Minimal/Barefoot style running shoes . . .

[OakLeaf]

GLC, good luck with the surgery and the last phase of recovery!

I have a pair of men's wide NB Minimus cross-trainers, so I don't know if they're on the same last as the trail or road shoes? Anyway they are wide enough in men's wide, but the toe boxes are pretty pointy. Lemings are actually shaped like feet!

I've seen CorrecToes in a lot of drugstores with the foot care stuff, you might check. But, IMO it all comes down to shoes that fit. If your shoes are forcing your toes together, then it seems to me that trying to force them apart from the inside is just going to aggravate any trouble you have with ingrown toenails, bunions and bunionettes. Once I finally found shoes that fit (plus started work on foot strength, mobilization and flexibility), my toes have reshaped themselves quite a bit all by themselves, even after 50 years of wearing shoes that were too small.

[GLC1968]

Oak, I think those NB shoes you have must be on a different last - or maybe on the same one as the Minimus road? I couldnt' wear the road - it was too narrow.

This is a little comparison I did when I was trying to talk a friend into considering the Leming:


(NB Minimus left, Leming right)
For me, the way the NB Minimus flares out a little on the big toe side was critical to my running comfort.

[Crankin]

I don't wear any of the minimalist shoes, but I will comment on the ballet flats.
They are not so comfortable for some people (like me) and can cause foot pain and other issues, especially after standing in them for a long time. I had to throw mine away. Flip flops bother me, too. I need cushioning.
Not a problem, as I generally wear shoes with a small heel if I am not wearing athletic type shoes or sandals.