good video, I'll add that if you're younger (under 20) you can probably just transition immediately. At least that was my experience. One day I decided to start barefoot running on concrete to help fix my running posture and I had no issues except the skin on my feet being rubbed raw. Since then I've started going on long barefoot walks again just on the sidewalk and I've had zero issues. The bottoms of my feet are strong enough now that I stepped on a nail one time and recoiled my foot before it punctured the skin.
I’m impressed you mentioned contraindications as most people don’t and especially the point about Ehlers Danlos! It’s so rare to find any mention of this condition anywhere, so thank you for that. I have hypermobile EDS so I’d be really interested in learning more about how to manage barefoot shoes and foot exercices with the condition.
Lems may be a good option if you want the extra cushion. They're a much thicker stack height to most barefoot shoes but still have the flexibility, zero drop, and wide toe box. I originally bought them for longer hikes, and they go pretty well.
Great informative video. Good that you mention the contraindications and to seek your own medical advice. I'm barefoot curious, as I've had decades of foot problems, but in recent times going barefoot a lot more surprising myself that my feet feel better than ever! Even though I have some old injuries and fairly mobile feet! I'll be doing some foot exercise and assessments and looking into your recommended reading. Thank you.
I've solely used barefoot shoes for more than 6 years now, mostly on hard surfaces. I've noticed I tend to walk at a slower pace than most people, unless I'm in a deliberate rush somewhere. When I'm walking faster I subconsciously tend to hit the ground more on my forefoot, but when I'm walking normally I tend to heel strike, only more gently than I would have with normal shoes.
Same here ;) Heel strike with barefoot isn't that bad as its reputation. I think it can even be very important, too, for the strength of your bones etc. Little impulses are needed.
Im waiting for my first pair to arrive. Im 70 and walk around barefoot at home. If I'm in all day... Im barefoot all day. Love the freedom so hoping my new shoes are worth it 😊
I'm glad you mentioned "safe and appropriate to do so" for walking around outside barefoot! We have fire ants, venomous spiders, venomous snakes, and all sorts of other things around here that makes it...not ideal...to walk around barefoot here--but I still see people taking that risk all the time!!
Transistioned cold turkey about 7 years ago. Wore "Correct Toes" toe spacers for the first 4 years inside Softstar original Run Amocs. I no longer need the spacers. I fell down the steps about 7 weeks ago and am extremely grateful that I only have Softstars in which to recover. The outsole of the ones I wear now in recovery are the ones I use as slippers: 2mm Vibram outsole with about a 2mm leather insole. No cushioning. I changed my gate to forefoot strike when I first began wearing the Softstars 7 years ago. It took about 6 months to relearn to walk correctly. I initiated this whole journey because of constant foot pain in my left foot. Within about 17 days of initiating the practice, pains in my right foot (that I was unaware of because the left foot shouted louder) went away as well. I will never go back to crappy shoes. However: I am unable to afford barefoot winter boots. In winter I put up with crappy boots for the few hours that are necessary to grocery shop or shovel the driveway. They feel weird because they are stiff, but the toe box is very wide and there is no arch "support." In summer, I usually wear huaraches that I made out of old Softstar bottoms. Yes, they are tied to my foot. They are cool in the oven that is summer, though.
I feel you on the winter boots - they're generally pretty expensive. I wonder if you might have some luck on Facebook marketplace or getting a pair secondhand? Also, I know I'm responding super late but I hope your recovery went/is going well! 💜
Great info, thank you. Can you continue to wear regular socks with the beginner shoes you recommend? Do you only need the toe socks if you get the vibram type shoes?
I personally settled on a stack range in between barefoot / "minimalist". My primary shoes for many years were 21/17mm [4mm drop]. My journey into barefoot shoes (Whitin) didn't go well but admittedly, I totally mismanaged recovery/transitioning. My foot is finally recovering greatly but since, I decided that I simply can't do barefoot shoes for now. I live in a big city and occasionally trail run. I generally don't walk "in a straight line" if that makes sense; I sporadically run/jump/etc going about my day and the chance to bang up my unseasoned-barefoot feet in shoes in just way too high. All that being said, I did get some Bedrock Cairns and I feel like their 14mm stack height is almost perfect; concrete ground is almost A LITTLE harsh but today my feet were feeling great (been doing foot exercises) and they actually felt pretty good. Long story short: I think the way barefoot "influencers" hype up these shoes is borderline dangerous; the transition period should be strongly brought to attention though I suppose this applies to other fitness activities such as lifting heavy. For now I'd like to settle with stack heights no lower than 15mm but should I get incredibly comfortable, who knows, I might decide to go full barefoot in the future! Could easily be a year or three from now if ever. Just my 2 cents in experience with transitioning.
Everything you have gone over has been great but what you said about sandals was way off base. I started with five fingers and have explored other barefoot and minimalist shoes. Then i discovered sandals. I'm in love. I haven't worn my xero speed forces in months. I'm wearing the shamma trailstars currently. And since I've been wearing these I'm also doing more barefoot running than before. My longest shamma run is 13 on pavement. Side note - you finished your video with ....I want to hear from you in the comments..... and then you haven't responded to a single comment......
Thanks for the feedback and I maybe should've been more clear that sandals and flip flops mean different things. Flip flops are backless and require you to grip your toes to keep them on when you walk, which is why they're not generally considered to be barefoot shoes. I found an article that talks a little bit about it that might be of interest: www.nutritiousmovement.com/how-flip-flops-change-your-feet/ Also, you're 100% right that I dropped the ball on responding to comments and I apologize for that. My mental health hasn't been great these last few months which is why I stepped away from UA-cam (making videos and responding to comments). I'm feeling better and have a few things in the works, so I'll do the best I can!
@@BalancingLaura Thank you for the reply and the link to the article about flip flops. The flip flop grip observation is interesting. One thing have noticed running barefoot is my toes point upward right before my foot contacts the ground. And when I walk the toes seem to stay level to slightly pointed up. Pretty much the opposite of what happens to your feet in flip flops. I am glad you're feeling better :)
Ever since I was a small child, I LOVED going barefoot all the time. I still go barefoot regularly. My thought about getting these shoes... Is it like going barefoot, but my feet are better protected?
After decades of foot pain and doctor visits I switched to barefoot shoes and almaost immediately 90% of my pain is gone. No transition - just cold turkey. I have been forced into wearing standard shoes two recently and my feet hurt for days afterwards.
@@GothicGame Exactly, if you were barefoot before around the house, then your transition will be pretty quick. Someone like me who NEVER walked barefoot, not even in the house, my Nikes were glued to my feet the whole day, My transition has taken YEARS. I'm on year 2.5, still struggle with a lot of pain, and can't be on my feet for very long. Progress is slow, but there is progress day by day and it's different for everyone.
barefeet shoes are not for me, i´ve been born with spastic feet, also my feet are not strong enough, also by birth, poor me. but thanks anyway, for explaing. young woman.
good video, I'll add that if you're younger (under 20) you can probably just transition immediately. At least that was my experience. One day I decided to start barefoot running on concrete to help fix my running posture and I had no issues except the skin on my feet being rubbed raw. Since then I've started going on long barefoot walks again just on the sidewalk and I've had zero issues. The bottoms of my feet are strong enough now that I stepped on a nail one time and recoiled my foot before it punctured the skin.
I’m impressed you mentioned contraindications as most people don’t and especially the point about Ehlers Danlos! It’s so rare to find any mention of this condition anywhere, so thank you for that.
I have hypermobile EDS so I’d be really interested in learning more about how to manage barefoot shoes and foot exercices with the condition.
Lems may be a good option if you want the extra cushion. They're a much thicker stack height to most barefoot shoes but still have the flexibility, zero drop, and wide toe box. I originally bought them for longer hikes, and they go pretty well.
I can second this. Lems is the perfect cushion for concrete.
There's a trail outside Tucson that I noticed that was mostly sand and fine gravel - so I ended up doing that barefoot a number of times.
Great informative video. Good that you mention the contraindications and to seek your own medical advice. I'm barefoot curious, as I've had decades of foot problems, but in recent times going barefoot a lot more surprising myself that my feet feel better than ever! Even though I have some old injuries and fairly mobile feet! I'll be doing some foot exercise and assessments and looking into your recommended reading. Thank you.
I've solely used barefoot shoes for more than 6 years now, mostly on hard surfaces. I've noticed I tend to walk at a slower pace than most people, unless I'm in a deliberate rush somewhere. When I'm walking faster I subconsciously tend to hit the ground more on my forefoot, but when I'm walking normally I tend to heel strike, only more gently than I would have with normal shoes.
Same here ;)
Heel strike with barefoot isn't that bad as its reputation. I think it can even be very important, too, for the strength of your bones etc. Little impulses are needed.
Im waiting for my first pair to arrive. Im 70 and walk around barefoot at home. If I'm in all day... Im barefoot all day. Love the freedom so hoping my new shoes are worth it 😊
I'm glad you mentioned "safe and appropriate to do so" for walking around outside barefoot! We have fire ants, venomous spiders, venomous snakes, and all sorts of other things around here that makes it...not ideal...to walk around barefoot here--but I still see people taking that risk all the time!!
Loved your presentation and your generosity - which transpires in your explanations. Many thanks!
Transistioned cold turkey about 7 years ago. Wore "Correct Toes" toe spacers for the first 4 years inside Softstar original Run Amocs. I no longer need the spacers. I fell down the steps about 7 weeks ago and am extremely grateful that I only have Softstars in which to recover. The outsole of the ones I wear now in recovery are the ones I use as slippers: 2mm Vibram outsole with about a 2mm leather insole. No cushioning. I changed my gate to forefoot strike when I first began wearing the Softstars 7 years ago. It took about 6 months to relearn to walk correctly. I initiated this whole journey because of constant foot pain in my left foot. Within about 17 days of initiating the practice, pains in my right foot (that I was unaware of because the left foot shouted louder) went away as well. I will never go back to crappy shoes.
However: I am unable to afford barefoot winter boots. In winter I put up with crappy boots for the few hours that are necessary to grocery shop or shovel the driveway. They feel weird because they are stiff, but the toe box is very wide and there is no arch "support."
In summer, I usually wear huaraches that I made out of old Softstar bottoms. Yes, they are tied to my foot. They are cool in the oven that is summer, though.
I feel you on the winter boots - they're generally pretty expensive. I wonder if you might have some luck on Facebook marketplace or getting a pair secondhand? Also, I know I'm responding super late but I hope your recovery went/is going well! 💜
Great info, thank you. Can you continue to wear regular socks with the beginner shoes you recommend? Do you only need the toe socks if you get the vibram type shoes?
Good video.
This is a very helpful video. Thank you so very much❤
I personally settled on a stack range in between barefoot / "minimalist". My primary shoes for many years were 21/17mm [4mm drop]. My journey into barefoot shoes (Whitin) didn't go well but admittedly, I totally mismanaged recovery/transitioning. My foot is finally recovering greatly but since, I decided that I simply can't do barefoot shoes for now. I live in a big city and occasionally trail run. I generally don't walk "in a straight line" if that makes sense; I sporadically run/jump/etc going about my day and the chance to bang up my unseasoned-barefoot feet in shoes in just way too high.
All that being said, I did get some Bedrock Cairns and I feel like their 14mm stack height is almost perfect; concrete ground is almost A LITTLE harsh but today my feet were feeling great (been doing foot exercises) and they actually felt pretty good.
Long story short: I think the way barefoot "influencers" hype up these shoes is borderline dangerous; the transition period should be strongly brought to attention though I suppose this applies to other fitness activities such as lifting heavy. For now I'd like to settle with stack heights no lower than 15mm but should I get incredibly comfortable, who knows, I might decide to go full barefoot in the future! Could easily be a year or three from now if ever.
Just my 2 cents in experience with transitioning.
I am wearing Hykes Escapes barefoot shoes and best thing I have ever done, never going back to regular shoes.
Everything you have gone over has been great but what you said about sandals was way off base.
I started with five fingers and have explored other barefoot and minimalist shoes. Then i discovered sandals. I'm in love. I haven't worn my xero speed forces in months.
I'm wearing the shamma trailstars currently. And since I've been wearing these I'm also doing more barefoot running than before. My longest shamma run is 13 on pavement.
Side note - you finished your video with ....I want to hear from you in the comments..... and then you haven't responded to a single comment......
Thanks for the feedback and I maybe should've been more clear that sandals and flip flops mean different things. Flip flops are backless and require you to grip your toes to keep them on when you walk, which is why they're not generally considered to be barefoot shoes. I found an article that talks a little bit about it that might be of interest: www.nutritiousmovement.com/how-flip-flops-change-your-feet/
Also, you're 100% right that I dropped the ball on responding to comments and I apologize for that. My mental health hasn't been great these last few months which is why I stepped away from UA-cam (making videos and responding to comments). I'm feeling better and have a few things in the works, so I'll do the best I can!
@@BalancingLaura
Thank you for the reply and the link to the article about flip flops. The flip flop grip observation is interesting. One thing have noticed running barefoot is my toes point upward right before my foot contacts the ground. And when I walk the toes seem to stay level to slightly pointed up. Pretty much the opposite of what happens to your feet in flip flops.
I am glad you're feeling better :)
I’m a big fan of Altra Escalante for walking and Vivo Gobi for an office appropriate shoe
Good video and very informative. Just bought a pair of Altra Escalante 4.
Do you know of any resources to find out the effects of barefoot shoes on people with peripheral neuropathy?
Ever since I was a small child, I LOVED going barefoot all the time. I still go barefoot regularly. My thought about getting these shoes... Is it like going barefoot, but my feet are better protected?
That's the idea! Protection from the elements! And there are lots of places that won't let you inside if you're barefoot. So it works out well!
i can walk barefoot outside but the tile at my house is too hard. do you have any suggestions for house shoes that won't mess up my feet?
Wildlings felt house shoes + Northsole insoles.
After decades of foot pain and doctor visits I switched to barefoot shoes and almaost immediately 90% of my pain is gone. No transition - just cold turkey. I have been forced into wearing standard shoes two recently and my feet hurt for days afterwards.
What do u think about lems shoes?
Love my nine to fives for work. Not the ideal barefoot shoe because of the stack height but for my work it.....works.
Are vibram five fingers good for you
nice
I’ve broken three toes since I started wearing them. And my ankles are screaming but my plantar fasciitis is way better.
YIKES I'm sorry to hear that about your toes but yay for the improved plantar fasciitis!
i literally went from normal shoes to barefoots in like a day had 0 issues wdym transition period takes forever XD just wear them
Like she said it depends on how much you walked barefoot before in your life...
@@GothicGame Exactly, if you were barefoot before around the house, then your transition will be pretty quick. Someone like me who NEVER walked barefoot, not even in the house, my Nikes were glued to my feet the whole day, My transition has taken YEARS. I'm on year 2.5, still struggle with a lot of pain, and can't be on my feet for very long. Progress is slow, but there is progress day by day and it's different for everyone.
I'm happy to hear your transition to barefoot shoes went so smoothly! It's a different experience for everyone. 💜
if only quality and looks were a little bit better, only then, that‘d be a no-brainer
Altras look like normal shoes and quality is the same imo.
The only barefoot shoes that don’t look good imo are the vibram 5 finger
@@tungerooski Altras are incredibly thick compared to barefoot shoes.
How can I contact you, Laura?
Apologies for the delayed response! My contact info is always in the description of my videos 😊
Thank you. Emailed you
🔥⚔️🛡️🔥🕉️🔥🕉️🔥🕉️🔥🛡️⚔️🔥
barefeet shoes are not for me, i´ve been born with spastic feet, also my feet are not strong enough, also by birth, poor me. but thanks anyway, for explaing. young woman.
Podiatrists do not recommend barefoot shoes..that tells you all you need to know..I go hiking in the mountains...il stick to my Altberg Bergen boots
Podiatrists make way more money selling products to patients than they make off visits. That should tell you something.
I'm not sure what you're trying to say with your comment - can you be less coy?