(cw: recommendation of leather products)
I tried out minimalist footwear and, after the initial adjustment period, haven't looked back. That said, I'm not interested in selling anyone on the idea of minimalist footwear. There's about a million sites out there that can tell you what the pros and cons of minimalist shoes are, so I'm not gonna hash that out here. I have been asked what works for me though, so I figured I'd share what I've tried, and what I currently wear, when and why.
When I'm at home indoors I don't wear shoes, just socks when it's cold... unless when I'm doing construction or something with footwear requirements like riding unicycle.
I started out my adventure with minimalist shoes with a pair of Merrel vapor gloves. Specifically the Vapor Glove 4. They were a really nice introduction to minimalist footwear on the whole. I've never been a fan of toe socks, so I knew that Vibram Five Fingers weren't going to be my style. If I recall correctly, I had the opportunity to try these on in store (though which store, I can no longer remember), and found them to have plenty of space for my toes, while still feeling tight to my feet via the laces. They served me very well, and were my go to shoe for many years. I still have them, and they're still in decent condition, but I don't find myself wearing them all that often anymore. I'm pretty sure that's largely due to the fact that they lace up. I like slip-on options better for running errands and such.
When we moved to PA, we realized we needed some real winter boots. I invested in a nice pair of mucklucks. Specifically, I have a pair of Manitobah Hunters. I've found that I tend to wear my muckluks outside more often than just about any other shoes. Even during warmer weather, if I need to do something quick outdoors like run the compost out to the compost pile, or check the mail, they're my go-to. They slip on easy and I just haven't found a summer slip on that I like. From what I can tell the company is doing about as good as can be expected of giving back to the indigenous communities the core designs of their boots come from. They're a leather boot, which requires typical leather care. While I haven't had them long, they seem like they're likely to last a long time, as one would hope. They're fleece lined, which is super cozy, but doesn't add enough cushion to make me feel far away from the ground. They have a wide toe box, and actually don't have a left and right foot (though I wear mine with the tie to the outside, so mine have become a specific left and right) They're super flexible and yet still have decent grip to the ground, even on ice!
When it isn't cold out, I've noticed I tend to wear a pair of skinners "comfort" sock shoes when I go out into the world. They're extremely minimalist, and I really like them. They definitely are in the camp of minimalist footwear that look weird, but so long as I wear a pair of socks with them, people seem to figure out that somehow they're supposed to be shoes. They're a bit compression-y, but I haven't found that I particularly mind that. They're basically just socks with some nubbly-bits as a sole that protects my feet from concrete and gravel, and I'm amazed at how well they seem to work for me.
For tough work, like climbing about in the attic or outdoors for longer stretches in the summer, I wear a pair of zero drop military-spec training boots. Specifically they're MINI-Mil TR101 Belleville boots. From what I can tell they're no longer made, and the TR102 and TR105 don't come in the desert tan that I got. I adore them, but I don't know that I can recommend them (particularly as a first minimalist shoe), for several reasons: 1.) They're from a military gear manufacturer. I got mine secondhand, I don't think I'd have been willing to buy them direct. I immediately put rainbow laces in to queer them up some. 2.) The treads eventually separate from the bodies of the boots, which admittedly may have been my own fault for doing the "step on the back of the boot with the other foot to get your feet out" maneuver on the regular. I have glued mine back together once, we'll see how they continue to work. 3.) The tall and relatively tight fit of the boot is a weird thing to have along with minimal drop (These have about a 5 degree drop, which I only learned while looking up what model they are.) It took some getting used to, after getting used to minimalist footwear in the first place. They don't have the ankle freedom that I'm used to in other minimalist shoes, though admittedly they have more than you'd find with most other work boots. Not really a point for or against, they aren't protective toe, which is one of those complicated things where sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's a drawback. Reasons I like them.. basically boil down to they are a minimalist work boot, which there just aren't a ton that I know of. They've served me really well so far, and have kept me from having to ruin any of my other shoes or boots by doing things like climbing around in our soot filled attic.
My clown has worn minimalist shoes for longer than I have! Their first set of shoes were a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All Star High Top sneakers that they found when I let them go shopping at a thrift store. The store in question had their shoes organized by colour, and Jane went straight to the red area, and spotted a pair of high tops on which someone had written "Clown Shoes" around the star logo in permanent marker. "Well, these are clearly for me!" and they fit!
I've since gotten a pair of high tops in black for workshop, and in yellow to match Jane's other hat. (Look, I don't know why the shoes and hat must match, but apparently they must.)
I'll admit though, now that I've worn other minimalist shoes with larger toe boxes for so many years (going on T might also be a factor here), the All Stars do pinch a bit, and I'll be looking into whether I need to size up or switch to something new for my clown sometime in the future.