WHITIN Men’s Minimalist Trail Runner | Wide Toe Box | Barefoot Inspired

10 reviews for WHITIN Men’s Minimalist Trail Runner | Wide Toe Box | Barefoot Inspired

1. 

   DrBop – October 1, 2024

   Amazing! Light. Durable. Comfortable.
   Paired with toe socks, this lightweight hiking shoe provides wonderful stability and grip on trails with rocks, dust, roots, pebbles, mud, streams… At a third of the price of FiveFingers, these shoes are a stunning value. And very comfortable as well!While I had low expectations, I was blown away by how functional and comfortable these shoes are. The minimalist design is augmented by what appears to be a strange outline of your toes at the front end. Yet there is no conforming toe shape in the sole. So what gives? This unique design shines when you are hiking on a steep decline — when you usually find your toes painfully jammed to the front wall of the toe box. Not with these! Your toes (if you are barefoot or wearing toe socks) find a comfortable spot in those little carveouts for your toesies! Genius!The soles provide both amazing grip on all manner of slippery terrain: dusty uphills, gravelly downhills, wet rocks in streams, muddy patches. As an avid hiker on a wide spectrum of trails for more than 50 years, I don’t ever recall feeling so confident in my shoes/boots, or so comfortable. While these are very lightweight, the soles are tough. I could ‘sense’ roots and rocks and stones but had ZERO pain or discomfort traversing them.I have ordered more pairs and more versions of this shoe. I am eager to try more Whitin minimalist shoes with their wide toe boxes. There is a dizzying variety of Whitin shoes here. And the product descriptions are confusingly similar so differentiating them is a challenge. But! If you are a serious hiker, give these shoes a try! Expect your feet and body to thank you!

2. 

   Steve – October 1, 2024

   Cheap, good, roomy-toebox shoe for athletics and everyday wear
   As comfortable as my old Altra Lone Peaks, one-fourth the price, as well as hopefully an unchanging model for years to come. Replaced my old (depleted) stock of New Balance Minimus 10v1 — the shoes aren’t directly comparable, but as someone with a strong preference for those now-discontinued runners, these sufficed.Ran a half-marathon on a forest trail with no training in months and no break-in time for the shoes. No blisters. Lack of cushioning means the rocks and roots are noticeable, but I prefer that (teaches mindfulness about where to land the foot).Have since also used for yard work, basketball, walks, and everyday wear. Not exceedingly stylish, but neither am I.Too soon to speak to durability, but the price point and performance have me unworried as long as I can get six months of heavy use on asphalt, concrete, dirt, and grass.The velcro is nice, especially for running. Easier to get a perfect fit without too much pressure on the top bones of my feet.Will probably stockpile half a dozen pairs once this pair proves to last six months at my activity level and environment.

3. 

   Eben Eleazer – October 1, 2024

   Good, cheap, barefoot style shoe
   Been wearing Vibram five-fingera (the toe shoes) for exercise since around 2013, recently started replacing all my shoes with barefoot style shoes. This is my third pair of Whitins.I like them for the price. They’re about as durable as any shoe. I tend to walk/hike/bike a lot in my ‘everyday shoes” and only keep 1 or 2 pairs of non-specialty shoe, and these last as long as anything else (and longer than most VFFs).Comfort is good.I like the combo of laces and a strap, and this combo (as well as the tread pattern) is straight from the VFF V-Train model. The upper on these is like a breathable neoprene, very comfortable and decently breathable. I imagine it dries quickly, but haven’t gotten them wet yet.Overall,a good shoe, especially for wide toe box.If you’re new to barefoot shoes, they’re a good intro.If you’re a barefoot veteran, TAKE THE INSOLES OUT! They’ve got about 2mm of drop and the soles are thick enough to absorb anything in life or on trail. Also, at least for me, the quick lace section cradles my arches better without them.

4. 

   Anne S. – October 1, 2024

   Comfortable and durable, been wearing for 3 years going strong
   These are some of my favorite shoes. I have been wearing these since 2021.I have wide feet so I struggle finding shoes that fit. These are wonderful. Your toes are not separated like other brands, but this means you can wear socks with the shoes. I wear these often when I fly – on long flights it is nice to have a shoe that wont constrict your foot. They also go on easy, so they are great car shoes. They feel like outdoor slippers.These shoes have a thicker sole in them, so they wear a little heavier than some minimalist shoes. I love that. I need more support when I hike, so I wont wear these when I am out over a couple of miles, but for short spurts they are fantastic. The price is also another highlight.

5. 

   Avery Frederick – October 1, 2024

   Not a bad hiking shoe, but can’t take serious beatings
   I got a pair of these a year back for a water based hike.Out of the box, the appearance was much better than I thought. The red pops, it is comfortable when walking (considering its a thinner sole etc.), light weight and great overall design.In terms of the hike, it feared well, considering that I go a bit too far at times when testing my gear (part of the sole cracked, but that was to be expected).The grip is better than using a generic shoe for a hike or trail run, but understandably nothing spectacular considering I came from a Saloman Speedcross 4.I appreciated the detachable sole and breathable material used in the construction of the shoe, which is very easy to clean.My only issue was the sizing, it was a bit too large for my feet, but not bad. Could be better tho.Overall, if you are doing light trail walks or hikes, stay clear of water if possible, but it can handle it if need be. It has been a great back up shoe and I would recommend it to anyone looking to begin barefoot trail running.

6. 

   Andrew Maclaren – October 1, 2024

   Comfortable, light, breathable, and wide. The feel is so much better than normal shoes; i feel like i can actually feel where im walking, but still have the protection of a sole.Much better stability. You cant walk on your heels with these shoes (youre not supposed to walk on your heel anyway). It kinda changes how you walk – you walk properly without slamming your heel. I found that my hip, knee, and back pain have dissipated since wearing these.I wear them inside buildings, outside, hiking, swimming, working out, …everywhere.

7. 

   M Chardonnay – October 1, 2024

   They’re a super comfy shoe or the price, but they’re not at all breathable. I opted for their canvas shoes instead and they’re much better.

8. 

   William – October 1, 2024

   I have a bunion problem, these shoes are like magic for helping manage it. I’ve only had them a month but Look forward to wearing them with or without socks, easy to slip into they seem very well made. I’m going to get more, I wish they made a steel toe version, I’m in construction and they would be great.

9. 

   Eugene Bekou – October 1, 2024

   👍

10. 

    Amazon Customer – October 1, 2024

    I switched to minimal shoes slightly more than a year ago. My first pair of these identical shoes are about a year old for daily use to wear while doing errands, heading into work. I even wore them almost every day this winter to work as long as the snow wasn’t too deep. For a $60 Canadian shoe, these are an excellent way to decide if barefoot or minimalist shoes are “for you”. I went to barefoot shoes to fix a debilitating plantar fasciitis problem. I wear these as my everyday shoe. I have xeros for indoors at work, and a true winter boot. These shoes owe me nothing. I have had more expensive brand name shoes that didn’t last this long. I have recently bought my second identical pair just to have on hand when I decide to retire this first pair. Treads are starting to wear in a couple of spots. The heal in the inside wearing in a bit/could be fixed by some new inserts. One spot on each shoe is starting to delaminate on the inside edge of my foot where your foot naturally bends. For the money you can’t beat it. I am wearing my usual size, so I would call it true to size. See last photo, I just noticed that material at one toe almost worn through. But $60 for one year of daily use, in ALL weather, no complaints