Howdy! Hope all of our U.S. readers had a great 4th of July, and that our fellow Midwesterners are managing to beat the heat that continues to plague us. We got a run in on Tuesday afternoon, and it was brutal outside–I don’t know how you Southerners do it! Thanks to the soaring temperatures, and now that we’re about halfway through summer, I’ve been starting to look forward to fall, cooler weather, and, of course, the first releases of a whole new batch of minimalist shoes! There are a lot of exciting new styles, and updates to existing styles, such as new colors and laced versions, coming out from many of the major minimalist shoe companies this fall/spring. So, I wanted to put together a quick list of the upcoming shoes I am most looking forward to. Click through to check it out!
Why hello, beautiful.
1. Skora Base & Form: (release date: late July/early August, 2012) Skora has several new colors of both their Base and Form models that will be available for men, and, even more exciting, will finally have women’s models! We’ve heard fantastic things about the comfort and durability of Skoras, so I am very excited that they will finally be available for me! Pre-orders for the new colors start on July 15 (only 10 days away!). You can check out all of their styles, including those available now and the new models here. Steve will be doing a review of the men’s Base model soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for that if you want more information! I, for one, have my eye on the awesome pink soles of the women’s Forms!
2. Vibram FiveFingers SeeYa LS & Lontra: (release dates: October and August, 2012) Pictures of prototypes of several exciting VFF styles for the fall have been circulating around the minimalist shoe community, but I am most looking forward to the SeeYa LS and the Lontra. The SeeYa LS is a laced version of the SeeYa, which was released earlier this year (see Steve’s review). The original SeeYa suffered from a couple annoying design flaws, and while I loved the thinness of the sole on my feet, I wasn’t in love with the overall feel of the shoe, so I decided to forego purchasing a pair. I think adding laces will likely push my initial indifference about the SeeYa over to enthusiasm, so I am eager to try on a pair when they are released in October. You can check out more pictures and the official press release at BirthdayShoes.com.
I am even more excited about the other VFF mentioned above: the Lontra. The Lontra is waterproof and offers ankle coverage and an aggressive tread (the same as that found on the Trek Sport), so it should be great for VFF runners who want to continue running outside in the winter. It was originally set to be released on August 1, so hopefully I won’t have long to wait before I can get my toes in some!
Leming All-Season Boot Sneak Peek
3. Leming (formerly Stem) Footwear: (release dates: February/April, 2013) Leming, the maker of one of, if not the, most comfortable shoes on the planet, has an incredible five new styles coming out in Spring 2013. They will all be constructed on an 8-mm LEMRubber air-infused sole, which is the same sole material used on the original Lemings. The five styles are a Dress Oxford (men’s), a Mary Jane (women’s), an All-Season Boot (unisex), a Boat Shoe (unisex?), and a Canvas Loafer (men’s). Unfortunately, my feet are a bit too big for the largest women’s size in Lemings–I’m very interested in those Mary Janes–but I am very excited at the prospect of a boot, too!
4. Merrell Barefoot: (release date: Spring 2013) I’m a sucker for all things bright orange and pink, so, naturally, I was thrilled to see the bright new colors Merrell has planned for the Spring 2013 Barefoot line-up. The style shown in the picture to the left looks very similar to the Lithe Glove, but they are not quite the same, so they may be a new style or a redesign of an existing style. All I know is, those pink and/or pink & yellow ones are mine! The men will also get to join in on the fun with some bright new colors of their own, including some neon green and orange action!
That’s it for my list of the minimalist shoes I am most excited about for Fall 2012/Spring 2013, for now. I’ll continue to update as more styles are announced, so be sure to check back! Which pair of minimalist shoes are you itching to get your hands on? Let me know in the comments!
Images via Skora, Gear Junkie, Trailspace, Leming, Merrell
Meagan is a geochemistry research lab manager, runner, Netflix binge-watcher, and Mom to a rescue dog, a bunny, and a human child. She started running in May 2011 and ran her first half marathon in October 2012, followed by her first marathon in October 2013. In July 2018, she joined the triathlon world and completed an Olympic-distance race. After an extended break (pregnancy/maternity leave), she is making a long-overdue return to running and is preparing for a high-elevation half marathon at Crater Lake National Park in August 2020.