Coming across this unique shoe, we couldn’t help but remember the words of the great philosopher George Constanza – “Important things go in a case. You got a skull for your brain, a plastic sleeve for your comb and a wallet for your money.” Surely, the people at GoSt-Barefoots understand this as well and came up with a totally unique concept of protecting your feet, by essentially putting them in armor.
The PaleoBarefoots, as weird as they may look, have already got recognition as “Best innovative shoe” in 2013 and are praised by the followers of the running barefoot trend. The idea behind these “shoes”, and in fact the entire movement, is that people’s feet are meant to receive valuable information from the environment, such as changes in temperature, soil humidity or potential dangers, thus making the body adapt to these factors and stimulating the immune system. Therefore, their purpose is to put the individual in touch with nature, while also protecting his nerve endings ridden feet, and it does so through its unusual choice of fabric and design.
The German company has a small variety of these steel mesh shoes, with each one being an improved version of the latter. The Pronative shoe is the last of the series and is marketed as having been constructed for more extreme terrain and is a better choice for the experienced barefoot runners. The dense chain mail design is complemented by an elastic band that tightens at the back, making the shoe adapt to the shape of your foot. While it is regarded as a shoe, it doesn’t protect your feet in a conventional way, but rather keeps small dangers at bay, while allowing a tactile sensation of the ground. Your soles will definitely feel small to medium rocks, you may get some scrapes from pointy plants and don’t expect to stay dry if you get caught in the rain.
[adsense300gray]Contrary to my first impression, customers of GoSt-Barefoots write nothing but positive reviews about their products, thus pushing the company towards creating an urban version of their special shoes sometime in the future. If the look sold you already, you can equip the Pronatives and the older models with “Multi Paws”, for an all-environment experience.
Having said all that, the best accessory for these shoes would probably be a big dose of confidence to keep the haters away. They’re also pretty expensive, so wear them with pride!
[photomosaic]
