Minimalist Shoes: How to Choose and Buy?

If you already know that for most runners, running in minimalist footwear (also called natural footwear) is a way to enjoy their favorite sport while staying healthy and in tune with what evolution has prepared us for, then you’re on the right track. Running in such shoes strengthens your legs (especially your feet and calves), reduces strain on your often-aching knees, and enhances the joy of running through better ground contact. All benefits, with just one step—switching to shoes that won’t hinder natural running.

If you agree, it’s now time for the next step. It’s time to find and buy your first pair of shoes that will help you run in a way that strengthens your feet and boosts the fun of running. But it’s not always an easy task, and for at least two reasons. First, there aren’t many such shoes available on the market. Second, not all shoes advertised as natural and minimalist actually live up to those claims.

MINIMALIST SHOES – WHERE TO FIND THEM?

Point one. Minimalist footwear is neither popular nor widely available on the market. Yes, there are specialized manufacturers offering such models, as well as renowned runners and running bloggers supporting amateur athletes in their search for minimalist training or racing shoes. However, this remains a niche segment within the offerings that the mass market provides to the running community.

At the same time, many in the running community prefer to skip the less glamorous period where some time must be invested in learning to run correctly and safely.

As a result, even though it is possible to find truly healthy and minimalist shoes, many runners still take shortcuts. They pay more, buy shoes with heavy cushioning, and thereby mask their deficiencies in technique for a while. Unfortunately, this strategy backfires—resulting in higher spending on shoes (as cushioning wears out, requiring frequent replacements) and increasing knee problems. The knees absorb shocks because the runner fails to use their body to mitigate the impact with the ground. This cycle continues until the first serious injury occurs. However, even then, instead of switching to minimalist shoes, most opt for even more cushioned and even less natural versions of standard running shoes, which are increasingly expensive year after year.

Why does this happen? And why is the availability of minimalist footwear so limited? Well—I think it’s fair to say—this situation benefits most shoe manufacturers and some retailers. They can convince buyers that replacing shoes every half-season is necessary because, after a few hundred kilometers, the cushioning fails and no longer protects the knees.

That’s why it’s worth directly exploring manufacturers of minimalist shoes, rather than relying on what you hear in stores offering various models, including those priced over 1,000 PLN with excessive cushioning. What we’re interested in is something else—a model of running shoe that meets the basic requirements of minimalist footwear, namely:

Zero drop (no height difference between the heel and toes).
Flexible soles and a soft heel counter (material behind the heel and under the Achilles tendon).
Sufficient toe box space to allow toes to spread upon landing.

Although these features are hard to find, it just so happens that from Targanice, Poland, shoes are shipped worldwide that are minimalist to the extreme (if you don’t know how to run, they might even hurt) and perform excellently on both asphalt and trail runs. What are they? Explorers by Magical Shoes, a manufacturer whose mission is guided by a quote from Leonardo da Vinci:

The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.

…and who has spent years ensuring that their shoes help this “masterpiece” rather than harm it.

MINIMALIST SHOES – HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONES?

Alright, but these are still just words and declarations. So, it's time for some practical exercises. How can we check whether the shoes recommended in a store or mentioned in this text are truly minimalist? Three tests will help—easy to perform but very telling about the shoes. Here they are:

Minimalist Shoes – The Slipper Test

The slipper test determines whether the shoe will "scrape" the heel and Achilles tendon. To avoid such a risk, the heel counter should be soft and yield to finger pressure.

Minimalist Shoes – The Radiator Test

Only a few models pass this test. Lateral flexibility is a rare feature in running shoes, which is a shame because it helps the foot maintain contact with the ground. The test involves twisting the shoe like a "corkscrew," as if placing it between the ribs of a cast-iron radiator and then twisting it.

Minimalist Shoes – The Pancake Test

The second crucial test is to check whether the foot will have freedom of movement in the longitudinal plane (front-to-back motion) and whether it can bend comfortably at the toes. The pancake test involves… rolling the shoe into a "pancake."

If the shoe passes all three tests, that’s great! If it passes the first two, it should suffice. If it only passes one of the three or fails the pancake test, then it’s worth asking to see something more minimalist (natural).

In the photos published above, I tested the flagship model from Magical Shoes.

As you can see, it passed all the tests with flying colors. That’s exactly the point! And what kind of shoes fail these tests? Those whose manufacturers believe they know better than nature what the human body needs and attempt to force movement according to their vision—rather than what our feet would naturally do during running—by stiffening the foot or stabilizing the rolling phases.

Aside from the tests, remember these essential conditions: sufficient space for your toes and no heel-to-toe drop. Also, remove the insole from the shoe (keep in mind that in truly minimalist shoes—here I’ll again mention the Explorers from Magical Shoes and their foot-friendly interior finish—this element often doesn’t exist) and stand on it.

Your foot should not significantly extend beyond the edges of the insole. If it does, the shoe may be too narrow and will pinch during running, which could accelerate wear and cause discomfort—including blisters between the toes. And you definitely don’t want that.

Finally, there’s a simple formality to address, but it’s worth remembering. Put on the shoes and take a few short runs around the store (or outside, if the seller allows it). During the run, you should feel... natural, as if the shoes were barely on your feet. For example, the Magical Shoes model mentioned here separates you from the ground with just 5 millimeters of flexible rubber with excellent grip and very high abrasion resistance. If you feel that “naturalness” during your test runs, you’ve found exactly what you were looking for!

MINIMALIST SHOES – WHAT’S NEXT?

You might think the next step is simply to run and enjoy the freedom of your feet and the connection with nature and the earth. Unfortunately, reality is a bit more complicated. Before you head out on long distances, you need to relearn how to run the way nature intended for our species. How to do this? You can read more about it in other articles.

Author: Jakub Abramczuk
Runner, ultramarathoner, Running Journalist of the Year 2016, professional internet wizard ;)
Kuba’s Blog: https://100hrmax.pl/