I Love My Merrells

Earlier this summer, I blogged about my foray into the barefoot shoe movement. Unfortunately for me, the toe shoes I bought were one size too small and had already removed the tags. What I didn't mention was that I also purchased barefoot casual flats. Initially, I had my heart set on the Vivobarefoot Women's Kali Shoe. Unfortunately, they weren't available in my size locally.

I lucked out with the two Merrells that I bought. They were on sale. Here's one of them:

This is the Merrell Women's Barefoot Life Zest Glove Flat (purchased at Soft Moc). I also have the Merrell Women's Barefoot Wonder Glove  (purchased at Checkmate Shoes).

Both pairs are extremely comfortable. The rubber Vibram soles provide a little bit of cushioning without compromising on flexibility.

Even after running around in them all day at the Calgary Japanese Festival, my feet were still happy at the end of the day. My legs were another story.

There's no arch support, so one unfamiliar with the barefoot movement would think that my arches would have been screaming by lunchtime. However, I think what helped is the fact that they ARE so flexible and have zero drop.

With my heightened foot to ground connection, I've changed how I walk (no heel striking). My toes wiggled freely because of the roomy toe box. The result? My entire foot adjusted easily and quickly to the uneven ground. Terra firma. In fact, I used the little bumps to massage my feet throughout the day by rolling back and forth.

The only downside? I'm short and wearing barefoot shoes really accentuates the height difference between myself and my interviewees. >_<

However, in the whole scheme of things, I think I'm healthier with barefoot shoes: no backaches, heightened nimbleness and balance and finally, improved posture. Sounds good to me.