Several years ago, when the minimalist shoe trend was really gearing up, I bought some purple Vibram Five Fingers shoes.  They were hideous.  But I loved them.  And I walked in them for YEARS until the sole was falling apart.  (I did not run in them, but that’s for another post.)

Since then, I’ve done most of my walking in my (expensive) running shoes.  This has put extra miles on my running shoes, wearing them out faster.  Also, my running shoes have a heel drop of 10.1 mm, meaning that I’m racking up a ton of miles (between running and walking) in a non-neutral heel.

I’d have loved to buy a new pair of Vibrams, but my husband would not be caught dead with me wearing those shoes.  And I’ll even admit it: they drew more attention that I’d like, and I was a tiny bit embarrassed when I ran into certain people in the city and was caught in my purple toe shoes.  So, I decided to look for an alternative.

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