TOETEM BLACKBEAR / barefoot sandals for hike and trail run

[@AndrewFolts]

*Barefoot Trail Sandals* (referral links) all barefoot trail sandals - - - bit.ly/3VJBPJG toetem alpha blackbear - - - bit.ly/3U4cIQp shamman warriors - - - - - - - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYq8nIGNrdyIi9k dld perception - - - - - - - - - - - kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4rJepycoZV_e9U monk ruivo - - - - - - - - - - - - - - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmfNhoqLfMZ8Z7c *Best Barefootwear* (referral links) casual shoes - - - bit.ly/3Smg8gx road shoes - - - - - bit.ly/48XEOBz trail shoes - - - - - bit.ly/4250J7B trek boots - - - - - - bit.ly/3SCgP5V winter boots - - - - bit.ly/3RRbI0X sandals - - - - - - - - bit.ly/4b2tfLu slippers - - - - - - - - bit.ly/3tNYvNz website - - - - - - - - www.barefootwear.org

[@lopon12]

Yes!!! Just what the doctor ordered. Thanks Andrew 👌

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, by far the best barefoot sandals I've tested. Cheers!

[@PabloSanchez-lw9cb]

Amazing content, you definitely deserve more recognition.

[@AndrewFolts]

Aw thanks, Pablo! Appreciate the support, cheers!

[@jamesblaser5329]

I love the morbi flex vibram sole same as the shamma warrior sandals I love the felx

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, you really can't beat Vibram soles!

[@mackjenkins7721]

Man all those sandals look awesome. I like how they look too. I need to get me a pair of these sandals man. I have a pair of the Shamma sandals & they fit me very well too & I love wearing them. I really like those sandals man. Thanks you for sharing this video buddy.

[@AndrewFolts]

Shamma's have the best lockdown with the Power Straps, but other than that I found Toetem's to be more comfortable and roomy. Def my favorite barefoot sandals I've tested so far.

[@mackjenkins7721]

@@AndrewFolts I am going to have to try the Toetem sandals out. I really like how they look just like the Shamma sandals. 1 question are they true to size? I need to see if they are big size friendly?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@mackjenkins7721 Yes, I usually wear a 10-10.5 and the Toetem fit perfectly. My preference for sandals is to go down half a size for a closer fit (since there's no closed toebox).

[@mackjenkins7721]

@AndrewFolts oh OK that's awesome to hear man. I am going to look them up cuz I really like them. I just hope they have them in big size fir me. Thanks you for your help man.

[@ervinslens]

Another great review man 👌👌

[@AndrewFolts]

Thanks, Ervin! Just snowed here...RIP my plans for Toetem runs, ha.

[@proterotype]

Dude I’m on a budget here. Stop it! Dang these Black Bears look awesome

[@AndrewFolts]

Ha, yea, not the cheapest option, but you can get 10% off by paying with Bitcoin. I think I saw a newsletter discount on there somewhere too.

[@hawkstein4464]

Hey Andrew! Have you ever had any issues with ticks running barefoot? I want to try but sandles make me nervous where we live with the tick problem.

[@AndrewFolts]

It's a misconception that clothes/shoes protect you from ticks. In fact, ticks love clothing, because they can easily crawl under it and hide from view. I like sandals or even full barefoot with shorts in the summer, because I can easily spot them on my legs and remove them quickly before they attach. That said, it's important to check yourself all over after a run/hike, no matter what you're wearing. Showering can help too. In general staying out of deep grass is the #1 way to avoid them getting on you.

[@Mixail747]

Hey, thanks for this! Tell me, are these the only sandals you met that can be paid for in crypto?

[@AndrewFolts]

I think so, yeah!

[@person737]

new to minimalist footwear, looking to buy sandals, my options are limited, are shamma cruzer sandals good or are Xero sandals as good or even better ? what would you recommend ? I will be mainly using them for feeding cats outside twice a day (walking and standing on concrete), if they can be also used for trails (also walking) thats a plus. also what are your recommendation regarding toe post vs without toe post

[@AndrewFolts]

Shamma is great for running due to the extra straps, but the posts are hard and need some fabric added to them for padding. For casual I generally like a cross-strap, like Monk Sandals kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmfNhoqLfMZ8Z7c, but I also found the Toetem BlackBear to be very comfortable and the thong didn't bother me at all. Xero is great if you want a more medium width toebox and the Genesis kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2bSdoWAg9eUbrs feels the best to me on pavement, because it's the thinnest and most flexible sandal I've found.

[@person737]

@@AndrewFolts I wonder, wouldn't thicker be better for pavement especially for beginners ? totem blackberry seems cool but they dont ship to my country plus pretty expensive for a first minimalist sandal. I do have wide feet so idk if that means the Xero genesis will be a good fit, for casual I dont care about looks because I would be wearing them outside the house mainly, and if I can use them on trails thats a plus, the monk sandals seem nice and the shipping to my country is cheap, I am limited to vegan options but they have those too, I just dont know what thickness to choose, so theres nothing special in the shamma's for my use compared to the others then ? the minimalist footwear store in my country is selling them for a discount plus injinji socks for discount and the shipping isn't free so if I get the sandals and the socks that would be nice, so now its a decision between Xero, monk sandals and shamma cruzer. I just want to get a minimalist sandal as soon as possible cause now I dont have good footwear at all.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@person737 Sounds like Monk would be the best option for you. The Shamma's are more for technical trail running, although if you can get a deal than I then the Cruzers would still be quite similar to the Monk's and a good pick. The thicker the sole, the less agile you'll be, which leads to more impact, especially on roads, although it's not as big deal for walking vs running, so thicker Shamma's would likely be ok if you felt like you wanted to try that first.

[@person737]

@@AndrewFolts thanks for helping, I think if they are quite similar I may get the shamma for now because I also want injinji socks plus shipping from within my country would be faster and I can just get the monk's in the future if I want, their price is cheap without a discount.

[@ItsInstinctKnives]

I had an unfortunate terrible experience with Toetem. They didn’t work out for me because they ran too small, we’re quite expensive compared to other minimalist sandal brands, and beware they charge you for return shipping along with a $30 restocking fee which is a big bummer if you just wanted to try them out. Also, I left a review on their site regarding my feedback and they deleted it completely.

[@AndrewFolts]

Odd, they ran true to size for me. I'm a 10-10.5 and the 10's fit perfectly. These are the BlackBear 2.0, is that what you tried, or the original? Understandably, they have to charge more, since they are handmade in the USA and use locally sourced leather, along with the Vibram sole.