Written by the founder, Delaney Smith shown above at the first factory visit picking out materials (November 2022).
When I started Minnemals, I didn't set out to build another shoe company. I wanted to solve a problem I saw every day in my clients: people working hard to get stronger and out of pain while wearing shoes that kept their feet weak. Yet they were just doing what they were always told to wear, the 'good and supportive' shoes.
After talking to clients about the fact that always wearing a over cushioned and supportive shoe can actually weaken the foot overtime, they were on board with the concept of wearing something, like a barefoot shoe, that causes the foot to do more of the work. However, many had oppositions because they didn't want to wear something that looked like 'clown shoes'.
That became the mission for the Stimulus V2 — a barefoot shoe that doesn’t look like one. Something you could train in, walk in, grab coffee in, and head straight to dinner without changing shoes. I wanted it to feel like athleisure for your feet — lightweight, versatile, and naturally built to move with you. Most of us wear some sort of athleisure clothing for the majority of our week, but a lot of athletic shoes use a very gym-specific mesh that makes it hard to go throughout your day with you, as the modern athleisure clothing can do.
The Stimulus V2 has everything I believe a shoe should: a wide toe box that lets your feet spread naturally, zero-drop design for better balance and posture, and a thin, flexible sole that actually lets your feet feel the ground. But this time, it’s wrapped in a clean, modern look you actually want to wear all day.
Because getting strength with every step shouldn’t stop at the gym door — and neither should your shoes.