Episode 75: Tolos

Tolos is different! Evan Ritt, a former hockey player wanted a shoe that looks good and performs good all while being minimalist and allowing optimal foot function. Besides him being a super nice dude we were impressed by his shoe’s pleasing aesthetic and how normal looking it is. The shoe comes in white and black options and is known as Archetype 1.0 leaving plenty of room for customer feedback and future improvements.

You can find Tolos here and you can use code TBSR to save 10%.

Disclaimer: These shoes were given to me to review; however, my opinion is my own. This page uses affiliate links, and by purchasing from an affiliate link, I will receive a small commission which doesn't cost you anything. Thank you and enjoy the read!

Company Overview

"Hi, I'm Evan Ritt. You might be wondering how I got here, and it's a good question. I never went to fashion school, I'm not a podiatrist, and I certainly never designed a shoe before this. My story is inextricably linked to one of my greatest passions: hockey. With the support of many others, I played two seasons professionally and was an NCAA Division I National Champion with my hometown school, the University of Denver. Playing pro, my body felt like it was falling apart, and I spent the majority of both seasons on the injured reserves. In my journey back to health, I realized that instead of becoming an invincible warrior, my career of specialized training had made me more of a house of cards.

Fast forward to today, three years removed from playing, my body is healthier than it has ever been. My mobility is returning, my serious injuries have all healed, and I'm looking forward to a long and healthy life. Rehabbing my own body has taught me that all of our bodies, after millions of years of evolution, have developed patterns, and if you want to live a healthy life you need to be aware of these laws of nature. Modern footwear (especially athletic footwear), that 99% of the population is wearing, is misaligning our bodies and creating unnatural movement patterns. The result is a population-wide epidemic of foot, ankle, knee, hip, and low back issues (to name a few).

Through my own experience and the experience of many others (including numerous scientifically backed studies) - it is clear that spending more time barefoot and in barefoot shoes, your body will quickly and happily adapt. It will correct asymmetries and resolve unnecessary pain that is drawing your energy and attention. My hope is that instead of wasting your energy on pain and discomfort, you can instead use it to the benefit of your family, friends, art, career. I believe the best way to change the world is to start by aligning yourself. I hope Tolos can help you build a strong foundation to support your goals. Thanks for the support and until I hear from you next: down with big shoe"

First Impressions

· Very normal looking.

· Not made with stretchy materiel so hard to slip on, once on it is comfortable though.

· Sleek and cool aesthetic.

· Golden highlights pop in a very nice way.

· Gets dirty easily but easy to wash being machine washable.

· Simple lacing system.

Sizing and Fit

I am a 26cm length with a 10.1 width, I am a 42/8 in nearly every brand. I have a high-volume muscular foot. Based on their company recommendations I sized up to too a men's 9 and they fit quite well, which means I would recommend sizing up 1.

Specs

Outsole: High abrasion rubber sole and 2mm Strobel Board Insole for extra traction.

Upper: Water Repellent mesh upper.

Drop: 0 mm

Stack Height: 6.5 mm sole

Weight: 448G /7.85 OZ (size 42)

Lacing: Slip Sock upper with laces for added security

Price: 115$/ 104$ with Code TBSR

Performance

See the Tolos in action on the field

https://youtu.be/DemEgz0qSxU

Being an athlete, trying a shoe that’s made by a fellow athlete is always cool, so we tested this in a variety of settings!

For lifting

With a 6.5 mm sole, this is the perfect companion for the gym if you are not lifting barefoot already. Its ground feel and traction for heavy lifts like deadlifts and squats are phenomenal.

For field Work/sports

While far from being a cleat the Tolos features a really nice textured outsole giving a little bit of a firmer grip then a conventional shoe, while once again it is not a cleat it’s grippy enough for running and even some basic change of direction.

For day to day.

It’s the perfect companion, sleek enough to work with casual outfits but sporty enough to work for when you break into a sprint to catch the bus.

Cleaning

It is completely machine washable!

Just use cold water and air dry, you can see us doing it here on Instagram.

Future Improvements.

The materiel is not stretchy enough for a slip-on shoe, but once on it conforms to the foot quite well with minimal adjusting of the laces. It also is a bit of a chafing materiel, so we recommend wearing with socks.

After speaking with the founder, they are super keen on perfecting an already awesome barefoot shoe and here are some good ones they are working on,

• Stronger more durable rubber

• New strong but strecher matariel for the sock upper

• Improvment on patternanting for better grip

• Higher quality mesh to avoid blistering and chafing

• Added colorways

You can find Tolos here and you can use code TBSR to save 10%.

Conclusion.

We really like what Evan is doing, its wonderful seeing more athletes and athletic personas getting involved in the wonder world of minimalist footwear. We can't wait to see what v2 and V3 bring!