Carets Primal Professional Review Barefoot Dress Shoe

Barefoot Dress Shoe

I originally talked about the Carets Barefoot Dress Shoe way back in December of 2012 when I interviewed the creator Mountain Chang. Hearing them on the Robb Wolf podcast. I immediately loved the idea of a minimal dress shoe. My work would flip out if I showed up to work in my Vibram Five Fingers. The retail management world just isn’t ready for them. My feet though could not handle the 12-hour days on concrete wearing traditional dress shoes. Someday’s I would come home limping from foot pain. I knew I needed something. Are the Carets Barefoot Dress Shoe the something I was looking for? Let’s find out.

The Search

I look for a few things when It comes to a good shoe. A flat shoe with little to no arch support. I like them to have a minimal heel drop, how much taller the heel is over the forefoot, in the shoe. For example, my beloved Chuck Taylor’s have a 4mm drop, compared to most running shoes with a 12mm heel drop and Vibrams with 0 drop. The Carets Barefoot Dress Shoe also has zero drop.

I also like lots of room for my toes to wiggle. I’ve had shoes with a tight toe box and had my toes cramped up and blistered. I’m not interested in that while standing for hours. My previous pair of work shoes, that lasted, was an ugly black loafer that didn’t have a pronounced heel. They also had a giant toe box. I think it was a Clark shoe, maybe. At the 2 year mark, they blew out and I decided it was time to take the plunge.

Primal Professional

All the things I look for in a shoe, the heel drop, wide toe box, and minimal padding are in this shoe. The shoe looks great too. Mountain plunged into the world of style to develop a stylish shoe. I chose the ZETONE Plain-Toe Oxfords model that does not have the extra toe cap on it. I get a little extra toe room that way and I prefer the sleekness of the Zetone. The shoes are made here in the US which was another reason I chose them. I choose to support US quality when I can. That quality shines through too on these hand-crafted full-grain cowhide leather.  These shoes unlike all the cheap ones I’ve bought over the years are resoleable. I like to try to buy items made for life instead of a year or less.

Comfort And Fit

I had an issue with my shoes being delivered. My work schedule is crazy and, Fedex kept delivering when I was at work. I had them hold them and picked them up on lunch one day. Walking back into the store with them on was like having an epiphany on comfort. A coworker asked how they felt and my first response was “They are like wearing kittens”. My toes were free to wiggle and my whole foot was flat and firmly pressed into the floor. I felt grounded.

At the end of the day, my feet felt great from running around on the hard concrete for 8 hours. I was slightly worried the minimal padding would be a mistake there. I was wrong they are still comfortable now months later. The leather is very supple and moves and bends well in the active environment I work. To me, the shoe feels cooler than others. Usually after wearing it for longer than 8 hours, I notice some sweatiness.

Final Thoughts

Yes, these are expensive. My feet are important though. The quality and fact that they are resoleable means that it is the last pair of dress shoes I’m ever buying. You can support foreign slave labor shoe markers with shoes that might last a year. Or you can buy American quality for life. This is, as far as I know, the first and only minimal dress shoe on the market. I know the market is there and others will eventually pop up. If foot health is important to you and you’re forced to wear a dress shoe check out the Primal Professional minimal dress shoe.