The Ultimate Barefoot Shoe Guide
In this barefoot shoe review we cover the 6 benefits of wearing barefoot shoes, as well as present the 6 styles of barefoot shoes available on the market. For a comprehensive list of the barefoot shoes we use and recommend, follow the link below.
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0:00 Start
0:12 6 Benefits of Barefoot Shoes
7:05 6 Styles of Barefoot Shoes
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After wearing barefoot shoes solely for 10 years, I recently broke my foot in a stupid accident. As a result, I've had to wear stiffer shoes for a period of time and let me tell you, it's been hell. It literally feels like I am walking with stilts on and my balance it totally off. I realized how much I use my toes now while walking around and even going down stairs feels like a perious exercice. If I reverse my experience and look at most people who have worn regular shoes their entire life, it's no wonder a lot of people fall when they get older, they've been robbed of the sensory feedback our feet offer. I try to raise awareness around me about the benefits of barefoot shoes but there is still a lot of scepticism around the idea. Thank you for spreading the word.
Hope you heal soon x
This really makes me realize how much shoes fucked me up, too. I'm glad you're trying to help others realize fashion is hurting us. It's an even bigger hurdle with women's fashion. While I'm not a feminist, one thing I realize now is that my feet were injured by girl's foot wear and the way I was shamed into walking. I was flat footed so I walked in a rather lumbering manner and couldn't run fast, but I could go for hours. I got made fun of in school for the way I moved and put in orthapedic shoes to force my arch up, and it hurt like hell and frankly ruined me. I stopped wanting to run around and eventually developed exercise induced aesthma and started gaining weight. Flat footedness and foot problems run strong in our family but when it comes to footwear and the general gate of the walk, there's a definite disperity between male and female. Men's shoes still usually are a bit more practical in shape and functionality and a male can walk in a lumbering manner because it's masculine. The expectations of femininity really were not compatible with my bone structure and personality, though, and messed me up bad. I'm glad we have more freedom these days in fashion, but shoes are still something that can be a real issue for those that don't fit the feminine mold. Sorry for the ted talk, your observations about how your healing process effected you just brought to mind those horrible orthopedic shoes and I felt like I needed to write this down and get it out. I hope your feet are back to normal soon. Heal well.
@@ANPC-pi9vu I have the exact same problem now. I walked in wrong shoes for a long period (like year or so) and developed oversupination in my left foot (also it points slightly outwards when I walk). It really is frustrating, but I remember what happened and what caused this so this gives me a relief as I see there's a way to fix all of these problems for good. I will soon get barefoot shoes. I was a tall baby and had flat feet since then. This didn't change much after all these years spending ridiculous amounts of money on orthotics while I'd be better spending that money on clothes I need. Even worse thing is, I'm a person that is physically active, but since I was wearing wrong shoes all the time nothing good happened. Actually, it's even worse as I grow up. So basically all my foot muscles are atrophied and since I'm adding on weight and muscle in my upper and lower body, my feet suffer. Any orthopedic problem a child has will worsen as time passes... hope I fix it with walking barefoot at my house and going for a walk in shoes like Xero.
It really does suck how no one seems to take you seriously. Even with science to back up your reasoning, people still are so close minded about it.
@@ANPC-pi9vu or you could uhh, just not care about fashion? I have never cared and never wear jeans and people call me a sheep for the alternative pants I wear, even though they are the type of people who always wear jeans (like sheep) I also don't wear baseball caps except the one with my work uniform. And wear hats with cat ears all the time (with three more and a hoodie on the way). As well as my minimalist clown looking shoes. Idgaf what people think about what I wear and never have. That's not a male or female thing, that's just personality, self-confidence, and maturity. Only scared wittle teenagers and immature adults care what other people think of them or what they wear or do. I had walked with a limp for most of my teens to twenties until I got a lift to fix the leg length imbalance. However people thought that I was trying to be "gangster" and "swagger" and I had to tell them "no, my leg is fucked and I'm in constant pain. Thanks for the concern though." Also you should become an advocate for getting children away from modern shoes, and making sure doctors don't try and correct problems caused by bad footwear with worse footwear and accessories. Adults are set in their ways, and I can't even get my best friends to consider minimalist shoes for themselves (despite having foot issues which they have corrected with orthotics instead of losing weight and strengthening their feet), let alone get them to consider the health benefits for their two year old to never wear modern shoes (her baby toe is already looking squished and hammer like). So intervene in your local education system. Get it included in science or PE classes. Indoctrinate them when they're young like religions do. So we can get rid of the shoe company's and orthotics producer's agendas!
I switched to barefoot shoes cold turkey. I was wearing Brook’s and my toes were constantly hurting and then after a while, my ankles. I was super annoyed because they were expensive. So I did some research. I like to go barefoot a lot and live in a warm climate so always wearing cheap flat flip flops. So, I decided to try the barefoot shoes. My feet LOVE them! Been wearing for about a year now and I can’t wear anything else anymore. If I do my toes get mad at me 😂
Same story for me. Switched to barefoot shoes (splays) last week cold turkey. All my pain in my joints, lower back, and knees have disappeared almost immediately. The pain went away in a day. Crazy how fast barefoot shoes corrects the issues. I shudder at the thought of my brooks now. If someone told me I had to wear modern shoes again I would run away. My feet are freer than ever!!! I get excited anytime I'm about to put them on because I know that it's truly an adventure walking now.
I’m 2 weeks into barefoot shoes vivo and my feet are still painfully swollen. Is this to be expected? I hope it’s temporary and would love to continue my BF journey.
@@flatways8502 Wow, how cool. I have a saying, if my feet hurt, take off my shoes. I have been wearing Tom's and Converse. Here I am now, shopping for knowledge about barefoot shoes.
@@tishguerrero Slow is safe and fast is foolish. Can you walk around the house barefoot? Pay attention and see if you can see what is going on in your foot/feet and ankles. You want to find out if the shoes you bought are ok for you. I am lucky that I live in a place where I can find some fan of the barefoot shoes. BUT BEWARE, I went to REI and they "should".. but NOPE. The slick salesman showed me shoes that were anything but barefoot, pair after pair. He could have sold me on something completely not-barefoot but I already knew better. For shame on him. Meanwhile, I ordered some Merrells. If they come and I dont like them, REI will take them back and I get a full refund. SMH.
Which BFSH do you use? brand and model? Thanks
Dear friend, this is the most detailed, visual and concise guide to realizing what shoes are really good for people that I have ever seen. This manual should be translated into as many languages as possible. Giant thank you.
Yes! Please do a barefoot sandal review!! Thank you for all the amazing content. My husband and I are LMBT and operate a pain management clinic. We reverse engineer the pain and where it is actually coming from in the body, then fix it. We believe the foot is the foundation of our bodies and have been barefoot enthusiast for years. Your channel is the number one place we send our clients to for information on starting their barefoot journey.
Man Hsu of the Upright Health channel has several good videos on barefoot shoes and comparing barefoot shoes. He has some important things to say about the sandals he has. He points out a big flaw and then shows how he figured out how to fix it. "Top drawer videos."
Just completed my second marathon in barefoot shoes (the Xeros), thanks in part to your channel! Been a great and fun multi-year journey. I can't imagine willingly ever going back to regular shoes.
My guy! That’s awesome. Have you run in other shoes too? Ive never tried xeros (yet)
@@tjs1189 I haven't had a chance to try any others yet. These minimalist shoes... uh... they last a long time!
That's awesome. How long did it take you to transition into higher mileage with bf shoes? I started wearing bf shoes about 10 months ago and struggle to run over 8 miles in them. For now, I wear bf shoes daily and for shorter runs but still wear traditional cushioned shoes for runs longer than 8 road miles.
@@scaber I did a half marathon in Vibram FiveFingers, and I think it took me about a year to get into. It has also helped that since early in the pandemic I've been working from home, and basically been barefoot most of the day for now more than 2.5 years. All that to say, yes, it took a long while to get to the higher millage with these.
What Xero shoe did you run the marathon in?
We need to keep this man alive at all cost
The Shoe Illuminati has him marked
This is the most beautifully produced piece of work I've ever seen!! Thank you for the channel. Truly fantastic
❤ the video... so elaborately explained.. a big fan of Vibram 5 fingers for almost 7 years now, your video has really checked all the boxes for anyone who's looking for a transition...
Barefoot shoe transition program... nice. Mine was get a shoe socks and start walking on rocky forest trail 😅. After three or four months, blisters stopped appearing, everything is good since then. Also, I had knee surgery beforehand, and barefoot shoes helped me with recovery - it really took some load from knees, when I changed my walking style.
An excellent, excellent video. Brilliantly made, clear, concise and informative. Even a totally uniformed person will be brought up to speed on the concept of barefoot shoes! Well done! 👍🏻
loving this content, quality and clarity!
So right and thanks for your past videos, because I had a accident over 4 years ago and have been asking for help since with my balance! I could not explain the specialists how my balance was good at home inside (barefoot) and outside my balance issues walking had me having to walk side to side (like a ~) to keep from falling over! They keep saying it was because I felt safe at home? Instead it was the shoes (like standing on a bed to change a light bulb) and no feelings! maybe it's my brain injury and forgetting the acquired balancing skill with shoes on? Anyway with Barefoot shoes 🙂 balance is great and I love feeling the ground and even walk on rough road services instead of the footpath (side walk in the US) and love it all! Thanks so so much. I love my Vivobarefoot Shoe's and now have a number of them. 👍
This is an excellent video with easy to understand analogies and well-explained concepts. We need more of society to wake up and stop normalizing intentional foot deformation.
Excellent video! Keep up the good work! Love my zero shoes with Naboso insoles.
The glove comparison.....🤯 I never thought about that before and it makes perfect sense
Feiyues were a huge improvement on allstars for me, they made me like to take off my shoes and walk barefoot around the house much more. Today I bought my first traditional barefoots and am so excited!
Earth runner sandals are epic. Expensive, but last an eternity. Great video. My transition has take just over a year.
I have been researching this for about a week now, and you are not lying... This was the best barefoot shoe video i have watched.
Love your presentation style, I'm a big vivobarefoot fan, and will try some of the other shoes you have mentioned.
Spot on about the shocks toe box. I got Whitin instead of Skinner 2.0 or the one reccomended on the website in the description, and the Whitin toebox is not wide enough. I can't comfortably wear toe spacers. However as my toes are still transitioning from modern style shoes it's not a super big problem yet, so they are better in all respects to all my other non minimalist shoes.
This is one of my favorite Sites.And,I am interested in barefoot footwear,so I watch those segments on this site over,and over.
This was exceptionally well done, well said, and well put. I threw out all my shoes and went back to wearing barefoot shoes again several weeks ago (started wearing barefoot shoes years ago but stopped). And life has definitely gotten better. Keep on rockin'! 🤘
I would love a video on recommended barefoot sandals please! I have been waiting for one from your channel and think it would be fantastic!
Would love to hear this, too!
Agreed.
Great! Thanks for your feedback!
Sandals, the toes are free. What more do you need to have explained to you? No socks!
Bosky sandals are my favourites by far
I have found that the water shoes that you can buy for around $20 on Amazon is a good starting point for most people. Wearing them around the house and for short errands is a good introduction. I jumped right in by buying some Vivo’s and then moving to water shoes around the house, but I am 100% a convert. I need to start selling my Allen Edmonds shoe collection, as I’ll never go back to fashion shoes again. I have always had a wide foot and bought accordingly, but it was still not the right shaped toe box
This is the best explanation I've seen on this topic. Congrats for the job. I can only recommend it 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks for the most helpful tips!
This should be played in every school! Good job explaining so well.
Very high quality video. So informative, thank you.
I just finished my post grad sport sci papers at uni in Barefoot shoes and the effects of prOprioception, Kinesthesia over a 9 month SBR ( SIMULATED BAREFOOT RUNNING) with three different types of runners. SOme pretty interesting research still need to be done in barefoot/minimalism walking/running
wow, i've been walking barefoot at home for 12 years and always was curious about how someone can feel uncomfortable while wearing sneakers. Now it makes sense.
I’ve been working my way through your videos, and I love the content. For the past 6 years, I have been wearing exclusively barefoot-style shoes made to measure for me by The Drifter Leather. I had to revise my measurements after a year because my feet got bigger in all directions from muscle development! And the severe foot pain that I had in my 50s has never returned (I’m in my mid-60s now). So I’m a believer. My biggest complaint about barefoot shoe manufacturers is that so few of them make shoes that are wide enough for my very wide feet: to fit the width, I would have to buy them 4-5 sizes too long, which clearly won’t work! That’s why I get all my shoes made to measure. But I wish some of the manufacturers would wake up and make shoes in several widths.
Where did you have your custom shoes made? It would be good to leave that information here, for the future.
This is one of the best videos I've seen on this!
Awesome video, full of good information, thanks!!!
I live in the rural areas of Turkey. Although I use the normal thick shoes I can understand what do you mean by feeling the ground. I have been paying attention for my footwear since 3 years now. Shoes with front-heavy soles were running my back and ankles and after experimenting I had saddled down with a shoe with round shaped sole, it does have arc support but its toe areas are also pronounced. Although they don't let me fee the ground I do strike my toes first (unless I'm running down a hill) These look interesting. I'd love to try them, although they might not be a good fit for some of my walking areas; they are filled with sharp rocks and thick thorns.
I kinda just recently jumped into it, I noticed that while running track I was quicker and able to run farther when barefoot, as well as not injuring it farther than a blister or two, so I did some research and realized that barefoot shoes were something I should look into. I kinda just did a instant transfer with no warning to my body, so the first few days I was unable to walk, it has gotten much better and now I haven't worn anything other than barefoot shoes for maybe a month now
super informative channel, great that i've found you guys! A dedicated video about the Vibram FiveFingers would be very cool, they are so unique, i'd love to know if they provide even more benefits than other barefoot shoes out there.
شكراً لهذا الكم من الاحساس الصادق المنبعث من صميم فؤادك الى صميمنا ... حقاً استفدت من هذا
Wow ur content is amazing for 100k subs. Your edits in these vids are elite.
Most of my shoes are minimalistic barefoot shoes: -Xero alpines for cold winter weather in Finland -xero xcursion hiking shoes for hiking /offtrail -also have two pairs of cheap offbrand barefoot shoes for warmer seasons, they actually have quite wide toebox and only cost 50€ /pair. -also have hiking shoes by kipukauppa (Finnish brand) -xero shoe 360 for indoor gym workouts I also do parkour and for that I wear feiyues quite often, I have tried to find barefoot shoes that have good grip on different surfaces like walls & rails but most of them have been disapointing, so I gotta go with feiyues, their grip is pretty good for example doing precision jumps on rails. I also have two pairs of strike movement shoes, they are zero almost drop but have thicker sole with insane grip, better for high impact stuff.
I use Topo Athletic tennis shoes with a wide toe box and close to zero drop. I also use Correct Toes toe separators.
Thanks for the list. I did quite a bit of research looking for different barefoot brands and did not once see several of these brands on any search results. Once I burn through my current Xero shoes I'm excited to try out Wildlings. If you've tried wildling I'd love to hear your thoughts. Cheers
Great video! Just discovered that I have a bunionette on predominantly my right foot from I'll say a popular running brand that claims to have a wide foot bed and zero drop. It apparently didn't work for my feet. Safe to say I'm now in the rehab and retrain mode now and hopping on this barefoot train! I've enjoyed your content immensly and would love to see more! Also, I just bought a pair of bedrock sandals for the summer and would love to see where they stack up against other popular barefoot sandal brands. Keep up the great content :)
With 40+ years in normal width raided heel shoes I’ve switched to barefoot when working from home using a standing desk, now I’m using foot shaped flat heels footwear and I can feel my body readjusting to its default positions, much less pain
Thanks for this usefull content! I started using barefoot shoes (xero shoes sandals) after your video and I like it so much after 1st step)
"a very rich sensory experience" == "hurts like XXXX" 🙂 I hiked 11km in my barefoot shoes on the weekend, and ultimately had to switch back to my regular pair when the pain of a rocky and rock-covered slope became too much to bear! Still, it was my first attempt at a full hike in them, and apart from the occasional stretch of discomfort it was an interesting experience that I shall definitely be working on improving! 🙂
I absolutely hate socks and really shows that cover my feet! So I would love for you to do a review on BareFoot Sandals! I did not know there were barefoot sandals for running! I am in love 😍
Awesome!!! Thank you. My 13-year old daughter already has bunions even though she hasn't worn restrictive shoes. Will definitely look into a good pair of barefoot shoes right away!
And toe spacers. And just going barefoot as much as possible
@@nabranestwistypuzzler7019 Thank youuuuu!
Roger McCormick yw
@H b.34 Thanks for asking. We wondered that too. Her younger sister is fine. We can only put it down to genetics or bad luck. Her gait and posture aren't exactly regal, but not unlike any typical 13-year old.
@H b.34 Same with me. I’ve had bunions as long as I can remember. I do believe sometimes they are hereditary.
Good informative video. I live in the Florida keys and am barefoot most of my time. I love that there are shoes that might not restrict my feet. I looked thru the links to the shoe vendors you recommended. How do I determine which shoes are Classic Barefoot shoes?
Most Epic Barefoot shoes Video... Almost Legendary!🌟 Liked, Commented, Subscribed & Shared.💕 Keep the video's coming can't wait,🔥 Yea, One of barefoot sandals would be really great!
This is a brilliant video
Yes do a barefoot sandal review. The DIY Birkenstocks where good but a hassle for me. I wish the Birkenstocks passes the test😢
Excellent video! Well done!
My first two pairs of Vibram FiveFingers broke just a few months after buying them, only running in them once a week at most. The fabric between my big toe and second toe worn down quickly, exposing my big toe. After buying more pairs of barefoot shoes that I use daily at work have made my very slight bunion I had before disappear and now my FiveFingers don't break anymore :) I never though for a second before that I had a bunion, but a slight bunion is still a bunion!
I just started wearing them and so far I love them but the soles are wearing very quickly....
I love this video it is phenomenal!
I’m 65. After knee surgery I wore flat slippers for 3 months . When I could put on regular shoes I was all messed up. Plus I have a bunion toe. I’ve had trouble finding shoes wide enough for my left foot . Finding shoes my foot will fit in was amazing. That’s all I wear now. Not looking back
I'm a woman with small but wide feet and have always had trouble finding shoes that fit without buying a size up. I also remember running a lot as a little kid until I got diagnosed with flat footedness and put in special shoes which hurt. I think that is the point at which I went from being a kid who could run for ages to not running at all. I also developed exercise induced aesthma just a few years after that that was never diagnosed or treated until recently in my adulthood. It honestly all makes so much sense now and I'm really pissed off. My favorite shoes now are a thin flat soled slip on shoe that has a stretchy knit top. At first walking flat hurt and felt awkward but now they are the only shoe I can wear without my toes feeling crowded. I also have some sandals that are only a bit contoured and cussioned, but otherwise flat and wide, and I wear those all the time now, too. I kind of miss the longer strides I had in my lifted wood heeled hiking boots, but now I find them so painful. I had no clue about any of this to be quite honest.
Sorry to hear about that. Sounds rough. Makes me think about whether shoes should be approached the same way as tailored clothing. Fitted to an individual instead of just mass produced.
Not all is lost. Put on your barefoot shoes and start with comfortable pace walks and focus on chaging your gait. You can still correct your problems.
What brand?, PLEASE!
I spend my summers barefoot as much as possible. If I am at home, I am barefoot. I wear flip flops or moccasins if I have to go to the grocery store. Winter is a bit of a challenge though. I wear boots to work and then change into moccasins. At home, I live in moccasins because my floors are cold. I just bought my first pair of Xero shoes and love them.
Great Video, is there any supportive science around tabi shoes? The Japanese split toe-style footwear popularized by Margiela. Are those good for barefoot shoes?
Fivefingers has a newer model of hiking shoe (V-trail 2.0) that fixes the few issues I had with the Trek. I didn't see a video reviewing these on your channel, so I thought to ask. While I own three pairs of the Trek (because they feel so good) I always had to pay attention to where I was putting my arch down because they have a hole in the outsole that's plugged by a soft insert where the arch is - it's been replaced with a smaller hard plastic piece which basically armors your arch instead of making it a victim and they've improved the tread characteristics and wear life for hiking. I have already bought multiple pairs of them, because if the Fivefingers is something that you can wear (my wife has other "barefoot" shoes because she takes a men's wide and the FF's are normal to narrow fitting) I can't recommend anything higher than the V-Trail 2.0 out of all the shoes that Vibram makes. These things have great connection to the ground, amazing traction, and wear like iron. People laugh when I tell them I paid 120 USD for a shoe that's basically nothing but the sole and upper, but when I'm zipping through the trees and boulders...I see the lightbulbs turn on. :-)
I just got barefoot sandles and love them. I'd love to see a review!
Great video. Can you recommend something for tennis play...?
i learned a lot from squat university channel. now i walk barefoot at home. i dont have bunnion issues since i have small feet. but walking barefoot at home and constant strengthening exercises fixed my knee issues and my overall gait.
Youn guys wear shoes at home?
These would be awesome to work out in, especially for heavy lifts
Bravo, best Video ever!
I sincerely hope you read this. Your channel is the most comprehensive I’ve found, thusly. My problem: barefoot (minimalist) shoes are my favorite; my pinky toes still hurt me! All the research and all the images I see…the pinky toe is still confined! Is this design? Trying to still be designer friendly? I’ve read Vibram reviews. Exactly split between love and hate, despite the “model.” Please help! I don’t know what to ask (been wearing HFS by Xero for 2 years and love them.) What do I truly need to work 11 heavy hours with the most natural foot splay?! Please and thank you!
I am just transitioning to barefoot after a lot of research on the subject. I've been walking more without shoes around the house and have just ordered my first pair of barefoot shoes for adding to my routine. Until they arrive I'll be spending more time in my yoga socks around the house.
Yes please, I would like a video about sandals soon.
Love this!!
Really good video, good information. Love my barefoot
Thank you. New to barefoot footware
I am 66 and I spent most of my life in army boots or tactical shoes. Thanks to your channel, I removed my last standard shoe from my closet late last year. I am still weaning (strengthening my arches) off arch supports. I am about ready to lose them. The only thing left is the silicone toe spacers to realign my big toes. That might be a while longer. My biggest problem was finding 5E width in barefoot shoes. The best yet are Saguaro and Whitin. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Have you tried Lens shoes?
Merrell vapor glove and trail glove- try them
Have you tried ( Splay shoes ) ( Be Lenka prime shoes)( softstar primal ) I wear them with correct toes . best price of the three is Splay brand.
Very helpful as I started wearing barefoot shoes a couple of months ago. I do have a request...I play alot of golf and I can't find anything close to a barefoot shoe..especially for women.. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. And yes, I would love a sandal review. Thanks
A week ago for some reason I got interested in barefoot shoes again (10 years ago I got the 5 finger shoes, tried running, didn't get far, and injured myself... ouch). Anyway, these cheap shoes from Amazon from WHITIN are zero drop and seem to have toe room but they also have arch support. They were only 40 bucks though and I like them more than anything else I have. I'm going to try ordering another pair though with zero arch support.
Love your content, so inspirational while transitioning. And yes, I would love sandals review 😍
I'm a teacher in Japan, and I am using the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite 3 for my indoor shoes (uwabaki). Well, when I leave work, I have to switch back to my New Balance shoes, and they f*** up how I walk now! So I'm getting another pair of Vivobarefoot shoes to wear outdoors haha.
Love your videos! I am definitely on-board with the wide toe-box and zero drop, however I have serious reservations about the lack of padding if all you walk and run on is concrete. I know barefoot enthusiasts say you get used to it and that your foot was meant to do it, but even horses need horseshoes to do the things demanded of them by humans, especially on man-made surfaces. I think firm padding (like rubber, not foam) of something like 1~2cm is the best compromise. The Luna Sandals guy has said that the Raramuri use thicker rubber, and are not onboard with some of the super-thin sandals he offers, especially over their rocky terrain.
Lots of debate about horses having shoes. Know more horses whose health and movement chaned dramatically for the better when bare-hoofed but I digress. I've had my first pair of barefoot shoes for about a month now and the changes are amazing. I might not run but I have to walk quite quickly on store flooring that is hard like cement. Have tons of energy and very little hip/back pain like I had with regular heavy padded shoes.
@@timeenuf4200 Interesting about the horse shoes, I didn't know there was debate about that. Happy to hear about your improvement! I have experienced similar benefits from barefoot shoes. I think the toe-box has been the most important contributor, but the hard sole has been a help too. However I have experienced the same beneficial effects from flip-flops and sandals, which makes me think that as long as a sole is flat and relatively tough (not like super squishy foam in modern running shoes, which starts to collapse after the first few outings), then a centimetre or two of material is not detrimental, and perhaps on concrete is necessary.
@@milligoree Well, I think a thicker sole is better for walking on pavement, but if we are talking about running, the thinner the better, because the whole point of running barefoot is that your feet can absorb the shocks by themselves, and they need a better ground feel to do so because when you don’t feel the hard surface under your feet, you tend to land harder imo
You can buy a pair of shoes with insoles. After a while, you will probably take them out. Do horseshoes have much padding ?
And safety shoes as well. The right sized ones are so hard to find.
I just found you and am enjoying your videos, thank you. I have asked this question of a few other sites and not receiving an answer, I am hoping you may answer. Are there any other barefoot shoes made here in the USA? Out of USA seems to carry other charges even if they have free shipping. Thank you and have a great day :)
Vivobarefoot is my favorite, then Lems, then New Balance Minimus.
I agree to most part of this howcwer the gropund we walk on in urban environments are flat already therfore from a proprioceptive perspective the feet do send many messages to the brain to fire muscle fully to stabilise the body because there isn't much feedback. Similarily to the point of wear thivj gloves, there is less feeling. I do wear bear foot however I think there most beneficial when the terrain is uneven so the feet can do its thing.
I generally hate wearing shoes simply cause of all the reasons you pointed out. I am happy there is a shoe type for people who enjoy walking barefoot
ME TOO! And shoes make me feel like I am suffocating! I hate them.
Muscle loss also happens naturally when you injure a joint, even if no cast is used. Within a week or two of breaking my right ankle, my calf was noticeably smaller. I did not have a cast but instead used a stiff boot for the initial period of healing. I didn’t use it much because I was mostly at home but the leg was immobile. The orthopedic doctor said studies have shown the importance of movement for proper joint healing. I had one ligament completely torn and others damaged. The new ligaments learn how to form based on your movement. So I started physical therapy the week after my injury with gentle movement. This showed me the amazing importance of movement for the adaptation of our bodies. It encourages me to seek healthy movement and exercises, and got me looking at barefoot. Honestly any traditional shoes feel weird and off balance to wear after my injury.
I would love a sandal review!
By the way, Xero shoes have arch supports. No matter that they are small. We tell our clients to remove the arch support insole from Xero shoes. Apparently the company did not used to have them.
All of my life I've had a callous on the side of my big toes at the first joint, closest to the nail, not at the base like a bunion. It gives my big toes the shape of a tennis racquet. I just switched to Altras and even though they have a bigger toe box, I still feel like my big toes touch the sides of the shoes at this first joint.
Great Vid. Great amount of information. But the person heel striking in Vibrams got me some weird sensation ;).
I found eu brand selling from Germany made in Portugal called groundies, I tried vivobarefoot it was just too stiffed, did order xero, which were too ugly and cheap, groundies it is for me, they first time ever this year started free returns which before it would cost you hundreds to return. Super classy and lovely ❤
Ya know. I have no discomfort with being barefoot or in minimal sole shoes, flat sandals, moccasins, no arch support, etc. except that in my aging years, I have a lot less padding on the soles of my feet. So some cushion for the balls of my feet, makes life more tolerable for sure. This my hesitation to invest in these type shoes. My temptation comes from the wide toe box, so my toes don’t get squished. And I do love the flexibility and being able to feel and adjust to the ground. As long as I have enough padding to not get bruised from the rocks that are unavoidable in my life. Lol
Matt Hsu reviews shoes and talks about the difference using the insole that comes with it or not using it. The insole lessens the ground-feel and protects your foot.
Try the Altra's.
I bought leather soled shoes hand made in Saudi Arabia and my sandals are made in Canada with copper rivets for grounding.
This is the most comprehensive and helpful video on the topic of barefoot shoes! Will definitely be citing this to “indoctrinate” by friends still confined to foot prisons
I have a pair of altra torin 6 shoes and I love them, though i do want some zero shoes to up it up a notch
Great video. We need foot-shaped shoes for our feet.
Will this eventually correct a swayback posture?
Would like a special on the sandals I run in Shamma, for me the rubber is too hard in Xero and Luna are nice but over priced
Barefoot reviews would be great, thanks
Gonna have to retire the Vans and get something with a wider toe box. I get a new pair of Vans about every 18 months because my small toe literally tears through the canvas over time.
I don't think I have bunions per se because my feet do not hurt in the spot, but they are definitely "bunion-shaped". I am 58 years old and try to go with barefoot or minimalist shoes as much as possible. I wonder how much "undoing" I can do to get better?
Can you please specify which shoe type each of your recommendations falls under? I’m looking for transitional shoes but having trouble finding any
What are your suggestions for someone who’s had a recent midfoot fusion? My foot and ankle feel very weak. Is wearing barefoot shoes after surgery okay? Surgeon is always complimenting my Hoka One One shoes, but if I understand, you are not a fan. My ankle is very weak after wearing a cam boot for 8 weeks. I wasn’t mentally prepared to handle the rehab time.
I like your shoe info but if the shape of shoes was the cause of bunions then almost everyone would have bunions and they don't. Dr. John Bergman has great info on why we get bunions. Still, lots of good info here, I really believe barefoot shoes are the best. A lot of people would like them with natural soles so they're getting the grounding effect, which things like rubber interrupts. Do you know of any shoes like that? I love your info on the raised heels and arch support, Dr. Bergman says the same thing about all of that and so does Xero Shoes, the barefoot shoe I've been wearing and now you have me wanting some splays.
would be interested in seeing your thoughts on tabi footwear