How Many Pairs of Shoes Does a Minimalist Man Own? | Simplifying Your Footwear with 5 Carefully Selected Pairs and Uniform Socks

■ Introduction: The Fatigue of the Day Starts from Your Feet

On days when you come home feeling, "I'm just so tired," the cause is often not the work itself, but rather "heavy shoes" or "ill-fitting socks."

As a minimalist, as I reduced my belongings, one thing I became particularly particular about was my "footwear gear." Humans are bipedal animals. Taking care of your "feet," the only part of you in contact with the ground, directly impacts your quality of life (QOL).

Today, I will introduce the "no-brainer sock rules" and the "5 elite pairs of shoes" that I, a minimalist office worker in my 20s, have arrived at.

■ Uniforming Socks: The Uniqlo "Black Short" Choice

First, the thing I want to shout from the rooftops is about socks. There are no patterned socks or socks of different colors in my closet. All I have are "short socks (black)" from Uniqlo.

Rule: Use the "same socks" for both work and private life I used to separate them too, with "long business socks for work" and "sneaker socks for days off." But then I thought, "Do I really need to separate these?"

My current workplace isn't that strict about dress code, so I decided to take the plunge and "standardize to black short socks." The result was a revolution.

1. The "pairing task" has become zero seconds

   • When folding laundry, the fruitless game of memory matching where you have to "match the patterns of the right and left feet" has vanished. No matter which ones you pick, they form a pair.

2. No need to throw them away if one gets a hole

   • Since I have a large quantity of identical socks, if one gets ruined, I can just combine the remaining one with a new one to bring it back to life.

3. The boundary between ON and OFF has disappeared

   • There is no need to change socks for working on days off or going to the gym after work.

Once you know this comfort, you can never go back to other socks.

■ Carefully Selected Shoe Lineup: Currently "5 Pairs"

Regarding shoes, I don't force myself to reduce them to "3 pairs." Currently, I rotate through a total of 5 pairs: "3 for work" and "2 for private life."

This is a strategic rotation to "make the shoes last longer."

【For Private Life: Gear for Walking】 For weekend shoes, I prioritize "how much I can walk without getting tired" over fashionability.

1. NIKE "Air Zoom" These are originally running shoes, but I use them for daily wear. Minimalists walk a lot. Whether it's taking a stroll or walking through the city while brainstorming ideas. The Nike Air Zoom has excellent cushioning and absorbs impact from the ground, so my feet don't feel like sticks even after walking around all day. They are a reliable partner that turns "travel" into "exercise."

2. New Balance "574" When I want to be a bit more casual and enjoy fashion, I choose these. They are a classic New Balance model, but the comfort is truly on another level. The slightly rounded form creates a nice balance when paired with slim black pants. I choose these on days when I feel like "dressing up a little to go out."

【For Work: 3-Pair Rotation】 Leather shoes get sweaty and damaged easily after being worn for a day. Therefore, I have prepared 3 pairs of cost-effective leather shoes and rotate them.
(*Details on my work shoes are introduced in detail in this article↓)

■ Maintenance: The First Ritual Determines Longevity

Since I have narrowed my collection down to five pairs, I take good care of each one. That said, I don't do anything tedious.

The essential item is a "waterproof spray." When I start wearing a new pair of shoes or during regular maintenance, I always spray the entire surface. It not only repels water but also makes it harder for dirt to stick, preventing black sneakers from getting that whitish, dirty look. Just by doing this, I feel like the lifespan of my shoes extends by half a year.

■ The View of the Entrance: "Five Pairs" Means Plenty of Space

With five pairs of shoes (one of which I am wearing, so there are four in the entrance), the built-in shoe cabinet is mostly empty. Even when lined up on the floor, they don't get in the way.

In the past, when I loved shoes and owned many, my entrance was overflowing, and I would waste time when leaving the house wondering, "Which one should I wear?" Now, because the purpose is clear—"this one for work," "this one for walking a lot," "this one for style"—the time I spend standing in the entrance has dropped to zero.

■ Conclusion: Good Shoes Bring Confidence

I believe the saying "fashion starts from the feet" is true. It doesn't mean wearing expensive shoes, but rather "wearing well-maintained shoes that fit your feet."

Wearing my favorite NIKE or New Balance sneakers with clean black socks. When my feet are well-groomed, my posture straightens up for some reason, and a sense of confidence that "I'm okay today" wells up.

If you are afraid of reducing your clothes, why not start by "making all your socks the same"? The sense of liberation that this small "unification" brings will surely become addictive.

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