This is a list of minimalist shoes that are suitable for the office i.e. they do not look like sneakers or running shoes.

The best minimalist shoes for the office is Vivobarefoot Ra ii for men and Naturalizer’s cassandra boots for women. Both shoes are true minimalist, and have designs that are suitable for the office. More importantly, they avoid the clown shoes effects and easily match your office outfit.

Below are more detailed reviews.

Vivobarefoot RA II Office Shoe (for men)

This Vivobarefoot Raii shoe is a wonderful zero drop shoe for office wear. 

What I like:

• Comfortable: Very soft leather that can conform to the shape of your feet. I can wear these for 8 hours straight with no discomfort. That is coming from someone someone who hates office shoes.

• Smart design: The shoe looks professional, at least in the first few months. Do note that wrinkles or crease will develop at the front of the top if you are using it for driving.

• Thin sole: Compared to the likes of Xero and Lem, this Vivobarefoot has a thin sole of only 3mm. This allows your feet to really adjust to the ground you are stepping on.

• WIde design: If you need a bigger toe box or bigger width for your large feet, these will do nicely.

What can be improved:

• Loose insoles: There seems to be some manufacturing issues whereby the insoles of the shoe will become loose. However, this is not a uniform complaint so I suspect the problem might be in certain batches.

For sizing, these ran true size. However, if you want a more snug fit, then order 1/2 a size smaller. The leather will expand after 2 weeks of wearing them daily.

Xero Alston (for men)

The Xero Alston shoes is another minimalist shoe for the office.

What I like:

• Very roomy: This shoe is wide in design and has a spacious toe box. If you have big feet, these will fit nicely.

• Durable leather: For comparison, I like the Xero’s leather better than the Vivobarefoot. I feel they are able to last longer. (Not scientific!)

• Excellent customer service: Xero always has great customer support. If you happen to buy a defective shoe, they will get it replaced without questions asked.

What can be improved

• Clown shoe effect: The shoe has a board design so they might look clownish to some. If you care a lot about this, I suggest getting the Vivobarefoot instead.

• Pricey: These shoes cost around $110-#130, depending on where you buy.

Sizing wise, order 1/2 to 1 size bigger than your usual as these run small.orite

Naturalizer Cassandra Boot (for women)

This gorgeous look zero drop boot from Naturalizer is a winner if you are looking for something that works in an office environment.

What I like:

• Trendy and Stylish: Unlike most zero drop shoes, these look sleek and comes in fantastic color combos. This particular one is my favorite.

• Easy to match: This design fits well either either jeans, dress pants or even dresses.

• Comfortable: It is surprising comfortable for a minimalist shoe with cushioned linings on the inside.

• Wide Design: The inside are not cramp with a generous toe box. If you have a narrow feet, you will need thicker socks

• Easy to wear: The zipper system makes it dead easy to get in and out of the shoe.

What can be improved:

• Nothing

This shoe is mostly true sizing so you just order what size you are used to.

Minnetonka Anna Ballet Flats (for women)

The Minnetonka ballet flats offers another style compared to the ankle boots above. This is more casual but is still suitable for office wear.

What I like:

• Soft leather: Most of the shoe’s leather is very comfortable except for the heel part. There have been reviewers getting blisters in this area when worn for the first few times.

• No toe cleavage: One common problem among flats is having toe ‘cleavage’. The Minnetonka flats avoided this problem by having a high enough toe section.

• Easy to match: The shoes come in 6 different colors. The most popular is this version shown. Easy to coordinate with either dress pants or dresses.

What can be improved

• Softer heel: As mentioned, the heel section can be made softer to avoid blisters when the shoe has not break in yet.

These shoes run true sizing so no special adjustment is needed.

Guide to buy minimalist shoes for office

• Leather: this is the most important criteria to look. For maximum comfort, look for soft leather like what the Vivabarefoot Ra ii or the Minnetonka flats use. These can be worn for the whole day.

• Design: Since these shoes are meant for shoes, having a sleeker design improves your overall professional look. This can be difficult for a minimalist shoe as most have wide toe box, which can create a clown shoe feel.

• Easy to coordinate: Shoes that have clean lines and monotone colors tend to be easily coordinated. In contrast, designs that are too complicated or colorful might look good on the first glance but will be hard to match on a regular basis.
  

Can you wear minimalist shoes everyday?

You can absolutely wear minimalist shoes everyday. Minimalist shoes take away the reliance of our feet on the shoes to correct your walking form so that your leg gets naturally stronger. The shoes also expose any bad walking postures through the discomfort you feet. If you wear them everyday, your feet will be better for it.

If you fear potential injuries, then starting with minimalist walking shoes is a good way to transit your feet. Running might be too painful to start off for some so office shoes are actually perfect.

Conclusion

Minimalist shoes have been a god send for some folks who have been having issues with their feet. While there have been no conclusive studies on the effectiveness of wearing zero drop, there have countless stories of how people have experienced reduced feet pain.

Office shoes are a great way to start your transition to wearing minimalist shoes for walking.