Don’t worry, Peluvas are definitely still minimalist shoes, and the Strand and Strand ATR models offer a generous nine millimeters of “stack height” (the distance from the skin of the heel to the surface of the ground.) Leisure models such as the Napa and the Miami have a bit more stack height. The cushioning is there to allow more people to do more things in Peluvas, with less risk of overuse injury and less acclimation time necessary. The amount of cushioning we chose is extremely calculated, requiring three years of research & development, beta-testing, and risk management analysis. The result was the 2023 release of what we believe is the most functional, versatile, comfortable, and stylish minimalist shoe in the world.
Realize that the key advantage that Peluva has over all other minimalist shoes is the five articulated toes–a separate slot for each individual toe. This is the only way to experience a true barefoot-inspired experience and allow your foot to achieve full range of motion and functionality. While many minimalist shoe brands tout a “wide toe box” as a feature, compressing the toes into a single chamber compromises performance–especially for the big toe which must move independently through multiple planes to provide important balance and propulsion.
Indeed, five-toe shoes are the gold standard in barefoot-inspired footwear, but it’s not so easy to switch from a lifetime in elevated, rigid, cushioned shoes into a barefoot-style experience. You may remember the original five-toe minimalist shoes that launched back in 2006. These shoes were indeed a revelation, and helped launch the minimalist shoe movement in general. However, many users experienced problems after switching because the shoes had extremely minimal protection–typically only around three millimeters of firm rubber stack height. Consequently, the early five-finger shoes were blamed (perhaps unfairly) for running injuries, and many consumers were scared away from the seemingly “all or nothing” footwear transition.
Learning from the setbacks of the early five-toe shoes, we decided to release a model that delivered the most important benefits of a barefoot-inspired shoe, but also provided sufficient protection for more people to do more things in our barefoot shoes.The extra cushion is also a nod to the reality that we are forced to navigate an assortment of hard, unnatural surfaces in modern life. For example, wood, stone, and tile flooring indoors, and asphalt or concrete outdoors.
The ancestral health movement talks about honoring our barefoot hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but the reality is our ancestors always walked on forgiving natural surfaces such as packed savannah grass, dirt, grass, sand, and snow. The cushioning in Peluvas is a thoughtful compromise intended to simulate the experience of “walking barefoot on a putting green,” even when you are forced to reckon with marble floors and concrete sidewalks. At the same time, you can still feel all of the topical and textural differences under foot as if you were barefoot. This includes navigating hazards like protruding rocks on a hiking trail, or walking and slanted or bumpy terrain.
Actually, around three millimeters of the total stack height consists of the harder (black-colored) rubber outsole that is strategically placed only at specific wear points. This is what provides grip and traction. Around one millimeter is the “stroble board”--the bottom part (underside) of the upper. The actual cushioning element is “only” about 4-5 millimeters of low durometer EVA (white-colored) rubber. This is intended to compress under the weight of the heel or midfoot and what gives you the sensation of cushion in comparison to striding in bare feet. In the early five-toe shoes, the three millimeter stack height was entirely the rubber outsole and zero cushion (compressing material.)
With Peluvas, you can get started right away walking on paved surfaces even if you are new to minimalist shoes. You’ll have sufficient protection to avoid unnecessary micro-trauma in your feet, and won’t require a lengthy ramp-up period. After some months of devoted use, many Peluva enthusiasts relate that they feel safe and comfortable tackling challenges like long walks on pavement, hiking on rugged trails, or performing high intensity gym workouts involving side-to-side movements. These are endeavors that many would even not attempt in shoes with minimal padding, or that might otherwise cause a high risk of injury. Ultimately, we want you to wear Peluvas as often as possible, for as many activities and everyday situations as possible, and feel comfortable and stylish at all times! In the future, we will release new models with more specific applications—including some with minimal cushion and even sport-specific models.