Toe Shoes Reviews

Most athletes are vulnerable to various foot injuries. Partly, this is due to excessive wear and tear of the muscles in the leg region while partly it is due to wearing wrong type of shoes for years. As per scientific studies, running barefoot is most beneficial for the health of your foot. However, since it is not possible to run barefoot, especially at professional level, you need to look for other options. Toe shoes are a new trend in athlete's running shoes. They have instantly become a rage due to their unusual shape and structure. When we talk about toe shoes reviews, we can only consider about Vibram's five fingers, since they are the only candidate in this category. Hence, we will expand the scope of our review by comparing Vibram's five fingers along with other brands dealing in barefoot running shoes.

Vibram Five Fingers Vs. Nike Free

Vibram is a pioneer brand in toe shoes. They offer the best steel toe shoes. However, due to certain limitations you cannot wear Vibram on all occasions. Hence, you might want to explore other options for barefoot running. Nike Free, by far comes closest to Vibram's when it comes to offering a barefoot running experience. So, let us compare these two brands on various levels.

Style
Nike Free 3.0 and 7.0 look like any other pair of running shoes. Although, they are extremely light weight and offer a near barefoot running experience, their appearance does not say anything about their special purpose. On the other hand, Vibram's five fingers instantly stand out due to their peculiar shape and structure. They are designed like a glove, with separate slots for each toe. They are like a tough, synthetic version of your real feet. Both, Nike Free and Vibram come in an array of colors.

Comfort
Nike Free offers the comfort akin to any high quality running shoes. The comfort offered by Vibram is simply incomparable. Vibram offers high flexibility and greater bending ability. It also offers free movement of toes due to separate slots for each toe. Width of Nike Free is not much desirable for some sizes whereas finding a right sized Vibram's five finger is a big headache, due to its snug fit. It is particularly difficult to find toe shoes for kids in right size.

Performance
Performance depends greatly upon the activity that you intend to perform. For instance, Nike Free offers you overall strength and balance while running, whereas Vibram's offers you a better grip while rock climbing, trekking etc. Nike Free is mostly apt for running and jogging, cross training and cross fit, whereas Vibram's can be worn while playing water sports like surfing, paddling etc. Wearing Vibram's five fingers does give you a good support while running, but it tends to slow you down, hence not recommended for competitive purpose.

Durability
Nike Free offers a good durability which is comparable with any other good quality trainers or sneakers. Vibram's also offer a surprisingly good durability in spite of their thin and delicate structure. Both these shoes are machine washable, yet it is recommended that you wash them manually. Vibram's will need a more frequent washing than Nike Free.

Price
When it comes to prices, Vibram is a bit costlier than Nike Free at a price tag of USD 80. Nike Free is ranged between USD 60 - USD 80. Some varieties of Nike Free may cost you more than Vibram's five fingers.

Other Brands

New Balance
New Balance shoes are built somewhat on the line of Nike Free. They are extremely light weight and a favorite amongst professional marathon runners.

Newton
Newton running shoes are designed using a high-end action-reaction technology which prevents the runner from running incorrectly. It also corrects the incorrect running form, over the years.

Vivo Barefoot
Vivo Barefoot are most appropriate for wearing in public, especially at work. They give you the required comfort without making you stand out.

Hope these reviews help you to choose correct shoes for barefoot running. If you do not mind being spotted in the crowd, you can sure go for Vibram's or else choose from the other ones mentioned above.