- Joined
- Jul 15, 2011
- Messages
- 60
This will be my fist review. I wasnt planning on doing this at all until recently when I commented about them and figured I would search for them. And when the search only returned my comment, I figured I should write up a review.
So here are the Zemgear Playa Lows
Zemgear is a pretty new and small company, and I actually dont remember how I heard about them. They make minimalist shoes and offer a few different styles. Most of their shoes are advertised for beach, watersports, or other outdoor activities.
I wanted to try out the minimalist shoe craze, but didnt want to spend $75-$100 on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, even though they receive rave reviews.
When I bought my Zemgears around a year ago, I paid $35 (plus a little shipping).
Funny side-note, these are the only shoes that I have ever bought that came in a standard shipping envelope.
On to the shoes,
These shoes are simple, really simple. They are pretty much Lycra socks with a rubber-ish but still quite thin bottom. I get comments about them all the time from random people saying things like Wow, those are cool socks. or, Those look like really comfortable shoes and they are.
I think Zemgear intended them to be used as a sort of all-purpose water-shoe, but for me they are almost entirely supplanted my flip-flops. I wear them when I go to pick up my mail, or walk to the store, or even to class.
Its about as close as you can get to being barefoot, without the weird glances, and with a little more safety from sidewalk/road hazards. They feel well ventilated too, which is a welcome change from normal shoes.
As an everyday shoe, they work quite well. I feel much safer walking in these than going barefoot. I walked on broken safety glass in these, and came away unscathed. Actually, the worst experience I have had in these is when I once stepped on an acorn and it got me in the perect spot right on my heel ( I swear it was a pressure point or something), and man, did it hurt (I had a bruise on my heel for a few days).
As an outdoors shoe, they are perfect for me. They are very comfortable when you walk on grass, and I often find myself walking in the parkway instead of the sidewalk.
As a running shoe, they work... okay. A couple weeks after buying them (and after getting used to the minimalist shoe paradigm) I decided to sign up for a 5K run. They performed quite well while I was running, and I really had a good run (though my calves were sore for about a week afterward). My issue with them stems from their design. The way these shoes are designed, the seam is touching the ground all the way around the shoe. And while it isnt very much of an issue when you are walking, when subjected to the stress of running, that seam starts to wear quite quickly.
I noticed immediately after that run that the seam near my heel was starting to fray.
(Note: this is a current picture, after most of a years worth of use)
Well, I have had these shoes for about three quarters of a year since then and havent run any more in them, and that place on the shoe is starting to come apart more and more. I dont really blame Zemgear, as these shoes were inexpensive, and not at all advertised as running shoes. As far as wear is concerned, your mileage may vary, but if you dont run in them, I would say that they should hold up quite well to everyday walking around.
My last comment about these shoes, is more of a warning. I have found that these shoes stink, quite literally. After a few days use, they really get funky ( I guess I have pretty sweaty feet), and so I usually wash them about once a week. The great thing is that they are extremely easy to clean, you just throw them in the wash, and I let mine air-dry. After talking with some owners of the Vibram FiveFingers, they seem to have the same issue with their shoes.
They also offer them in a Ninja style, which has a separate big toe slot. Pretty fun looking, but I just am not the biggest fan of having things between my toes.
Would I recommend them?
Yes, though only for light usage.
Before you turn away and dismiss them because they dont meet your standards, lets talk about the Zemgear 360s.
These are the shoes that Zemgear just released for the running crowd. If you notice, the bottoms are much more substantial and the seam is higher, in other words they have tried to address the durability issue. Though, it is worth pointing out that they cost almost double the Original models.
They were very recently released, and I am planning on getting a pair soon (as soon as I can justify buying another pair of walking socks).
Well thanks for reading, hope my review is helpful.
So here are the Zemgear Playa Lows
Zemgear is a pretty new and small company, and I actually dont remember how I heard about them. They make minimalist shoes and offer a few different styles. Most of their shoes are advertised for beach, watersports, or other outdoor activities.
I wanted to try out the minimalist shoe craze, but didnt want to spend $75-$100 on a pair of Vibram FiveFingers, even though they receive rave reviews.
When I bought my Zemgears around a year ago, I paid $35 (plus a little shipping).
Funny side-note, these are the only shoes that I have ever bought that came in a standard shipping envelope.
On to the shoes,
These shoes are simple, really simple. They are pretty much Lycra socks with a rubber-ish but still quite thin bottom. I get comments about them all the time from random people saying things like Wow, those are cool socks. or, Those look like really comfortable shoes and they are.
I think Zemgear intended them to be used as a sort of all-purpose water-shoe, but for me they are almost entirely supplanted my flip-flops. I wear them when I go to pick up my mail, or walk to the store, or even to class.
Its about as close as you can get to being barefoot, without the weird glances, and with a little more safety from sidewalk/road hazards. They feel well ventilated too, which is a welcome change from normal shoes.
As an everyday shoe, they work quite well. I feel much safer walking in these than going barefoot. I walked on broken safety glass in these, and came away unscathed. Actually, the worst experience I have had in these is when I once stepped on an acorn and it got me in the perect spot right on my heel ( I swear it was a pressure point or something), and man, did it hurt (I had a bruise on my heel for a few days).
As an outdoors shoe, they are perfect for me. They are very comfortable when you walk on grass, and I often find myself walking in the parkway instead of the sidewalk.
As a running shoe, they work... okay. A couple weeks after buying them (and after getting used to the minimalist shoe paradigm) I decided to sign up for a 5K run. They performed quite well while I was running, and I really had a good run (though my calves were sore for about a week afterward). My issue with them stems from their design. The way these shoes are designed, the seam is touching the ground all the way around the shoe. And while it isnt very much of an issue when you are walking, when subjected to the stress of running, that seam starts to wear quite quickly.
I noticed immediately after that run that the seam near my heel was starting to fray.
(Note: this is a current picture, after most of a years worth of use)
Well, I have had these shoes for about three quarters of a year since then and havent run any more in them, and that place on the shoe is starting to come apart more and more. I dont really blame Zemgear, as these shoes were inexpensive, and not at all advertised as running shoes. As far as wear is concerned, your mileage may vary, but if you dont run in them, I would say that they should hold up quite well to everyday walking around.
My last comment about these shoes, is more of a warning. I have found that these shoes stink, quite literally. After a few days use, they really get funky ( I guess I have pretty sweaty feet), and so I usually wash them about once a week. The great thing is that they are extremely easy to clean, you just throw them in the wash, and I let mine air-dry. After talking with some owners of the Vibram FiveFingers, they seem to have the same issue with their shoes.
They also offer them in a Ninja style, which has a separate big toe slot. Pretty fun looking, but I just am not the biggest fan of having things between my toes.
Would I recommend them?
Yes, though only for light usage.
Before you turn away and dismiss them because they dont meet your standards, lets talk about the Zemgear 360s.
These are the shoes that Zemgear just released for the running crowd. If you notice, the bottoms are much more substantial and the seam is higher, in other words they have tried to address the durability issue. Though, it is worth pointing out that they cost almost double the Original models.
They were very recently released, and I am planning on getting a pair soon (as soon as I can justify buying another pair of walking socks).
Well thanks for reading, hope my review is helpful.
