Syndactyly and Vibram Five Fingers vs. walking in sandals

[Titanium Bulwark]

Hi folks, got a quick question for you.

I have syndactyly (webbed toes) between my 2nd and 3rd toes on both feet. I'd like to start wearing some form of the Vibrams when I go walking, but I've read that these shoes are not really meant for me with webbed toes.

I've read about the fix (snipping the end of the shoes and resewing them) but I'm neither a seamstress nor do I have the cash to pay someone to modify the shoes.

My question is: Would I get a similar benefit from walking in minimal sandals as I would with the Vibrams?

The sandals I have are the formless $1 pair from the bin at the store. There's very little padding (on purpose) between my feet and the floor.

Thanks in advance for any help or guidance!

[Sloth the Enduring]

Are the sandals flexible? You could also try the Merrell Barefoots, they look like a sneaker, but they have many of the benefits of the toe shoes.

[screenager]

I'm no podiatrist but recently I read an article on how flip-flops are horrendous for your feet because your toes have to do strange things to keep them on.

If your $1 sandals have more than just 1 strap, that'd probably be better.

Also, other than Vibram and Merrell, there are other "barefoot" options that don't have individualized toes all the way through. Just do some googling!

[Rivanariko]

Is going truly barefoot an option? Much better than any "barefoot" footwear IMO. Depending on the construction of your sandals, they could be fine. They make minimalist running sandals as well, you might look into Huarache (sp?) running sandals.

[dragonlyre]

Wrestling and martial arts shoes are pretty minimalist. A bit less expensive as some of the others.