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As someone who HAS to wear "anatomical"/zero-drop footwear due to foot issues, I am so grateful for this video series, because it allows me to actually see inside these shoes, and get an in-depth insight into the best options for me, which ones live up to their claims, etc. THANK YOU!! 😁

dude you're work is making casual people familiar with what quality footwear should have. I don't have to tell you having quality footwear is probably the one investment that nobody regrets. I'm certain your videos will play a large part in raising the bottom level quality of boots and that'll make everyone, from the novice construction worker who buys whatever Walmart has to the connoisseur who probably has to many bespoke boots. he's never really going to use, happier.

For ankle strength: This may sound silly, but look up pre-pointe exercises for ballerinas. The point of those exercises is to strengthen the ankles enough that they won't roll when you're moving around a space on your toes. (Including jumping!) They also train your reflexes. If you do those exercises, over time you will learn how to feel the little muscles and articulations in your feet, and you'll compensate better when your foot starts to roll. I haven't danced in ten years, but that training has kept my ankles strong. Just make sure you don't let your foot sickle when you try the exercises. Sickling is very dangerous, it's a weak position. It would only take a tiny bit of force to hurt a sickled ankle. I'm sure there must be videos out there explaining it better than I could, definitely look that up before you try the pre-pointe exercises. Dancers are taught to never sickle their feet from the first moment they step into a ballet studio, but if you've never heard of the concept before, it may seem a bit strange. Super worth learning about though. EDIT - This video shows what I mean by sickling: kzfaq.infojQUcgBGxRjk?feature=share This one shows how to find the correct alignment: kzfaq.infoz-pgZ3wTz4M?feature=share

I take my vivos through class 3 all the time. Many backpackers and thru hikers who actually travel 20-40 miles a day use minimal type shoes for a reason. I did the Sierra High Route in Topo Athletics, and they held up fine. Talk about some serious class 3 action and talus fields. I think most people just haven't any idea what would actually work best because they don't do outdoors athletically. It would be odd to go from a cast-like boot to a barefoot shoe and not go through growing pains... But for me, anecdotally, once that bridge is crossed... I am loads better off and much more able. I found 'good feet store' and arch supports to all be a kind of racket. addressing symptoms only. Just letting my body get back to what it evolved to do is way better. I still like my artisan boots though, and they have a place, but when I'm doing athletics and many miles... I need breathability, width, flex, light weight and very minimal stack height if any. There are loads of physical problems modernity has ushered in. Poor eye sight, bad teeth, acne, sore feet, poor sleep... & Lots of industry and money there addressing the symptoms, but much of that can be resolved for most with some lifestyle changes at the roots. I think? Maybe? To each their own.

So glad you're venturing into this barefoot shoes world! After my first baby, my feet grew a half size and my tolerance for tight shoes went out the window, so I've been trying to find shoes with a wider toe box that don't make my feet look ridiculous. I know you're just looking at men's shoes, but it's still helpful to know what brands to look at

I just made the cold-turkey switch to barefoot in 2022, and am really glad you're doing this series. I geek out on shoes/boots and love your channel. I will say that I own Freet, Vivo, and Xero (not all boots), and my perceived experience exactly matches what your technical analysis shows. The Vivos are the "most barefoot", the Freets are close behind that, and the Xeros are good but almost feel conventional in terms of stiffness. All that said, I absolutely love my Freet Ibex boots (they are real leather). They are the most comfortable footwear I have ever worn, even from the very first day. For really cold weather I put in the Vivo thermal insole (highly recommended) and add a pair of thin wool socks (I wear my barefoot shoes without socks whenever possible). I would add a double/triple affirmation on the "go slow" caution -- if you've spent decades in normal shoes your feet and legs are NOT ready for a normal walking/running/hiking load in barefoot footwear. Go out and find one of the many videos on strengthening your feet for barefoot activity, and start doing that. Seriously. Also, once again, get into it gradually. Your feet and Achilles tendons will thank you.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that you are doing this!!! I’m such a barefoot advocate. I’ve been rocking lems bolder boots without the insole and 6mm thick shamma sandals for a long time. Changed how I walk, makes a noticeable difference in back, leg, and joint pain.

I recently (over the course of 2-3 years) switched from regular hiking boots to vivos and xeros. When you were ranking based on class hiking I can see why you rated the barefoot boots low because of how much you feel rock through them but there is a major benefit to offset the stabby feeling through the sole and that’s ankle stability through foot awareness. In traditional boots I’d regularly roll my ankles because I don’t pay attention to how my steps feel. In the barefoot ones you tested I never have the ankle rolling effect because I am aware every time my foot makes and removes contact. What I will add if you kind of need to change your stepping style, especially on the descent in class 3s in the barefoot shoes. You need to always lead with the toe first going down hill because landing your heel in hard repetitive steps on what rocks in any of the barefoot shoes does hurt. This stuff being said I prefer barefoot boots for the class 3s and reg boots for class 1s. Personal preference of course, I just find the foot awareness makes me feel stronger and keep my ankles from rolling during the hike.

As somebody who's had ACL/MCL reconstruction, low-heeled shoes really help my joints. I recently got a pair of iron rangers and they've caused a lot of knee pain, which is slowly subsiding as I break them in. I only wish there was a high-quality heritage style zero drop boot, but I'm thinking of resoling my heritage boots with a flatter, softer gum sole.

I’ve done class 3 almost exclusively in my Xeros and it takes training at the start. You have to condition yourself to really be aware of your steps or you’ll slam down in a jagged rock. I do quite like it, though. I’ve done it in vivo’s as well, but they’re a little wider in my feet and feel baggy. For really rugged or higher inclined, but not vertical, hikes around 3-4ish, I love my all bison leather 8 in boots from Bison Boots, a small barefoot boots company that unfortunately shut down operations around 2019

Really cool you are taking on barefoot shoes. Though, for us experienced barefooters, some information is not as spot on as it could be. Like how much barefoot feel you get not only depends on the thickness of the sole, but how flexible it is in ALL directions (not just bending/rolling), and how soft it is. A little more soft sole will give more feedback from the ground than a really thin and stiff sole. Also how durable a barefoot shoe is does not depend on like how thick a sole is. I wear down my barefoot shoes at a much slower rate than I did my conventional shoes. Because your walking pattern will naturally soften with barefoot shoes and you for example won't wear through the heel as fast as having a heel strike will hurt in those kinds of shoes. Then we have the width. Measuring on the insole is not always a fair comparison. How much volume the shoe has a the toe area, and how soft the edges are around the toe box will determine the actual width/space for feet to splay. Also, there are a lot of people doing advanced hikes in barefoot shoes without problem. But yeah, you would want to build up your strength in your feet/body first. Lastly, there are many of us that love leather. And leather is most definitely the most environmentlly friendly. (Even though many have been made to believe the opposite, unfortunately). There are a lot of barefoot brands that have leather actually! But anyway, still fun to see you going into the barefoot world. I would love for you to cut apart a pair of Realfoot shoes next time 😊

I'm right there with you on the "Why should I hate leather to like barefoot shoes" train. Anyone who actually acknowledges facts knows leather is the more environmentally friendly option. I think it's one of the reasons I'm super pro Lems though. Because they acknowledge both sides and you can get them either way.

I live in BC where most trails are class 3 and I do all my hikes in minimalist barefoot shoes. Took a while for feet to build up, but now my feet are so much happier and stronger. Plantar fasciitis is gone and lower back pain gone. Not to mention it’s so enjoyable to feel the changing ground beneath me. It’s like a foot massage

Thanks so much for this video. I used to be into the Pacific Northwest style, heritage boots and nobody can deny how romantically cool they look but after seeing my feet going the route of my parents with bunions and toes that are no longer straight I decided to give barefoot shoes a try and it's been a couple years now and I have done some pretty extreme things in Vivobarefoot shoes (my favorite barefoot brand so far and by far). I have ran many miles, hiked everything from groomed trails to intense via ferrata trails and backpacking in the Rockies. Though I did find that to prevent injury in the tendons and fascia it is important to maintain active and not ignore early signs of strain and not push through that kind of pain. (Strength and flexibility is essential). I have been wanting to see what those shoes looked like on the inside and to get your professional opinion on them so thanks again. My feet, ankles, knees and back have felt better than ever and I am so much more aware of the complexity of my foot and how I interact with the substrate I am on. The best part is that I have not twisted/rolled my ankle to the point that it hurts for more than just a few minutes since I stoped wearing shoes with heels. I have much more control over my ankle and there just isn't that much distance my ankle can travel in that scenario as there would be if I were in boots a stacked heel or just a lot of foam. Like, I don't know anyone who has severely twisted their ankle while barefoot on the beach or at home or anywhere. And back to my original reason, my bunions have actually regressed quite a bit and so no granny feet for me.

This is awesome! I love barefoot shoes for lifting, everyday wear and wide toebox runners for... running. Recently I picked up a couple by a german brand called Joe Nimble. After going through half a dozen Topos and Altras they're by far the most comfortable and well built.

My last pair of Keens was 1/8" narrower than the boots I've bought from them in the past (I've had about 8 pairs). It made a shocking amount of difference in comfort, especially after wearing them for so many years.

That was great! I hate squished toes too. I have a pair of Rancourt moc boots and a pair of Keens. For most hikes I reach for the Keens. Your criteria make sense to me. It's not only the rigidity and zero drop. Leather, after a hike, takes a lot of work to clean up. As always, I appreciate your thoughtfulness. I'm trying to whittle my way down to three or four boots that handle what I throw at them. You have helped me focus on the qualities that matter.

Looking forward to seeing more barefoot shoe content. Also, the editing has gotten better and better.

very happy to see you guys tackle this topic ❤

This is one of my favorite channels. Thanks for all you do, Weston.

Great explanation of the concepts and terms for barefoot shoes! This will really help viewers who may be coming from more traditional boots. Can't wait to see the rest of the series!

Stoked to see this series coming out! Can’t wait to see all the boots you review here, and how they stack up against each other.

I’ve never tried barefoot boots but I love my Xero prio shoes and am excited to get more in the world of barefoot shoes thank you for this video!!😊

I'm so excited for this. I love that the first boulder boot episode sparked your interest in anatomical shoes

I'm just a person who chooses boots in the winter but I walk from train to work...a mile each way... and I love that keen boot. I have a dark blue with a yellow sole... great look. My legs don't hurt with them and I love that toe box.

I’m so glad you decided to do this series Weston

I love this series! Discovering what type of construction and shoes are the best for my health is really important. I hope dress shoe companies can figure out a way to make wider toe boxed shoes look better, they are squish our toes so much for looks ita insane

I have worn barefoot boots/shoes for a few years now. I recently got a pair of Jim Greens and realized going back to regular boots from zero drops my back started hurting a ton. Zero drop works for relieving back pain.

I'm coming up on 2 years wearing only barefoot shoes. I am psyched to see the upcoming videos!

Love seeing different kinds of boots and shoes now, since I’ve watched you I’ve always wondered what protective motorcycle boots/shoes would look like cut in half. I have a pair of Dainese street rocker d-wp boots and would love to see something like that cut in half. Keep up the good content!

My daughter has been wearing Vivobarefoot boots for years. Such great quality!

Not much of a hiker, but I've been looking for more of a relaxed shoe to do most of the daily stuff and have been curious about barefoot shoes. Found the Vivo's on sale on their site and it'll be my first foray into the segment! Thanks for the quality uploads as always!

Hell yeah, this is the video on boots i needed, but didn't even know existed.

I just got LEMS this week based off your review from a month ago. I love them so much, thanks!

Love this series. It is so nice to see books of all kinds cut apart.

Surprised Softstar wasn’t included. They do the Switchback barefoot boot and made in the USA.

I wish all boots were complete barefoot. Really intriguing brands are groundies and windling. The are manufactured in Europe and Not in China. And use leather and felt and wool

Rose Anvil should design a barefoot leather boot after this series

Thank-you for the objective and subjective reviews! The consistency and thoroughness is very much appreciated. Barefoot shoes are awesome

really happy ur making vids on barefoot shoes! I've been a total convert over the last 3 or so years and I could never see myself going back

I'm super excited for this series. I've been rocking Xero for a while specifically the pair in this video. They're good shoes but delamination is definitely an issue. Every pair of Xero or Altras I've had eventually have this happen after a year or so of regular (1-2 days a week) hiking on grade 1 and 2 trails.

Great vid! IMO you should've included the Lems Outlander Waterproof considering you had already done the leather ones. They are right in between the 3 "true" barefoot and the 2 "standard," but same style as the ones in this video. So excited for this series!!!

A great start to a very interesting series! I'm moving towards barefoot footwear. Would be great if you can do a barefoot work/safety boot episode. I'm keen to see a review on the Birkenstock QS700, which is wide toe box, and becomes zero drop once the insole is taken out.

Yes! I’ve been asking for this for years. I’ve had my sage green bel minimils since graduating basic and they are still going after miles of use. New uniform and I have those coyote ones and still love them. The best part is they pack down tiny! Thanks for the video. Please do Corcoran Marauders next!

I kept seeing suggestions that barefoot shoes might help my plantar fasciitis and severe knee pain. I have very wide feet so cute was never an option. Bought a CHEAP pair of whitin on Amazon to try out. Loved them! Legitimately my feet basically stopped hurting, my knee pain went from severe 40% of the time to mild 10% of the time. I have since gotten the new boulder boots for winter per your recommendation (wish they were wider!) and a pair of Lems primal zen. I'm teacher on my feet all the time and my feet feel great!

This is a dream come true! Years ago I requested a dissection of Vivobarefoot Gobi II shoe and and now we’re getting a whole barefoot playlist of videos! So excited!

Wow! Great choice! As much as possible I use very minimal sole. Previously my #1 shoe was Addis Volley White. It was a very minimal shoe. It allowed me to be lite and swift on my feet which was a plus on crisis psych unit.

Many people who want zero drop want a durable leather option! I would love to see you do a collaboration with a boot company to make a nice, leather resoleable barefoot hiking boot like Russell used to offer.

I'm in love with Vivos, they're just so well made and feel great on feet

I now have three Freet shoes: one for the office with black leather (or whatever it is) and two running/walking shoes for wet conditions. They tend to be just a little too large, so you might go one size smaller. If it's dry I use my Vibram Five Fingers for running. Now I'm looking for a sturdier walking boot, so this series is helping me a lot to decide, thank you.

When I was a hiking noob I took my work Blundstones up a Class 3 New Zealand mountain trail. Boots were destroyed after, but the journey was worth it. Wish I had these shoes back then

Dude I love barefoot February! This is one of my favorite KZfaq vids of all time.

Really excited for Arch March!!

Thank you so much for doing a barefoot series :)

I don’t think you can do a barefoot series without including Vibram’s “Five Fingers” shoes - the only time Vibram have ventured beyond soles into actually making footwear. It would also be interesting to hear from a professional podiatrist about the relative merits of barefoot versus traditional footwear. To some extent it may depend on the type of feet people have.

Thank you for this series! As someone who's current boots are falling apart and wants to try barefoot shoes/boots for the first time this information is great! I am actually shocked by how affordable some of these are for me!

So topo does in fact have a lot of zero drop options, and so does my personal favorite brand Altra and then they are varying degrees of thicknesses. But this is my most anticipated video for a while now and I am loving it!!!!!

Thx for this video. I own many barefoot shoes/boots from Lems to Altra’s. Can’t wait for next video.

Great to see you will be testing so many kind of different shoes. Looking forward to it! Hopefully you will be able to test some cheaper shoes like the Within brand for the athletic video in the future one day

Yes! Please do More wide toe box reviews!! 👟

Switched from Nicks to barefoot boots like Gaucho Ninja, never going back, will definitely be sending my Nicks in for a barefoot rebuild.

Soooo excited for your barefoot series. I only wear minimalist shoes or Birkenstocks now. I hope you do the Softstar Switchbacks, I've enjoyed my Softstar shoes (despite them looking clowny; I actually call them my duck shoes hahaha) but haven't pulled the trigger on their boots yet 👀

I've found with wearing mostly barefoot style shoes my ankles are a lot more sturdy and less susceptible to ankle rolls even with a foam midsole.

I love/hate my Xero Xcursions. When I still used them (in higher frequency), I would take them on rocky class 2-3 hikes with the weekly farm usage and they worked very well. The stiffness and sole height is quite nice to have all while being zero drop and all. Pretty perfect for someone making a transition from tactical/military kind of footwear. However I do have issues with it. The first thing is is the cemented construction especially right above the toes, which tends to peel off the upper. Additionally the upper is a mesh construction which is very prone to collecting grass seeds and debris, and that’s all a pain to remove with a brush and some tweezers. The Chevron treads are good while they last and that’s it. The treads wear out fast. The Xero Xcursion Fusions are supposedly waterproof but I’ve found the water resistance to be short lived after a few outdoor excursions, and eventually become a sweatbox that doesn’t keep water out. If I were to recommend a Xero footwear I would recommend just the Daylite hiker. They’re basically the Xcursion Fusion without the bs mentioned above for a lower price point and just as good durability if not longer. Quite honestly I’m on the edge of just going to modern combat boots. Perhaps take a jab at Altberg which I’m confident will last for years but also oriented for moving, because the while the minimalist zero drop stuff is nice they just don’t inspire long term durability for their value and I believe part of that is just the technological limitations of being thinner sole footwear but also the whole hippie material thing just not lasting as long as leather and stitches.

Awesome video I've been waiting for this!

Recently got my sneakers in a bigger size, kind of working like a barefoot that way. Feels amazing!

One time I bought these expensive logger boots and they absolutely killed my knees. The had that heel and high arch. I gave to a buddy who I noticed as excited as he was about getting them didn’t wear them much.

How dare you not rate the Vivos as supremely cool! I love the look of those boots.

Wool and leather... great combo for a shoe. Thanks for sharing!

Another great video. Thanks for reviewing some very attainable shoes price-wise and getting to the bottom of this barefoot trend (even if the bottom is only a cm of tread)

you should try the softstar switchbacks, they have two models one full leather over and the other syntet canvas + leather. they are made in usa

I wore packers for about 10 years and now minimal support shoes for nearly 15, five fingers for at least half of that. The Algorithm has been pushing this channel on me for probably a full year, but I have resisted. I admit the last few videos got my attention, but it was actually some of the older videos that has kept me watching. I think it's nostalgia for me, I still have a pile of Packers packed away. Oh, I always have a pair of Keens around for dry weather abuse, I have LaCrosse rubber boots as my wet weather equivalent. Great channel!

The hiking classifications are a good idea 💡 👌

Great idea for a series! Looking forward to all the vids :).

I love the class system to describe hiking, it indicates that you were pulling from surprisingly experienced and knowledgable sources regarding how non-supportive footwear is to wear on more rugged hikes. I put in a minimum of several hundred miles of rough terrain on and off trail in a steep and rocky region. Several years back, I transistioned to minimalist footwear which started as barefoot. I wanted to share my experience. First off, the thin soles are great and shockingly hard-wearing. They last longer than my sneakers or hiking boots ever did. I would walk holes in the bottom of the soles of my Merrells and Keens in under a year every time. Not the case with barefoot shoes. Rocks suck. Cannot recommend hiking rocky trail in anything marketed as barefoot. Use 'minimalist' with at least some degree of cushioning. Especially ones designed for trail. Those Vivos don't belong in the Rocky Mountains. Even minimalist footwear took three years before I stopped regularly bruising my feet. That was a brutal process. No bruises anymore. I also now sometimes choose to wear a veg-tan leather insole on the rockier hikes. You can't walk as far if carrying a load as you can with more supportive footwear. The support counts. I can put in a 30 mile day with an 80 pound load with more supportive footwear. I start feeling the pain bigtime at around 20 miles in minimalist. The difference gets less significant as your load weight decreases. My feet grew a full size and two full widths. Stability, body health/ergonomics, twisted ankles, toe joint pain, knee and back pain, everyday health all changed very noticeably for the better. My feet getting crazy wide made it impossible to find traditional footwear style shoes. I need work boots for work and haven't found anything that works and is cost effective. The Red Wing H width is wearable but sucks, surplus xw is wearable but sucks. I'm going to swing by a couple of the PNW joints when I'm in Spokane next, but would be surprised if anything came wide enough.

Would've been nice to see the Lems Boulder Boot compared as well. I love the vivo's. Next to my Russell Moccasin BF shoes, they are my favorite.

Thank you so, so much for showing the benefits of barefoot shoes! So many wearers of high arch boots use those boots to try and correct problems...what they end up achieving is using the boots as a crutch and not addressing the underlying issues such as weak foot, ankle, and leg muscles. People don't realize that high arch boots were designed to allow us to work longer, not specifically designed to correct underlying problems. They are trying to treat the symptoms instead of the cause. I wear PNW boots for work and workout in barefoot shoes and go barefoot as much as possible.

The way he picks up the cat LOL

I've used a few pair of hiking boots for 5+ years for both hiking and daily but I've realized that the my style of walking worn down the heal super fast. My conclusion was that i need a flatter shoe and a want something with a wide toe box. The shoe that matched my needs were Altra and i love them as my daily and light hikes but in rougher terrain I'll still use my hiking boots

I have a pair of black Xeros with some white accents that are the hiking style. They have a higher top above the ankle than the model that you show. Mine are very comfortable and I think that they are approaching the cool looking style. Great first foray into barefoot-style shoes. I wouldn't take them on anything past a Level 2 hike. I mostly wear them around near the beach. Love the wide toe box.

I like the quirky style of the vivos good to know they are good quality. May take the plunge on them. Thanks for the info.

Been waiting for this one! Found a pair of vivo barefoot shoes at goodwill that fit perfectly and have since gotten Lems and whitin and I'll never go back to regular footwear again!

I love my vivo shoes! Glad to see them here.

Great vid! Hope to see some Altra Lone Peaks at some point in the series!

Lems were great for casual...but the king is still tracker 2. I wore my LeBrons a few days ago and considered cutting my feet off. Trackers are amazing for outdoor and indoor. Besides my mucks I have completely switched over. And my feet are very happy that I have. Awesome video brother... great information

I really wish he’d talk about the depth fit as well. I’ve worn keen, Topo, merrell, oboz, and new balance while hiking. Topo is the only brand I never felt like my foot was going to slide sideways in. Definitely felt the most stable while hiking

Have the same vivo boots and I would feel more comfortable in those on a class 3 hike than any other boots that I own. I have also had them through 3 eastern Idaho winters and they are still holding up perfectly!

Im happy with my Xero boot. Ive done a few class 2 hike with it and hold up super good.

Man arch march is so cool name! I love those series names

Thanks for the series.

I just bought a pair of Lems boulder nylon boot. Wore them all day today walking around in the rain and they are pretty comfortable

Great video, love your channel 👏

Yes! So glad to see this vid! Waited ages. Look forward to the sandals one. Earthrunners all day baby!

Great video, excited for this series. I believe Vivo are offering to resole shoes now too adding to the durability and potentially mitigating a little of the cost.

barefoot for the win! Vivobarefoot and Xero are my favorite brands, but I bought a pair of Origo's barefoot casual shoes and they are insanely comfortable. Hope you get a chance to cut a pair of Origo's in half. I had them for like a year and I'm still mindblown on how comfy the soul is. So this channel and my Vivobarefoot Ra III's shoes and Gobi II's made me appreciate really good leather. I started leathercrafting lately. The only other leather shoes I ever owned were Bostonians from the mall. I think I bought five pairs of Bostonians in my lifetime. They scratch so easily. I also own a pair of old Crocs leather work/hiking boots, yes Crocs made a leather boot.

Bruh looking like the prince of Egypt

Going to love this series of videos I own many Xero and vivo. Xero is definitely a mid tier shoe as far as barefoot shoes go and Vivo is more premium higher quality. Now that said I still find myself in my Xero way more often but that’s due to how broken in and I put elastic laces on them so they are slip on shoes so convenient. Anyway looking forward to more of these videos

I appreciate you talking about this. My hope is someone will make a comp toe/safety toe barefoot for working!

“ Would a sharp rock ruin my $$$ shoes”. I’d be more worried about a sharp rock ruining my foot!