once you go barefoot, it is so hard to go back to "regular" shoes. My plantar fasciitis is gone. My hip pain is gone. My knees don't ache anymore. I am more comfortable walking now, my feet don't get tired like they used to. I will be wearing barefoot shoes for the rest of my life no cap
@@mbogucki1 I'm no expert at all, but I wonder: maybe you weren't walking "properly" with your barefoot shoes because you're so used to walking with a drop. Just a hypothesis!
why do videos exist where ppl say barefoot shoes are bad/unhealthy? can someone explain that? there are videos like "why i quit barefoot shoes". why? wtf is going on? if walking barefoot is healthy (which is true) wtf would barefoot shoes be bad? i refuse to watch those negative videos because recently i bought barefoot shoes and don‘t want those videos to ruin my experience with the barefoot shoes.
I'm a 53-year-old woman who walks four miles a day and teaches yoga. And I have bunions I'm trying to correct by wearing correct toes spacers, and completely switching to barefoot shoes. Your videos have been a huge help, truly invaluable. Thank you!
54 year old male with hypermobility. Over ten years in Vibram FiveFingers. I used to have flat feet. I have normal arches nowadays. I'm even happy to go totally without shoes and am gradually building up my calluses by occasionally running barefoot locally. I love the feeling.
I was very sceptical about barefoot shoes, I'm young but always had issues with my knees, nothing helped with it, pain would just re appear after any treatment. After few months of wearing barefoot shoes pain went away and never came back, hence I'm really grateful to barefoot shoes manufacturers, it did change my life in a positive way.
Exact same thing happened to me and my ankles, barefoot shoes and a bit of weight loss reduced it by 95% i love barefoot shoes for the comfort (my barefoot shoes feel like socks) ground feel wide toe box and flexibility
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for a month, and it's been a rough transition to make. My entire body is re-aligning to my new posture, and it's painful, but I'm not going back to the old way.
One thing people should be aware of is that adjusting to barefoot/minimalist shoes can take time. And for the benefits to occur it may take even longer. People should remember that for a huge part of their life they have butchered (personal opinion? fact?) their feet.
Yes. One way that helps is if people first start to walk bare feet inside their homes. Then the transition is not su brutal. But still, its good to take rest days for sure !
I have been converting into "barefoot" shoes for almost a year now and I'd like to share my thoughts here to any new people considering. First off, the reason I considered "Barefoot" shoes was because I started having lower back pain after wearing Adidas Ultraboost for over 2 years. I learned the hard way that I needed "Special" shoes at least that's what I like to call them. Specifically shoes that have a zero drop on the heel, the wide toe box wasn't as important to me at the time but looking back yeah I'd say it's something to consider if you don't want your toes crampt anymore. I definitely didn't get into these kind of shoes because it's a trend or whatever. (Mini rant) I don't like to call my shoes Barefoot shoes because the term to me seems.. open ended. Like if you Google "Barefoot shoes" You get results of vivio, xero, recommendations from other brands and videos like this that have left me with More questions in my time of research. To me the term "Barefoot shoes" pretty much means shoes that feel close to the ground for ONLY outdoor terrain running. I live in the city and work a retail job where I walk on nothing but pretty much concrete and shoes with a Super thin sole as a NEW guy who was wearing ULTRABOOST.. it would be a painful start and it's annoying that NOBODY recommends shoes to slowly convert into "barefoot shoes" or shoes that have thin soles, the zero drop and wide toe box. Anyways... My recommendations. Check out the subreddit /Barefootrunning. There's a lot of people there that have helped me out with suggestions and tips, I try and help in there too sometimes. Brands I recommend, straight up Altra and Lems. The Rivera (My first ever transition shoe)by Altra and Primal Zen by Lems have been my favorites so far because they have the zero drop and provide enough cushion for me because I do walk a lot and they are my daily shoes. I also gotta recommend Wildling shoes for casual wear and to get that actual ground feel, I have the flying foxes. Birchburry for a more formal setting, I have the Bramford in brown and they do me great for church. Sandals, I don't have any yet but I'm heavily considering Bedrocks Cairn 3D pro 2. And that's pretty much been my journey this far, hope this helps someone.
I wore Merrell Bare Access Arc for 10+ years and ran my last marathon in them (very flat, ultra lightweight Vibram sole with almost zero cushioning) and my knees, feet, and back had never felt better - they even cleared up a brief case of plantar faschiitis which I thought would need cushion under that heel, but I was wrong!). They stopped making them 2-3 years ago so I tried the Altra and felt like I was walking in moon boots (in comparison). Now I tried their latest Mag-9 and those are still too much cushion. For years I wore Asics and Saucony for most of my marathon running but after switching to the Merrells I never went back. Now I have to find something else :(
Recently started with this kind of footwear (after doing a proper transition ;)), wearing the brand Saguaro, and I'm quite happy about it and the feeling on my feet. I can't tell I've experienced more benefits because of the short time I've been wearing them, but I'm sure I'll achieve many changes. :)
i love saguaro, i have 2 of their shoes already. Looking at replacing all my shoes with barefoot ones. Saguaro is the most affordable i can get in my area. Will want a Vibram FiveFingers in the future
@@brycebensing yes you're very right, they are one of the most affordable minimalist shoes, and now they are making some shoes with a 'nicer' style (in my opinion). But definitely a great brand to get started in this world!!!
I would so love to find someone like you doing a serious look into safely moving elderly seniors, as in 70s and 80s, into more natural-function shoes. At some point is it too late, and the weaknesses brought about by mainstream shoes create a necessity for supportive & rigid shoes for stability and safety?
I woke up to this issue after i have been working 2 years from home as a remote worker doing IT stuff, always bare feet. Got the feeling my normal shoes were not good, now rocking barefeet shoes, not going back 😎
Wearing barefoot shoes for over a year now, I´m so happy about it, and carrying my second pregnancy with no back pain! You should do a video on pregnancy and barefoot, so much benefits!! Thanks
I believe what you say is spot on - since it is logically sound, but, for the love of god, please link to the scientific articles mentioned. Further more, if you in some shape or form could add if the articles are peer reviewed or not - it would add to the quality of the content. Thank you!
He cant because a LOT of what hes saying is the equivolent to snake oil. Sounds good, seems logical in theory, but there are so many missing factors and variables hes leaving out in order to push the appeal towards barefoot shoes. Hes selling products, and those products stem from barefoot shoes, so hes gonna say what he will to appeal to everyone. Now barefoot shoos arent bad, theyre worth a try, but i wouldnt listen to anyone like this guy.
Love my altras for 6 yrs or so. I’m 61 yr old woman and hate traditional shoes. Loved going barefoot as a child. Wondering which kind of barefoot shoe to try next…
Origo or Splay are decently priced. Im enjoying my Hurache style sandals during the warmer weather as well. I want to buy altras next to give me an extra inch of height 😂
I've been wearing barefoot shoes since 2010 (VFFs) I wore Whitins my entire 5-day Disney World trip, and I just got some Shamma's. I still have my Doc Martens and dress shoes, but everything else is minimalist.
Similarly I've been exclusively in Vibrams since late 2011, but only running in them for three years. Never going back! Even my dress shoes are barefoot ones (Vivobarefoot Ra).
For me it was a revolution. Started out buying a bunch of zero drop Altra shoes after throwing out almost all conventional shoes I had. Didn’t take it slow. Walked purely zero drop 100pct from the day I got the idea. Resulted in swollen achilles tendons. Massaged them good. Recommend taking it a bit slower… After half a year all was good. But then I took the jump to barefoot shoes. Have never looked back since then. Highly recommended. This is daily bodybuilding for your feet. Strange to watch my feet now 1.5 years later. Wide. Super strong like gorilla feet. Flexible. My balance has shoot up through the roof as well. Tried my lone pair of conventional shoes on, can’t fit them now as my feet has widened.
My mom got a pair of Vibram toe shoes on sale about 10 years ago (also got me a matching pair), and she found them comfortable, but not thick enough. That's because those were made to be thin and light for running on flat surfaces. I like ones like that for gym shoes and indoor sports like playing badminton in high school. But I do like ones a bit thicker for things like gravel trails, areas with broken glass, etc. and I find ones designed for hiking tend to be better for that. I've been wearing a pair from Xero Shoes quite a bit and their boots have soles that are still flexible, but have a bit more protection. The pair I have came with thermal insoles, and those add enough extra cushion for most things. But I still go back to my Crocs from time to time if I want something softer, as they still have the right width and shape.
Wearing barefoot shoes, including Splay Shoes and Sockwa shoes since earlier this year, have greatly improved my foot health and back posture...I hope to get my first pair of XeroShoes sometime in the spring or summer months...
ive tried barefoot once before with the new balance minimus. i liked it. but due to lack of options and difficulty in finding minimus models, i went back to regular shoes. now that ive seen more barefoot shoes to choose from, im back at it and its here to stay. i love the way you can feel the ground. i had a misstep recently but didnt twist my ankle. i sure its due to the barefoot shoe. i now have 5 pairs. 2 dedicated for running and 3 casual.
Honestly, finding footwear is the hardest. I don't like buying online because things usually don't fit right, but I've found local stores that used to carry a lot more options, stopped carrying their barefoot style ones over the last 6-7 years. I'm hoping they'll come back to retail chains.
The only non-barefoot shoes I wear are from Keen, so they still have the width in the toes, but are also waterproof and don't hurt my feet when walking on rough and spiky terrain (like glass in the city, sharp gravel on trails, etc). I have a lot of hypermobility and joint pain. My arches collapsed after wearing barefoot shoes a lot. I think the bigger issue was ankle instability, which I'm still working on. I mostly wear Vibrams, but I can't in winter. Even their "waterproof" ones leak, and don't work so well in snow. I could fix the leak with some liquid latex, but they get so sweaty. I wish there were more options for shoes that are more than just 3mm soles that wear out really quickly to get the benefits. I do find it harder to find things by foot shape. Just like how finding skinny jeans that fit was a challenge for me all through high school, finding toe socks also was because people have different toe sizes and proportions just like with other things. And while some places make jeans optimized for different body types, no one makes socks for different foot shapes. Even with barefoot shoes, some really popular brands don't work for me, and it's a lot more noticeable than with other styles. Xero, Crocs and Keen seem to have the best toe box shape for my feet, where I couldn't stand Vivo for more than an hour.
I hope it becomes a new standard! I’d love to wear my “clown shoes” in peace😂 Birkenstocks broke my foot, the stiff sole made my toe’s flexibility deplete. Barefoot shoes are slowly restoring my strength and flexibility, barefoot shoes for the win!!!!
I don't even know how I came across barefoot shoes, but I have flat feet and have been avoiding orthotics, although the alternative was almost a decade of wearing ugly stability running shoes. I've been wearing barefoot shoes for the past few weeks and I've had no issues, I've just been re-learning how to walk. The interesting part is that you still get sore, but in a different way. It's not a pain soreness, it's exercise soreness. My joints and toes and everything feel fine, but my muscles are working a lot more, which is great! It's when I put on regular shoes that my knees and ankles and feet start to hurt again, almost immediately. If you're on the fence about trying it, just do it. Get some Xero shoes or something since they're lower price than other companies, but they're made ethically and not sold by Amazon, which is a plus.
Hello , I started the barefoot running and I have very high arch , and I couldn't find information at all for that case. For flat feet there is a lot information. I have very rigid glutes and thighs, and can be nice to know what type of exercise can I do. Maybe you can make video about it 😉 Thank you , love your channel ❤
Could would you see about a collab with the Rose Anvil channel? He generally finds barefoot shoes are less well made than less barefoot shoes like Nick’s or White’s boots.
I do find some of them can be less well made, simply because of the space constraints. With such a thin sole, you can't sew it on as easily, so most are just glued, which tends to come undone over time, especially around the point where the toes bend. But I suppose it also depends on which ones. The ones I wear are all under $200, most under $100, so I don't expect the same quality you'd see in like $300+ boots.
Thanks for the information, especially on over-pronation. I haven't seen anyone mention pronation before on barefoot sites. I pronate badly on the right ankle so that was an important issue for me.
I wear barefoot shoes 7 days a week at work now. My other shoes are too heavy and are now gathering dust. When I don't wear my barefoot shoes, I go barefoot.
I’m doing it because I’ve sprained my ankle multiple times from being an absolute klutz. My right ankle is now permanently swollen and I get occasional tendonitis, like right now, and plantar fasciitis pain, because I wore Birkenstocks on concrete for half a day the other day. I want to try and fix this.
Aloha! Great video. Would you be willing to let me use some of your graphics in a TH-cam video where I'll be touching on the benefits of minimalist shoes from a training perspective? I would credit & link your channel in the description. Please let me know! 🙏
Hey 👋 I appreciate your interest in our videos. Unfortunately, I can’t give permission for this. Our brand’s identity lives on our channel. If I were to start giving copyrights to other channels it would dilute our brand. And since we work incredibly hard and spend a lot of money to make all our graphics from scratch, it doesn’t make sense to do so. I hope you appreciate the transparency.
Hi are you able to make a video on the best steel toe cap safety boots please? I don’t think there are any barefoot style steel toe cap safety shoes on the market?
Let's take a moment to remember the unlikely hero who made of going barefoot a trademark: Kwai Chang Caine. David Carradine's gravestone calls him The Barefoot Legend.
For my education I started doing judo this year in the dojo, where we walk barefoot. It pains me every time when I see a bunch of my classmates with deformed feet. Mind you these are all fit and young individuals..
Are their any high quality barefoot work boots you recommend? I'm a mechanic and I can only really find thick soled boots with a tall heel. The $150 Redback boots I buy last about 4 year of use in the shop. I haven't been able to find any super durable looking barefoot boots.
My problem with barefoot shoes is that I live in a city with a lot of concrete and barefoot type shoes especially ones with thin cushion it just hurts and makes less than no sense What I did was I started wearing barefoot with slightly thicker cushion and got best of both worlds
@@MrX-vk1jl nah u don't get it our feet were not made to walk on concrete all the fucking time even in mountains there is some soil and grass. We were not made for barefooting on a man-made ground. U won't change my mind. Biomechanics and physics show how much more force is put on our joints by walking barefoot on concrete vs soil
@@MrX-vk1jl and what will fascia change with u hitting the concrete ground that doesn't "give" and only repels the force back to ur bones and joints. Nothing
Do you hit the ground with your heel? Cause I cought myself doing that and this caused me pain. Although some people just prefer a little bit thicker soles. Some Altra shoes have wide toebox and 2,5cm thick, zero drop soles.
Sure lot's of talk everywhere. And as someone with huge feet a natural shoe shape is great. BUT! It is nearly impossible to find an affordable shoe that doesn't look stupid is nearly impossible.
It's hard to find barefoot shoes in my country. It's super expensive and the Material is cheap and shoes damage within month. Can't buy from other countries too cos they're double the prize + shipping charges
I've never really heard much talk about the pro and cons of wearing barefoot shoes if someone is overweight. Did you see anything in your research about that?
This is only one person’s experience, but I am significantly overweight and old (65) and my experience with barefoot shoes has been fantastic. Five years ago, I switched to fully minimalist shoes after about six months wearing cushioned zero-drop Altras. Within a week of the switch, the neuroma pain I had been suffering from for five years disappeared completely, never to return. Also, the recurring bouts of plantar fasciitis that I used to get have never returned. Most of my walking is done on city sidewalks, so don’t let that argument about “natural surfaces” stop you, either. I will say as a cautionary note that even before I made the shoe switch, I spent at least half my time barefoot, indoors, so my feet were pretty strong to begin with, well used to operating flat and without “arch support” and cushioning. So I think your weight is less important than the strength of your feet. How comfortable are you when barefoot? If you have spent a lot of time wearing “supportive” shoes, putting on barefoot shoes is like removing a cast from a broken limb that has healed - you still have to rebuild muscle strength before you can function well.
@@ezb6798 Thanks for the feedback. I had a bout with plantar fasciitis about a year ago for the first time in my life. I'm 55 and am about 40 lbs overweight. This bout of PF came after about 6 months of intermittent wearing of barefoot shoes made by Softstar. While dealing with plantar fasciitis, the ONLY relief I found was wearing either Birkenstocks or an Aetrex insole inside some Altra's or Keen boots. I tried a million different things to "cure" my PF problem and it finally went away after 6 painful months. I still don't know if what I did made it go away or if it just went away on its own. And I also don't know if wearing barefoot shoes intermittently is what brought it on. But I am reluctant now to wear my barefoot Softstar's for fear of bringing it back.
@@dmdunn That sounds rough, David. I forgot to mention one other thing that I’ve been doing that I believe is very helpful with plantar fasciitis prevention: exercising my feet and lower legs with resistence, specifically heel raising/lowering. I now do it as part of my Pilates training with an instructor, but when I couldn’t go to Pilates I just did it standing on a stair. It strengthens the fascia on the underside of the foot and helps with the blood flow in the area (which some people say is the actual issue with plantar fasciitis). If you want expert help from podiatrists who believe in minimalist shoes, you might check out Northwest Foot and Ankle in Portland, Oregon. They do remote consultations. (I am not affiliated, I just follow their work.)
I have a dream that we will one day we will live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the shape of their feet.
I bought my first two pairs of barefoot shoes this year. Barefoot shoes need better marketing, first of all, you don't wear them barefoot. Or better yet get rid of the name barefoot and name it something else like natural shoes.
There's a very lack of evidence for "so many benefits" in my practice. There's a huge bias about a chanel that sells this shoes giving all these information with a limited level of SCIENTIFIC BASED evidence. I mean, it looks good to me this practice of "barefooting" but unfortunately we cant affirm that by our biomechanical studies.
Yes, but you have to build up your foot strength first, because they're weak from years of "normal" shoes. After about 6 months I was able to do full sprints on hard concrete.
@@mbogucki1 That is a complete b/s myth. PLENTY of natural surfaces are as hard as concrete and even have stones on them to make them even more painful. Once your feet get used to it you're golden.
Oh god. This sounds like a nightmare. I can't stand the texture or feeling of the ground and frankly not sure why anyone does. I even wear shoes to the beach or water shoes when I got into the water. You should also mention a huge caveat that wearing barefoot shoes without LONG term accustomization away from normal shoes can lead to issues like plantar fasciitis, a rather painful and long term issue. I know this from first hand experience.
In my opinion he's talking about the benefits and why people are using them more often, not about how to transition to minimalist footwear. He could mention it, but I don't think it's necessary (he's not going to tell that in every single video). If you're about to start in barefoot-minimalistic footwear you should search for as much info as possible, where I'm sure he and other people tell you that the transition is a progressive change where you also have to do exercises, not doing it quickly.
@@_aiitoor_hat's fair point but I think if you are going to list the positives in a vide you should also list the potential pitfalls. Sure it COULD fix your posture and bunion but you could also tear or rupture your planter fascia, give yourself knee pain or damage, tear your achilles tendon, etc. A lot of these vids make it out to seem like barefoot shoes are the solutions to all of life's problems when that is not really the case. While for some individuals it works fantastic I find it usually based on how athletic and limber they are to start with and the issues are under played. Too conclude any sort of medical advice should always have a warning and caveat attached.
@@mountainstream8351 Oh I am past that stage. I am still trying to fix my plantar fasciitis and its been like 9 months. Why did I get plantar fasciitis? I am not sure as I started slowly and thought I took enough time (few months). Then went for a short run (like 500m) a couple of times and BAM...foot pain. Podiatrists and Chiropodists said to get proper shoes so...
I have a dream that we will one day we will live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the shape of their feet.
![Top 5 Barefoot Shoes LIES! [Plantar Fasciitis, Bunions & Flat Feet]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3elMryUe4a4/mqdefault.jpg)
![ไลฟ์สุ่ม iPhone 295 บาท... โกงมั้ย?[ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.97 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gdstHEE4UUE/mqdefault.jpg)
Check out our new Barefoot Shoe Finder: bfs.fit/find-my-shoes
once you go barefoot, it is so hard to go back to "regular" shoes. My plantar fasciitis is gone. My hip pain is gone. My knees don't ache anymore. I am more comfortable walking now, my feet don't get tired like they used to. I will be wearing barefoot shoes for the rest of my life no cap
I had the opposite effect. Planter Fasciitis started after I used minimal shoes. Never had an issue with my boots. Odd huh?
@@mbogucki1 I'm no expert at all, but I wonder: maybe you weren't walking "properly" with your barefoot shoes because you're so used to walking with a drop. Just a hypothesis!
i have been reading the whole thing thanks
@@mbogucki1 you are supposed to gradually ease into wearing barefoot shoes to avoid getting plantar fasciitis
why do videos exist where ppl say barefoot shoes are bad/unhealthy? can someone explain that? there are videos like "why i quit barefoot shoes". why? wtf is going on? if walking barefoot is healthy (which is true) wtf would barefoot shoes be bad?
i refuse to watch those negative videos because recently i bought barefoot shoes and don‘t want those videos to ruin my experience with the barefoot shoes.
I'm a 53-year-old woman who walks four miles a day and teaches yoga. And I have bunions I'm trying to correct by wearing correct toes spacers, and completely switching to barefoot shoes. Your videos have been a huge help, truly invaluable. Thank you!
54 year old male with hypermobility. Over ten years in Vibram FiveFingers. I used to have flat feet. I have normal arches nowadays. I'm even happy to go totally without shoes and am gradually building up my calluses by occasionally running barefoot locally. I love the feeling.
I was very sceptical about barefoot shoes, I'm young but always had issues with my knees, nothing helped with it, pain would just re appear after any treatment. After few months of wearing barefoot shoes pain went away and never came back, hence I'm really grateful to barefoot shoes manufacturers, it did change my life in a positive way.
Exact same thing happened to me and my ankles, barefoot shoes and a bit of weight loss reduced it by 95% i love barefoot shoes for the comfort (my barefoot shoes feel like socks) ground feel wide toe box and flexibility
Likely more glute activation during gait
I've been wearing barefoot shoes for a month, and it's been a rough transition to make. My entire body is re-aligning to my new posture, and it's painful, but I'm not going back to the old way.
Cool! Remember to have rest days in between 👍
Slow the transition. It shouldn’t hurt much.
One thing people should be aware of is that adjusting to barefoot/minimalist shoes can take time. And for the benefits to occur it may take even longer. People should remember that for a huge part of their life they have butchered (personal opinion? fact?) their feet.
@@random99789 make sure to have time for recovery!👍 It's an awesome journey that will cost a lot of money in order to replace all your other shoes!😅
Yes. One way that helps is if people first start to walk bare feet inside their homes. Then the transition is not su brutal. But still, its good to take rest days for sure !
I have been converting into "barefoot" shoes for almost a year now and I'd like to share my thoughts here to any new people considering. First off, the reason I considered "Barefoot" shoes was because I started having lower back pain after wearing Adidas Ultraboost for over 2 years. I learned the hard way that I needed "Special" shoes at least that's what I like to call them. Specifically shoes that have a zero drop on the heel, the wide toe box wasn't as important to me at the time but looking back yeah I'd say it's something to consider if you don't want your toes crampt anymore. I definitely didn't get into these kind of shoes because it's a trend or whatever.
(Mini rant) I don't like to call my shoes Barefoot shoes because the term to me seems.. open ended. Like if you Google "Barefoot shoes" You get results of vivio, xero, recommendations from other brands and videos like this that have left me with More questions in my time of research. To me the term "Barefoot shoes" pretty much means shoes that feel close to the ground for ONLY outdoor terrain running. I live in the city and work a retail job where I walk on nothing but pretty much concrete and shoes with a Super thin sole as a NEW guy who was wearing ULTRABOOST.. it would be a painful start and it's annoying that NOBODY recommends shoes to slowly convert into "barefoot shoes" or shoes that have thin soles, the zero drop and wide toe box.
Anyways... My recommendations.
Check out the subreddit /Barefootrunning. There's a lot of people there that have helped me out with suggestions and tips, I try and help in there too sometimes. Brands I recommend, straight up Altra and Lems. The Rivera (My first ever transition shoe)by Altra and Primal Zen by Lems have been my favorites so far because they have the zero drop and provide enough cushion for me because I do walk a lot and they are my daily shoes. I also gotta recommend Wildling shoes for casual wear and to get that actual ground feel, I have the flying foxes. Birchburry for a more formal setting, I have the Bramford in brown and they do me great for church. Sandals, I don't have any yet but I'm heavily considering Bedrocks Cairn 3D pro 2. And that's pretty much been my journey this far, hope this helps someone.
I wore Merrell Bare Access Arc for 10+ years and ran my last marathon in them (very flat, ultra lightweight Vibram sole with almost zero cushioning) and my knees, feet, and back had never felt better - they even cleared up a brief case of plantar faschiitis which I thought would need cushion under that heel, but I was wrong!). They stopped making them 2-3 years ago so I tried the Altra and felt like I was walking in moon boots (in comparison). Now I tried their latest Mag-9 and those are still too much cushion.
For years I wore Asics and Saucony for most of my marathon running but after switching to the Merrells I never went back. Now I have to find something else :(
@@kanders5031 Have you considered Vivo's?
Recently started with this kind of footwear (after doing a proper transition ;)), wearing the brand Saguaro, and I'm quite happy about it and the feeling on my feet. I can't tell I've experienced more benefits because of the short time I've been wearing them, but I'm sure I'll achieve many changes. :)
i love saguaro, i have 2 of their shoes already. Looking at replacing all my shoes with barefoot ones. Saguaro is the most affordable i can get in my area. Will want a Vibram FiveFingers in the future
@@brycebensing yes you're very right, they are one of the most affordable minimalist shoes, and now they are making some shoes with a 'nicer' style (in my opinion). But definitely a great brand to get started in this world!!!
Just bought some $30 Whitins (my 3rd pair of barefoots) they are just as good as the $80 Merrils and look better.
I love Whitins. I've bought four pairs already!
+1 on this
I suggest wildling shoe as well, higher price range but it worth every cents
Having the links to the research in the description would be very appreciated.
no need, because its common sense. Wake up from the Matrix!
Neo: Why do my feet hurt?
Morpheus: You've never used them before.
~The Matrix
I would so love to find someone like you doing a serious look into safely moving elderly seniors, as in 70s and 80s, into more natural-function shoes. At some point is it too late, and the weaknesses brought about by mainstream shoes create a necessity for supportive & rigid shoes for stability and safety?
I woke up to this issue after i have been working 2 years from home as a remote worker doing IT stuff, always bare feet. Got the feeling my normal shoes were not good, now rocking barefeet shoes, not going back 😎
I’ve noticed the number of barefoot shoe ads have tripled since last year. That’s good to hear that the concept is taking off!
Wearing barefoot shoes for over a year now, I´m so happy about it, and carrying my second pregnancy with no back pain! You should do a video on pregnancy and barefoot, so much benefits!! Thanks
I believe what you say is spot on - since it is logically sound, but, for the love of god, please link to the scientific articles mentioned. Further more, if you in some shape or form could add if the articles are peer reviewed or not - it would add to the quality of the content.
Thank you!
He cant because a LOT of what hes saying is the equivolent to snake oil. Sounds good, seems logical in theory, but there are so many missing factors and variables hes leaving out in order to push the appeal towards barefoot shoes.
Hes selling products, and those products stem from barefoot shoes, so hes gonna say what he will to appeal to everyone. Now barefoot shoos arent bad, theyre worth a try, but i wouldnt listen to anyone like this guy.
Love my altras for 6 yrs or so. I’m 61 yr old woman and hate traditional shoes. Loved going barefoot as a child. Wondering which kind of barefoot shoe to try next…
Origo or Splay are decently priced. Im enjoying my Hurache style sandals during the warmer weather as well. I want to buy altras next to give me an extra inch of height 😂
I've been wearing barefoot shoes since 2010 (VFFs) I wore Whitins my entire 5-day Disney World trip, and I just got some Shamma's. I still have my Doc Martens and dress shoes, but everything else is minimalist.
Similarly I've been exclusively in Vibrams since late 2011, but only running in them for three years. Never going back! Even my dress shoes are barefoot ones (Vivobarefoot Ra).
For me it was a revolution. Started out buying a bunch of zero drop Altra shoes after throwing out almost all conventional shoes I had. Didn’t take it slow. Walked purely zero drop 100pct from the day I got the idea. Resulted in swollen achilles tendons. Massaged them good. Recommend taking it a bit slower… After half a year all was good. But then I took the jump to barefoot shoes. Have never looked back since then. Highly recommended. This is daily bodybuilding for your feet. Strange to watch my feet now 1.5 years later. Wide. Super strong like gorilla feet. Flexible. My balance has shoot up through the roof as well. Tried my lone pair of conventional shoes on, can’t fit them now as my feet has widened.
Congrats
Enough space for all my fingers convinced me 😂
I like more feedback under my feet, but I still enjoy some cushioning for longer walks.
My mom got a pair of Vibram toe shoes on sale about 10 years ago (also got me a matching pair), and she found them comfortable, but not thick enough. That's because those were made to be thin and light for running on flat surfaces. I like ones like that for gym shoes and indoor sports like playing badminton in high school. But I do like ones a bit thicker for things like gravel trails, areas with broken glass, etc. and I find ones designed for hiking tend to be better for that. I've been wearing a pair from Xero Shoes quite a bit and their boots have soles that are still flexible, but have a bit more protection. The pair I have came with thermal insoles, and those add enough extra cushion for most things. But I still go back to my Crocs from time to time if I want something softer, as they still have the right width and shape.
Just bought my first barefoot shoes yesterday
Document your journey please
Wearing barefoot shoes, including Splay Shoes and Sockwa shoes since earlier this year, have greatly improved my foot health and back posture...I hope to get my first pair of XeroShoes sometime in the spring or summer months...
Got rid of all my conventional shoes. I don’t wear anything but barefoot footwear…or nothing at all. Best decision of my life.
@emsky - Dod you try Xero? I haven’t yet and wondering what people think of them
@@infra_r3d133 th-cam.com/video/stvgfMSh6AE/w-d-xo.html
ive tried barefoot once before with the new balance minimus. i liked it. but due to lack of options and difficulty in finding minimus models, i went back to regular shoes. now that ive seen more barefoot shoes to choose from, im back at it and its here to stay. i love the way you can feel the ground. i had a misstep recently but didnt twist my ankle. i sure its due to the barefoot shoe. i now have 5 pairs. 2 dedicated for running and 3 casual.
Honestly, finding footwear is the hardest. I don't like buying online because things usually don't fit right, but I've found local stores that used to carry a lot more options, stopped carrying their barefoot style ones over the last 6-7 years. I'm hoping they'll come back to retail chains.
The only non-barefoot shoes I wear are from Keen, so they still have the width in the toes, but are also waterproof and don't hurt my feet when walking on rough and spiky terrain (like glass in the city, sharp gravel on trails, etc). I have a lot of hypermobility and joint pain. My arches collapsed after wearing barefoot shoes a lot. I think the bigger issue was ankle instability, which I'm still working on. I mostly wear Vibrams, but I can't in winter. Even their "waterproof" ones leak, and don't work so well in snow. I could fix the leak with some liquid latex, but they get so sweaty. I wish there were more options for shoes that are more than just 3mm soles that wear out really quickly to get the benefits.
I do find it harder to find things by foot shape. Just like how finding skinny jeans that fit was a challenge for me all through high school, finding toe socks also was because people have different toe sizes and proportions just like with other things. And while some places make jeans optimized for different body types, no one makes socks for different foot shapes. Even with barefoot shoes, some really popular brands don't work for me, and it's a lot more noticeable than with other styles. Xero, Crocs and Keen seem to have the best toe box shape for my feet, where I couldn't stand Vivo for more than an hour.
I hope it becomes a new standard! I’d love to wear my “clown shoes” in peace😂 Birkenstocks broke my foot, the stiff sole made my toe’s flexibility deplete. Barefoot shoes are slowly restoring my strength and flexibility, barefoot shoes for the win!!!!
Great !
I don't even know how I came across barefoot shoes, but I have flat feet and have been avoiding orthotics, although the alternative was almost a decade of wearing ugly stability running shoes. I've been wearing barefoot shoes for the past few weeks and I've had no issues, I've just been re-learning how to walk. The interesting part is that you still get sore, but in a different way. It's not a pain soreness, it's exercise soreness. My joints and toes and everything feel fine, but my muscles are working a lot more, which is great! It's when I put on regular shoes that my knees and ankles and feet start to hurt again, almost immediately. If you're on the fence about trying it, just do it. Get some Xero shoes or something since they're lower price than other companies, but they're made ethically and not sold by Amazon, which is a plus.
Atención to details... Very well explained. Thank you
Thanks for this! I'm interested in trying Barefoot shoes now
Thanks for this very important and informativ content.👏🏻
The 6 toed foot at 4:37 really adds to the cramping in a regular shoe! I love my barefoot shoes for the space it gives my 5 toes, I can't imagine 6!
Hello , I started the barefoot running and I have very high arch , and I couldn't find information at all for that case.
For flat feet there is a lot information.
I have very rigid glutes and thighs, and can be nice to know what type of exercise can I do.
Maybe you can make video about it 😉
Thank you , love your channel ❤
Vbf primus trail all weather brilliant shoes no more bunions and my toes are stretching out I also have arch again iv been wearing for a year
Very good video. Saved this for later to show it others 👍
Could would you see about a collab with the Rose Anvil channel? He generally finds barefoot shoes are less well made than less barefoot shoes like Nick’s or White’s boots.
I do find some of them can be less well made, simply because of the space constraints. With such a thin sole, you can't sew it on as easily, so most are just glued, which tends to come undone over time, especially around the point where the toes bend. But I suppose it also depends on which ones. The ones I wear are all under $200, most under $100, so I don't expect the same quality you'd see in like $300+ boots.
Thanks for the information, especially on over-pronation. I haven't seen anyone mention pronation before on barefoot sites. I pronate badly on the right ankle so that was an important issue for me.
I wear barefoot shoes 7 days a week at work now. My other shoes are too heavy and are now gathering dust. When I don't wear my barefoot shoes, I go barefoot.
I’m doing it because I’ve sprained my ankle multiple times from being an absolute klutz. My right ankle is now permanently swollen and I get occasional tendonitis, like right now, and plantar fasciitis pain, because I wore Birkenstocks on concrete for half a day the other day. I want to try and fix this.
Would you guys recommend "Barestep" shoes for running and has anyone experienced running in Baresteps?
Aloha! Great video. Would you be willing to let me use some of your graphics in a TH-cam video where I'll be touching on the benefits of minimalist shoes from a training perspective? I would credit & link your channel in the description. Please let me know! 🙏
Hey 👋 I appreciate your interest in our videos. Unfortunately, I can’t give permission for this. Our brand’s identity lives on our channel. If I were to start giving copyrights to other channels it would dilute our brand. And since we work incredibly hard and spend a lot of money to make all our graphics from scratch, it doesn’t make sense to do so. I hope you appreciate the transparency.
@@barefootstrength Completely understand, no problem 👍
Neo: Why do my feet hurt?
Morpheus: You've never used them before.
~The Matrix
Hi are you able to make a video on the best steel toe cap safety boots please? I don’t think there are any barefoot style steel toe cap safety shoes on the market?
Let's take a moment to remember the unlikely hero who made of going barefoot a trademark: Kwai Chang Caine.
David Carradine's gravestone calls him The Barefoot Legend.
Are you still planning to make the Xero 360s Vs normal training shoes video comparison ?
For my education I started doing judo this year in the dojo, where we walk barefoot. It pains me every time when I see a bunch of my classmates with deformed feet. Mind you these are all fit and young individuals..
Great video
Are their any high quality barefoot work boots you recommend? I'm a mechanic and I can only really find thick soled boots with a tall heel. The $150 Redback boots I buy last about 4 year of use in the shop. I haven't been able to find any super durable looking barefoot boots.
Check out the Jim Green African Ranger Barefoot if you’re still looking for a barefootish boot
Together with Toe socks and Correct toes for crooked feet, like hammer + claw toes and hallux valgus!! 😅
Also, to help deal with bunions!!!❤❤
My problem with barefoot shoes is that I live in a city with a lot of concrete and barefoot type shoes especially ones with thin cushion it just hurts and makes less than no sense
What I did was I started wearing barefoot with slightly thicker cushion and got best of both worlds
@@MrX-vk1jl nah u don't get it our feet were not made to walk on concrete all the fucking time even in mountains there is some soil and grass. We were not made for barefooting on a man-made ground. U won't change my mind. Biomechanics and physics show how much more force is put on our joints by walking barefoot on concrete vs soil
@@MrX-vk1jl and what will fascia change with u hitting the concrete ground that doesn't "give" and only repels the force back to ur bones and joints. Nothing
Do you hit the ground with your heel? Cause I cought myself doing that and this caused me pain. Although some people just prefer a little bit thicker soles. Some Altra shoes have wide toebox and 2,5cm thick, zero drop soles.
@@WinterWerewolf I dont hit hard with my heel its not about that
Humans never evolved to run on concrete, asphalt or cobblestones. We evolved to run on grass, dirt, gravel, etc. That is why your foot hurts.
Sure lot's of talk everywhere. And as someone with huge feet a natural shoe shape is great. BUT! It is nearly impossible to find an affordable shoe that doesn't look stupid is nearly impossible.
It's hard to find barefoot shoes in my country. It's super expensive and the Material is cheap and shoes damage within month. Can't buy from other countries too cos they're double the prize + shipping charges
I've never really heard much talk about the pro and cons of wearing barefoot shoes if someone is overweight. Did you see anything in your research about that?
This is only one person’s experience, but I am significantly overweight and old (65) and my experience with barefoot shoes has been fantastic. Five years ago, I switched to fully minimalist shoes after about six months wearing cushioned zero-drop Altras. Within a week of the switch, the neuroma pain I had been suffering from for five years disappeared completely, never to return. Also, the recurring bouts of plantar fasciitis that I used to get have never returned.
Most of my walking is done on city sidewalks, so don’t let that argument about “natural surfaces” stop you, either. I will say as a cautionary note that even before I made the shoe switch, I spent at least half my time barefoot, indoors, so my feet were pretty strong to begin with, well used to operating flat and without “arch support” and cushioning.
So I think your weight is less important than the strength of your feet. How comfortable are you when barefoot? If you have spent a lot of time wearing “supportive” shoes, putting on barefoot shoes is like removing a cast from a broken limb that has healed - you still have to rebuild muscle strength before you can function well.
@@ezb6798 Thanks for the feedback. I had a bout with plantar fasciitis about a year ago for the first time in my life. I'm 55 and am about 40 lbs overweight. This bout of PF came after about 6 months of intermittent wearing of barefoot shoes made by Softstar. While dealing with plantar fasciitis, the ONLY relief I found was wearing either Birkenstocks or an Aetrex insole inside some Altra's or Keen boots. I tried a million different things to "cure" my PF problem and it finally went away after 6 painful months. I still don't know if what I did made it go away or if it just went away on its own. And I also don't know if wearing barefoot shoes intermittently is what brought it on. But I am reluctant now to wear my barefoot Softstar's for fear of bringing it back.
@@dmdunn That sounds rough, David. I forgot to mention one other thing that I’ve been doing that I believe is very helpful with plantar fasciitis prevention: exercising my feet and lower legs with resistence, specifically heel raising/lowering. I now do it as part of my Pilates training with an instructor, but when I couldn’t go to Pilates I just did it standing on a stair. It strengthens the fascia on the underside of the foot and helps with the blood flow in the area (which some people say is the actual issue with plantar fasciitis).
If you want expert help from podiatrists who believe in minimalist shoes, you might check out Northwest Foot and Ankle in Portland, Oregon. They do remote consultations. (I am not affiliated, I just follow their work.)
i love how this guy talks. he could sell ice to an eskimo
Indeed. Concise, no bullshit video, to the point. What's not to like?
I'm not switching, so please amend your title.
I’m 2 weeks into wearing barefoot shoes and my feet are painfully swollen. Is this something to be expected? Any suggestions?
We have always recommended a slow transition. Check out this video to learn more: th-cam.com/video/nSuqDiW4pYQ/w-d-xo.html
Yes. It's expected when you go too fast. Treat your time in barefoot shoes as exercise: don't overdo it at first. Your body needs to adapt.
Calling this type of footwear “barefoot shoes” makes as much sense as calling thin gloves “barehanded gloves”. 😂
I have a dream that we will one day we will live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the shape of their feet.
Can one ware barefoot shoes to play pickleball or any other fast pace *court sport?
I would recommend first transitioning to barefoot shoes for walking. But yes, once your feet are adapted, court sports too should be fine.
are vans old skool shoes considered barefoot shoes?
They are narrow and restrictive....no
I bought my first two pairs of barefoot shoes this year. Barefoot shoes need better marketing, first of all, you don't wear them barefoot. Or better yet get rid of the name barefoot and name it something else like natural shoes.
is barefoot shoes good for someone tryna play football
Surgeons wear gloves made of nitrile, not latex. This isn't the 1950s.
There's a very lack of evidence for "so many benefits" in my practice. There's a huge bias about a chanel that sells this shoes giving all these information with a limited level of SCIENTIFIC BASED evidence. I mean, it looks good to me this practice of "barefooting" but unfortunately we cant affirm that by our biomechanical studies.
I'm not
What about running on concrete or asphalt. Are barefoot shoes suitable for these applications?
Yes, but you have to build up your foot strength first, because they're weak from years of "normal" shoes. After about 6 months I was able to do full sprints on hard concrete.
From my experience no. Humans are not meant to run on artificial material that has no give. Stick to dirt, gravel or grass.
@@mbogucki1 That is a complete b/s myth. PLENTY of natural surfaces are as hard as concrete and even have stones on them to make them even more painful. Once your feet get used to it you're golden.
@@CptAngelADVlogs Our feet evolved to work with the natural bounce/spring of soft ground, not solid stone.
@@mbogucki1 meanwhile the african tribes all these videos talk about walked and ran in hard almost rock-like flat surfaces...
Yesss
Thanks a lot. Chris.
Go Go barefoot shoes.
Until you step on a stone, and hurt the middle of your feet and will have pain for two months.
weak !
Africa, Egypt, greese genetic foot shape
It’s a fad, just like the last time it became popular!
Sure, lemme guess, you are vegan also and vaxxed?
No and no!
Oh god. This sounds like a nightmare. I can't stand the texture or feeling of the ground and frankly not sure why anyone does. I even wear shoes to the beach or water shoes when I got into the water.
You should also mention a huge caveat that wearing barefoot shoes without LONG term accustomization away from normal shoes can lead to issues like plantar fasciitis, a rather painful and long term issue. I know this from first hand experience.
Protection is different than immobilized
In my opinion he's talking about the benefits and why people are using them more often, not about how to transition to minimalist footwear. He could mention it, but I don't think it's necessary (he's not going to tell that in every single video).
If you're about to start in barefoot-minimalistic footwear you should search for as much info as possible, where I'm sure he and other people tell you that the transition is a progressive change where you also have to do exercises, not doing it quickly.
@@_aiitoor_hat's fair point but I think if you are going to list the positives in a vide you should also list the potential pitfalls. Sure it COULD fix your posture and bunion but you could also tear or rupture your planter fascia, give yourself knee pain or damage, tear your achilles tendon, etc.
A lot of these vids make it out to seem like barefoot shoes are the solutions to all of life's problems when that is not really the case. While for some individuals it works fantastic I find it usually based on how athletic and limber they are to start with and the issues are under played.
Too conclude any sort of medical advice should always have a warning and caveat attached.
@@mbogucki1 yeah, I completely agree with you. I understand why he didn't mention it, but I do think they could advise like you say. :)
@@mountainstream8351 Oh I am past that stage. I am still trying to fix my plantar fasciitis and its been like 9 months.
Why did I get plantar fasciitis? I am not sure as I started slowly and thought I took enough time (few months). Then went for a short run (like 500m) a couple of times and BAM...foot pain. Podiatrists and Chiropodists said to get proper shoes so...
I have a dream that we will one day we will live in a nation where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the shape of their feet.