Review: Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats

Opening remarks from Barefoot Michael:

I prefer to stay barefoot as much as possible -- even often in public. I find it to be comfortable and even healthy and safe. While my wife, Glenda, is not a "die hard" barefooter like myself, she is accepting of my barefoot lifestyle and tries to stay barefoot as much as possible, too. She doesn't often go barefoot out in public, but still prefers more minimal footwear if she wears shoes.

A new, easily-found minimal shoe is now on the market and targeted to women for wearing after hours in heels. I thought my sweetheart might like to try them as an everyday minimal shoe and asked her to review a pair. The following are her thoughts. Keep in mind that they're from the context of putting them through the paces as a potential everyday minimalist shoe, something that they are NOT marketed as. I'll pop in (with italics) to make little comments or to add more information as necessary.

Dear readers, the lovely Barefoot Glenda:

From Dr. Scholl's for Her
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A while back, my hubby texted me that while at Walgreens I should pick up a pair of Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats. I had seen them advertised on TV, and since I enjoy going barefoot or wearing minimalist footwear I thought I'd give them a try as an everyday minimalist shoe.

Just a little insight into why I don't wear more traditional shoes: About seven years ago I was diagnosed with tendinitis in my toes from wearing shoes that were either too tight or had a heel. The recommendation from the doc was to wear round or square toed flats. I also found as a special education teacher that I needed to be able to wear shoes that I could easily run in. So that is when I stopped wearing most heels and started wear minimalist footwear.

So here is what happened when I wore them and how the shoes held up:

Style

The shoes are a cute ballet slipper type. They have a bow over the toe box and have a leathery feel. There is an elastic band sewn into the top of the heel which allows you to put on and take off the shoes easily. The band also helps the shoes stay on without slipping. The shoes look a lot like many of the other ballet slipper types out there, and most people wouldn't know that they're Fast Flats unless you tell them or they have some of their own. I did notice that Fast Flats only come in black. At least, this only color available where I bought mine. That's not really a problem unless your wanting brown or gray or any other color. ;-)

Quality

I've worn the shoes nearly every day since I purchased them. The quality isn't what I had hoped for. I'm one of those people who keeps shoes as long as I can, and if I really like them, I wear them, A LOT! After having them for just a few weeks, I am disappointed in the quality of the shoes. They are showing wear around the toe box where the sole and body are sewn together. In most places it's just the covering wearing off, but at the ball of my large toe, the seem is actually splitting (pictured below). :-(

Michael here: Keep in mind, however, that these shoes are NOT meant to be regular footwear. They are intended as a "club to car" shoe with limited long-term use. That said, it's not overly surprising that they're not terribly durable, but it's worth noting IF you're considering these for more everyday use.

Cost

The shoes are relatively cost effective (at a suggested price of $12.99 USD), but like I said earlier, I like my shoes to LAST! I also like a good bargain and rarely pay more than $20 for a pair of shoes. (Since I often go barefoot, that doesn't tend to be a problem.) The Fast Flats were $12.50 where I bought them in a suburb of Kansas City. M: Other retailers have been found that sell them for $9.99. Dr. Scholl's does offer a money back guarantee if you're not satisfied with the Fast Flats.

Fit and Comfort

Seeing that these shoes are similar to slippers, I expected them to fit well right away. That's not exactly what happened. At first glance, the Fast Flats appeared to be non-foot specific. When my hubby put them on me, they felt awkward right away and the toe box pinched. After I switched them, I realized they are foot specific and the awkwardness went away. Unfortunately, they still pinched my toes and felt too small for my feet. I normally wear between a 4 and a 6 so I bought the 5/6. I thought it was pretty strange that the shoes felt too small and almost went back to the store to buy the 7/8. I decided to wait and see if the shoes began to feel better with time, and I just needed to "break them in." Even now, my toes feel slightly pinched. I did trim my toe nails (they were not exceeding long) and that helped them feel less tight on the tips of my toes. My feet are pretty average width, and I'm not sure that Fast Flats would fit well on someone with narrow or wide feet. There are a variety of sizes, but I didn't see any that were mad specifically for someone who does not have average foot width.

Barefoot Sensation and Movement

The soles on the Fast Flats are remarkably flexible and thin and yet don't pierce easily. My first real trial wearing the Fast Flats was at my husband's work picnic where the trails were gravel. The soles were thin enough to make it feel almost as though I wasn't wearing shoes at all, yet thick enough to not be pierced by the rocks. When we arrived home that evening, my feet hurt and I chose to wear a different pair of shoes the next day that had a thicker, cushier sole. The sole does have traction on the bottom, and sliding has not been problem like with other footwear. They are also thin enough to feel the different temperatures and wetness.

I wore Fast Flats on a Saturday to one of my husband's races. The pavement was quite warm (80+ degrees F outside) and the soles of my feet felt rather warm too. Not really uncomfortable, but noticeably warm. When shopping in the grocery store, the freezer section made my feet uncomfortably cold. I also accidentally stepped in a puddle which made my foot damp. It wasn't too bad, but somewhat irritating.

Extras

Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats come with a small gold purse that the slippers are literally rolled into cylinders to fit into. This is how the shoes are packaged and how they are purchased. It would be difficult to try these on before purchasing, but as noted earlier, you can receive a full refund if you're not satisfied. You would not, however, have a place to put your heels when switching to Fast Flats as shown in the commercial. The gold purse is stylish and has a small pocket inside perfect for your license and cash. I can fit my cell phone, clip on sun glasses case, and a package of Tic Tacs in mine. My wallet and keys are too big, but I suppose I could take my car and house keys off the ring and slide them in the small pocket as well. The purse has a small wrist handle to make it easier to hang onto it.

Final Words

Honestly, I've never been in the club scene. I'm sure these shoes would be good for giving your feet a break while dancing and clubbing and general indoor use. Since I am usually barefoot indoors, I only really wore the Fast Flats outdoors which is probably why they started to wear in just a few weeks. For me, Fast Flats are ideal for a "back-up" shoe in places where I can't go barefoot. I can simply roll them up in the purse and keep them in my glove compartment to use when the need arises. Fast Flats are a fair quality, cute shoe. I'm not sure they're the best minimalist shoe because of the toe pinching and lack of quality when wearing them out doors.

Barefoot Michael's Final Thoughts

I can't thank my wife enough for reviewing these shoes. I've known of this kind of shoe for a while, but none has been as widely distributed or easily attained as Dr. Scholl's For Her Fast Flats.

From a barefooter's perspective, they really do seem like a good "backup" shoe for when going barefoot isn't allowed. I don't think they'd be great to run in, but I do think they'd be great for a lady to have in her purse or bag in case she gets stopped by the "shoe police" in a store or restaurant. If a woman prefers to wear something into a venue and then remove her shoes, these would fit the bill perfectly as well.

I don't think they're durable enough to wear all day every day if a woman walks or stands a lot for her job, but a woman who does minimal walking around the workplace might find value in them.

One last note: After writing an introduction about Fast Flats on this blog, I was sent several messages from the folks at Footzyrolls, a company that makes a similar product. They vigorously promoted their own product and accused Dr. Scholl's of stealing their idea. Pointing fingers aside, the reason I wanted to post a review of Fast Flats is because they are inexpensive and so widely available. Granted, Footzyrolls offer many different styles of the rollable flat, but Fast Flats are available pretty much EVERYWHERE and for less money. Whereas you can go down to your local drug store or Walmart and pick up Fast Flats for just about one Alexander Hamilton, Footzyrolls can only be ordered on their site and start at about twice the cost.

Have you tried the Dr. Scholl's Fast Flats? Footzyrolls? Both? Do you think you'd be willing to go barefoot more often if you could carry these around as a "backup" shoe if needed? At about $10-13 a pop, is it worth it to buy these to use until they are worn out and then buy another? Please leave your comments in the section below. Thanks for reading!