"I have to tell you that these Minimalist Tuck's Shoes, made around the Munson last, allow me to walk for the first time in a decade without any pain from arthritis in my foot joints. I have broken all of my toes, suffered from major frost bite and survived a car accident that crushed both my feet. Wearing my new Tuck's allows me to go for a walk without being concerned that I won't be able to walk home from the pain. My sincere thanks to you and the staff at Russell. They are my first pair of perfectly fitting shoes. All I can say is thanks and recommend Russell Moccasin to anyone that wants a great fitting shoe or boot."

John Gager

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"I just wanted to take a moment and send you a great big thank you. The Russell Trackers you sent me in June have been one of the best things I ever put on my feet. So far I have worn my Trackers for daily dog walking on city streets and as much hiking as I can squeeze into each month and every time I head out my Trackers are more and more comfortable. I have even worn them for an overnight backpacking trip and had no problems carrying the weight necessary for an overnight trip. My sister, (an avid backpacker), was concerned about that because of the flexible sole in my Trackers, but I had no problems at all. Although I do have to admit that my feet were very tired after the trip I did not have any pain in my feet and my knees were in much better shape than I feared they'd be afterwards. I have suffered from chronic knee pain for several years now but the more I wear my Trackers and other minimal soled shoes the less pain I have when walking and hiking. They are so close to being barefoot but provide all the protection needed for tramping around in the Canadian Rockies, which other minimal soled shoes don't; I just can't say enough good things about them. They are also the only hiking boots I have ever owned that I do not want to rip off my feet the second I get back to my van to head home. So far I have not tired of telling everyone I meet about my custom made hiking boots and all the wonderful things they have done for me. Somehow, I suspect I won't for quite some time either."

Monica Fraser - Alberta, Canada

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"When I ordered my shoes I said I would happy to provide some rapid feedback, as you are looking to expand your line of minimalist shoes. Unfortunately in between making that promise and the shoes arrival I managed to injure myself and was limping for several months. I’m now properly back on my feet and have been doing some day tramps in our local forest to get back in condition and wearing the shoes regularly to work.

The leather is rust chamois, which is very soft and flexible with an oiled, matt finish. This is to allow river fording Kiwi style. Back in the UK I was taught to take shoes or boots off, keep them dry across a stream or river then put them back on dried feet. Here there is so much water it's often best to walk straight through and carry on, so the shoes have to be capable of withstanding frequent flooding.

The volcanic rock here can be rather sharp, so Russell added a flexible kevlar layer under the footbed to prevent puncturing. Like Tuck's shoes they are built on a Munson last, have a Vibram Newporter sole, no cushioning and zero drop from heel to toe.

The workmanship is very good, very tidy and the shoes are sufficiently presentable to wear smart casual [which means OK for work]. They fit like gloves, very comfortable. Just like they were made for me... Snug without being tight around the top of the foot and heel but lots of space for the forefoot to spread under load. When I took them out of the box I wondered if the sole would be sufficiently flexible, but I can stand 'on tiptoe' easily. I suspect I may even be able to run in them, albeit for only short distances. [Due to problems with my own biomechanics I wasn’t able to run without pain until I took my shoes off and ran barefoot].

Since my injury the shoes have seen more work wear than their intended purpose, however I’ve also found them extremely practical there as well. I’m a doctor in a relatively rural setting so occasionally work hours are very long, but even after 16hours of solid wear my Russell moccasins have kept my feet dry, comfortable and odor free. In the last few weeks I’ve been able to get out into the forest again and try them out in their intended role, and in that they truly excel - best pair of walking shoes I’ve had bar none. Extremely comfortable, grippy and highly breathable, they cope with rocky slopes, ice, mud and slippery leaf mulch all with equal aplomb. The flexible uppers on the Munson last work as advertised and allow my feet to work the way intended. I find myself sure-footedly bounding up steep slopes with a spring in my step, rather than labouring up the way I did in my old boots.

In short, I love my new shoes. Thank you once again to Ralph who knew exactly what I wanted and needed. I’m sure I’ll be making more orders in the future."

Regards

Andrew Robinson - New Zealand