Lately I've developed an obsession in minimalist shoes.

Most people don't know about them, especially in Lebanon. Basically these are the attribute of minimalist shoes:

- Zero drop from heel to toe. Regular shoes almost always have a heel that is higher for some reason.
- Wide, feet shaped toe-box. Regular shoes have a toe-box that is pointy. It looks nice but it's not really the natural shape of the foot, and it tends to compress toes laterally. Here is an image of a pointy-tip shoes, followed by a minimalist wide forefoot shoe:

- Flexible sole that does not impede natural flexion of the foot
- No orthopedic shape on the insole (no arch support, etc.)
- Very little padding

Basically the the aim is to allow you to have as less shoe as possible - to simulate working barefoot - increase the feeling of the ground and work the muscles that would be worked if walking barefoot. They are also known as "barefoot style shoes".

Such shoes, especially the most extreme models take some time to get used to - to adapt your stride and running style. They are different than heavily padded, high-heel shoes.

I will try to present some of the shoes that are classified in this category.

One of the oldest, and more radical minimal shoes are Vibram Five Finger shoes. They pushed the concept as far as having separate compartments for every toe, to allow them to move independently, as if you were walking barefoot. Most people think they're ugly. For me, looks are a secondary thing 80% of the time. Of course I would not go to an interview with these.

They are shaped anatomically, and the sole is very thin and flexible. Unfortunately that means that it's very harsh to run on hard surfaces, because there is very little padding. They also don't feet everyone's feet, as feet come in different shapes and are unique.

Some less extreme options are the Merrel Vapor Glove, of which I posted a picture above, under the pointy formal shoes.
Then the Merrel Trail Gloves which are much closer to normal shoes, have a stiff and thick sole, some padding, but are zero-drop and have a wide toebox:

They are primarily hiking/trail running shoes.

There are numerous other brands and models. Nike produces a the Nike Free shoes, that have less heel and a flexible sole for a better ground feel, but are otherwise conventional running shoes.

There are more "formal" or "casual" shoes as well. Here are some examples:

Minimalist shoes are also pretty good for parkour.

And there's always running sandals as well:

And finally, they oldest, most radical minimalist shoe:

Your bare feets!

Hopefully you did not feel unwell by looking at all these fotos of feet and shoes!