I agree with hiking. I've done some hiking in boots from Feelgrounds and found it really did improve balance and traction, being able to feel and mold around the rocks and roots. I don't know if I'd trust these particular ones for a super intense hike (probably vibram would be stronger and even more grippy, and these are only so-so on warmth and weatherproofing), but I'm definitely not going back to my old hiking boots that squashed my toes together and couldn't feel the ground well.

Used thin flat sport shoes for a four day ww2 memory march nearly fifty years ago, works, but the gravel and rocks pushing through the thin sole were a cumulative pain

specifically which shoes do you like? Congrats on the AT!

@@2adamast I know I’m not alone in saying this, but I very much appreciate your participation in that “memory march”. Those that fought, and have since passed, deserve no less. So thank you. On your observation regarding the thin soles? I know when I started out using zero drop, wide toe box minimalist shoes…I had similar “problem”. I mitigated that by pulling out the thin soles that came with the shoes, and inserted “gel type” soles from drug store….and used those until my feet fully acclimated to minimalist. I now, no longer need those. My best to you, amigo.

@@philipwells7149 Good morning Philip. Hmmm….I go back and forth, depending on expected weather, terrain, etc. For backpacking, I no longer wear backpacking boots…but initially I used the Lems Trailhead…but I had to work them in and buy a half size larger….as they are Lems narrow fit (I’m not sure why Lems, famous for their wide, natural foot shape shoes, even offers a narrow shoe). For daily hikes with my dog (we do 3-5 miles a day, 5-6 days a week, on local state park trails in the Berkshires, or in bad weather, the local rail trails), I wear either my Altra Solstice XT or Xero Prio shoes. I did recently buy Amazon’s offering…Whitin, for casual wear….I’m impressed, considering they were $45.00 (I think). I hope this helps.

Sadly I don't think it's a matter of the "waking up" my guess is they're awake already But if they start making and selling barefoot shoes, it's like they're admitting that they got it wrong all those years and that they are in a way responsible for damaging our feet Plus, they already have a huge market and it keeps getting bigger and bigger everyday, so it'll be insane to ditch what that and go or even transition to something completely different

Eh stop listening to everything everyone says. Most runners n therefore most bouncy hi-tech running shoes r designed for fore foot strikers. So the first point is totally invalid. So it's the graph of barefoot ones with a lower peak and wider, because more cushion (for running shoes)

Yeah, and how well did cavemen do? This guy is trying to start a niche market, good luck. I'm sticking with my shoes.

Yes let me see you barefoot on past the cavemen surface and environment right 🤦‍♂️ theres a time and place for everything. Train barefoot in lifting. Run with proper footwear regardless with cushioning or whatnot. Learn to use your critical thinking brain. Barefoot is not be all end all. If it is then the guys behind the research and top biomechanist will have peer reviewed that barefoot is the shizz. Just ask any top podiatrist out there.

It's more about the people getting used to the look of wide shoes. Most consider them ugly because they are used to a pointy look.

fun fun fun!! i am into barefoot have a bunch cheap $10-$20 pairs ,my go too is a $7 water shoe pair that feels the most barefootee 😋i also relate to having sore quads while foot was fine because started long walking/running like a month or 2 before going barefoot, got all sorts of blisters until thick skin developed, now i actually enjoy running on different textures!!

I, on the other hand, overweight, but with fairly good endurance due to cycling, but with not much training in the walking parts down from the knee, took a mere 6 mile walk (! not even run) to work one morning in my new barefoot shoes. I got a painful case of inflamed tendons in both feet, with one of them taking almost two weeks to recover to a point where I could move without crutches again. It's no joke when the experts tell people to take it slow with barefoot shoes, especially when you've not been all that active on your feet up until now.

@@Volkbrecht Thanks for sharing that. I definitely don’t mean to diminish the importance of taking it slow if you have weak feet. I had been regularly using barefoot shoes for more than a year and had been working intensely on skating for 10 months by the time I participated in that run. My feet had plenty of time to strengthen before I induced that level of strain on them.

do these cause calluses on your feet

@@sutekaa They still shield your feet from direct contact with the ground which deprives your feet of the friction they need to promote the growth of calluses on the bottom. You may still develop calluses on spots if they don’t fit right and rub when you walk.

My biggest problem with most shoes now is my lack of connection with the ground.

try lems they go up to size 15 but im pretty sure their sizes run big anyways so they might be a good fit

I mean that's not their fault. There's basically no money in making it for you and like 3 other guys Pretty sure you could just wear the sock variety. Which look funny but there you go. Or anything like Japanese ninja shoes

I wasn't trying to blame them, just trying to bring awareness that there are people out there that have larger feet that are interested. That's the typical thought process out there... everyone is the same and there are no outliers. I know of 10 people just within 10 minutes of my house with my size feet and larger LOL. Would they all buy barefoot shoes not sure but I would have to imagine that if there are that many Sasquatches near me that there would be quite a few in the world. As far as cost effective and not enough money to be made that is dependent on are they making all these by hand in the USA? Most clothing and shoe companies are having their products made in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, ect by companies that have a huge capability to manufacture similar products due to the cost to manufacturer in house and by doing this the product is acquired cheap and marked way up. Now I don't have a problem paying more for something that is rare like shoes for Bigfoot because I understand that we are freaks of nature and have no choice because it does cost more to buy in lower quantities and also costs more to produce in lower quantities which makes it harder to make money! Until the "Freaks" have an option for barefoot shoes I guess we just continue running through the forest barefoot wearing nothing but a suit of furr😂😂😂😂.

Try Ham6 - special order

I'm 6'7" but I'm glad my feet stopped growing at 13 /14 US,. It's easy to find big basketball shoes, but for a lot of other types of shoes (soccer shoes, climbing shoesi boots) your selection falls of exponentialky after size 13... You are looking for a small niche size in what is already a small niche market. My complaint in that people refuse to make pants that are long enough...and the whole "Big & tall" conceot is pretty off-base because most really tall people are actually pretty slim...no I don't want a 60" waist, but will somebody please make an inseam longer than 34? Lol

I can so relate to your story. I am 76 and about to buy my first pair of barefoot shoes. I, too, played outside barefoot for most of my childhood. Two years ago I began wearing Altras with the expanded toebox…they were marvelous but so padded. Then the most recent pair was their new “standard”width. Horrific! This week I was introduced to the barefoot shoe movement. Now I’m barefoot in my house and heading out today to try on barefoot shoes. Do you have a recommendation? I’m an avid walker and I hike in summer. Thank you so much for your VERY inspiring post!!

An old girlfriend of mine used to say I had Hobbit Feet because they were so wide!! I love minimalist shoes!

Yeah how dare they charge that much

@@nancyreese80 Sorry, my reply is so late. As for recommendations, I first started with Whitin water shoes available at Amazon. Those were quite a bit less expensive. I bought 2 pair and still wear them. Just be careful to get "zero drop" soles. After I got used to them I started looking for a more substantial shoe and bought Xero brand. A few styles are less than $100. I like the sandals too, which are very comfortable and less expensive. The biggest problem with most brands is the funky styles. I think the Xero shoes run a tad short so you might want to buy a half size larger. The different styles fit a bit differently too. I can't give you any advice on the more expensive shoes - I can't afford them. Good luck.🙂

I relate so much. My mom had a very hard time when I was a kid finding shoes that I could wear to school. And for the athletic activities I wanted to do. Most of the time I got a new pair of shoes that met the requirements for the activity and ended up taking a knife to them and gutting the insides to replace it with a strip of leather cut to match the shoe. Even though it appeared on the outside as the same on the inside it had no more arch support and my feet were happier.

What ones do you use? I haven't found a slip resistant barefoot shoe.

Congratulations if you got away with that. In most kitchens you'd be supposed to wear safety footwear. In general, professional requirements force a lot of people to wear "standard" shoes. Be that because of a dresscode or because of safety regulations.

@@Volkbrecht I have been trying to find a barefoot steel toe work boot for months now, from what I see no one makes them. I’m talking like Ariat kind of work boots

@@osamabinlagging3511 You are looking for a thing that doesn't exist, because it cannot exist. A work boot is supposed to protect your foot, among other things, from stepping into pointy stuff, that rules out barefoot-type soles. Some companies make wide and narrow versions of the same shoe size, that may give a bit of comfort to you when you are wearing barefoot shoes outside of work, like the OP. But when your employer feels the need to have you wear serious protection to prevent injuries, wearing a slightly thicker sock simply doesn't do the trick.

I forgot to take a before and after picture when i did that! You should take a picture of your toes and arches, tip from someone who forgot to 😅 Im sure my feet have changed though

I would love to hear some follow up comments from both you and Luden.

How is your transition to barefoot shoes going?

How was it at first? I have PF and been looking into barefoot shoes. How would one 'transition'? People tell me to get insertions and yada yada instead, but I just feel as that is the wrong way but I don't know

​@@janniesneed4511 Sorry for the late reply, I never saw the notification. Long response ahead, feel free to ask more questions if you want, I'll be happy to respond! Initially it definitely felt weird just because I was used to have the heel lift to support my walking and running and now I was having to adjust my way of moving to compensate. I'd say this takes about about 4 or 5 days to get used to. When it comes to running, I'd recommend Graham Tuttle who runs the account barefootsprinter for drills to strengthen your feet and incorporate technique work. Transitioning I'd recommend wearing them as your normal footwear and walk everywhere with them for about 2 or 3 weeks. If your feet feel good, go for short runs or do your speed work with the BF shoes for a month, using your traditional shoes for long runs (key point here, use toe spreaders if you have them! It helps realign your toes and decompress them. More on that later). Once you feel ready start wearing them for your long runs. They should feel slightly sore after about 3 or 4 weeks, but only a little and that should go away after a week or two. If it gets really sore to the point you feel it while walking, reduce the mileage and run every other day. Eventually your feet will adapt and you'll be well on your way to drastically improved mobility and much better feet. Never saw the need for inserts, but if it hurts during the early days of wearing them then go for it! Just be sure to take them out after a while so your feet can start doing their thing without the need for assistance. In my case, I wore them right off the bat with no transition period and did 20 miles a week. After 2 months my arch was sore every day, even when just curling my toes while sitting around. Running was even worse, but like any muscle soreness after a little warmup and getting after it the feeling went away. Took about 6 weeks but eventually the soreness went away and now the only soreness I feel after 5 mile runs are in my calves and glutes! I would highly recommend you look into Altras if you plan on doing high mileage on roads/concrete for their extra cushioning, but Xeros are great for aggressively correcting your feet just because they have about 5-8 mm of rubber and that's it for protection. They're what I wear when I go anywhere and on short rucks. Your mileage may vary depending on current fitness and what your end goal is, but your feet will definitely thank you. As for the toe spreaders, a lot of people have touched on why they're so great and why our toes need the extra spread. I wore them every night when I slept for 3 months, and now I only wear them after a day in dress shoes or in my issued boots. Honestly, starting out a few hours at night before bed consistently is all you need to realign your toes and feet.

I always hear 'walk on the heel run on the toe' That just meaning not landing on the heel when running

True that and nobody is talking about that point

thats a dumb logic why would you do that

Thank you for sharing this. I have worried about the support for the arch.

Most Merrells are almost halfway between a normal shoe and a barefoot shoe. I wear barefoot shoes day to day but wanted something slightly more supportive for running while I'm still transitioning so I ordered some trail gloves 7s. I'll let you know how I get on

I am about to buy a pair of Xeros, my first barefoot shoes. Which of theirs did(do) you like?

@@nancyreese80 I have both the HFS and the Speed Force 2, they have been great so far

@@forsakenovercast3081 Thank you so much!!

Whitin, which you buy through Amazon, has just come out (Jan '23) with a wide toe box, zero drop heel running shoe with a bit more cushioning than their minimalist shoes - they still exercise your feet well, and still give you a feel for the surface you're walking on, but they're not as extreme a change as completely minimalist shoes. I've got a pair, and they're perfect for me as I build foot strength.

Oh and i also use correct toes toe spacers when i train legs at the gym or go for a longer walk. Sometimes i wear them at home when doing stuff around the house or just watching TV. Biggest thing was barefoot shoes at the gym i think, the muscles in my feet would get really sore(in a good way) after using them at the gym with leg training.

I’ve been having arch problems for a couple months now pain has been on and off left foot or right foot. It’s very saddening and I’m genuinely thinking about giving barefoot shoes a shot. If there’s one thing I do know it’s that walking. Around barefoot has never hurt my feet it’s only when I wear shoes for when when they hurt. Hopefully this works for me this is my last hope 😕

Also Aussie any tips on where to buy barefoots

@@chickenmanicmrt1705 I wouldn't know. I haven't been to a shoe shop for years and years. Don't even go online looking. About 15 years ago, I purchased a whole bunch of Croc clones, very very cheaply. I purchased so many that was the last time I purchased foot ware.

Hi. Great testimony. Thanks. Thought I'd mention, studies show milk does nothing for bones. Nothing. It was all marketing and hype for profit. If you know differently please let me know. Happy New Year.

@@chickenmanicmrt1705 What brand are you after? I bought Xero shoes and they arrived in Melbourne within 2 days

Sir milk giving you strong bones is another myth, cooked up by the dairy conglomerates. It might be actually worse for your bones. If you drink milk, drink it raw like it comes out of a cow. Though I would recommend to get it from a farm as who knows how contaminated milk gets in commercial farms. Research into it…

Honestly same! I'm an ex gymnast and shoes were so obnoxious to me because I was used to being able to use my feet to balance. Now I wear barefoot shoes and I don't struggle anymore.

Excellent! Thank you for this insite.

Minimalist shoes work best with shorter strides than regular trainers - more steps, and shorter strides. It sounds like you may need to alter your walking technique to avoid over-extending your big toe on push off. Try taking shorter strides, concentrating on what you're doing to your big toes.

Can you get altra shoes there? Most of their shoes are at least somewhat cushioned and have arch support, but they are zero drop and have one of the best toeboxes I've seen in minimalist shoes. I think the 'King Mt.' model is supposed to be thinner and more flexible. I have their 'lone peak' model. #3. 5 or #4. It feels tiring to run in because of the weight, cushion and stiffness, but the grip is excellent on grass. I can't say much personally about other terrain, but my mom has worn them backpacking and says they're grippy there, too.

Xero terraflex.,or at least that's what it was called when it was released might be helpful!

Altra Superior has amazing grip.

Yes, I had the same worries. I used to use Lems, with some cushioning, on tarmac. But now everything that disconnects me from the ground, also hard ones, gives me knee issues. It took about 18 months of adaptations for me. And it's true about the forestrike. I do walk differently at different speeds and grounds, in general I hit the ground with the entire foot, but while walking slowly it's clear that I hit heel first and it's not an issue because I modulate with knee and hip the impact always resulting in a comfortable walk. For me, transition shoes like Lems, really helped. Than it started becoming natural and I wanted to stay more time barefoot. Not sure about studies, I kind abandoned that route, it takes too much expertise to actually understand them. I'm just thinking straight: I don't want my feet to be restricted, like any other part of my body. Even if my body is not designed to live 24h on hard surfaces, I should still be able to stay on those surfaces for some time, because rocks and harder grounds always existed in our environmenr. So i trained for it. Now the result is that I can do 35k steps a day on concrete with 100k per week on average and I'm fine. It's boring to walk on concrete but it came totally natural to me. Good luck with your experience!

@@LuigiPapino thank you so much! (Forse dovrei dire grazie mille hehe ^^)

@@niccololanfranco3830 I live in a urban area, so I was also initially worried about how I'd deal with walking on flat concrete surfaces. But during my barefoot transition period, I realised that when my heels or toes started to ache, my feet and legs would automatically adjust the stride and strike to reduce the pain. Our feet are more hardy than we think and I think that you'll be fine as long as you take your time in transitioning, and give your legs time to rest and build the muscles that you previously didn't need.

surfaces havent rly become much harder tho stone has been used to lay roads for thousands of years and I dont think modern people spend most of their time walking on stone personally, I do work in a place with a completely concrete floor where I'm standing for 6+ hours straight and it used to wear out my feet and leave them so sore when I wore conventional shoes but I've transitioned to wearying only barefoot shoes and my feet have never felt better It took an adjustment period naturally, and it made me care more about the quality of my socks but now I leave work feeling good and still able to go do stuff on my feet if you like having that bit of grass between your foot and the ground, then look into getting nice comfy socks to fill that roll on other surfaces

I still wonder at this too. Is there an accumulative negative effect of walking all day on concrete with practically zero shock absorption from your shoe soles. As you mention, no one walks with a forefoot strike (go ahead try it if you think you do. You'll be joining the ministry for silly walks). I just think it's not something there's an answer/enough data for. I'm going to trust that our feet/bodies are hardy enough to adapt to any surface (humans have existed on hard surfaces throughout history i'm sure, like the ancients in their cities etc). Plus I'll just be mindful how it's effecting me i guess.

I recommend watching more of his videos especially “barefoot running techniques simplified.” The barefoot gait technique he covers (quite well I need to add) helps build the muscles in your foot that will stabilize (intrinsic muscles) the landing and then spring (by using the natural 3arches in your foot) your gait on any surface. Then check out YT channel grown and healthy (another amazing channel with similar perspectives) and definitely read born to run! Hope this helps.

@@endthefed_1913 I have already seen some of his other videos and I understand the biomechanics of it. Running on concrete is very different from hardwood floors or dirt trails. We are designed to run on earth not on synthetic concrete.

Had a pair of merrells(Trail glove 5) for training parkour, so i got alot of experience with them in urban environments. Running, jumping, flipping, taking drops etc, all on hard surfaces. And i can honestly say they were one of the best pk shoes i ever tried. Cant wait to buy them again for training after my current shoes are worn out. A lot of people in the parkour community here absolutely love these barefoot shoes for training ;)

@@benl8962 thanks so much for the recommendation I bought sandals from them before and we super roomy for my toes, I'll check them out. Parkour sounds awesome and it's something I have wanted to try but it looks so intimidating but cool. Lol

I go with Altra for that reason but some soles are less flexible than others with their models. Im a big guy so walking on concrete all day in paper thin soles is really punishing. And the cold is another downside. You can wear them when its cold but you will suffer. I have some winter minimist boot and they dont protect from cold very well..

Merrell's are no joke. Their the most minimalist shoes I've ever owned. I love them for driving, actually; I feel more responsive.

It's not a guaranteed fix. Even the cited tribe had a 1.3% rate of flatfootedness and you might be in that 1.3%.

Wearing correct toes in combination with barefoot shoes really helps. Flat footednes is not really a problem. What is a problem is the overpronation that often occurs by flat footedness. Overpronation itself is also in itself not a problem, but it is a major cause of caved knees, which results in knee/hip/lower back damage. The kinetic chain all starts from the bottom to the top. Your feet and toes is where it all starts. While barefoot shoes might not be an immidiate magical fix, it is the best thing to reduce further damage. It is very important you wear correct toes with your barefoot shoes, because moving the big toe to the outside will greatly help getting rid of overpronation issues. Your feet need to be completely restrenghted and for that they need be in the right position. Only wearing barefoot shoes (even for 5 years) is not enough when you still overpronate and the big toe caves inward. That is why you need to wear your barefoot shoes in combination with correct toes and also work on your gluteus medius to improve knee stability. Stop the orthopedic inlays. They do more harm then good.

Another factor in flat feet for many people is that they use their hamstrings and back muscles more than their glutes for walking and running. Do you have a flat butt? If so, it's likely you need to strengthen your glutes and practice using them to move your hip forward as you walk. That automatically makes your foot arch, it's part of the evolved biomechanics of walking.

@@nycbearff interesting. but no, my glutes are very well developed haha. but still a good tip, I'll focus on that muscle group a little bit more when walking/running.

Definitely give it a try, I wear work boots all day because I work on a concrete floor. When I'm not at work I throw on my barefoot shoes. I got mine from Amazon for less than $50, they don't look like a normal pair of shoes but I like funky shoes so it works out.

Barefoot shoes can mask bad foot placement and push off mechanics. You'll get bad blisters in less than a mile with wrong technique on pavement. Running naked foot is the only way to get the necessary feedback to learn how to run properly. Side benefit is the ability to run on snow and ice without slipping about.