>>2631563>also>bellevillethe mini-mils used to be the cheap option. they are pretty good. the 2-3 mm rise in the heel is not noticeable and i'm not a militant barefoot fag and think around that number is ideal for a lift because standing in true barefoot with 0 drop is not comfortable for all day. Mini mils are more expensive now though. Lacing them is a pain for how the leg does not even have any water resilience. The black leather has a polyurethane coating so does not breathe at all in the lower. The tan suede has vent holes but readily soaks water. Would work better in a dry environment.
>LemsMost use a blown rubber sole which is super comfortable but wears fast. They add cotton liners and crap that doesn't make sense.
>steger mukluksoddball throw in but great for dry snow. Super warm with a wool insert. Would go with the extreme kamuks as the leather is rubberized.
Note: rubber does not mix will with certain things like oil or urine. Will ruin material. Most outsoles now are not real rubber.
>XeroA good cheaper option although some of their models are better than others. Their warranty is kind of silly since in most cases the upper will get shredded before the lower shows any wear. I have used their warranty though with good success. I prefer the leather because I do not like the overly complex uppers that I know will fail quick.
>freetpretty good but I think fails to alternatives. The soles are glued and will fail with time. The leather is great. The soles are slick. I had to use an insole with mine because the comfort was not there.
>vivobarefootsmostly covered above. Their michelin soled versions are ideal. I also like the gobi and ra. They may be polyurethane made so watch out for hydrolysis with those 2. Make sure side stitched sole. Avoid the Ethiopian but that should be obvious. The leather is pretty good, but their wild hyde varies in quality. You can find sales through their refer a friend pretty easy.
>insoleagain, I use cork insoles.