Sockwa X8- Breathable, Barefoot/Minimal Shoe (W7/M6, White)

If you have bought into the benefits of barefoot running, or the benefits of "freeing your sole" and walking without the impediments and detriments of most shoes, then don't go halfway and get a pair of Merrell Trail gloves or Nike Free's. Those are still mostly shoes with restrictive shapes and often heel/arch support. Get these.I've owned Sockwa's since 2012, and have racked up thousands of miles in training and ultra-running. These are great.1. The TPU outsole is more durable than Vibram rubber, and it grips just as well. I put 2,000 miles on an older pair of G2's and the tread was still faintly visible-they were about half worn though. Same goes for the rest of the shoe-about halfway worn down.2. Super comfortable, and if you fit the size correctly to the length of your foot, then the width will be fine, and they won't slide around. Good to go with or without socks.3. Remember to go on their website and size according to their chart, because they run about one size too big.4. I wear these everywhere-running, yard work, out and about; etc. I love driving in these, as they give me more control and feel of the pedal. You only notice how stiff and heavy normal shoes are once you begin to wear shoes like these.

I got these shoes to wear in the woods, because I hate not being able to feel where I am walking and because I get a lot of grief for running about shoe-less. For what I wanted, I really don't think there is anything better out there.When you put these on, they feel almost too small in a I am wearing a stretchy sock shoe sort of way, which I think is how they are supposed to fit. It doesn't bother me, but a friend of mine bought them a size up just in case.As for how they wear, you can feel the type of ground you're on way better than anything I've worn. Squishy, rocky, full of pebbles, you get the texture without the irritating holly leaves or the edges of 57 stone. I will say, if you REALLY mess up where you are putting your feet, you will feel it in a bad way. Like the pointy end of a stick. Don't step on those.My only complaint is, while this is the breathable version, they are still hot to wear. Doesn't really bother me because I mostly hike back to a stream and play in the water, but if you want them for serious barefoot running, they are still going to bake your feet, particularly if you run on asphalt.

For the past 7 years I have been all about minimalist shoes. Throughout those years I have gone through many shoes. From the New Balance minimus line, to a few vibrams, to zemgear, and a few others. These are by far my absolute favorite minimalist shoe I have ever owned. The ground feel is astonishing, and the comfort level is off the charts. It breathes extremely well, more so than any shoe I have ever owned. The moment I put them on I fell in love with them. The material on the bottom that your foot interacts with, feels ridiculously smooth and yet, it does not mute the ground feel at all. Aside from wearing them on a day to day basis, I have ran in these shoes, lifted weights, played both indoor and outdoor basketball and worn them to and from the pool. These have become my everyday, everywhere shoe. So far they have held up perfectly. I can honestly say that in the distant future, when the current X8's I have fall apart I will purchase new ones on the spot. I highly recommend this product to anyone and everyone who is remotely interested in minimalist/barefoot shoes, and even to those who aren't. I promise you will not be disappointed.

These shoes were interesting to me for simplicity. However, the shoe is uncomfortable, there are ridges inside the shoes that make it rough to wear without socks. I would not purchase again

The rating questions are deceptive.RE: Size: order one or two sizes too big. I am on my third pair. Once I figured out that I needed size 13M for my size 11 feet, I was fine, and the dealer was great about helping me get sized property.They are Very Comfortable, and they stretch a lot My EE width fit fine.They have no built in arch support. I put my custom $400 orthotics in them. Dr Soals makes $50 arch supports tailored to various feet. You can't expect any product to have the perfect arch support for your broken down old feet. Wear are all different. If your feet aren't a train wreck, you shouldn't use arch supports. That is the whole point of this product.

Four stars because all Sockwas are amazing and deserve at least four stars. But this particular model is not the greatest -- the sole has quite a toe spring (the amount the toe rises off the ground). I have to deliberately push quite hard with my toes to make them touch the ground at all, and keeping my foot in this raised-toe position all day (or deliberately pushing my toes down all day) would cause a cramp.They're still 1000% better than most shoes on the market, but other Sockwas (such as the G4) are better.

If you're just looking for a pair of shoes to stuff in your bag to the gym, this is a good pair. Definitely not recommended for summer outdoor wear, as the shoe is not breathable at all and quickly feels damp and unpleasant on the inside, despite its thinness. If you're looking for a minimalist/barefoot running shoes, look elsewhere - these shoes trap moisture.

Comfortable To wear indoors have not tried outdoors yet. Had to order larger size (wear 8 1/2 in a shoe) The sockwa 10 seems to fit the best without being too tight