Searching for a pair of minimalist shoes…again. Recomendations?

I should also clarify. The Primus Trail I had was the FG. I have not seen the SG which is what I’d likely be interested in given their more aggressive lugs.

Since no one has any info to offer Ill throw in my experiences.

My favorite shoe is the merrell ascends. Very nice rock plate, primo traction, not as minimalist as I like prefer. Found two pairs in my size for $60, but the mesh blows out so fast, since they are so breathable, broken mesh doesnt matter until the shoe splits in two.

What I use now is kigo footwear, whichever is 100% polyester, elastic laces $35.
Very minimalist, closest thing to slippers youll ever find. I found the fingerprint traction is surprisingly grippy on wet rocks and where it’s needed, your foot’s ability to naturally flex plus the tred is what makes it work. I walk 12 miles a day on them everyday and have done so on trails no problem. I’m not sure how long they normally last due to my mistake of washing them in a washmachine on hot, requiring a tube of shoegoo to fix my three pairs. Still going strong and will never purchase anyother pair of shoes as long as they stay $35. Certainly a unique recommendation, ultra minimalist, so make sure your feet are comfortable with handling the barefoot aspect in lack of cushion if considered.

I am currently using the Vivo Primus Trail Swimrun, which I believe is basically the FG lower with the neoprene sock/collar from the SG.  I almost bought the SG but the tread looks like it would be uncomfortable on hard surfaces, i.e. packed trails, granite, asphalt, etc. I’ve only used the Swimruns for 2 days so I can’t comment on durability.  They breath ok and dry fairly quickly, the latter being a primary consideration in my choice of hiking footwear.

I have used the Altra Superior 1.5 for a good number of miles and they are comfortable. As you mentioned, the traction is not good. Plus, they never seem to dry out after a stream crossing. Too much foam in the upper. I tried the 2.0 but gave them away. They had a much cushier midsole (which I find allows me to get sloppy and overstride), better traction, and a better upper.  The lugs on the sole seemed soft, though. Probably wouldn’t last long.

I have been eyeing the Altra Golden Spikes.  With the spikes removed I think they would make a pretty decent trail shoe.  I believe they are Altra’s most minimal shoe.

I have used the Kigos (I believe the model name is Drive) that Russel mentions. While the construction and traction seemed like they would work for me, the toe box did not. Too narrow. I have a pair of the Kigo Leons, which are a casual shoe and they have a very roomy toe box. Traction is ok, for a stree shoe.  However, with the contrasting toe cap and the more or less anatomical shape, they look very much like clown shoes.  I still wear them as they are very comfy, but looking like I just got off work in the Big Top is certainly a consideration.

I have the Altra Golden Spike. They breath well but are very plasticy. So much so that they rubbed a bad blister on me in a matter of hours with socks. That could be my feet, but I’ve never gotten blisters in any other minimalist shoe.

Note that you will need to buy spike plugs. Basically flat spikes to screw into the holes. Otherwise you will both get rocks jammed into the screw holes and ruin the screw threads.

Thanks for the very helpful and thoughtful replies, everyone!

I just found another possible contender – the Xero Terraflex. Doesn’t look bad but the toe box doesn’t look overly wide.

Speaking of which, another thing I remember about my Primus Trail FGs was the toe box. While the width seemed fine, my toes felt cramped vertically. Can anyone compare the toe boxes between the Primus Trail FG and SG?

. BPL XERO TERRAFLEX REVIEW .

toe boxes on Primus SG and FG should be essentially identical.

I agree that the toe boxes on my Primus Trail Swimruns initially felt a bit cramped vertically but it has not bothered me in use.

As for the Xeros, I have not tried the Terraflex but I have tried the Hanas, the Prios, and the DIY huaraches. Love the huaraches, love the Hanas, dislike the Prios. In my opinion, the design of the Prio and the Terraflex are overly complicated and not in keeping with the minimal ideals that the company is founded on. My main gripe is that they take forever to dry out because the upper is composed a bunch of foam and  other absorbent materials. Also, to me they seem very shapeless, like someone’s first attempt at making a shoe.

Plus, my Prios have not held up well at all.  Just my $.02. Like I said, I like a lot of Xeros products, just not their most recent.

Thanks, guys! I’m very tempted by the Terraflex but, from what I’ve been reading, their durability seems to be in question. At this point, since I’m already familiar with their feel, I’m leaning towards another pair of Carsons… but with the trail tread. The toe box isn’t as wide as my Altra Superior 1.5 but it’s wide enough… and the vertical movement for my toes is excellent, particularly with the insoles removed. My toes felt like they were in a straight jacket in the Primus Trail…vertically speaking.

Sure wish there were more options out there……

I would be interested in your thoughts on the Carsons. Particularly, how quickly they dry, how minimal they are compared to the Superior 1.5 and the Vivos, and how well the trail tread holds up (if you go that route).

Hi Nick,

I can tell you about my existing Carsons. I should know how quickly they dry as I’ve used them for whitewater kayaking. But I haven’t paid attention.

As far as being minimal, I wear my Superior 1.5 without the insole or rock plate. I also wear the Carsons without the insole. That said, I’d say they are pretty similar, with perhaps, the Carsons feeling a touch, if any, more minimal.

I didn’t wear my Vivo Primus Trail FG that long before selling since they were too short. I can say though that they are more minimal than the Carsons…even with the insoles in the Vivo. The Carson has a wide footprint and feels kinda clunky and cumbersome at first when coming out of the Vivos. The Vivos feel more nimble, the Carsons more stable. Definitely more foot protection in the Carsons.

Not sure how many miles I have on my Carsons but, over all, they didn’t seem to hold up as long as I would have guessed they would. That said, they are still wearable and I expect to get quite a few more miles on them. The kayak/whitewater environment no doubt placed extra demands on them so maybe my expectations were too high.

Thanks for the info, Rusty.  I wear my Altra’s without insole or rock plate, as well.  I personally feel they are quite a bit too much shoe to qualify for “minimal”, but that’s totally subjective. Now days they are used almost exclusively for fly fishing tiny, brushy mountain streams where I spend all day in the creek.  The extra shoe really helps protect my feet when sliding around on river rocks.

You’re welcome, Nick. I need to make a correction though. Having been wearing my Altras mostly lately, I guess I had forgotten how they felt compared to my Carsons. I wore the Carsons tonight and they are without a doubt more of a minimalist shoe than the Altras… in every way (insoles out of both). I’d estimate the Carsons to be some where between the Vivos and Altras.