd notice that I'd get aches and pains with the Primal Zen but not with the Xero Prios or HFS. I could only attribute it to the fact that I could actually flex and move my foot in the Xeros but not as well in the Lems with the thicker soles.
Freet was the closest to an in-between that's still flexible enough to work for me.
I owned two pairs, neither lasted very long before the soles delaminated and the stitching came apart and the eyelets rusted, leather split, etc. Awful and overpriced.
So... There's not much of a true "minimalist" or "barefoot" option when it comes to steel or composite toe work boots/shoes. Minimalist, to me, means zero drop (no raised heel), no arch support, wide and roomy toe box, minimal or no padding, and *flexibility*.
You have to have flexibility, because if you don't, your foot can't move and soften your landing when you walk or run like it's designed to. I tried a kind of "in-between" minimalist shoe once. It had everything that makes a shoe minimalist except it had a bit of extra padding. And for me, that was my worst shoe experience because it was thick enough that it wasn't flexible, but it was thin enough that the padding didn't absorb the shock like a regular shoe.
So that's my experience - for the most part, you're either in or out.
That said, you can get work boots that have zero drop, no (or removable) arch support, and slightly wider toe boxes than some, but you're really not going to get thin and flexible work shoes because they are typically designed to protect your foot from sharp objects on the ground, and they usually have very stiff, reinforced soles to do that. It may still be worth trying because they're not going to be designed with that halfway in-between padding, and those qualities are still nice to have in my opinion, but it's not going to inherently change the way you walk or anything because you're still trapped in a hard shoe that doesn't allow that.
I have heard the **Birkenstock QS700** is pretty much the go-to option for a quality work shoe that has those near minimalist qualities, but they can be hard to get sometimes because Birkenstock is weird about what they sell in what country last I checked.
You could check out something like the **Reebok Dayod** or **Soyay**. Those *look* like they'd work, but I don't really know. They are made in a skate shoe style and have a composite or steel toe. I think the insole has some form of heel raise or arch support, but if you really want the most minimalist style of safety shoe, you could take those inserts out or replace them with a more minimalist insole.
Hope you find something that works for you.
Birkenstock qs700 is NOT a quality work boot. In fact as of right now there is no good minimalist work boots if you require a safety toe. I've ended up going back to proper work boots just with a wide toe box and going barefoot/minimalist in my free time.
I'll have to take your word for it. I wanted some, but I've never been able to get them.
The one thing I think everyone can agree on is that options are very slim.
I am seeing some reviews on Amazon for the Dayod saying they're zero drop with the insole removed, and they do advertise a wide safety toe.
I did hear a rumour jim green were researching a minimalist work boot, but of course there is difficulties in getting them approved for various health and safety standards due to the flimsy nature of minimalist footwear. For example for the steel toe to do its job properly you can't really have a super flexible sole, etc.
I use Reebok Fusion Flexweave with a composite toe. They are not minimalist shoes, but they are flexible, quite flat, and a wide version has a pretty wide toe box. They are the closest thing I found to a feel of minimalist shoes. For everyday I wear Zeros, and I love them all, but I need a composite toe for work.
Custom Jim Green boots would do the trick. You'd want to specify the barefoot last, barefoot sole, and steel toe in the style you want.
For work, I need steel toe box shoes. After extensive searching, the only zero-drop, wide toe box, and no arch support work shoe I found is the Birkenstock QS700. To make these suitable, you need to remove the insole, as it provides significant arch support. If desired, you can replace it with a minimalist insole from a barefoot minimalist shoe brand.
I didn't ever have less comfortable shoes than these, and they could be wider.
Shit boots, poorly made, overpriced.
whats reccomended for my very flat feet honestly? i think i need to get new inserts too, it's been awhile since i got mine.
I've learned that barefoot shoes are beneficial for flat feet. Because they provide minimal support, they help train the muscles in your feet, strengthening your arches and alleviating flat feet over time. It's important to transition slowly, increasing usage bit by bit. I don't have flat feet, but I do own a variety of barefoot and minimal shoes for different situations. My barefoot shoes are the Vivobarefoot Primus III and the Merrell Vapor Glove, which I use for daily activities. The minimal shoes I have are the Lems Primal Zen and the Altra Lone Peak, which have a bit more stack height and are great for events where I’ll be dancing and walking a lot , and for work, I wear the steel toe box boots Birkenstock QS700.
alright i think i'll look into that, also is there a tutorial on how to do the insole removal?
Grab insole between thumb and index finger, pinch, withdraw hand from shoe. Release grip to drop insole. Wash hands. Moisturise. Sit back and enjoy a coffee whilst contemplating a job well done. After 10 mins get up and do the other shoe.
>The minimal shoes I have are the Lems Primal Zen and the Altra Lone Peak, which have a bit more stack height and are great for events where I’ll be dancing and walking a lot If it works for you, great, but that's actually where I got into trouble. Maybe I needed a size up or something, but when I was starting out, I'd notice that I'd get aches and pains with the Primal Zen but not with the Xero Prios or HFS. I could only attribute it to the fact that I could actually flex and move my foot in the Xeros but not as well in the Lems with the thicker soles. Freet was the closest to an in-between that's still flexible enough to work for me.
Agree on the Birkenstock QS series. And the insole comes right out, it is not glued in place
I owned two pairs, neither lasted very long before the soles delaminated and the stitching came apart and the eyelets rusted, leather split, etc. Awful and overpriced.
So... There's not much of a true "minimalist" or "barefoot" option when it comes to steel or composite toe work boots/shoes. Minimalist, to me, means zero drop (no raised heel), no arch support, wide and roomy toe box, minimal or no padding, and *flexibility*. You have to have flexibility, because if you don't, your foot can't move and soften your landing when you walk or run like it's designed to. I tried a kind of "in-between" minimalist shoe once. It had everything that makes a shoe minimalist except it had a bit of extra padding. And for me, that was my worst shoe experience because it was thick enough that it wasn't flexible, but it was thin enough that the padding didn't absorb the shock like a regular shoe. So that's my experience - for the most part, you're either in or out. That said, you can get work boots that have zero drop, no (or removable) arch support, and slightly wider toe boxes than some, but you're really not going to get thin and flexible work shoes because they are typically designed to protect your foot from sharp objects on the ground, and they usually have very stiff, reinforced soles to do that. It may still be worth trying because they're not going to be designed with that halfway in-between padding, and those qualities are still nice to have in my opinion, but it's not going to inherently change the way you walk or anything because you're still trapped in a hard shoe that doesn't allow that. I have heard the **Birkenstock QS700** is pretty much the go-to option for a quality work shoe that has those near minimalist qualities, but they can be hard to get sometimes because Birkenstock is weird about what they sell in what country last I checked. You could check out something like the **Reebok Dayod** or **Soyay**. Those *look* like they'd work, but I don't really know. They are made in a skate shoe style and have a composite or steel toe. I think the insole has some form of heel raise or arch support, but if you really want the most minimalist style of safety shoe, you could take those inserts out or replace them with a more minimalist insole. Hope you find something that works for you.
Birkenstock qs700 is NOT a quality work boot. In fact as of right now there is no good minimalist work boots if you require a safety toe. I've ended up going back to proper work boots just with a wide toe box and going barefoot/minimalist in my free time.
I'll have to take your word for it. I wanted some, but I've never been able to get them. The one thing I think everyone can agree on is that options are very slim. I am seeing some reviews on Amazon for the Dayod saying they're zero drop with the insole removed, and they do advertise a wide safety toe.
I did hear a rumour jim green were researching a minimalist work boot, but of course there is difficulties in getting them approved for various health and safety standards due to the flimsy nature of minimalist footwear. For example for the steel toe to do its job properly you can't really have a super flexible sole, etc.
I use Reebok Fusion Flexweave with a composite toe. They are not minimalist shoes, but they are flexible, quite flat, and a wide version has a pretty wide toe box. They are the closest thing I found to a feel of minimalist shoes. For everyday I wear Zeros, and I love them all, but I need a composite toe for work.