Best Barefoot shoes......shoe review!
Berlin Clogs brand "Natural Clogs"
Last week, I spent the week wearing
Berlin Clogs brand “
Natural Clogs”. Natural just means the color of the upper is not dyed. But with these special clogs, natural as a whole different meaning. These clogs are wonderfully comfortable no matter what the nature of the walker’s natural gait, and they are quite accommodating to a wide foot.
My feet were wide even before I began living Almost Barefoot, and of course, they are now significantly wider. Mainstream shoes are generally too narrow, so clogs and better-quality sandals are my shoes of choice when I must wear them. Because my feet are also flat, I’m not a very high stepper, but practice high-stepping in these clogs, and you’ll quickly see that they are ideal for folks with high arches who are thus high steppers.
Looking back on our review of Olsson Clogs, we mentioned that one common complaint among clog wearers who have high arches is that the edge of the clog’s upper digs into the top of the foot with each step. Berlin Clogs solved this dilemma by cutting the unique divot in the top of the clog so that the anterior and longus tendons that conjoin the shin to the foot have room to move freely. When people with high arches stride, these tendons move in a more-pronounced manner than they do for folks with medium arches, or for flatfooters like me.
Berlin Natural Clogs also have an orthopedic toe grip on the foot bed. It is a bit different than that of Olsson Clogs; when one first puts these Berlins on, the toe grip will feel very pronounced, more so than in Olssons, and it is very useful in keeping the clog on the foot, especially when high-stepping.
Like the Berlins that were tested last week, Berlin Naturals have a fairly broad platform slope, so the toe grip is helpful in keeping these loose fitting clogs securely on the feet while walking. But unlike last week’s Berlins, these are very quiet. So if you prefer to make noise, that will be the only let-down of these hand-made German gems.
Almost Barefoot gives Berlin Naturals an A-. They must pass the test of time like the other brands have. We are confident that they will make the grade. It is advisable to order them now if you’d like a pair for fall, as the turn-around time for our order was a full month. But they are well worth the wait, and priced reasonably this season.
Auf Wiedersehen!
