The New Balance Minimus Road with minimal padding is more padding than Vibram Five Fingers (which has basically none).
The difference between minimal padding and none is huge! I am largely referring to the issues with running in Five Fingers. What you describe is probably what I will upgrade to for longer distances.
And no, still haven’t read “Born to Run”. People keep telling me I “have to”, which sort of turns me off to it.
I don’t run at all, but I absolutely love my Vibram Five Fingers and plan to buy more when I wear out the pair I have. I like the minimal soles (I don’t have to fight my shoes to be able to flex my feet), but the individual toe pockets have also turned out to be really good for my feet.
For many years in my youth, I wore shoes that were about two sizes too small (I just didn’t know any better). The result of this was that my smaller toes ended up scrunched and crooked. Since I’ve been wearing the toe shoes regularly, my smaller toes have been straightening and flattening out.
Also, about foot odor: wearing toe socks helps cut down on it. It also lets you wear your toe shoes later in the season when it would otherwise be getting too chilly to wear them without socks. I have a nice collection of toe socks to go with my toe shoes now.
Even better…a Vibram sole on the world’s first run/walk/swim flipper: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1500270164/wetgear-ripflip-the-worlds-first-walkable-flipper
Can’t wait to get my hands on them to try out on the trail, i expect them to be pretty grippy, though that upper is truly horrid, it’ll fit in nicely with the other 14 pair.
Holy Shit Batman! This is the first time I’ve ever seen golf mentioned on BB. (In my 10 years of reading), And so funny that almost NONE of the comments mention the sport. Just by the way, in MHO, no golf player would EVER wear these. I love playing golf, I suck at it. These shoes are a non-starter. GAH!!!
Barefoot, a fridge full of beer, a sofa full of friends and a Wii Golf is the way to go 
Well, they’re certainly ugly enough to be golf clothing.
I think that many folks have a subconscious disgust of feet in general. Anything that reminds them that others have stinky toes is wrong.
I wish Vibram would do custom sizing, I find I’m in between sizes and toe sizing further complicates things.
Shopped. Teh pixels.
Oh yeah, you definitely want climbing specific shoes for “real” climbing. I’m not sure I’d want to do any wedging with loose toes… But, getting to a climbing site…
I like my Vibrams. I tend not to wear them anymore because (A) I moved to a neighborhood that is a lot less walking-friendly, and (B) I switched to a less geeky job in an office building where there’s pressure to conform to “business casual” dress standards. (Which I kind of hate.)
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