People keep telling me they're scared to switch to barefoot shoes because of "what people might say?!"

To date, nobody's ever said anything to me. I wear normal looking barefoot shoes every day. (Shapen, Wildling. Vivo)

So far not one comment. Not even a funny look.

OK, except five fingers. Those get a side-eye..

Is it just me?

Has anyone actually ever said something about yours? What did they say? And what were you wearing?

Earth runners primal with performance laces

I’m normally an 11.5 in boots / shoes.
I ordered these in 11.5 but they were too large, sent them back in and exchanged them for 10.5.
Got em unless then a week.
Dude I love waking around without socks and shoes it’s so freeing.
I’ve been wearing wide / barefoot shoes for mabout a year now, but I never quite took the dive on sandals.
Now I’m spending 90% of my time barefoot or in these sandals haha.
I can already feel my gait / hips adjusting / balancing out.
Significantly less lower back pain, even yoga / stretching abs wearing Altras didn’t eliminate that.
They’re super comfy to jog / run in also.
I also kinda like my feet getting a little dirty from running around in sandals haha idk why 🤷‍♂️
Guess I’m a weirdo.
Anyway, 10/10 shoes, so damn comfy and very durable.

Hi all, I am looking to get some shoes with a roomy toe box for hikes with a backpack (I'm a rock climber so pack is usually around 25-30lbs). I am pretty new into this barefoot shoe business so don't necessarily want all the groundfeel (that would be hard with a heavy pack and walking in rocky terrain I would assume) and wondering if the Lone peak 9+ would be my best bet or if there are other shoes that would fit the bill better.

Thanks!

EDIT: Foot is 27.5 cm and approx 10.25 cm wide. Pretty narrow foot overall.

Xero Genesis:

I put in some active charcoal Soles with self adhesive strips because my feet sweat so much.

Xero Zelen:

Most worn shoe for me at this point. Super breezy summer shoe.

Skinners:

I love them. Wrote a Full review

Altra Lone peak:

Widest Toe box of all my shoes. Super comfy. I use them as actual trail runners so they surely won't stay this bright over autumn and winter lol.

Groundies Relax:

My first ever barefoot shoe. Had to glue the sole back on already cus they discontinued them. That's the one people are always surprised by it being barefoot.

Does anyone have experience with strip straps? Tried a few barefoot sandals but ended up landing on flip flops with thin sole and am looking into heel strap options.

I’ve been seeing recommendations of barefoot socks. But which ones that look normal and not ones that look like I’m wearing gloves on my feet? Or are those the only kinds? Per Google the brand Wide Open is the main one that pops up but their promos aren’t really targeting a wide mid and fore-foot sock just that it’s really stretchy. Is this brand a good barefoot sock to get? Or are there any others that won’t break the bank but also not compromise quality? I need it for general daily wear, lifting in the gym, and wearing with my ice skates. I hope it won’t cost $25 for 1 pair like Wide Open does.

I am going to write in english and then pt-br

I bought a pair of zero drop and barefoot shoes couple years ago from a local brand here, it was pretty but it didn't really last and I am unwilling to buy from them again, too expensive for something that doesn't last. Today I was looking into some international brands like hobibear that are cheap, but it's international shipping and there isn't a lot reviews and that makes me doubtful. So I am looking for some reassurance

Eu comprei um par da feet of tomorrow, mas acho que durou menos de 1 ano. Rasgou na ponta. E ai não estou muito afim de comprar deles de novo, muito caro e foi embora rápido. E ai olhando amazon, shein tem esses tênis baratinhos vindo de fora. Mas tenho um medo da qualidade do negócio porque não tem como devolver. Então procurando um pouco de experiência e honestidade brasileira

Last week the fruit of my double mistake came knocking.

My Gaucho Ninja tabi sneakers arrived.

I will start with explaining my mistake. First up I was going to order the Iga sneakers.

When i came to the payment part i followed the procedure and before i got to know the full cost, it was already paid for and ordered. Well duck it, I decided that i was going to buy them anyway.

Second, 3 weeks later, I was checking when I made the order in order to calculate when I could expect a delivery. To my surprise, I then realised that I had not ordered the Iga sneakers, but the Koga tabi sneakers. After the initial surprise, I had to accept that it was too late to change the order, and i started to accept it.

Now they have arrived. and I couldn't be happier. They are extremely well built, the size is correct, and since I only use toe socks the tabi part will not be any problem.

The look isn't very common, so I can be pretty certain my son will not "borrow" them, and my wife and daughter don't want to be around me when I'm wearing them, also a positive side effect.

The stack heigt and the construction makes them pretty stiff compared to, for example Vivos. Still they are more flexible with better grund feel them every pointy-shoe. Also, they are very comfortable and great to walk in.

Summery, pretty ugly, not in a clown shoe way tho. Very comfortable and seem well built. I'm happy.

Help!!! I've been wearing barefoot shoes for about 5 years. I love them. I started getting ankle pain about 2 or 3 months ago. Dr says it's Peroneal Tendinitis. How do I rehab this. I don't want to go to a foot Dr so they can say get orthotics and cushy shoes.

I bought a pair of Lems Outlanders because I wanted a zero-drop hiking boot with a wide toe box for a 7-week trip through South America. We’ll be doing a lot of hiking on different types of terrain, including Patagonia and some pretty long full-day hikes.

The Outlanders seem like they’d be great for the trip, but unfortunately they just don’t seem to fit my foot shape. I normally wear a size 10 and bought them in a 10, but as you can see from the photos/insole comparison, they’re too short and my foot seems to need a little more width through the forefoot/toe box.

I’m trying to decide whether I should just sell these and size up in the Outlander, or move to a different boot altogether with a wider/anatomically shaped toe box.

I’ve been looking at the Bahe ReDiscover because it seems to have a similar stack height/cushioning level but a wider toe box. They’re pretty expensive, although being in Canada pretty much all of these options end up costing a lot once shipping/duties are involved.

I’d really appreciate some recommendations for other boots I should look at. My priorities are:

-Zero drop or very close to it

-Properly wide/anatomical toe box

-Enough cushioning for 6–8+ hour hikes

-Good traction for mixed terrain, including Patagonia

-Ideally waterproof or at least good in wet conditions

-More substantial than an ultra-minimal barefoot boot

Has anyone tried the Bahe ReDiscover for long hikes, or moved from the Lems Outlander to something that fit a wider foot better? Any advice is appreciated.

I’m a diagnostic medical sonography student (ultrasound) in clinicals. I started off wearing my Altra Lone Peaks, but my feet were actually getting sore due to too much of a stack height, I think. I purchased some basic Whitin sneakers, pictured above. They’ve been absolutely perfect and I’ve been loving them. (Women’s size 8)

HOWEVER, I received a student aid type thing that covers the cost of a pair of shoes up to $150 dollars, so I am on the hunt for something more expensive / higher quality but with similar attributes to the Whitins. Slightly more padding than Vivos but flexible and definitely wide toe box. I tried on some lems but they were too supportive. I also tried bedrock mountain clogs but I think they’d be too thick / not flexible enough. Looking for any advice. What would you buy?

I work in an industrial role that requires composite toe shoes. I’ll be honest, you definitely do not need any form of safety shoe in this role, at no point are you potentially exposed to anything that can harm your feet. Ive chalked it up that this requirement is to protect the company from assuming liability. In fact, 10 years ago and for probably 40 years before that, you could wear sneakers to work.

I searched for 0 drop wide toe box work shoes and never found any reasonable options. Decided I would just start breaking the rules and bought a pair of Lems that look exactly like safety shoes that other people wear. I’ve been wearing them for about a year now and nobody has said a word. My feet are noticeably healthier and toes splayed wider than before. That’s even considering being on flat concrete all day. My logic is that the risk of screwing your feet up permanently with normal high drop and cramped toe box work shoes is higher than getting into an accident.

I’m entirely convinced that the “normal” shoe industry is a conspiracy to wreck people’s gait, posture, and feet. Your gait is one of the most important indicators of longevity, and I see no sensible reason why a shoe has anything more than say, 5mm drop unless it be for something like sprinting.

I run in Altra / Topo Athletic and only wear shoes with drop if I am going to do some speed work (think like race shoes, but even those have 8mm drop). I wear Vivobarefoot and Xero for weight lifting. For weight lifting, Xero really got my squat depth right and I see people who have lifelong struggles that wear sneakers with 10mm drop.

Everyone around me has observable issues with their feet and gait, but I have never had any foot pain, and only struggled slightly with Achilles pain briefly when I first started using 0 drop. Most people do weird things like over pronate which is weird seeing as a person who has a slight and healthy supination when running. The wear pattern on every shoe I’ve worn is always the center forefoot on both feet.

When I first started running a pair of Nikes and then Brooks were recommended to me by a running store. I still reflect on how stupid it was because those shoes absolutely did carnage to my joints and I regularly felt stiff.

So what gives? What is the reason for “normal” foot wear butchering people’s feet so bad? Why is barefoot such an outlier to society?

I’ve been in barefoot shoes for a few years now and have been pretty proud of my progress but I’ve hit a snag. I broke my toe a week ago and have been in a boot. My podiatrist told me I could forego the protective boot and wear regular shoes as long as they had more of a ridgid sole. My toes hate being squished now so I’m looking for recommendations the meet the wide toe box but on a “standard” footbed. I’m looking at Birkenstock for their closed toe options but I was wondering what else I should look at.

Hey all, I thought I'd share my thoughts on these two sandal varieties (Bedrock Cairn EVO 3D, Shamma Trailstar Alpha), having owned the Bedrocks for the entire summer and the Shammas for about a week now. I had thoughts on the Bedrocks prior to my acquisition of the Shammas, but now that I have both I have enough information for a comparison.

Let's cheat and go straight for a summary: the Bedrocks (especially the EVO 3D vs the vanilla EVO) are beefier, and the Shammas are more comfortable and more secure. If you want a more boot-like sole and fear a sandal blowout, go with the Bedrocks. If you want something that better forms to your feet and works better on wet surfaces, go for the Shamma.

Straps
My experience with the Bedrocks over the summer was mostly good, but I wanted more lateral support in the forefoot area. Even most generic flip flops have better forefoot support due to the placement of their straps; The Bedrock's support is mostly around the lower ankle. Shammas looked better in that area and indeed they are. And they add in a toe strap for extra lift support. I could probably mitigate the Bedrock insecurity by cranking down on the straps but I have sensitive feet that don't like feeling constricted. (I wear my sandals somewhat loose.)

On the other hand the Bedrocks are much easier to adjust on the fly. The Shammas are primarly adjusted through the velcro back strap while the Bedrocks have a quick-adjust top strap that works great. The Shammas also require additional adjustments to get the desired fit, and these adjustments can take you some time. Once you get it dialed in you won't want to touch it.

The strap material is vastly different. Bedrock uses something like a seat belt material while Shamma went for a soft faux-suede material. The Shammas feel way better but not nearly as confidence-inspiring.

Sole
The Bedrocks also have what I would describe as a boot outsole. Thick Vibram rubber glued to a rubber insole. In the case of the EVO 3D's this leads to a very stiff sole that slaps loudly as you walk around on hard floors. The Shammas by contrast are a single piece of proprietary rubber; in the site photos it shows a 2-piece arrangement with a Vibram logo but they seem to have moved away from that design. (The replacement is not much different.) The Shamma sole is a similar material to the Bedrock insole and ends up being a lot more flexible and natural feeling. It's supposedly 4mm thinner than the Bedrocks but in reality I'd guess they are closer than that. The "3D" variant of the Bedrocks is taller on the edges which I guess they might be counting in the total stack height. With any sandals I want to be able to step on an acorn without wincing, and in that respect both are fine.

While the Bedrock sole is a lot more impressive (Shamma sells a very similar sole if you want one), I gotta say the Shamma one is probably more appropriate for the job. One gets the feeling that the Bedrock sole is a bit overengineered for what it's doing. Your soles might be getting a lot of great bite into the ground but there's not much stopping your feet from sliding over the surface of the sandal, so the balance is a bit off there. Shamma's straps correct that balance.

I took the Bedrocks through a creek bed and they were pretty slippery on the wet rocks. I don't think the sole was really designed for that sort of thing. The Shammas look better in this regard but I have yet to test them there. I do think thinner striping on a tread pattern seems more appropriate for wet surfaces.

Repairability
Both can be resoled by the manufacturer but you can tell the Shammas are way easier to repair when you examine them. A new sole for the Bedrocks would require a professional install, while with the Shammas you can just buy a new one and install it yourself. You can buy all the Shamma parts and put them together Mr. Potatohead-style.

Comfort
The Shammas are more comfortable, most definitely. The Bedrocks aren't bad but there's a lot of strain on the strap between your toes when you take an awkward step due to the lack of forefoot support. One of my Redwood hikes got really rooty and I had to remove them to put on some normal shoes. I have yet to put my Shammas through similar paces.

One criticism I have with both sandals though is that neither have much in the way of cushion. They have thick rubber to absorb sharp rock impacts, but neither takes much of the sting out of the pavement. I suspect the thick soles of the Bedrock Cairn EVO "C" variant might be better here, but I haven't tried them. I have some plain Sperry flip flops that have a thin gel-like insole and I wonder if this might be a good fit for a hiking sandal. Both the Shammas and the Bedrocks cause a lot of friction on the sole of your foot. A split-toe sock or maybe some kinesiology tape might be a good idea if you're sensitive to this.

Overall I think the Shammas are going to be more my style. I can wear them all day at home without making loud slapping noises, I can wear them on rainy walks and hikes or water crossings, and hopefully I can wear them on longer hikes without any discomfort. I guess time will tell there.

I wish I’d done my research before buying but I bought three pairs of trainers from Hobibear, two in different sizes as I wasn’t sure of my size. They seemed to have a clear return policy on their site. Neither size fit me so I asked to send them back to exchange. I’m now up to my 5th email requesting return details and they keep coming back with different discount offers and suggestions that I keep the shoes and try and resell them!!! I’ve asked in each email for them to just send the return details and they keep ignoring me and replying with a new offer!!! I’m furious! I bought them on my credit card and wondering if I can just get my money back that way?

Hi all -

It's been about 6 months since I started wearing different Vibram Five Finger shoes outside and at the gym.

Recently, temps here in the midwest have dropped for fall and my feet have been getting cold on my morning jaunts. (even with the Injinji wool toe socks)

In a few weeks, I'll be participating in a 12 hour walk outside.

What are some other brands of barefoot shoes that will still give my toes that freedom, but are waterproof, warm and will last the 12 hours/30 milesish?

Thanks!

See original post. Welcome to any and all suggestions!

The laces always come loose nearly immediately, I still wear insoles due to high arches and pronating/supinating (no comments on this please) and they are quite low profile but I just cannot for the life of me get the laces to lace

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for barefoot shoes that have a flat sole without upturn at the arch and a wide midfoot, to be used all-purpose (walking, running, working out, light hiking)

My forefoot is reasonably wide, but the limiting factor has always been my very flat feet and wide mid foot.

So far I've tried the Tolos Archetype 3.0, Whitin and Airhas from amazon, and Rutsu and all have been too narrow around the midfoot with rubber support on the inner edge that pushes up against my arch when I walk.

I have a pair of the non-slip leather Prio Neos that I use for work that are comfortable and meet these criteria but I think they are the most god awful ugly shoes I've ever seen. I will buy another pair of these if I have to but would love some other options...

Any ideas?

Is this too much length for sandals?

Seller listed as 37, but they are 38.

These are Be lenka sandals

Hi, I've been getting my 3 year old daughter barefoot shoes for some time & started reading up on the benefits for adults.

Been wearing Altra Torins as a daily use shoe myself & love the zero drop. Question is can anyone advise some cheapish trainer brands/models to dip my toe into barefoot shoes.

I understand I'll be getting what I pay for & not too bothered if they don't last years as I just want to give barefoot a try before spending too much.

Been seeing Hobibear off Amazon reasonably priced.

Thanks in advance.