Durable minimalist/barefoot/zero drop shoes

[Mike C]

I'm with you on concrete tees. I like something with more stability on those.

As far as disc golf is concerned, I group shoes in different tiers.

Putting practice
Flat park course with natural tees
Rugged courses with concrete tees
Awful weather (water logged courses, deep snow, etc)

So everything from minimal slip on barefoot shoes to full on boots has a potential use.

This is one of the cheap minimal pairs I ordered:

Definitely more of a natural tee park course type of shoe to me.

They feel pretty good. Fit is a bit large, but that happens. I wear 14-12 depending on the fit of the shoe. Sole is very grippy rubber, laces are you usual elestic system popular with this style of shoe.

They were $25 shipped so my expectations aren't high, and I have concerns of the drainage holes letting in water, but I'll give them a go. It'd be nice to save the more expensive salomons for running.

 

[seedlings]

This $22 C GREY pair was a bust. Length was decent, but the width was not near enough. IDK, but I have terrible feet. The construction was very reminiscent of a straight up water shoe. Which I'm not opposed to IF the toebed is actually wide.

Also, the shoe goo repair Vibram have several more rounds, so that's good news.

 

[jupiterboy]

I have been wearing these for a few years now and can recommend. I also have wide feet and appreciate the not so tapered toe box that my old Adidas had. Took a little getting used to with the zero drop but now would not go back. I have acquired 3 pairs now, all from the REI garage sales. Main pair is the 3.5, also wear the 2.5 and the 3.5 mid model as I like to alternate shoes on a multi course day (especially if wet conditions). Durability has been great but I don't drag my toe (well maybe sometimes my left toe on an off balance RHBH throw).

Found these for $50 (Sierra on the shelf). They mostly check the boxes. Will find out how they do in water.

 

[Mike C]

These nortiv8's got their first test today. 18 holes on natural tees.

So far nothing bad to say about them besides the fit being a bit loose.

Good grip, good comfort, lightweight, and they seem like they'll be durable enough for park style courses. Stepped on some damp fairways and my feet stayed dry, but I wouldn't trust these to keep me dry on even 1/4" of standing water.

I thought the toe shapes on the front were a gimmick but it felt kind of nice when descending hills.

The other pair I got are gray and they're slightly more robust uppers, while the soles feel like a slightly slicker but denser, more durable material. I expect they'll be better than these.

fwiw my right foot is a 13, left is 13.5, and I generally go with wides. Adidas Terrex regular width hurt my feet for reference.

Not a fan of barefoot style shoes for max D drives on concrete tees, but for 300' and shorter holes with natural tees they rock.

 

[elmexdela]

These are the most comfortable (and durable) so far. They're on sale for under $30 right now too. There are a bunch of color options, but the styles can differ subtly. There are only a couple there that have the reinforced top of the toe, which has been key for me.

https://amzn.to/41Fnk9N

how durable are we talkin

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Looks like seedlings and gwsmallwood have slightly different versions of the same basic shoe from the same manufacturer (or seller, at least).

This $22 C GREY pair was a bust. Length was decent, but the width was not near enough. IDK, but I have terrible feet. The construction was very reminiscent of a straight up water shoe. Which I'm not opposed to IF the toebed is actually wide.

These are the most comfortable (and durable) so far. They're on sale for under $30 right now too. There are a bunch of color options, but the styles can differ subtly. There are only a couple there that have the reinforced top of the toe, which has been key for me.

https://amzn.to/41Fnk9N

 

[Mike C]

Looks like seedlings and gwsmallwood have slightly different versions of the same basic shoe from the same manufacturer (or seller, at least).

Most chinese companies pumping out clone style products tend to make a ton of variations.

Here's the other Nortiv8's I grabbed. Similar sole as the oranges, but they have different uppers that have a padded heel area. The sole is also a slicker, denser rubber than the oranges I've been using.

They feel just as well made as my Merrell Vapor Glove 4's and I paid $75 for those....on sale. So I'm glad I checked out this thread because these should last me at least 1/3 as long as the Merrells.

I was getting worried I'd burn through my Salomon running shoes playing disc golf. Between these and those cheap hikers I got, I can save them for running.

 

[jaysim]

From my experience Vivobarefoot have way better durability than Merrell and Xero (haven't really tried any other minimalist brands for disc golf). In the summer I like the Primus Trail FG and for winter the Tracker boot. They also have the Magna for something inbetween a boot and shoe. They are really expensive but have lasted me about three times longer than most other shoes, minimalist or not, I have used for disc golf.

 

[seedlings]

From my experience Vivobarefoot have way better durability than Merrell and Xero (haven't really tried any other minimalist brands for disc golf). In the summer I like the Primus Trail FG and for winter the Tracker boot. They also have the Magna for something inbetween a boot and shoe. They are really expensive but have lasted me about three times longer than most other shoes, minimalist or not, I have used for disc golf.

We need a dollars per season metric!

Also, the fabric inside big toe of the 5-fingers has split open. These are officially off my future purchase list…

 

[jakeoh]

From my experience Vivobarefoot have way better durability than Merrell and Xero (haven't really tried any other minimalist brands for disc golf). In the summer I like the Primus Trail FG and for winter the Tracker boot. They also have the Magna for something inbetween a boot and shoe. They are really expensive but have lasted me about three times longer than most other shoes, minimalist or not, I have used for disc golf.

Dunno about Merrell(maybe I got lucky so far) but Xero def went downhill lately(my last pair back in 2021 lasted I think 2 seasons(?)). Never tried Vivo but might give it a shot, by the looks of it those are pretty solid!

 

[Mike C]

These nortiv8's got their first test today. 18 holes on natural tees.

So far nothing bad to say about them besides the fit being a bit loose.

Good grip, good comfort, lightweight, and they seem like they'll be durable enough for park style courses. Stepped on some damp fairways and my feet stayed dry, but I wouldn't trust these to keep me dry on even 1/4" of standing water.

I thought the toe shapes on the front were a gimmick but it felt kind of nice when descending hills.

The other pair I got are gray and they're slightly more robust uppers, while the soles feel like a slightly slicker but denser, more durable material. I expect they'll be better than these.

fwiw my right foot is a 13, left is 13.5, and I generally go with wides. Adidas Terrex regular width hurt my feet for reference.

Not a fan of barefoot style shoes for max D drives on concrete tees, but for 300' and shorter holes with natural tees they rock.

Update:

I've been using these for just about every round of golf since I got them. About 2 months on the dot. I've also been wearing them as my day to day shoes outside of work.

They pretty much look the same as when they were new. Which surprised me. I figured the soles would wear faster than the Merrell Vapor Glove 4's and Trail Glove 2's I've used in the past, but these $20 chinese shoes out lasted those vibram soles so far. Go figure.

I liked them enough I ordered another pair on sale for $20. At some point I'll probably pick up even more pairs, just watching the page for when they get discounted.

Can't say when but at some point I'm making a video covering the pros and cons of different shoes I've tried over the years. I'll try to remember to link it here.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274748117933 I got the model ending in 01. The models ending in 02 are a bit different.

I'm glad I tried these out. For the price I have no issues if I only get 6 months out of them, but I'm guess they'll last closer to a year.

I've always liked golfing in barefoot style shoes but wasn't impressed with their durability. Not only are the soles wearing slower than the Merrells I've tried, where the sole and upper meet is holding together better too.

 

[runningDoc]

what about a soccer artificial turf shoe thats available in wide sizes?

I'm contemplating trying out soccer artificial turf shoes in nike but for me i don't really need a wide toe box (I prefer a wider toe box if there's an option though). theoretically they should be engineered to handle the torsion and stresses of lateral and forward side abrupt stops.

I do know that New Balance offers 2E wide sizes in artificial turf soccer shoes.

either way DG is probably the roughest sport on shoes I've played. I used to run 30-35miles a week in minimalist shoes and once you get the forefoot landing form down it actually extends the life of shoes where I've had super minimalist running shoes last almost a decade even running rough trails and pavement.

But disc golf I'm lucky to get a year out of a pair of shoes. I remember stupidly trying to play DG with my minimalist running shoes and they would tear within weeks.

 

[gwsmallwood]

These are the most comfortable (and durable) so far. They're on sale for under $30 right now too. There are a bunch of color options, but the styles can differ subtly. There are only a couple there that have the reinforced top of the toe, which has been key for me.

https://amzn.to/41Fnk9N

I just bought a second pair of these. Going on 5 months of use and they're still working fine, tread on the right toe is wearing down a bit though. So far they've held up better than Merrells, Altras, or Topos for me, and they're way less expensive.

 

[BWoody]

I use Merrall Moab mids now for the past 10 years at least. Back in the day (80s-90s) we used to wear a baseball show with rubber cleats...gave good traction on dusty or damp pads and fairways.

 

[Stevo]

I just got a pair of Xero Mesa Trail II. Very comfy but only have a few rounds on them. Tread still looks new after ~100 holes

 

[jakeoh]

These nortiv8's got their first test today. 18 holes on natural tees.

Update:

I've been using these for just about every round of golf since I got them. About 2 months on the dot. I've also been wearing them as my day to day shoes outside of work.

They pretty much look the same as when they were new. Which surprised me. I figured the soles would wear faster than the Merrell Vapor Glove 4's and Trail Glove 2's I've used in the past, but these $20 chinese shoes out lasted those vibram soles so far. Go figure.

I liked them enough I ordered another pair on sale for $20. At some point I'll probably pick up even more pairs, just watching the page for when they get discounted.

Can't say when but at some point I'm making a video covering the pros and cons of different shoes I've tried over the years. I'll try to remember to link it here.

NORTIV8 Mens Water Shoes Quick Dry Barefoot Swim Diving Surf Aqua Sport Vacation | eBay I got the model ending in 01. The models ending in 02 are a bit different.

I'm glad I tried these out. For the price I have no issues if I only get 6 months out of them, but I'm guess they'll last closer to a year.

I've always liked golfing in barefoot style shoes but wasn't impressed with their durability. Not only are the soles wearing slower than the Merrells I've tried, where the sole and upper meet is holding together better too.
Ordered a pair of those for outdoor range shooting(I'm mostly doing .380 those days). Really comfy!

So far nothing bad to say about them besides the fit being a bit loose.

Good grip, good comfort, lightweight, and they seem like they'll be durable enough for park style courses. Stepped on some damp fairways and my feet stayed dry, but I wouldn't trust these to keep me dry on even 1/4" of standing water.

I thought the toe shapes on the front were a gimmick but it felt kind of nice when descending hills.

The other pair I got are gray and they're slightly more robust uppers, while the soles feel like a slightly slicker but denser, more durable material. I expect they'll be better than these.

fwiw my right foot is a 13, left is 13.5, and I generally go with wides. Adidas Terrex regular width hurt my feet for reference.

Not a fan of barefoot style shoes for max D drives on concrete tees, but for 300' and shorter holes with natural tees they rock.

Did you have any issues with the sole "coming off"? Mine are roughly 4 months old rn and one side of the left shoe either ripped or glue got off(not a huge deal, I've just put some more glue overnight and it's good as new, but still).

 

[crushboi]

Vivobarefoot Magna FG's. I have been loving them, they are waterproof and provide great grip and with the high neoprene sock it's kinda tight on the ankle keeps debris from getting into your shoes and it comes with an insulating insole that you can take out in the summer.

 

[Mike C]

Did you have any issues with the sole "coming off"? Mine are roughly 4 months old rn and one side of the left shoe either ripped or glue got off(not a huge deal, I've just put some more glue overnight and it's good as new, but still).

the sole did start to seperate from the upper a bit by the ball of my big toe on each shoe, but I fixed it with some super glue before it caused any issues. other than that they're still going strong, and I have some pre-need backups ready to go for next year.

Paid $18 for my last pair, which is way cheaper than my merrells - that did the same thing on the sole. $70-75 on clearance at REI, $100-115 regular price. I'm sold on the el cheapos.

 

[redflyer717]

Vivobarefoot Magna FG's. I have been loving them, they are waterproof and provide great grip and with the high neoprene sock it's kinda tight on the ankle keeps debris from getting into your shoes and it comes with an insulating insole that you can take out in the summer.

I'm so split on Vivo. On the barefoot running subreddit there's so much talk of them not being durable and coming apart fairly quickly, then I see people rave about their use for disc golf. I want to try a pair but I'm hesitant on spending the money.

 

[gwsmallwood]

I'm so split on Vivo. On the barefoot running subreddit there's so much talk of them not being durable and coming apart fairly quickly, then I see people rave about their use for disc golf. I want to try a pair but I'm hesitant on spending the money.

It's always going to be an experiment. You have to be prepared for the fact that it might not work out and they could very well fall apart quickly. I've settled on less expensive barefoot trailrunners from Amazon. They cost anywhere from $20-40 depending on sales and the style I've settled on lasts me about 4-5 months (and I play 3-4x per week). The type you get does matter. I've had two other styles that have only lasted a month or two. I think there's a link to the ones I think last longest in one of my earlier posts.