If you are new to the world of non-conforming shoes, you are not alone if you find some of the terms that come with this forward-thinking niche a little confusing. Don’t worry - it happens to the best of us!
To help you navigate through the jargon, we have whipped up this blog article to explore what a minimalist non-conforming shoe actually is, to help you choose the perfect shoe for you.
What are the important characteristics of a minimalist shoe?
A minimalist shoe, also called a barefoot or zero-drop shoe, quite simply is a shoe that is as stripped back as it possibly can be, while also including some key factors in design.
Some of the most important characteristics of a minimalist shoe are as follows:
- Wide toe box: Standard shoes are quite narrow at the toes, which forces the toes together, impacting the overall agility of the foot. A minimalist shoe has a wide toe box, which allows the toes to splay to their natural position.
- Zero drop: This refers to the heel-to-toe drop, in millimetres, between the heel and the forefoot of the shoe. Real minimalist shoes have a zero drop (mimicking your actual feet!).
- Low stack height: This refers to the overall sole height. Minimalist shoes have soles that are as thin as they can be.
- Pronation: There are different ways to pad traditional shoes, but minimalist shoes have no padding, no arch support, and no ankle support.
- Flexible and lightweight: In order to ensure your feet are as close to the ground as possible, minimalist shoes are naturally among the most flexible and lightest that are available.
Non-conforming kicks you can count on
Here at the Last Shoemaker, we make our entire range of shoes ourselves. We design our variety of styles based on our own handcrafted lasts, which we create in-house. Our non-conforming, bespoke, minimalist shoes have wide toe boxes and are traditionally made using a hand-welted construction process.
Since we make the shoes ourselves, we are able to work from a list of characteristics and customise those, resulting in a pair of shoes that looks good, as well as fitting like a dream and functioning in the way a healthy food requires.
We put a lot of thought into the design and construction of our shoes, so you get a pair of kicks that you can count on. As sustainability is an important part of our shared future, we also offer services for resoling and repairs.
Visit our online shop to browse our full range of specialist shoes. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our products and services - we would love to hear from you!