I snapped the picture below when I was at the Navy Exchange the day after Christmas (12/26/2011).  I was rummaging through my phone today and came across it and remembered I hadn’t yet shared it.

I’ve written about the Navy Exchange (NEX) several times in the past, but for those non-military folks, the NEX is a pseudo department store on many Navy bases.  The size and inventory can range widely, with some as small as a 7-11 and others more comparable to a Macy’s and Sears combined.

The picture below is of the Little Creek Navy Exchange in Virginia Beach, VA, which is a pretty large one.  Nonetheless, I was stunned to see such a massive variety of minimalist shoes and socks!  The irony in all of this, of course, is the odd relationship that the different branches of the US Military have with FiveFingers… the Army hates them but the Air Force and Navy seem to be ok with them in certain situations.

So here is the Navy Exchange all-In on minimalist footwear (full size image here):

Minimalist socks and shoes galore!

They have Injinji socks, a good variety of Vibram FiveFingers, Adidas Adipures, New Balance Minimus, Saucony Hattori & Kinvara, and Merrell Trail & Pace Gloves.

Suffice to say, if you are looking for a pair of minimalist shoes and you are in the Navy (or have a friend or relative who is), it would behoove you to hit up the local NEX – there is no tax, and prices are typically around 20% lower!