I enjoy the typical Laura Try 40-minute deep dive into a particular health topic as much as the next person, but these shorter, more casual, almost conversational videos are a welcome addition to the repertoire. Plus, I imagine they're much less stressful to make.
It was a cheeky one wasn’t it. I genuinely was hanging out the washing and I stopped midway through and pretty much wrote the whole script. You’re certainly right for them not taking as long! I’m pleased you liked it. I appreciate your comment 🙏
It’s great to have both isn’t it and TH-cam is great for that variety. I often look for something that goes for 40 min plus to watch while doing an indoor row but at other times look for something shorter when I’m a little time poor.
It’s great to have both isn’t it and TH-cam is great for that variety. I often look for something that goes for 40 min plus to watch while doing an indoor row but at other times look for something shorter when I’m a little time poor.
When I was a child people were arguing how sad it was for african children to not have shoes and were not able to go to school. Who knew, that our shoes and schools were actually the big scam hurting us. Not to mention our food, our media, our medical system, ...
For most of my life, I'm 65 now, I wore trainers (for the longest time Green Flash), then I got the worst advice I think I've ever had. I'm a long distance walker - often 20 to 30 miles in a day - and a work colleague suggested I should be wearing "proper" walking shoes. That would have been maybe 10 years ago and for 9 years I walked long distances wearing inflexible hard soled shoes. By the time I stopped wearing those the pain in my feet had gotten pretty bad. About a year ago I switched to barefoot shoes and I can feel my feet healing and day by day getting less pain in them. I don't know if I'm typical, and I hope I never regret this, but I think switching to barefoot shoes was one of the best things I've ever done and I can't imagine going back now to anything else.
Personally, I think anyone looking to transition back to a more natural foot shape and function should also try using toe spacers with barefoot shoes. Spacers help move the toes back into a more natural alignment.
The craziest thing is when you pay for custom shoes where they take a mold of your feet, make a last, and then file down the last until it looks like every other pointy shoe they ever made.
@@TheMaulam12345 respectfully, that's a silly idea. You don't need to be Quentin Tarantino to notice there's a lot of differences between people's feet
@@TheMaulam12345 Definitely not. Every feet looks different. How does someone with long feet and skinny toes look similar to someone with wide feet and fat toes?
Transitioning to barefoot shoes appears to be a very personal thing. I am 68 and, after a lifetime of wearing 'normal' shoes, changed to barefoot shoes last year. I wear them (or go barefoot) pretty much all the time and have had absolutely no problems, and my feet are definitely thanking me.
Same, 62. Three months into the transition, and I can no longer comfortably wear my old, conventional shoes. God help me if my daughter gets married (I wish!), I don’t know what I’ll wear for footwear!
I love how you are holding space for your sense of humor after how awful and frustrating it must have been after your recent video was demonetized. That video was amazingly well done and you deserve to be paid for your amazing work. Also, I started transitioning to barefoot shoes after I first saw you talk about them and I have never looked back. I am so happy I did. You are a fantastic ambassador for Vivobarefoot and have definitely won them some business from me.
I have collapsed arches, severe over pronation, joint hypermobility disorder, and chronic pain. My transition to Vibram Five Fingers is instant every time I buy a pair. It's astonishing how well they work for me. It's got to the point where I lace up conventional shoes and I already have instant pain without standing up. Even though I wore conventional shoes for decades, my feet just never adapted. Maybe from the hypermobility, I'm not sure.
I had severe hip problems to the point that I could hardly walk or had to rest all the time, I tried orthotics which just made everything worse then I transitioned to barefoot shoes and now have no hip problems, I am well balanced and can even stand on my vibration plate for 4 minutes on one foot. Also I live on a farm and walk up and down hills on uneven ground and I never fall over on slippery ground, something I used to do quite often before, I seem to be more balanced and have stronger feet. Hope this helps anyone wishing to transition, it is worth it, it just takes time. Thanks for the great video Laura.
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for a month, and it's amazing how much more balanced i feel climbing hills or going down slopes. They also feel great while walking in sand or mud. 😊
For those wanting a more gentle transition, they could also have a look at Altra shoes, as they do models that have a wide toe box and a flat sole, albeit with more traditional levels of cushioning. Personally, I got used to my Vivobarefoot shoes relatively quickly, a few months. One thing people will notice is their balance improves, as their toes and foot muscles are more active during walking, especially over uneven surfaces.
Many of us who used Altras in past years have started using Topos instead because Altras have decreased in quality. I find that the Topos provide the same wide toe box and zero drop, but work better for me on the rocky large gravel and dirt mountain roads that I walk on because my foot doesn't slip around as easily in the shoe..
@@kbc1883 Good to know. Last Altras I bought were 2 or 3 years ago, and were on clearance when they were releasing some new models. I think I may have seen a few posts then that the newer models weren't as good, so maybe I just got lucky buying the previous model.
@@markparker5585 Yes, exactly right! Most people are finding the older versions to be better quality and last longer. I bought up several pairs of the older versions two years ago (so maybe they were the 2021 or 2022 releases) until I could find no more in my size in the outlets. My local running shoe store, Fleet Street, also confirmed the Topos popularity over Altras because so many of their customers were seeing their newer Altras bust out at seams and wear through in the back. The final straw for me was when I rolled my ankle in my Altras because they are looser in the mid and back foot. My 5th metatarsal has a healing Jones fracture and I just can’t risk that amount of slippage right now.
I wish ultras worked for me. The lone peaks are too wide in the toe box, but even the narrower models crease over the top of my foot so they are not comfortable. :(
have to say after wearing barefoot for around 9 years (vivo, feelgrounds, groundies, etc) my toes have never spread back, i think my bones are just fused. barefoot shoes have given me an appreciation for zero-drop and wide toebox, but i have also grown tired of "feeling" every step on hard surfaces (i do not have fallen arches and am not overweight) after all these years and am transitioning back to shoes with more of a stacked mid-sole to see if i can walk around town without literally thinking about how much every step kind of hurts in barefoot shoes with minimal ground cushioning.
Barefoot shoes is the biggest marketing BS ever invented the cushion pad was invented for a reason , shoe companies spend billions on adapting and innovating on the cushion for a reason , i mean ppl were making wood cushions for millennia just so they dont have to walk around barefoot, its ok to do it several hours a day but do it barefoot like no shoes at all , do it on the grass , do it on a warm asphalt feel the earth as it is , you don't need barefoot shoes to do that lol
Imo, walking on hard, flat surfaces needs some extra cushion. Our feet are designed to operate bare, but during that adaptation, there weren't hard and perfectly flat surfaces either. Feet landing down on the same exact spots, same exact angle thousands of times a day isn't something our natural design had to endure.
Wearing conventional shoes for from the time you were little pressed your big toe toward your other toes. When you transitioned to barefoot shoes you allowed your toes to use that space it was originally supposed to have. The problem is that you didn't use anything to press your big toes back to their correct position. This is the reason why people use toe spaces with their barefoor shoes. It takes their toes back to their original toe positions. Wearing barefoot shoes alone will not correct the problem. It's a combination of both.
I switched to barefoot shoes in July 2012, age 48. Ran 27mi in them that first week. I hadn't run in 15yrs after wrecking my left knee while training for a race. I could no longer run... or so I thought. In the barefoot shoes, I was instantly running with correct human running form, and I was right back to being a runner. My daughter was 12 at the time, and joined me. Vivos weren't out yet, so we purchased Vibram FiveFingers. We started running in them, and wearing them daily, and a year later, backpacked R2R in the Grand Canyon over 3 days, with fully loaded backpacks in them. We'd been backpacking in the Canyon since 2008, in (expensive) hiking boots, so we knew what that trek felt like. It was a fantastic and completely different experience to do it in FiveFingers (Bikila models). When Vivos came out, we started wearing the Primus Trail FG as our daily shoe. I wore them as a mechanic, standing on a concrete floor all day. My daughter ran varsity cross-country and track, all 4 years in high school, training and racing (until she was too fast to race in the FF's) in FiveFingers and other minimalist shoes, and was the only member of the running teams to not have an injury, even though the coaches were demanding that the kids all have thick mattress shoes or they'd be injured. She and I started running R2R's at the Grand Canyon in the FF's, in mid-Aug, 2015, on our birthdays which are 1 day apart, and did that 5yrs in a row. I continued to run them (in FF's) after that, and she joined me for another one in 2022. We still run together in the FF's, and wear the Vivos daily. I was just at the Canyon in late May, for a speed run in the FF's and will be returning in Aug. to celebrate my 61st with another R2R as a marathon distance. We have vids of our runs on my channel.
I made the transition to barefoot shoes about 3 years ago. I have flat feet and a locked big toe. They have helped, but I still have some way to go. One piece of advice I would give anyone transitioning is when they get home is to take their shoes and socks off and spend as much time like that as possible. It helped me.
Covid and the subsequent working from home has really helped my feet. I spend days on end barefoot around the house and I think my feet have benefitted.
love this video. I am slowly making the transition for myself, and starting at 63 years old. Former plantar fasciitis sufferer who always wore orthotics, and I have mild neuropathy in my feet, and ankles. Might I suggest Knees Over Toes Guy, especially his tibia exercises with the weight plate foot holder, and also, backwards walking on a treadmill, or dragging a sled. Not every day, you have to rest and work up to it, but I never suffer from plantar fasciitis any more, and love walking barefoot around the house, now, without support. My fave shoes are my shot-putter shoes and am buying barefoot shoes, soon.
I have flat feet and mild bunions, but I transitioned to Vivo Barefoot shoes about four years ago with absolutely zero problems. But I must say that prior to transitioning, I have always been in the habit of going shoeless whenever practical.
I have worn barefoot shoes (Merrell vapor glove 3's) for 5 years now and agree with every word Laura says. I cannot and will never go back to conventional shoes. The shoe industry only care about profit and not health. we are all cavemen living in a modern world and should treat our feet like cave man. Barefoot shoes do this without looking silly. Transitioning takes time but for me it has eliminated all foot, back and leg pain, it feels soooooo good to walk now. Well done Laura.
During the pandemic, I worked from home and spent a little over a year either barefoot or in Crocs slides (Crocs generally have a wider fit) and I accidentally widened my feet. LOL It pained me to get rid of some of the shoes I had (Doc Martens in particular) but I could no longer wear any of them comfortably. Now if I want a more fashionable shoe, I buy it in wide, go for a lower heel, and more rounded toe box. Recently, I tried Hoka sneakers because I workout in the basement on a cement floor. Just walking in them was a workout. The calf burn was insane and I had to send them back and just install a spongy floor tile instead. LOL Also, weird note, before the pandemic I was dealing with plantar fasciitis and about a month into working from home, it magically went away and I no longer felt I needed the orthotics that were waiting for me at CVS. Hubby also developed PF and I talked him into a barefoot shoe and his went away as well. Love all you do!
I'm 50 but learned pretty quickly as a teenager, that my feet HATE shoes. Luckily, I live in sunny California and have been wearing zero drop shoes, Birkenstocks or Asics my whole life.
Asics are not zero drop buddy. Asics lowest drop models still have like 8 mm of offset. Most of their shoes historically are more like 10 or 12 mm of offset. But hey a youtube comment being nonsense is like peanut butter and jelly. it just goes together, so good job.
Runners could switch from high cushion shoes to lower cushion shoes over time to eventually barefoot. Just make sure the socks you use allow your foot to expand.
I went from standard running shoes to minimalist running for a few years (with standard shoes the rest if the time), then barefoot shoes for everything. It was a good transition for me.
I started wearing the Vivo Barefoot shoes about 3 months ago. Going to the gym (resistance training) didn't cause any issues for me. However, wearing them to take a brisk walk was different. I noticed that the way I had always been walking - heel striking the ground first - did cause some leg pain, mainly in the calves. I even had some lower back pain. But, wearing them for several more weeks, the pains have gone away as I have gotten used to them. The interesting thing is that the traditional shaped shoes I was wearing, now feel uncomfortable as it feels like the toebox is just too narrow.
My feet grew one whole shoe size in 3 years when I started wearing them. My feet grew longer and wider from the foot spreading out. Madness! I now cannot wear a ‘normal’ shoe, my foot is too wide.
Same! Some family cannot grasp that my entire foot didn't widen, as in needing a 'wide' shoe sz... my forefeet have spread into what I call Primal Shaped that no longer fit into traditional shoe shapes without wider, functional toe boxes. @@LauraTryUK
Thank you for this shortie, Laura! I've been on my own "adaptive" journey by wearing non-slip socks at home. I work from home and stand in front of my computer, so it ends up being quite a few hours a day. Would love to get a pair of Vivo shoes, but I would have to order them online and am unsure if I want the hassle of having to send them back if they don't fit. 🤔
Why do I love them? I can run much further now without pain in my knees. First off I got properly a pair of merrels.. can't remember the model but they had about a 1mm sole.. they were far too rough for anything other than nice smooth tarmac, and then I moved to yorkshire where I do trail runs so I got a pair of altra superiors which are zero drop with a wide toe box but have padding - they're really good! I had to conciously change my running style but then after a year or so it all just fell into place. One of the best things, is I *feel* like I run naturally now, which is amazing. Well worth the investment of time, you can run in a toe/midfoot strike style with regular trainers though so don't feel you have to spend money.
I started working out just in my socks recently and really enjoyed the feeling. Also I’ve been wearing flip flops a lot because this is the nearest barefoot alternative available for me right now. All my life I was thinking there is something wrong with most shoes that now I’m so curious about barefoot shoes. You finally convinced me 😂
I work out barefooted or with socks on and the difference in difficulty shocked me. I have to work much harder with my balance. Goes to show how much work shoes are doing for you!
Been wearing barefoot shoes for two years now and have no regrets. Agreed, the transition must be done gently, as you point out our feet and whole body have changed to accommodate our shoe choice
This was helpful & encouraging. I finally decided to try some barefoot shoes & experienced great pain after. The bottom of my feet were too tender to touch after a work shift & my knees, calves, & neck hurt in a major way. I've tried wearing them for shorter shifts as practice with the same results...after watching this I felt inspired. I know things take time to change, like diet, habits, and trying new things in general. I'm going to try shorter intervals with barefoot. Thanks!!
Transitioned to barefoot shoes (Xero Prio) 3 years ago and it fixed my plantar fasciitis, something I'd had for 9 years. Took 12 months to acclimate to them, but was more than worth it. Won't ever go back.
The problem with barefoot shoes, or 'foot shape' zero drop shoes in general, is that they are really made for people with a more normal width foot and also likely with feet where the big toe is the longest. If you have truly wide feet (or extra wide in the U.S.), many of the barefoot shoe brands will still not be wide enough. But at least your toes won't be as squished. Also, perhaps a good recommendation to begin the transition is to start with foot shape zero drop, but with ones that still retain a bit of cushion.
Wow so expensive for the amount of time you get out of a pair for the cost of everything today ! Think I will stick to just going barefoot 😂works for me
I'm interested in barefoot shoes but I wear a size 17. So any shoe choice is limited and specialty shoes are even more limited. Is there any other large foot people out there who have tried and stand by a brand who makes larger sizes. I'd greatly appreciate some info and help. Thank you in advance.
You convinced me. I just bought my first pair. I love your films. Because of what you said I started a strength training… and jojoba oil 😀 and I like it very much. Thank you. I wish you all the best ❤️
Hey Laura, thanks. I ordered some vevo barefoot shoes the Primus knit. But I have some of those same concerns and I appreciate you sharing your candid feedback. I’ll give them a try.
great video! I got vivo barefoot shoes and tried to send them back after 2 days, as I wore them out the front door to test them they wouldn't accept them. its 100 days return if they've only been tried on in your home essentially. (according to customer service)
luckily I was able to just swap to barefoot shoes right away, I'm young and I only ever wore shoes when I went out.. which wasn't very often to be honest.
It's veen 5 months now, with barefoot shoes, I always had a thing for good shoes (neck orthopedic problems) the feeling of freedom is wonderful, my feet are a little more grateful everyday 😊
100% I can support this. After 30 years of "normal" shoes I've been wearing barefoot only for the last 15. However, when people ask whether I can recommend them first I ask if they have foot problems and then - if not - warn them it'll take years to adapt. When we compare our feet they appreciate just how different mine are; they are muscular and wide with big gaps between the toes. That doesn't happen over night for sure. In terms of shoe recommendations I used Vivo since they were founded but after trying different shoes over those many years I can safely say Freet at by far the best. Their range is excellent, the soles aren't super thin (vital for transitioning on the hard day-to-day surfaces we experience) and the last ages.
Thanks for another fascinating chat (this time over the back-yard fence/washing line) Laura. It's always lovely to hear your thoughts on such a wide range of real-life topics with your friendly sense of humor.
I’m a 59 year old woman and I started with barefoot shoes 2 years ago and have had no pain. This is partly because I have not spent much of my life wearing very feminine and/or high heeled shoes, so my wide feet were not badly crushed like in some of the pictures in the video. But also, I started with wearing barefoot shoes only as house slippers. You don’t do many miles in the house, so it’s a good gradual introduction. My feet are now one shoe size bigger, and my toes have spread out more. I have less bad backs than I used to, but the change isn’t as big as some people have experienced, probably because I was living mostly in Crocs and roomy wellies for a long time before I tried barefoot shoes - I’m a farmer. Still well worth it though. You have to take your time.
I've been considering barefoot shoes for some time now (mostly due to your videos) and I now feel better equipped to deal with any issues I may experience. (PS: I love your shirt so much!)
I tried barefoot shoes many years back. Unfortunately they didn’t work out for me. I have a leg length discrepancies and my longer leg was taking the “hit” even more.
That was a good video Laura! I am still transitioning to barefoot shoes, nearly a year since finally getting rid of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I don't have any pointy shoes anymore (and i must have thrown out hundreds of pounds worth of trainers), but like others have mentioned, the cost of dress shoes with a wide toe box are extortionately ezpensive. That aaid, there is bo way that I would squeeze my feet into pointed shoes again!
Great, well presented and thorough video. I have been wearing barefoot shoes for about 4 years (apart from my running shoes) and love them. I know I will never get the lovely toe spread that you have shown, and that is because I already have orthopaedic foot problems from ‘normal shoes’ which cannot be undone (bunions). But, I no longer get metatarsalgia when doing 3+ hour hikes, which is life changing for me. I am about to change my running shoes to barefoot then I will have fully transitioned 😀🥰 . ❤
If anyone wants a lil hack cause barefoot shoes are super expensive....look into water shoes. There are some that look identical to barefoot shoes, foot-shaped with wide toebox, breathable, snug yet comfortable...and almost a quarter of the price. Just a thought. Moccasins are a great choice if you'd rather have more natural materials, although they will cost you to have them custom made. Well worth the investment IMO.
I have been wearing barefoot shoes for about two years now with no problems until about a month ago. I now have pain in my heel which I think is plantar fasciitis. It it usual for this to happen after such a long time?
Hi Laura! This is a very interesting video. I've been training with barefoot shoes the last 4 months and even it was nice sometimes to have more flexibility, the absence of any kind of shock absorbing sole made my knee to suffer a bit more than normal and now I am changing to just a regular pair of Nanos X4 for my Cross Training exercises
Fantastic video thank you Laura. Very important to go zero drop in everyday life too, as swapping back and forth will cause injury. No more heeled shoes at the office. You're in or you're injured.
I was so glad to discover barefoot shoes! I’ve done my transition only 3 months ago, but only after few weeks of wearing it, I find it super uncomfortable to go back to squeezing toes conventional shoes. Sold them all out and can’t imagine to go back. Do have my legs hurting after 8 hours being on them, walking on cement ground, but it’s a transition I’m happy to take. The biggest excitement is when you start and really feel the ground and each toe touching on it. Feels like rediscovering life all over again! Highly recommend to start making a transition to healthier body 🤍
I have a question about socks! It’s winter where I am right now and I get really cold feet but I find socks very restrictive around my toes which seems counter productive with barefoot shoes. Do you use toes socks? Or have some other recommendation? In summer I tend to go barefoot a lot anyway but I’m looking for more winter options for the ice blocks on the end of my legs 🥶
I use barefoot shoes to work out and I feel more balance and control. You said it LT…our bodies will adapt to support our goals or perform a task…but not always in the best way!!! Problems with shoes and our feet are just a sample. 😊
Can definitely relate to this. Not only my feet hurt in thin shoes (like the classic converse), but without wearing the special padding for my flatfoot I get knee pain as well. I expect it to be a somewhat painful transition, but I imagine in the end it will prevent more pain than it causes, so it's worth.
I loved this short, humorous video, Laura. :) My husband began wearing barefoot shoes a few months ago and has had no problems so far. When he was first considering barefoot shoes, I noticed he could not flare out his toes and couldn't even get a finger between them. Remembering I had a pair of toe separators from the days when I used to paint my toenails, I suggested he wear these around the house, and he has begun to notice improvement. He was involved in a very serious motorbike accident a couple of years ago, and as a result, he now has a bad limp in one leg and had to wear an insert to stop his leg from buckling inwards. Since wearing the barefoot shoes, he no longer has that buckling.
I've always had wide spread toes and finding shoes that fit was a chore. Vivobarefoot fit like a dteam gor me and make returning to "normal" shoes very uncomfortable. They have a good selection of leather shoes that no one will look at curiously - like lots of barefoot shoes which are a bit odd looking. Definitely worth trying
oh my goodness Laura, you've come up with some right shockers there. I had my hands over my eyes for some of them. So glad that you are an advocate (maybe the wrong title) for Vivo barefoot shoes. I imagine that making a product that has to be so robust that we can take them anywhere safely, and at the same time being sufficiently responsive in the sole that we as wearers can remain safe and attuned to the walking/running surfaces. But having said all that I do wish that there were ways to reduce the costs. I know there are Revive shoes available, but it is a lot of money and I feel sorry that more people will not be able to have them.
I bought my first pair of Vivo’s last year because I was diagnosed with Footdrop through muscle weakness & had lost all confidence. I found walking barefoot was better, so gave them a try, didn’t take long to transition & it’s now all I wear: I’m 60! I have though never worn heels or tight toed shoes…flatties, walking boots & shoes all my life, I have always walked everywhere & love walking our dog, so maybe it’s why I found it easier? I have found my muscles strengthening & my gait is so much better.
Hi Laura thanks for the new vid. Just wanted to say you were one of the inspirations for me switching to barefoot shoes around four years ago in one of your early videos where you were talking about barefoot shoes. I was down the deep rabbit hole of searching for solutions to my foot pain that didn’t involve surgery! I’ve been following ever since and always look forward to your new content. I went cold turkey with my switch over and lots of things got better pretty quickly. But like you say after 50 years in conventional shoes it’s not an instant fix and even now after four years I get little niggles that seem to move to different places. But I’d much rather have that than continuing on route for totally debilitating bunions and more. Thanks again. Ps I’m glad I got to see your recent psychedelic truffle journey retreat before it was side lined. I really hope you are able to sort that because it was really meaningful and may be helpful to many. Thanks for all your great content 🌸🌈
Groundies in summer, zaqq in winter and for hikes, belenka for style and whitins to work (as you can put them in the washing machine with no harm for the shoes) ❤
I’m experiencing B knee pain wearing foot shaped shoes for the last 4 months, but my toes are unwinding. My great toes overlaps my 2nd toes. I’m being patient with the transition, and I can’t wear regular shoes for long. I’m 50 with a wide foot, and all my shoes growing up were too tight. With the barefoot shoe, I can feel the ground so much better.
I’ve been transitioning to barefoot shoes for 4 years. I ended up with a stress fracture in the foot by running too much at first. After recovering I had to very slowly transition again. I wear barefoot only in the gym but I struggle doing walking in barefoot because I have ended up with a heel spur. I now wear Altras, with wide toe box and zero drop, because I need some cushioning until I recover from the heel spur. I’ve heard that natural feet are not made to walk on hard pavements. I wear my XeroShoes when in the woods and country trails (walking or running). Transitioning is definitely difficult !
About 20 years ago I decided to just wear leather mocassins. I get them with no foam insole, made to my foot shape by Itasca Leathergoods at no extra cost. The buffalo hide soles last the longest. Now my feet hurt when I wear anything else! (Unfortunately there's no help for it during ski season.)
I transitioned to barefoot shoes after fracturing my ankle - I could not run very far at all, at first. Being forced to take a slow, gradual approach, I was able to fully transition within a year.
Hi Laura, I started wearing Vivos just over 12 months ago after watching one of your videos. I have a pair of Primus and a nice pair of boots. Although I can't run in them yet I just can't go back to conventional shoes. You feel so much more connected to the ground and can distinguish between different surfaces. I love wearing them and now wonder why I used to wear orthotics. Walking naturally is the best way forward. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Laura!! Ive been meaning to try these so i just ordered the pair you recommended! Looking forward to feeling more grounded and connected to nature🌸🌻💜
I'm wearing Altras for running. They are zero drop. I'm wearing xero shoes for everything else. What I'm noticing is that my thigh muscles are sore. To me, it's a good thing because I'm using my natural stride now. I'm hoping my feet get stronger and no more plantar fasciitis
I love my barefoot shoes. The issue I am noticing is however toenail fungus. I know that sounds horrible but with most shoes I wear socks but not my barefoot shoes, as a result the sweat my feet naturally produce stays in the enclosed space there is also no protection from the rain with knit shoes adding to the problem.
That’s crazy. I’m barefoot almost al the time and wear vibram 5 fivers when working out or hiking and whenever I wear “real shoes” I get extreme foot and leg pain.
I transitioned 2 months after my last pregnancy (which is 6 months ago). I want to say "I just did it, no problem" but I never really wore heels or the narrower shoes, or the overly cushioned trainers. My feet got tired in the beginning but quickly caught up with my increasing stamina postpartum. One thing I can't explain is that now every morning straight out of bed my ankles and/or feet hurt a bit for a few steps, as if they're stiff and need to warm up. I'm on board for these shorter vids as a change of pace!
I learned, because of women's hormone adjustments and how they affect our ligaments & tendons too, to stretch my feet, ankles & calves before I got into bed every evening AND before getting out of bed every morning. Makes a huuuuge difference in comfort 😊
An update: I started with Xero's at first but recently purchased a gorgeous pair of Vivo's. It now feels like I'm starting all over again, my feet are tired and sore ...!
I’m concerned because I just started with barefoot shoes and feeling what may be plantar fasciitis already after just a few hours a week ? I rehabbed that 15 years ago and don’t want to go through that again ?
Life long flat footed…. I’ve been on barefoot shoes for about 5 years now. My first long day on them was not bad but I had to rework how I walk. Now I can only wear zero rise minimal sole shoes. And I have arches and can stand for many hours without any arch pain and deformation of my feet cause of the lack of an arch. During long hikes I have found that any contours on the insole are a recipe for blisters. I think you are spot on how your feet adapt to barefoot shoes.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤ You inspired me to start wearing barefoot shoes, my son started at the same time. He was 12 then, and he loved it immediately. I had to adapt more slowly, but I feel so free in those shoes. 😊😊😊😊😊
My OH (age 66) has recently bought some Vivo Barefoot shoes after thinking about it for ages & so far he’s not had any issues. We both tend to walk round the house in bare feet anyway. I can’t decide whether to try them or not as I have flat feet but also knee & back issues, nothing diagnosed, just wear & tear & age I suppose! I know they have a money back guarantee but I really don’t want to risk making my issues worse so still sitting on the fence!
I've been wearing some barefoots around the house for the last few months. I found during lockdown that constant Flipflops and slippers were terrible for my feet! Had a bit of plantar fascia pain for a while after that. now after the barefoots for a while I feel like I actually stand up better, its sort of like changed the way I do it just slightly.
Shoes are totally weakening our feet. The muscles are atrophying. I’m a reflexologist and see so many poor deformed feet. The older people are the worst that some cannot even walk!!!! So glad you are speaking of this. The education is necessary. I transitioned fully with no issues. But building up my running again. Personally I find Vivos too narrow! I like my Xero’s though…. Check out Freet, and also Bahe Running and WildSoles - all based in UK
I was used to walking barefoot at home before I bought my first pair of barefoot shoes. I could wear them all day from the start. However, I am just a sample of one, so this is not guaranteed to work for everyone.
I feel blessed I was able to buy my first pair of Xero shoes a year ago and just run with it. No underlying issues. I haven't seen the amazing transformations in my feet yet but I have donated all my old shoes and now have a barefoot shoe collection that covers every occasion. So don't worry anyone reading this comment, sometimes it just works with no issues!
Went strait into bare foot shoes only over a month ago. Had some experience from about 7 years ago with vibran five fingers. Wear the whiten bare foot running shoes and love them. I dont run in them on hard surfaces. Gradually changed putting my foot down very lightly because of the lack of padding. Also dont take as long of a stride as before. Had knee pain often before going to the barefoot shoes. Has also helped with circulation in my feet.
I've been wearing barefoot shoes whenever i can for the oast 3 years and my toes still dont have gaps between them. Is it even possible? Ive tried toe spacers, but they just return to their previous position when i take them off. Granted, i dont do it consistently and spend most of my time at work wearing steel toes.
I’ve since I can remember always wore shoes where my toes had room to spread as I never liked them being squashed, my feet always swell in size during the day. I was lucky to have been in a place during lockdown where I didn’t need to wear shoes for two years. Hence when I needed shoes I bought barefoot shoes. The trainers you showed I have and like. I also had the boots. However as someone who loves going on long walks, I have developed extreme pain in my feet. I feel that I’ve pulled the tendons in my shins and have extreme pain at the bottom of my heel. Now I can hardly walk on my feet and have had to invest in cushioned shoes. Although your theory makes sense, it doesn’t in my case. Barefoot is not cheap either and I feel frustrated as I love the space they give for my toes to spread, but my feet feel destroyed
I’m sorry you’re in pain, I hope you recover soon. I never lost my natural foot shape, going barefoot a lot growing up and not liking my toes squashed either. I got into barefoot shoes in my 20s and it really helped some mild hip and back pain I was starting to get working in a restaurant, I gradually transitioned, did foot strengthening exercises, did everything right, and after a while of only wearing barefoot shoes and standing on hard floors a lot, walking on concrete, moving to a home with hard floors, and then ramping up my high impact exercise, one of my feet became really hyper mobile and the arch flattens under pressure, which cause more pressure on my second metatarsal and I got bad pain. I tried to walk it off and strengthen it, and it just got worse. So now I have to use some padding in my shoes, and I need arch support to not have pain. I felt so bad about it, and I can’t stand regular shoes now. At least as long as I have a wide toe box I’m happy. Sometimes our tendons can only be pushed so far.
I can relate to your friend. I overpronate and I have low arches. Since I was overpronating all the time I just thought my feet were flat, but since taking the steps to correct my gait almost a year ago, I found that I actually do have a bit of an arch. I've had a number of problems over the past year in barefoot shoes. I sprained my left foot in 2016 and never did any rehab. Turns out, my left leg is much weaker than my right, which brought up issues with strength, balance, and tendons. My left leg would get sore much faster, my balance is worse on my left leg, though it's pretty bad on my right as well, and I was getting pain on the inner side of my leg, possibly the posterior tibial tendon. I also get shin pain when I run. I feel like it might be getting better, but I don't know. It's frustrating, but that's more of a reason to do it than put it off. The sooner you get started, the sooner the issues can be addressed. I started by walking around the neighborhood for 20-30 minutes every day and even that was too much for me some days. For someone like me or your friend who have fairly poor foot strength, it's a slow process.
Question: we don't ever wear shoes in the house. So going barefoot at least 50 waking hours per week. I have considered buying barefoot shoes to wear around the house to adjust but maybe it's totally unnecessary? Shouldn't actually barefoot be as good as barefoot shoes, or is there some benefit? I am working on transitioning my outdoor shoes but am having a hard time finding a good fitting barefoot shoes suitable for harsh wet, freezing winter weather. I have plantar fasciitis and am looking for relief.
I wore barefoot shoes for over 4 years and all was going well. Then suddenly out of the blue I developed a Morton’s Neuroma !! I think barefoot shoes are great but humans weren’t meant to walk for hours at a time on pavement. This is what caused the damage i think. I need more cushioning in my shoes to do this.
Yeh this is a good point. Although that tribe out of the Born to run book run on a lot of boulders. I think our body weight is probably a major factor; a healthy 6ft tall male ideal weight is probably around 11 stone and a 5ft5 female around 9 stone. Looking around, we ain’t that. Less doughnut/more barefoot 😅
@@nealchambers2306 The are general things and part that are personal. I don't think that your conclusion/oponion is right. Science in combination with the experience of many will give more information.
Thanks for this. Have wanted to transition. As I am mostly barefoot for the last 4 years due to covid and always went for big flat shoes anyway, perhaps I could transition easier?
I love Vivos. I may be a lucky case, but I didn't get any pains in my feet since I first started wearing them, on a 5 miles walk. Thank you for the discount code, just got myself a new pair of Sensus :)
Are Crocs (or Crocs off-brands) a close way to get the wide toe box? They have padding, but I find my toes are not squished at all in Crocs. I also use toe seperators - it's amazing how your toes/feet feel more alive when using them
Very good video.. my wife has bunions and her feet, it's so difficult for her wear certain shoes or even sandals. I have worn shoes and sandals for many year.. but mostly now I usually go barefoot in the house because I usually don't wear shoes indoors I was raised to wear shoes inside the house because of my father's believe. Anyways I've noticed now that when I put shoes on and I go out anywhere my feet are in a lot of pain. So to make this a shorter message, its as you mentioned.. the body does adapt and it takes a long time for it to get use to a change. Thank you for your videos
I’ve been wearing flip fops and bendy ballerinas since Covid. Am barefoot at home. This is the most comfortable for me now. At some point, I found it incredibly difficult to wear heels again for work. My feet can’t tolerate ‘normal’ footwear nowadays. Sounds like I should just stick to my ballerinas.
I enjoy the typical Laura Try 40-minute deep dive into a particular health topic as much as the next person, but these shorter, more casual, almost conversational videos are a welcome addition to the repertoire. Plus, I imagine they're much less stressful to make.
It was a cheeky one wasn’t it.
I genuinely was hanging out the washing and I stopped midway through and pretty much wrote the whole script.
You’re certainly right for them not taking as long!
I’m pleased you liked it. I appreciate your comment 🙏
It’s great to have both isn’t it and TH-cam is great for that variety. I often look for something that goes for 40 min plus to watch while doing an indoor row but at other times look for something shorter when I’m a little time poor.
It’s great to have both isn’t it and TH-cam is great for that variety. I often look for something that goes for 40 min plus to watch while doing an indoor row but at other times look for something shorter when I’m a little time poor.
When I was a child people were arguing how sad it was for african children to not have shoes and were not able to go to school. Who knew, that our shoes and schools were actually the big scam hurting us. Not to mention our food, our media, our medical system, ...
Perfect. I was just in Kenya and watched children run very fast with no shoes on. Well, in the countryside.
100%! Well said.
Yes, so true 👏👏🙌🙌
In Africa we prefer being barefoot
I do wear shoes where there are many thorns or snakes
🔝👏
For most of my life, I'm 65 now, I wore trainers (for the longest time Green Flash), then I got the worst advice I think I've ever had. I'm a long distance walker - often 20 to 30 miles in a day - and a work colleague suggested I should be wearing "proper" walking shoes. That would have been maybe 10 years ago and for 9 years I walked long distances wearing inflexible hard soled shoes.
By the time I stopped wearing those the pain in my feet had gotten pretty bad. About a year ago I switched to barefoot shoes and I can feel my feet healing and day by day getting less pain in them.
I don't know if I'm typical, and I hope I never regret this, but I think switching to barefoot shoes was one of the best things I've ever done and I can't imagine going back now to anything else.
Personally, I think anyone looking to transition back to a more natural foot shape and function should also try using toe spacers with barefoot shoes. Spacers help move the toes back into a more natural alignment.
A great suggestion, and one I mention in my ‘How To Transition to Barefoot Shoes’ video.
The craziest thing is when you pay for custom shoes where they take a mold of your feet, make a last, and then file down the last until it looks like every other pointy shoe they ever made.
maybe because everyone feet look alike?
@@TheMaulam12345 respectfully, that's a silly idea. You don't need to be Quentin Tarantino to notice there's a lot of differences between people's feet
@@TheMaulam12345 Definitely not. Every feet looks different. How does someone with long feet and skinny toes look similar to someone with wide feet and fat toes?
Transitioning to barefoot shoes appears to be a very personal thing. I am 68 and, after a lifetime of wearing 'normal' shoes, changed to barefoot shoes last year. I wear them (or go barefoot) pretty much all the time and have had absolutely no problems, and my feet are definitely thanking me.
Same, 62. Three months into the transition, and I can no longer comfortably wear my old, conventional shoes. God help me if my daughter gets married (I wish!), I don’t know what I’ll wear for footwear!
@@daven.7685 Barefoot shoes perhaps!
Probably has a lot of variables, ranging from genetics to strength training to shoe selection
If it's not to personal, what's your size and do you have wide feet naturally?
@@Scriptadiaboly US 12, average width.
I love how you are holding space for your sense of humor after how awful and frustrating it must have been after your recent video was demonetized. That video was amazingly well done and you deserve to be paid for your amazing work.
Also, I started transitioning to barefoot shoes after I first saw you talk about them and I have never looked back. I am so happy I did. You are a fantastic ambassador for Vivobarefoot and have definitely won them some business from me.
Thank you! 🥹
I also love the Groundies +fit, they are a lovely second!
I have collapsed arches, severe over pronation, joint hypermobility disorder, and chronic pain. My transition to Vibram Five Fingers is instant every time I buy a pair. It's astonishing how well they work for me. It's got to the point where I lace up conventional shoes and I already have instant pain without standing up. Even though I wore conventional shoes for decades, my feet just never adapted. Maybe from the hypermobility, I'm not sure.
I had severe hip problems to the point that I could hardly walk or had to rest all the time, I tried orthotics which just made everything worse then I transitioned to barefoot shoes and now have no hip problems, I am well balanced and can even stand on my vibration plate for 4 minutes on one foot. Also I live on a farm and walk up and down hills on uneven ground and I never fall over on slippery ground, something I used to do quite often before, I seem to be more balanced and have stronger feet. Hope this helps anyone wishing to transition, it is worth it, it just takes time. Thanks for the great video Laura.
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for a month, and it's amazing how much more balanced i feel climbing hills or going down slopes. They also feel great while walking in sand or mud. 😊
For those wanting a more gentle transition, they could also have a look at Altra shoes, as they do models that have a wide toe box and a flat sole, albeit with more traditional levels of cushioning. Personally, I got used to my Vivobarefoot shoes relatively quickly, a few months. One thing people will notice is their balance improves, as their toes and foot muscles are more active during walking, especially over uneven surfaces.
Many of us who used Altras in past years have started using Topos instead because Altras have decreased in quality. I find that the Topos provide the same wide toe box and zero drop, but work better for me on the rocky large gravel and dirt mountain roads that I walk on because my foot doesn't slip around as easily in the shoe..
@@kbc1883 Good to know. Last Altras I bought were 2 or 3 years ago, and were on clearance when they were releasing some new models. I think I may have seen a few posts then that the newer models weren't as good, so maybe I just got lucky buying the previous model.
I love my altras so much I bought the same pair in 2 colours
@@markparker5585 Yes, exactly right! Most people are finding the older versions to be better quality and last longer. I bought up several pairs of the older versions two years ago (so maybe they were the 2021 or 2022 releases) until I could find no more in my size in the outlets. My local running shoe store, Fleet Street, also confirmed the Topos popularity over Altras because so many of their customers were seeing their newer Altras bust out at seams and wear through in the back. The final straw for me was when I rolled my ankle in my Altras because they are looser in the mid and back foot. My 5th metatarsal has a healing Jones fracture and I just can’t risk that amount of slippage right now.
I wish ultras worked for me. The lone peaks are too wide in the toe box, but even the narrower models crease over the top of my foot so they are not comfortable. :(
have to say after wearing barefoot for around 9 years (vivo, feelgrounds, groundies, etc) my toes have never spread back, i think my bones are just fused. barefoot shoes have given me an appreciation for zero-drop and wide toebox, but i have also grown tired of "feeling" every step on hard surfaces (i do not have fallen arches and am not overweight) after all these years and am transitioning back to shoes with more of a stacked mid-sole to see if i can walk around town without literally thinking about how much every step kind of hurts in barefoot shoes with minimal ground cushioning.
Lems barefoot shoes have a tiny bit more cushion than Vivo. Love them for every day
Barefoot shoes is the biggest marketing BS ever invented the cushion pad was invented for a reason , shoe companies spend billions on adapting and innovating on the cushion for a reason , i mean ppl were making wood cushions for millennia just so they dont have to walk around barefoot, its ok to do it several hours a day but do it barefoot like no shoes at all , do it on the grass , do it on a warm asphalt feel the earth as it is , you don't need barefoot shoes to do that lol
how about altras, they have are zero drop but have a 10mm-12mm stack which is like your normal running shoes
Imo, walking on hard, flat surfaces needs some extra cushion. Our feet are designed to operate bare, but during that adaptation, there weren't hard and perfectly flat surfaces either. Feet landing down on the same exact spots, same exact angle thousands of times a day isn't something our natural design had to endure.
Wearing conventional shoes for from the time you were little pressed your big toe toward your other toes. When you transitioned to barefoot shoes you allowed your toes to use that space it was originally supposed to have. The problem is that you didn't use anything to press your big toes back to their correct position. This is the reason why people use toe spaces with their barefoor shoes. It takes their toes back to their original toe positions. Wearing barefoot shoes alone will not correct the problem. It's a combination of both.
I switched to barefoot shoes in July 2012, age 48. Ran 27mi in them that first week. I hadn't run in 15yrs after wrecking my left knee while training for a race. I could no longer run... or so I thought. In the barefoot shoes, I was instantly running with correct human running form, and I was right back to being a runner. My daughter was 12 at the time, and joined me. Vivos weren't out yet, so we purchased Vibram FiveFingers. We started running in them, and wearing them daily, and a year later, backpacked R2R in the Grand Canyon over 3 days, with fully loaded backpacks in them. We'd been backpacking in the Canyon since 2008, in (expensive) hiking boots, so we knew what that trek felt like. It was a fantastic and completely different experience to do it in FiveFingers (Bikila models). When Vivos came out, we started wearing the Primus Trail FG as our daily shoe. I wore them as a mechanic, standing on a concrete floor all day. My daughter ran varsity cross-country and track, all 4 years in high school, training and racing (until she was too fast to race in the FF's) in FiveFingers and other minimalist shoes, and was the only member of the running teams to not have an injury, even though the coaches were demanding that the kids all have thick mattress shoes or they'd be injured. She and I started running R2R's at the Grand Canyon in the FF's, in mid-Aug, 2015, on our birthdays which are 1 day apart, and did that 5yrs in a row. I continued to run them (in FF's) after that, and she joined me for another one in 2022. We still run together in the FF's, and wear the Vivos daily. I was just at the Canyon in late May, for a speed run in the FF's and will be returning in Aug. to celebrate my 61st with another R2R as a marathon distance. We have vids of our runs on my channel.
I made the transition to barefoot shoes about 3 years ago. I have flat feet and a locked big toe. They have helped, but I still have some way to go. One piece of advice I would give anyone transitioning is when they get home is to take their shoes and socks off and spend as much time like that as possible. It helped me.
Covid and the subsequent working from home has really helped my feet. I spend days on end barefoot around the house and I think my feet have benefitted.
I completely agree!
love this video. I am slowly making the transition for myself, and starting at 63 years old. Former plantar fasciitis sufferer who always wore orthotics, and I have mild neuropathy in my feet, and ankles. Might I suggest Knees Over Toes Guy, especially his tibia exercises with the weight plate foot holder, and also, backwards walking on a treadmill, or dragging a sled. Not every day, you have to rest and work up to it, but I never suffer from plantar fasciitis any more, and love walking barefoot around the house, now, without support. My fave shoes are my shot-putter shoes and am buying barefoot shoes, soon.
I made the transition to barefoot shoes 12 years ago and can't imagine ever wearing conventional shoes again, I call those "foot coffins".
Thanks for info. I ordered some a few days ago and used your promo code. 😊
Thumbs up for the blurred cat.
LOL!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That was funny 😊
Thumbs down😂
I have flat feet and mild bunions, but I transitioned to Vivo Barefoot shoes about four years ago with absolutely zero problems. But I must say that prior to transitioning, I have always been in the habit of going shoeless whenever practical.
I have worn barefoot shoes (Merrell vapor glove 3's) for 5 years now and agree with every word Laura says. I cannot and will never go back to conventional shoes. The shoe industry only care about profit and not health. we are all cavemen living in a modern world and should treat our feet like cave man. Barefoot shoes do this without looking silly. Transitioning takes time but for me it has eliminated all foot, back and leg pain, it feels soooooo good to walk now. Well done Laura.
During the pandemic, I worked from home and spent a little over a year either barefoot or in Crocs slides (Crocs generally have a wider fit) and I accidentally widened my feet. LOL It pained me to get rid of some of the shoes I had (Doc Martens in particular) but I could no longer wear any of them comfortably. Now if I want a more fashionable shoe, I buy it in wide, go for a lower heel, and more rounded toe box. Recently, I tried Hoka sneakers because I workout in the basement on a cement floor. Just walking in them was a workout. The calf burn was insane and I had to send them back and just install a spongy floor tile instead. LOL Also, weird note, before the pandemic I was dealing with plantar fasciitis and about a month into working from home, it magically went away and I no longer felt I needed the orthotics that were waiting for me at CVS. Hubby also developed PF and I talked him into a barefoot shoe and his went away as well. Love all you do!
Sadly through marketing we get shoe shaped feet instead of feet shaped shoes
Yep, you can thank Nike and Adidas etc for all those bunions, sprained ankles & the like.
If it aint a foot shaped shoe - i aimt wearing it!
I'm 50 but learned pretty quickly as a teenager, that my feet HATE shoes. Luckily, I live in sunny California and have been wearing zero drop shoes, Birkenstocks or Asics my whole life.
Asics are not zero drop buddy. Asics lowest drop models still have like 8 mm of offset. Most of their shoes historically are more like 10 or 12 mm of offset. But hey a youtube comment being nonsense is like peanut butter and jelly. it just goes together, so good job.
Runners could switch from high cushion shoes to lower cushion shoes over time to eventually barefoot. Just make sure the socks you use allow your foot to expand.
Great point to make. ❤
I went from standard running shoes to minimalist running for a few years (with standard shoes the rest if the time), then barefoot shoes for everything. It was a good transition for me.
I started wearing the Vivo Barefoot shoes about 3 months ago. Going to the gym (resistance training) didn't cause any issues for me. However, wearing them to take a brisk walk was different. I noticed that the way I had always been walking - heel striking the ground first - did cause some leg pain, mainly in the calves. I even had some lower back pain. But, wearing them for several more weeks, the pains have gone away as I have gotten used to them. The interesting thing is that the traditional shaped shoes I was wearing, now feel uncomfortable as it feels like the toebox is just too narrow.
My feet grew one whole shoe size in 3 years when I started wearing them. My feet grew longer and wider from the foot spreading out. Madness!
I now cannot wear a ‘normal’ shoe, my foot is too wide.
Same! Some family cannot grasp that my entire foot didn't widen, as in needing a 'wide' shoe sz... my forefeet have spread into what I call Primal Shaped that no longer fit into traditional shoe shapes without wider, functional toe boxes. @@LauraTryUK
So you're saying you switched from heal strike to mid or toe? Very interesting.
Thank you for this shortie, Laura! I've been on my own "adaptive" journey by wearing non-slip socks at home. I work from home and stand in front of my computer, so it ends up being quite a few hours a day. Would love to get a pair of Vivo shoes, but I would have to order them online and am unsure if I want the hassle of having to send them back if they don't fit. 🤔
The non-slip socks at home sound like a great start 💪
I'm 42, and I switched to barefoot shoes (for running) about 4 or 5 years ago.. LOVE THEM. Took ages to get used to them but would never go back.
Why do I love them? I can run much further now without pain in my knees. First off I got properly a pair of merrels.. can't remember the model but they had about a 1mm sole.. they were far too rough for anything other than nice smooth tarmac, and then I moved to yorkshire where I do trail runs so I got a pair of altra superiors which are zero drop with a wide toe box but have padding - they're really good! I had to conciously change my running style but then after a year or so it all just fell into place.
One of the best things, is I *feel* like I run naturally now, which is amazing. Well worth the investment of time, you can run in a toe/midfoot strike style with regular trainers though so don't feel you have to spend money.
@@syrus3k Thank you! 🙏
I started working out just in my socks recently and really enjoyed the feeling. Also I’ve been wearing flip flops a lot because this is the nearest barefoot alternative available for me right now. All my life I was thinking there is something wrong with most shoes that now I’m so curious about barefoot shoes. You finally convinced me 😂
I work out barefooted or with socks on and the difference in difficulty shocked me. I have to work much harder with my balance. Goes to show how much work shoes are doing for you!
Been wearing barefoot shoes for two years now and have no regrets. Agreed, the transition must be done gently, as you point out our feet and whole body have changed to accommodate our shoe choice
This was helpful & encouraging. I finally decided to try some barefoot shoes & experienced great pain after. The bottom of my feet were too tender to touch after a work shift & my knees, calves, & neck hurt in a major way. I've tried wearing them for shorter shifts as practice with the same results...after watching this I felt inspired. I know things take time to change, like diet, habits, and trying new things in general. I'm going to try shorter intervals with barefoot. Thanks!!
Transitioned to barefoot shoes (Xero Prio) 3 years ago and it fixed my plantar fasciitis, something I'd had for 9 years. Took 12 months to acclimate to them, but was more than worth it. Won't ever go back.
The problem with barefoot shoes, or 'foot shape' zero drop shoes in general, is that they are really made for people with a more normal width foot and also likely with feet where the big toe is the longest. If you have truly wide feet (or extra wide in the U.S.), many of the barefoot shoe brands will still not be wide enough. But at least your toes won't be as squished. Also, perhaps a good recommendation to begin the transition is to start with foot shape zero drop, but with ones that still retain a bit of cushion.
Great video🙂Walking barefoot brings you in the moment as you focus much more on actually walking rather than being on your phone ect
I love my Barefoot shoes . Does anyone know if you clean them in the washing machine?
I have washed several pairs of vivos in the washing machine over the years . They don’t last as long as long as those I haven’t washed.
Wow so expensive for the amount of time you get out of a pair for the cost of everything today ! Think I will stick to just going barefoot 😂works for me
I'm interested in barefoot shoes but I wear a size 17. So any shoe choice is limited and specialty shoes are even more limited. Is there any other large foot people out there who have tried and stand by a brand who makes larger sizes. I'd greatly appreciate some info and help. Thank you in advance.
You convinced me. I just bought my first pair. I love your films. Because of what you said I started a strength training… and jojoba oil 😀 and I like it very much. Thank you. I wish you all the best ❤️
Hey Laura, thanks. I ordered some vevo barefoot shoes the Primus knit. But I have some of those same concerns and I appreciate you sharing your candid feedback. I’ll give them a try.
Love the indirect comparison to corsets, etc! 👏
great video! I got vivo barefoot shoes and tried to send them back after 2 days, as I wore them out the front door to test them they wouldn't accept them. its 100 days return if they've only been tried on in your home essentially. (according to customer service)
luckily I was able to just swap to barefoot shoes right away, I'm young and I only ever wore shoes when I went out.. which wasn't very often to be honest.
It's veen 5 months now, with barefoot shoes, I always had a thing for good shoes (neck orthopedic problems) the feeling of freedom is wonderful, my feet are a little more grateful everyday 😊
100% I can support this. After 30 years of "normal" shoes I've been wearing barefoot only for the last 15. However, when people ask whether I can recommend them first I ask if they have foot problems and then - if not - warn them it'll take years to adapt. When we compare our feet they appreciate just how different mine are; they are muscular and wide with big gaps between the toes. That doesn't happen over night for sure.
In terms of shoe recommendations I used Vivo since they were founded but after trying different shoes over those many years I can safely say Freet at by far the best. Their range is excellent, the soles aren't super thin (vital for transitioning on the hard day-to-day surfaces we experience) and the last ages.
Thanks for another fascinating chat (this time over the back-yard fence/washing line) Laura. It's always lovely to hear your thoughts on such a wide range of real-life topics with your friendly sense of humor.
I’m a 59 year old woman and I started with barefoot shoes 2 years ago and have had no pain. This is partly because I have not spent much of my life wearing very feminine and/or high heeled shoes, so my wide feet were not badly crushed like in some of the pictures in the video. But also, I started with wearing barefoot shoes only as house slippers. You don’t do many miles in the house, so it’s a good gradual introduction. My feet are now one shoe size bigger, and my toes have spread out more. I have less bad backs than I used to, but the change isn’t as big as some people have experienced, probably because I was living mostly in Crocs and roomy wellies for a long time before I tried barefoot shoes - I’m a farmer. Still well worth it though. You have to take your time.
I've been considering barefoot shoes for some time now (mostly due to your videos) and I now feel better equipped to deal with any issues I may experience. (PS: I love your shirt so much!)
I tried barefoot shoes many years back. Unfortunately they didn’t work out for me. I have a leg length discrepancies and my longer leg was taking the “hit” even more.
That was a good video Laura!
I am still transitioning to barefoot shoes, nearly a year since finally getting rid of plantar fasciitis in my left foot. I don't have any pointy shoes anymore (and i must have thrown out hundreds of pounds worth of trainers), but like others have mentioned, the cost of dress shoes with a wide toe box are extortionately ezpensive. That aaid, there is bo way that I would squeeze my feet into pointed shoes again!
Thank you for a well thought out way to transition. Other videos either love or hate them so I couldn't get a real decision on it.
I'm really pleased you liked this video.
I hope you get to see my other video about transitioning also.
Great, well presented and thorough video. I have been wearing barefoot shoes for about 4 years (apart from my running shoes) and love them. I know I will never get the lovely toe spread that you have shown, and that is because I already have orthopaedic foot problems from ‘normal shoes’ which cannot be undone (bunions). But, I no longer get metatarsalgia when doing 3+ hour hikes, which is life changing for me. I am about to change my running shoes to barefoot then I will have fully transitioned 😀🥰 . ❤
If anyone wants a lil hack cause barefoot shoes are super expensive....look into water shoes. There are some that look identical to barefoot shoes, foot-shaped with wide toebox, breathable, snug yet comfortable...and almost a quarter of the price. Just a thought.
Moccasins are a great choice if you'd rather have more natural materials, although they will cost you to have them custom made. Well worth the investment IMO.
Some great ideas thanks
Thank you! It's insane how expensive barefoot shoes are, especially because you're intentionally buying less shoe overall.
I have been wearing barefoot shoes for about two years now with no problems until about a month ago. I now have pain in my heel which I think is plantar fasciitis. It it usual for this to happen after such a long time?
I’m not sure but get a golf ball, or small ball under their and roll, roll, roll.
Hi Laura! This is a very interesting video. I've been training with barefoot shoes the last 4 months and even it was nice sometimes to have more flexibility, the absence of any kind of shock absorbing sole made my knee to suffer a bit more than normal and now I am changing to just a regular pair of Nanos X4 for my Cross Training exercises
Fantastic video thank you Laura. Very important to go zero drop in everyday life too, as swapping back and forth will cause injury. No more heeled shoes at the office. You're in or you're injured.
I was so glad to discover barefoot shoes! I’ve done my transition only 3 months ago, but only after few weeks of wearing it, I find it super uncomfortable to go back to squeezing toes conventional shoes. Sold them all out and can’t imagine to go back. Do have my legs hurting after 8 hours being on them, walking on cement ground, but it’s a transition I’m happy to take.
The biggest excitement is when you start and really feel the ground and each toe touching on it. Feels like rediscovering life all over again!
Highly recommend to start making a transition to healthier body 🤍
I have a question about socks! It’s winter where I am right now and I get really cold feet but I find socks very restrictive around my toes which seems counter productive with barefoot shoes. Do you use toes socks? Or have some other recommendation? In summer I tend to go barefoot a lot anyway but I’m looking for more winter options for the ice blocks on the end of my legs 🥶
Oh yes agreed I need socks that don’t strangle my toes 😂 can’t find anything
I use barefoot shoes to work out and I feel more balance and control. You said it LT…our bodies will adapt to support our goals or perform a task…but not always in the best way!!! Problems with shoes and our feet are just a sample. 😊
The problem are also socks, that aren't shaped like feet.
Can definitely relate to this.
Not only my feet hurt in thin shoes (like the classic converse), but without wearing the special padding for my flatfoot I get knee pain as well.
I expect it to be a somewhat painful transition, but I imagine in the end it will prevent more pain than it causes, so it's worth.
I loved this short, humorous video, Laura. :) My husband began wearing barefoot shoes a few months ago and has had no problems so far. When he was first considering barefoot shoes, I noticed he could not flare out his toes and couldn't even get a finger between them. Remembering I had a pair of toe separators from the days when I used to paint my toenails, I suggested he wear these around the house, and he has begun to notice improvement.
He was involved in a very serious motorbike accident a couple of years ago, and as a result, he now has a bad limp in one leg and had to wear an insert to stop his leg from buckling inwards. Since wearing the barefoot shoes, he no longer has that buckling.
Can we use your discount code to buy that shoes outside England? I live in Italy
I think so!
Let me know if it works, or not, and I’ll see what I can do.
I've always had wide spread toes and finding shoes that fit was a chore. Vivobarefoot fit like a dteam gor me and make returning to "normal" shoes very uncomfortable. They have a good selection of leather shoes that no one will look at curiously - like lots of barefoot shoes which are a bit odd looking. Definitely worth trying
oh my goodness Laura, you've come up with some right shockers there. I had my hands over my eyes for some of them. So glad that you are an advocate (maybe the wrong title) for Vivo barefoot shoes. I imagine that making a product that has to be so robust that we can take them anywhere safely, and at the same time being sufficiently responsive in the sole that we as wearers can remain safe and attuned to the walking/running surfaces. But having said all that I do wish that there were ways to reduce the costs. I know there are Revive shoes available, but it is a lot of money and I feel sorry that more people will not be able to have them.
I bought my first pair of Vivo’s last year because I was diagnosed with Footdrop through muscle weakness & had lost all confidence. I found walking barefoot was better, so gave them a try, didn’t take long to transition & it’s now all I wear: I’m 60! I have though never worn heels or tight toed shoes…flatties, walking boots & shoes all my life, I have always walked everywhere & love walking our dog, so maybe it’s why I found it easier? I have found my muscles strengthening & my gait is so much better.
Hi Laura thanks for the new vid. Just wanted to say you were one of the inspirations for me switching to barefoot shoes around four years ago in one of your early videos where you were talking about barefoot shoes. I was down the deep rabbit hole of searching for solutions to my foot pain that didn’t involve surgery! I’ve been following ever since and always look forward to your new content. I went cold turkey with my switch over and lots of things got better pretty quickly. But like you say after 50 years in conventional shoes it’s not an instant fix and even now after four years I get little niggles that seem to move to different places. But I’d much rather have that than continuing on route for totally debilitating bunions and more. Thanks again. Ps I’m glad I got to see your recent psychedelic truffle journey retreat before it was side lined. I really hope you are able to sort that because it was really meaningful and may be helpful to many. Thanks for all your great content 🌸🌈
I wear slippers (stokies) a lot so my feet should be ok, they are just like barefoot shoes but much cheaper?
Love it lol I wear a pair of moccasins works for me
Groundies also has amazing barefoot shoes. They're very stylish. I've been wearing them for years along with Vivos
Yes! I have the knee high boots they are so comfy
I love Groundies and Shapen for more stylish barefoot shoes. There are, thankfully, many options now.
Groundies in summer, zaqq in winter and for hikes, belenka for style and whitins to work (as you can put them in the washing machine with no harm for the shoes) ❤
Oh, and I forgot ZaMi (sandals) when it's really hot ❤
@@katn1952 this is a very helpful list. Thank you!
I experienced pain at the beginning a couple of times, but now I think they are the most comfortable shoes on the planet.
I’m experiencing B knee pain wearing foot shaped shoes for the last 4 months, but my toes are unwinding. My great toes overlaps my 2nd toes. I’m being patient with the transition, and I can’t wear regular shoes for long. I’m 50 with a wide foot, and all my shoes growing up were too tight. With the barefoot shoe, I can feel the ground so much better.
I’ve been transitioning to barefoot shoes for 4 years. I ended up with a stress fracture in the foot by running too much at first. After recovering I had to very slowly transition again. I wear barefoot only in the gym but I struggle doing walking in barefoot because I have ended up with a heel spur. I now wear Altras, with wide toe box and zero drop, because I need some cushioning until I recover from the heel spur. I’ve heard that natural feet are not made to walk on hard pavements. I wear my XeroShoes when in the woods and country trails (walking or running). Transitioning is definitely difficult !
Thanks for sharing your experience and shoe recommendations 🙏
About 20 years ago I decided to just wear leather mocassins. I get them with no foam insole, made to my foot shape by Itasca Leathergoods at no extra cost. The buffalo hide soles last the longest. Now my feet hurt when I wear anything else! (Unfortunately there's no help for it during ski season.)
I transitioned to barefoot shoes after fracturing my ankle - I could not run very far at all, at first. Being forced to take a slow, gradual approach, I was able to fully transition within a year.
Hi Laura, I started wearing Vivos just over 12 months ago after watching one of your videos. I have a pair of Primus and a nice pair of boots. Although I can't run in them yet I just can't go back to conventional shoes. You feel so much more connected to the ground and can distinguish between different surfaces. I love wearing them and now wonder why I used to wear orthotics. Walking naturally is the best way forward. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Laura!! Ive been meaning to try these so i just ordered the pair you recommended! Looking forward to feeling more grounded and connected to nature🌸🌻💜
I'm wearing Altras for running. They are zero drop. I'm wearing xero shoes for everything else. What I'm noticing is that my thigh muscles are sore. To me, it's a good thing because I'm using my natural stride now. I'm hoping my feet get stronger and no more plantar fasciitis
I love my barefoot shoes. The issue I am noticing is however toenail fungus. I know that sounds horrible but with most shoes I wear socks but not my barefoot shoes, as a result the sweat my feet naturally produce stays in the enclosed space there is also no protection from the rain with knit shoes adding to the problem.
This is suuuch an interesting take! I haven’t really heard this broken down like this before. 👏
Transitioned almost 5 years ago and I will never going back.
That’s crazy. I’m barefoot almost al the time and wear vibram 5 fivers when working out or hiking and whenever I wear “real shoes” I get extreme foot and leg pain.
I transitioned 2 months after my last pregnancy (which is 6 months ago). I want to say "I just did it, no problem" but I never really wore heels or the narrower shoes, or the overly cushioned trainers. My feet got tired in the beginning but quickly caught up with my increasing stamina postpartum. One thing I can't explain is that now every morning straight out of bed my ankles and/or feet hurt a bit for a few steps, as if they're stiff and need to warm up.
I'm on board for these shorter vids as a change of pace!
I learned, because of women's hormone adjustments and how they affect our ligaments & tendons too, to stretch my feet, ankles & calves before I got into bed every evening AND before getting out of bed every morning. Makes a huuuuge difference in comfort 😊
@@joan.nao1246 thanks! This is new to me. It's just a few steps but still, weird.
Thanks for the comment and I’m pleased you like the snappy vid 😀
An update: I started with Xero's at first but recently purchased a gorgeous pair of Vivo's. It now feels like I'm starting all over again, my feet are tired and sore ...!
I like the idea of these shoes and realigning my feet and body. But why are these shoes so expensive??
I’m concerned because I just started with barefoot shoes and feeling what may be plantar fasciitis already after just a few hours a week ? I rehabbed that 15 years ago and don’t want to go through that again ?
I have a fused big toe knuckle and have been told to get stiff shoes with a rocker toe. No idea what to do.
Life long flat footed…. I’ve been on barefoot shoes for about 5 years now. My first long day on them was not bad but I had to rework how I walk. Now I can only wear zero rise minimal sole shoes. And I have arches and can stand for many hours without any arch pain and deformation of my feet cause of the lack of an arch. During long hikes I have found that any contours on the insole are a recipe for blisters. I think you are spot on how your feet adapt to barefoot shoes.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤ You inspired me to start wearing barefoot shoes, my son started at the same time. He was 12 then, and he loved it immediately. I had to adapt more slowly, but I feel so free in those shoes. 😊😊😊😊😊
My OH (age 66) has recently bought some Vivo Barefoot shoes after thinking about it for ages & so far he’s not had any issues. We both tend to walk round the house in bare feet anyway. I can’t decide whether to try them or not as I have flat feet but also knee & back issues, nothing diagnosed, just wear & tear & age I suppose! I know they have a money back guarantee but I really don’t want to risk making my issues worse so still sitting on the fence!
I've been wearing some barefoots around the house for the last few months. I found during lockdown that constant Flipflops and slippers were terrible for my feet! Had a bit of plantar fascia pain for a while after that. now after the barefoots for a while I feel like I actually stand up better, its sort of like changed the way I do it just slightly.
Shoes are totally weakening our feet. The muscles are atrophying. I’m a reflexologist and see so many poor deformed feet. The older people are the worst that some cannot even walk!!!!
So glad you are speaking of this. The education is necessary.
I transitioned fully with no issues. But building up my running again.
Personally I find Vivos too narrow!
I like my Xero’s though….
Check out Freet, and also Bahe Running and WildSoles - all based in UK
I was used to walking barefoot at home before I bought my first pair of barefoot shoes. I could wear them all day from the start. However, I am just a sample of one, so this is not guaranteed to work for everyone.
I feel blessed I was able to buy my first pair of Xero shoes a year ago and just run with it. No underlying issues. I haven't seen the amazing transformations in my feet yet but I have donated all my old shoes and now have a barefoot shoe collection that covers every occasion. So don't worry anyone reading this comment, sometimes it just works with no issues!
Went strait into bare foot shoes only over a month ago. Had some experience from about 7 years ago with vibran five fingers. Wear the whiten bare foot running shoes and love them. I dont run in them on hard surfaces. Gradually changed putting my foot down very lightly because of the lack of padding. Also dont take as long of a stride as before. Had knee pain often before going to the barefoot shoes. Has also helped with circulation in my feet.
I've been wearing barefoot shoes whenever i can for the oast 3 years and my toes still dont have gaps between them. Is it even possible? Ive tried toe spacers, but they just return to their previous position when i take them off. Granted, i dont do it consistently and spend most of my time at work wearing steel toes.
I’ve since I can remember always wore shoes where my toes had room to spread as I never liked them being squashed, my feet always swell in size during the day. I was lucky to have been in a place during lockdown where I didn’t need to wear shoes for two years. Hence when I needed shoes I bought barefoot shoes. The trainers you showed I have and like. I also had the boots. However as someone who loves going on long walks, I have developed extreme pain in my feet. I feel that I’ve pulled the tendons in my shins and have extreme pain at the bottom of my heel. Now I can hardly walk on my feet and have had to invest in cushioned shoes. Although your theory makes sense, it doesn’t in my case. Barefoot is not cheap either and I feel frustrated as I love the space they give for my toes to spread, but my feet feel destroyed
I’m sorry you’re in pain, I hope you recover soon. I never lost my natural foot shape, going barefoot a lot growing up and not liking my toes squashed either. I got into barefoot shoes in my 20s and it really helped some mild hip and back pain I was starting to get working in a restaurant, I gradually transitioned, did foot strengthening exercises, did everything right, and after a while of only wearing barefoot shoes and standing on hard floors a lot, walking on concrete, moving to a home with hard floors, and then ramping up my high impact exercise, one of my feet became really hyper mobile and the arch flattens under pressure, which cause more pressure on my second metatarsal and I got bad pain. I tried to walk it off and strengthen it, and it just got worse. So now I have to use some padding in my shoes, and I need arch support to not have pain. I felt so bad about it, and I can’t stand regular shoes now. At least as long as I have a wide toe box I’m happy. Sometimes our tendons can only be pushed so far.
I can relate to your friend. I overpronate and I have low arches. Since I was overpronating all the time I just thought my feet were flat, but since taking the steps to correct my gait almost a year ago, I found that I actually do have a bit of an arch. I've had a number of problems over the past year in barefoot shoes. I sprained my left foot in 2016 and never did any rehab. Turns out, my left leg is much weaker than my right, which brought up issues with strength, balance, and tendons. My left leg would get sore much faster, my balance is worse on my left leg, though it's pretty bad on my right as well, and I was getting pain on the inner side of my leg, possibly the posterior tibial tendon. I also get shin pain when I run. I feel like it might be getting better, but I don't know.
It's frustrating, but that's more of a reason to do it than put it off. The sooner you get started, the sooner the issues can be addressed. I started by walking around the neighborhood for 20-30 minutes every day and even that was too much for me some days. For someone like me or your friend who have fairly poor foot strength, it's a slow process.
Question: we don't ever wear shoes in the house. So going barefoot at least 50 waking hours per week. I have considered buying barefoot shoes to wear around the house to adjust but maybe it's totally unnecessary? Shouldn't actually barefoot be as good as barefoot shoes, or is there some benefit? I am working on transitioning my outdoor shoes but am having a hard time finding a good fitting barefoot shoes suitable for harsh wet, freezing winter weather.
I have plantar fasciitis and am looking for relief.
I wore barefoot shoes for over 4 years and all was going well. Then suddenly out of the blue I developed a Morton’s Neuroma !!
I think barefoot shoes are great but humans weren’t meant to walk for hours at a time on pavement. This is what caused the damage i think. I need more cushioning in my shoes to do this.
Yeh this is a good point. Although that tribe out of the Born to run book run on a lot of boulders.
I think our body weight is probably a major factor; a healthy 6ft tall male ideal weight is probably around 11 stone and a 5ft5 female around 9 stone. Looking around, we ain’t that.
Less doughnut/more barefoot 😅
@@nealchambers2306 The are general things and part that are personal. I don't think that your conclusion/oponion is right. Science in combination with the experience of many will give more information.
Try Koel shoes. Tehy have the space, are zero drop , but at the same time are cushioned and beautifully made.
Yeah, don’t wear barefoot on concrete, there’s no bounce
Thanks for this. Have wanted to transition. As I am mostly barefoot for the last 4 years due to covid and always went for big flat shoes anyway, perhaps I could transition easier?
I love Vivos. I may be a lucky case, but I didn't get any pains in my feet since I first started wearing them, on a 5 miles walk.
Thank you for the discount code, just got myself a new pair of Sensus :)
Are Crocs (or Crocs off-brands) a close way to get the wide toe box? They have padding, but I find my toes are not squished at all in Crocs.
I also use toe seperators - it's amazing how your toes/feet feel more alive when using them
😂 Thank you so much for leaving that part in! You made my day😂🐈⬛❤️
Very good video.. my wife has bunions and her feet, it's so difficult for her wear certain shoes or even sandals. I have worn shoes and sandals for many year.. but mostly now I usually go barefoot in the house because I usually don't wear shoes indoors I was raised to wear shoes inside the house because of my father's believe. Anyways I've noticed now that when I put shoes on and I go out anywhere my feet are in a lot of pain. So to make this a shorter message, its as you mentioned.. the body does adapt and it takes a long time for it to get use to a change. Thank you for your videos
I’ve been wearing flip fops and bendy ballerinas since Covid. Am barefoot at home. This is the most comfortable for me now. At some point, I found it incredibly difficult to wear heels again for work. My feet can’t tolerate ‘normal’ footwear nowadays. Sounds like I should just stick to my ballerinas.