A Minimalist Man's 6 Pairs of Shoes: Choosing Fatigue-Free Footwear and Rules for Keeping the Entrance Tidy
■ Introduction: Can you sprint in those shoes?
There is a saying that "fashion starts from the feet." While that is certainly true, as a company employee working every day, I have come to realize one more thing.
"The fatigue of the day comes from your feet."
Have you ever had the experience of walking around all day in uncomfortable leather shoes, only to find your legs feeling like lead by the evening, leaving you with no energy to do anything? Heavy, stiff shoes drain your HP (stamina) just by wearing them. No matter how much you lighten your "bag", if your feet are heavy, your footwork will remain sluggish.
In the past, I owned many pairs of brand-name leather shoes and trendy sneakers chosen solely for their appearance. Despite my shoe rack overflowing, I spent my days worrying that I had "no shoes I wanted to wear today."
However, as a result of carefully selecting my shoes through minimalism, I now own "a total of 6 pairs." They may be few, but every one of them is a first-string player. Whether it's a rainy day, a business trip, or a day I suddenly feel like running, these 6 pairs have me perfectly covered.
Today, I will introduce the "complete lineup of shoes" of a minimalist company employee in his 20s, as well as the rules for keeping the entrance tidy even while living with family.
■ My "Total of 6 Pairs" Lineup
First, I will reveal all the shoes I own. Categorized by use, it looks like this.
[For Work] EDWIN Business Sneakers (Black)
[For Work] EDWIN Business Sneakers (Ash)
[For Business Trips] Genuine Leather Business Shoes (1 pair)
[For Casual/Exercise] NIKE Running Shoes (Black)
[For Casual/Exercise] NIKE Running Shoes (Secondary)
[For Summer/Neighborhood] Sandals (1 pair)
A total of 6 pairs. You might think that's a lot for a minimalist, but I feel this is the optimal solution for a company employee to "not wear the same shoes every day (letting the shoes rest)." I will introduce the specific details of each.
■ A Revolution in Work Shoes: EDWIN's "Runnable Leather Shoes"
The conclusion I reached regarding shoe selection for company employees is: "Business sneakers are the only way to go."
I personally use business shoes from EDWIN, a brand famous for its jeans. I rotate two pairs: one in "black" and one in "ash" (a gray tone).
What's amazing about these is that "they look like leather shoes, but the comfort is completely that of a sneaker."
1. Overwhelmingly light & easy to walk in The soles are sneaker-style, so the cushioning is excellent. I can run up station stairs, and I can easily walk for about one station's distance. Walking is my hobby, so the fact that walking doesn't feel like a chore even while at work is a huge benefit.
2. Easy maintenance (waterproof) High-end genuine leather shoes get stained when wet in the rain and require regular cream application. However, these EDWIN shoes are waterproof and resistant to dirt. They don't soak through even in sudden rain, and if they get dirty, you just wipe them off. Since I don't have to specifically own "rain shoes," it contributes to reducing the total number of shoes I own.
3. God-tier cost performance You can buy them for about 5,000 to 6,000 yen a pair. Rather than wearing expensive leather shoes until they are tattered, I feel that replacing items in this price range regularly to keep my feet looking clean is better for cleanliness (and mental health).
Use "black" for suits and "ash" for business casual. With these two pairs, you are invincible for work on weekdays.
■ The art of using holiday shoes: All you need is NIKE
On holidays, the black running shoes from NIKE that I introduced in my previous article about black items are the stars.
The minimalist trick here is to use the same pair for both "street wear" and "exercise".
I used to have:
Stylish sneakers for going out
Running shoes for exercise separately.
However, recent running shoes (especially NIKE) have sophisticated designs, so they don't look out of place when worn with everyday clothes. If you pair black skinny pants with black running shoes, you get a sleek, minimalist outfit.
If you go out in these shoes on your day off, you can make choices like "Oh, the weather is nice, maybe I'll walk one station" or "Maybe I'll stop by the gym on the way home" without increasing your luggage. Being in "footwear that lets you run anytime" might be the best life hack for increasing your mobility.
■ Only one pair of "genuine leather" for formal occasions and business trips
I usually wear EDWIN business sneakers, but I also keep one pair of "genuine leather business shoes" for special occasions.
Days with important business meetings or presentations
Formal events
Overnight business trips
In these situations, the gravitas of genuine leather is necessary. Conversely, I don't wear them outside of those special days. Since they are used infrequently, they last a long time, and they act like a switch that helps me feel "straightened up" when I occasionally wear and polish them.
■ The "one-pair rule" to keep the entrance from getting messy
I currently live with my parents. Unlike living alone, the entrance is a "shared space" with my family. I can't just fill it up with my own shoes.
That is why I have an ironclad rule I follow. It is the rule that "the only pair left out is the one I am currently wearing."
When you get home, do not leave your shoes where you took them off.
After leaving them out overnight to let the moisture evaporate, be sure to put them away in the shoe cabinet the next morning.
When you go out, take out only the one pair you will wear that day.
The entryway floor should always be completely clear, or at most, have only one pair of shoes on it. Just doing this makes the entryway, which is the face of the home, look spacious and beautiful.
It is not that things are cluttered because you have too many shoes; it is that they are cluttered because you do not put them away. Because I have limited my collection to six pairs, there is plenty of room in the shoe cabinet, making it easy to put them away quickly. I believe it is the bare minimum etiquette for a minimalist to ensure that family members do not feel that my shoes are in the way.
■ Conclusion: Good shoes will take you to wonderful places
"Wear good shoes. Good shoes will take you to good places." This is a famous Italian proverb, but I do not think it only refers to "expensive shoes."
"Shoes that are well-maintained, easy to walk in, and fit your feet perfectly."
For me, those were my EDWIN business sneakers and my NIKE running shoes.
When you eliminate stress from your feet, walking becomes fun. When walking becomes fun, your range of activity expands. When your range of activity expands, you encounter new scenery and ideas.
If you currently have an entryway overflowing with "shoes you don't wear" or are putting up with "shoes that make your feet tired when you walk," why not try decluttering your footwear? You don't have to reduce them to six pairs, but if you keep only the shoes that make you think, "I want to walk anywhere in these today," your daily steps will surely feel lighter.
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