I am 33 and have had constant back pain for years. I just thought it was because I was flat footed. Had a couple guys at work tell me about barefoot shoes and how it helped them. I decided to try it and i have now been 6 months with zero back pain. It has absolutely changed my life. I can't stand to wear anything else now.
barefoot shoes forces you to walk properly otherwise your feet could hurt more. i learned the hard way so since im walking properly with strong feet my chronic back and neck pain were gone
That't my current perception of the barefoot community. Trying to find out right now whether it actually has any benefits. I'm really not convinced. My ankles are overpronated and I think I need my feet supported.
Well that’s what happens with non mainstream products that tell you “no, but you have to try for a good while to feel the benefits” and a bunch of enthusiasts telling you all the good and barely any of the bad, though I gotta say I do like wide toe boxes, I’m definitely not a fan of the community these shoes have, like just let enjoy my shoes, I don’t wanna talk about them with you
It's not a cult; it's science. If your footwear has arch support, then why do your feet have arches? You were given arches in your feet for a reason. If you support that which was designed not to be supported, then it makes your foot weaker over time.
Im not disputing the benefit of walking ''barefoot'' occasionally, but the prices should reflect the shoe. They're basically selling you a piece of rubber for the same price as a regular pair of shoes which have double the materials. There are huge profit margins in this trend. Its not okay, they should be at least 20% cheaper than regular equivalent shoes.
Well, the thing is that nobody's making cheap barefoot shoes with comparable quality to regular shoes, so they are able to charge whatever the hell they want. Personally, regular shoes have toeboxes that are too narrow for my feet. I'm hella uncomfortable in them, so I have to buy barefoot shoes, regardless of the cost, since I can't wear the regular ones.
I find Lems to be relatively affordable for quality shoes. I have been wearing my Boulder Summit boots for a year and some change now, I absolutely love them. I owned a pair of Primal 2's I got on sale for fhe gym and loved them as well. I just ordered the Kourt in white leather, really excited for those to come in. I feel like they hit the mark perfectly for me as whenever they run a sale the prices are good for what you get.
I have 3 altras including the most expensive and second most expensive road models they make. Altra is bad and getting worse all the time. since they got sold and bought by VFC every year they get narrower and taller and less durable and cheaper materials and very questionable designs. I could honestly rant about it for a while but even the so called foot shape thing is nonsense. Altras don't fit most folks correctly, almost everyone that tries them on will notice their midfoot hanging over on the lateral side, sometimes jamming the pnky toe. The truth is altras current shoes are no wider than any other legit running shoe in the toebox. just cuz "normal" shoes have a taper doesnt mean there is any less room if you actually get the correct size. it's about the room inside the shoe not what it looks like from the outside aesthetically. amazing how the cult can't understand that. Just compare the insole from an altra to any normal legit running shoe. Tons of running shoes are wider than the widest models altra makes.
I was walking up the stairs yesterday and thought, "Oh, yeah, I couldn't do this without pain before barefoot shoes." My body feels better now than 7 years ago.
Barefoot shoes completely stopped my knee pain and foot pain and have helped me with stability not only during regular movement but also during weightlifting.
I started watching your videos about a year ago and fully transitioned into barefoot shoes. Literally changed my life. Unfortunately, I'm in the military which forces me to wear boots all day long, so it's a constant foot pain battle on my feet going back and forth from boots to my vivo's. I just wish I could get a barefoot military boot. It would make my life a million times better.
You are about the 20th person to ask me about a work/military barefoot boot, so there definitely seems to be a market for them. I have the feelgrounds patrol boots and I love them but I am not quite sure they would cut it in the military.
@@PeteOnPurpose I appreciate your response! I looked everywhere for even just a wide toe box military boot but had no luck. I reached out to Lem's earlier this week about creating a military boot and now I'm just waiting for their reply. I'll make sure to let you know if it gets put in the works!
I did your experiment by accident. I used to walk in regular shoes my entire life...and was always suffering from knee pain and back pain..since even before i was 16..obviously there was "nothing wrong with me" from the doctors viewpoint besides having "partially flat feet" as one doctor said to me...anyway fast forward to age around 24 to 26, i began walking in flip flops...i even wore flip flops to work with a little back strap to have the excuse that they are "closed" shoe like sandals and not actually flip flops..i wore them at home and basically anywhere i went to..and also almost the entire year besides when rain season started..and after a few years i did that i started noticing that there is absolutely no shoe that i can wear that wont hurt me in some way..so i began researching and found out about "bare foot shoes" and i realize that essentially what i did is walk almost barefoot this whole time and my foot grew wider and healthier...i even thought that my knee and back pain went away because i have gone to a chiropract for a few meetings (which basically happened around the same time i started wearing flipflops) anyway now we fast forward to age 31 and i decided im gonna buy me some other shoes to wear in the hose..basically pink huge cushioned flip flop...and i wore them in the house for about a week...and you know what? my freaking knee pain hit me so hard i almost threw the shoes in the garbage. also any time i had to wear my boots to work in the winter i got the same knee and back pain. so yeah...that's my story about how i accidently discovered bare foot shoes and how regular shoes give me terrible knee and back pain.
@@موسى_7 my parent are from Ukraine which is very cold during winter and usually colder during the rest of the year..so it's almost a tradition to wear indoor shoes to keep your feet warm..now i live in a hot country so I don't really need shoes indoors..but I still have "house" flip flops that I wear inside haha
there's a theory floating around that the extra padding in non-barefoot shoes affects your joints negatively because you aren't walking in a way that supports your joints. when you wear barefoot shoes, walking on the ground incorrectly actually hurts so your body adjusts accordingly. when I switch to normal footwear, I notice back pain pretty quickly.
at the same time we are walking on concrete pretty much all the time which is unnaturally hard and we are not designed by evolution to walk on such hard surfaces. If you walk only in nature (so mostly on softer surfaces) then its fine to be barefoot but once you go hard surface, you either need cushioning or change the way you walk or put your foot down, to be exact (heel, forefoot or mid foot strike). So in short, if you're walking in the city, either get some cushioning or change the way you walk and walk in barefoot.
@@Batman69343 but that is exactly why barefoot is better. in american football, more and more terrible brain injuries are coming to light. the padding prevents people from experiencing the pain that would stop them from going too hard and then getting those terrible brain injuries. when you go barefoot on concrete, certain load types feel terrible so you adjust your footfall to something better for your foot, and better for your joints.
Ive been wearing barefoot shoes for almost 2 years now myself... and i live in a city and walk on a lot of concrete, when my feet feel overworked, i will temporarily switch from Vivo's or Xero, to my Lems bolder boots mids and Altra Escalante's in order to give them a break. This is what works for me I alternate between barefoot shoes and mildly cushioned minimalist shoes. I wear my 4-3 mm thin barefoot shoes 70 percent of the time and my mildly cushioned minimalist shoes 30 percent of time... or maybe more like 60/40 some weeks.
I second this, my Lems are what I wear if I’m doing a lot of concrete city walking or need more cushion. I run in altras. Still barefoot but a bit more cushion. Vivos for hiking or natural surfaces. Also I recently discovered Northsole insoles, barefoot insoles with two dif cushion levels. Really nice
@@techno31everyone in replies only talks about the brand they wear and not specific shoes. Is it because the fot and sole is the same for all of them? Was trying to find your shoes research them, but found so many versions. Searching for shoes to wear when doing long trials, that also work for climbing, and other shoes to wear in the city
@@tommymack3210not really. Minimalist shoes have a wide toe box and no heel drop but usually a thicker sole, so you can't feel the ground. With barefoot shoes you usually can feel the ground (e.g., Stones).
I used to size up... Now I size DOWN and wear a WIDE WIDTH. I don't think I realized I needed wide before years in barefoot style shoes, because I think my toes spread out. Just bought some New Balance 1540V3s yesterday. While extremely ugly, they are the very best shoes I've ever tried on. I went from Nike Airmaxes in Sz 12 standard width to Sz 10.5 wides. My hip pain instantly felt better. I also went wide width in my Keen work boots, and I have so much more energy at the end of the day now. I honestly want to keep those boots on even after a 12hr work day. I think barefoot shoes may be good for certain activities, but a properly fit conventional show is hard to beat, especially if you forget the style aspect.
Barefoot shoes seem to make my feet stronger, but I notice I get pain on one of my toes when I wear my jikatabis, which are have the thinnest soles in my collection. I bought some insoles to see if this helps. Minimalist shoes still need to account for how concrete is hard.
I went through the exact same thing a few years back Pete. Not to repeat everyone else, but seriously you need to try Altra. Zero drop and a wide toe box, a lot of people wear Lone Peak's as a everyday shoe. I probably wear Merrell Trail gloves, Vibram's and Vivobarefoot like 80%-90% of the time and Altra's the rest.
Good video! I’ve not yet encountered anyone who’s reverted back to normal shoes after going barefoot. I’m 100% in barefoot shoes or actual barefoot, so normal shoes are now low level foot torture. Super frustrating when going out out sometimes. I look at my old footwear and weigh up the equation of aesthetics x time = discomfort 😂
haha, I am back on the dating scene so thought some 'normal' shoes could work for dates and once we know each other a little better I whip out the barefoot shoes. 😂
@@PeteOnPurpose You never know Pete … I was in a shop wearing my vivos and a guy had some on too. There was a mutual glance and affirmation nod as we acknowledged each other’s shoes 😂
Be aware that it gets harder and harder to get back to footwear with each step away from it. I experienced the same you talked about at the beginning of my barefoot transition when trying on a shoe with heel elevation again. I then used Altras for trailrunning and slowly transitioned to vibram fivefingers and later to a combination of barefoot sandals and bare feet whenever possible. I wanted to do some beautiful long runs in rough mountainous terrain and because my feet hurt a lot the first time due to the rocks and gravel I bought Altras again. I'm sure they're still fantastic shoes with zero drop and an anatomic toe box but I just felt so unstable and wobbly because of the cushioning I couldn't properly run in them. I instinctively started stomping in order to feel the ground better and I rolled my ankles several times which didn't happen in years. I really tried to make it work but no chance 😂
@@Tribuneoftheplebs Altras has plenty of 0 drop jogging shoes just fyi! I noticed the same regarding stability, but if you mix between barefeet and Altras regularily you get accustomed to it. Definitely easier to twist the ankle with shoes vs barefeet ones though! Happens rarely-if ever-with barefeet.
I started to get knee pain on a recent trip to Europe when I was walking 7-10 miles a day in Lems Nine2Fives. I'm sure my technique could be better, and I could build up a bit more endurance at home, but I started to get a little skeptical about "barefoot" shoes. But ultimately, the things I like about barefoot shoes are the zero drop, flexible movement, and wide toe box. Changing any of these things feels like I'm walking in Wooden Clogs. I might want a bit more cushioning, especially when walking on pavement 99% of the time.
I have a similar issue just with mild pain in my foot, nothing bad but I can feel it and I’m worried it will get worse if I don’t resolve the issue. So I think I need a more cushioned shoe for all the pavement walking I do also.
Lems has all the same features of "barefoot" shoes except for the fact that the outer sole is decently thick. They have some great shoes & boots! I don't know about Altra but they're probably worth a look as well.
@@notisac3149I'm liking their Primal Zens so far, though I just recently had to send mine in to get a bigger size. I'm usually a mens 14, but these were almost too perfectly snug, so my big toe lightly rubbed against the front and the sides felt a hair too tight. The only issue I might have is that I wish they had slightly more vertical room around the toes, but I'll need to see if that's better on the size 15's. The sole thickness feels good for walking on concrete though. Seems pretty durable too.
COMMON MISTAKES: 1- Minimalist shoes, with zero drop, were designed for those who use the barefoot walking technique, in which the form of support on the ground is done with the half foot and not the heel. It is worth studying and practicing this beforehand. People that want to continue using the traditional method of walking and running, do not wear these type of shoes as you will get serious injuries. 2- If you want to use this type of shoes with the barefoot walking technique, then you will have to learn and practice the technique correctly. It will take a few months for your body to gain new muscle memory and the muscles in your feet to become fit, as well as the entire bio-mechanics of the body, from the tip of the toe to the hip. You should practice calmly and for short periods of time, half an hour a day at the beginning. A sign that we are overdoing it is when we start to feel discomfort with inflamed muscles, just above the ankles, sometimes even on the hips. We cannot change something that was before natural, but due to cultural habits we modified, overnight. This relearning takes time, but for me it was worth it. It is no coincidence that competitive runners run this way. By cushioning the impact with the muscles and joints of the feet, the reactive force is prevented from having an impact on the body, especially the skeleton, resulting in better use of the force of gravity, more comfort and control of movement and avoiding injuries. This is not a scientific innovation, but rather how we all started to walk naturally, therefore the most efficient. After a few months of using this type of shoes with this technique, I don't want to go back, and I recommend it to anyone who is willing enough. ;) PS] These shoes have some differences in the soles depending on use. I use Merrel Gloves for walking in the city, they are fantastic, but for trail runs with a lot of rocks, it's better with insoles, but I'll have to buy more adapted ones.
@@PeteOnPurpose New Balance have quite a catalog of wide width normal shoes, I recommend the New Balance 608v5 (typical dad shoe) as a starting point. From there on you may be able to browse some better styles.
When I was a kid, I use to wear cheap converse knockoffs. They were to wide and the soles were so thin you could feel every single little pebbles of the ground. And I love those shoes. I bought all the ones I could find until I was 20. I was a good sprinter, long jumper, hurdle runner, javelin and shot put thrower. Then I couldn't find those shoes anymore and struggled to find something remotly close. I tryed barefoot shoes 2 weeks aggo. I am 51 and I feel like I wasted 31 years of my life. I was instantly capable of running 5k again. To be fair I already spend most of my days in socks durring office hours or at home. So shoes were always a constraint. I had to buy 1 to 1.5 size bigger than my suggested size because my feet are wide. So I had shoes with 1 inch of empty space at the front just so I could fit my wide feets in. Zero drop wide toe boxes is the way to go If you already spend most of your time barefoot. Better balance, no more tibial and calf pain. If your body has already been deformed by fashion shoes then it's probably not for you.
Respect for being willing to experiment w yourself like this, thank you, it's very helpful for someone like me who's new to all this considering taking the journey into barefoot shoes. Thanks!
I work 8+ hours a day in a concrete floored warehouse, and I also hike trails, all in my VivoBarefoot shoes. LOVE IT! No pain. I only get pain when I wear my skateboarding shoes; which cramp my feet.
Interesting findings! I've been wearing barefoot shoes for about 15 years. For some works (am a farmer) I need to wear non barefoot safety shoes. The mix is nice and after hours in safety shoes my feet are longing for my barefoot shoes. During long runs I also wear cushioned and wide shoes, because o regularly make 20k+ steps a day and adding a 16 km run for like 36k steps a day is the point where a pillow made of air bubbles under my feet starts to make sense.
Birkenstock makes some safety boots & shoes with a couple of the same features of barefoot shoes, namely zero drop, wide toe box. At the cost of flexibility and ground feel, they're non-slip, resistant to shock, puncture resistant, and some come with steel toes. If you look up the QS 700 model, you can probably find a site that'll ship it to whatever country you're in.
In Indonesia, barefoot shoes are kinda hard to find. I had to purchase my vibram and vivo's abroad. And during the occassion where I need to use conventional shoe, I found skechers are the most comfortable of all conventional shoes. But still, after prolonged use my knee and hamstrings started aching
OMG the SAME thing happened to me!! I didn't wear shoes during the pandemic and when I went back to work, NONE of my shoes fit me!! this sent me down a long journey, spending hundreds on shoes, sizing up, researching, until I finally came across the barefoot shoes community. life changed!! I still wear heels when I go out dancing or a skechers or adidas shoe sometimes, but I always feel it in my knees and hips when I don't wear barefoot shoes.
This is really helpful, but not quite to the point that i am fully convinced. You see, i have several issues with my low back, hips and lately even knees (torn meniscus in both my knees) and i've been doing extensive research trying to find the right shoes for me. I am still working out thankfully, and i need a shoe to match my training needs: i do a bit of everything, from bodyweight workouts to lifting to plyometrics to cardio. I need an all-rounder which will not cause any additional discomfort to my already existing pains and aches as well as guarantee a good deal of cushioning and stability, especially for high-impact plyos (jumps, bounds and hops mainly). Any suggestions?
Have you tried Altra’s? They’re zero drop shoes with a wide toe box and some cushion. I like to wear them on some of the harder hikes here in British Columbia, so my feet don’t feel completely wrecked. Otherwise I’m wearing barefoots.
I ran for a year in altras and couldn't get rid of plantar fascitis - they are meme shoes to me.. regular arch shoes are possibly better for forefoot striking. Having to work in steel toes all the time put a stop to my running but I might start again
I’m glad you mentioned about living in a city with lots of concrete. Yes, hundreds of years ago humans were primarily barefoot, but there was all the concrete terrain everywhere. I don’t believe we are supposed to be walking barefoot all the time on concrete. I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes daily for a little over a year now and my feet ache much more than they did before my journey with barefoot shoes. I love them for hiking, when i’m not on solid concrete, etc. I think I am going to reintroduce myself to more traditional footwear for certain activities and do the 80/20 rule.
The main problem with traditional shoes is not cushioning, it's the narrow toe box. Regardless of how hard the surface is, traditional shoes are going to crush human toes and do a lot of harm in a long term. If you want more protection there are a lot of barefoot options with thicker sole. You also can use insoles and thick socks. I personally started with Merell Vapor Glove (2 mm outsole) and wore them on hard concrete in the city. It was absolutely fine after a normal adaptation process.
@@PeteOnPurpose which pair did you go with? I got a pair of Altras that have a wide toe box. It feels practically as wide as my Vivo Barefoots. So far I’m loving them
You said you had foot pain while wearing barefoot shoes while walking on concrete. I have found that you have to use a new way of walking when using barefoot shoes. Because there is nothing in a barefoot shoe to make the cushioning, you have to do it yourself. When I started absorbing the shocks of the impacts with my leg muscles instead of my feet, the pain has gone away and never came back. It takes a little while to make it a habit, but once it is, you'll never have to think about it again. Edit: specified "leg muscles" to clarify on what muscles I'm talking about. Could be obvious for some people, not for others
The answer if you're always walking on unnatural surfaces (concrete etc) is to just put a flat cushion insole inside your 'barefoot' shoes - so you still have the wide toe box, the zero drop, and the flexibility.
I recently bought zero-drop Altras and walk barefoot at home and after 20 days I noticed my knees don't click any longer when I squat or bend down after clicking and cracking for nearly 15 years. I always thought it's due to the sports that I train, but it wasn't. It was all because of improper footwear. So I'm getting Lems Chillums now because they have 10-13mm soles and I don't want to go barefoot completely, I just want shoes that are WIDE, thin soles and no drop and you can't get them regular.
@@PeteOnPurpose I WFH and had to go to the office today and I noticed that my right foot pronates (never noticed it before) and I wrote it off to a lifetime of wearing improper footwear and panic-bought orthotics (insoles) online until I came home and took my socks off. I looked down and saw that I wasn't pronating at all. This was the moment for me. I cancelled my Chillum order and will go for the thinnest shoes I can buy. All these years with knee pain, weak ankles, uncurable shin splints and posture/neck problems...it was all shoes. All my problems came from improper shoes. /lifestory off I appreciate these kind of videos, people need to be more aware of the problems that can arise from not knowing how to buy shoes correctly.
Had a similar journey to you, every so often I think I can go back to narrower shoes (eg. I’d really like a slightly cooler trainer or boot for going to this gig or party or something) but when I try to squeeze my foot into ‘normal’ footwear I feel like I’m trying to put hobbit feet into some sort of pointed doll shoe. But I also find that Xeros and Vivos don’t give me enough protection from the ground, particularly as I walk a lot in cities; so the best brand I have found is Lems - wide toe box, zero drop, more flexibility than standard shoes but a thicker sole and slightly more rigid - Lems Outlander Boots and Primal Zens if you’re after more to review. Good luck with the channel, enjoying the content.
I do have a pair of the primal Lems I find them good but not as comfy as some of my other shoes (probably due to the thicker sole) The outlander boots look nice, I have added them to my list.
I came across your video because I did a search for barefoot footwear. I'm older, not as mobile as I used to be, and am mostly looking for something to wear around the house as flip flops just aren't cutting it for me anymore. That's neither here nor there though although I do appreciate your point of view and it was an informative video; but I'm commenting specifically because of your brief "Story Time" segment in the video. That was great. Got "stuck" in Bali for 7 months during the pandemic. Man, of all places to have to get "stuck" at. Then explaining why you went barefoot all the time. "Because I was in Bali". Yup. Greatest most concise, most logical explanation I've ever heard. Man, I spent most of my 20 years in the military in Hawaii. I can relate. It was "rough" duty, but someone had to do it. Cheers and best wishes for a prosperous and peaceful 2024.
I had knee pain, too, when I did a long bout on the treadmill in regular shoes, but arch supports took the pain away. With everything I've watched, I haven't been persuaded to convert to barefoot shoes. I have a comfortable, wide, walking shoe and am always barefoot in the house. I'm good - for now!
@@PeteOnPurpose I hear ya. Seems like an incredibly injurious hobby. Still, running around outside feels amazing. I get shin splints, but I'm hoping I can work through it. I'm also considering swapping out some jogging with rucking. Maybe that'll help balance out the impact on my shins.
@@BonytoBeastlyI think shin splints are caused when you are new to running so they should dissipate over time. I am a big fan of unintentional rucking, literally always have a heavy bag with all my gear in. 😅
I started wearing barefoot shoes in 2020 at age 58. I now wear them 80% of the time. My feet have gotten much stronger in every respect (over time). While I own Xeros and Oragineers, I’ve found that any cheap water shoes from a discount store work fine too, assuming the toe box is wide enough.
I've been using Vivo Barefoot shoes for 6 months now. I liked them since the beginning. However, walking 99% of the time on concrete meant heel pain after a few hours or after long walks. A couple of months ago I decided to add a soft heel pad and that helped a lot. If they came with just a little more padding from the factory, they'd be the perfect shoes for me.
Wondering what to do. I like walking barefoot, did Isle of Skye trial 30km barefoot and rest with shoes. But pretty sure when wearing a heavy backpack, I need the cushion. Mostly dont want to carry 3 pair of shoes
I use barefeet summer and winter shoes, and absolutely love them for the ground feel and weight. Plus Altras jogging shoes with 0 drop and wide front for hiking in the forest, and it's been generally solid all around. Only downside was city setting + barefeet could be problematic on the heels if walking fast. 0 drop is a life saver for our posture!
I’ve never been able to wear Nike shoes. They come up uber narrow! I wear regular shoes with a wide fitting (nothing like barefoot shoes). Completely comfy, I’ve walked around with them all day and only taken them off because I never wear outside shoes in the house.
I started using barefoot shoes 4 months ago and I'm really enjoying it so far. This said, i miss the style of common shoes and the cushioned soles for long days walking on concrete and in the office. But whenever I feel my feet sore due to lack of cushioning, I adjust my walking (almost walking on tiptoes) and I'm good again. I couldn't do this in regular shoes. I'm not going back to regular shoes any time soon. Right now I just really want some "meh-kind-of-nice-looking" barefoot winter boots, to go for a few walks while keeping myself warm and comfy. Barefoot comfort is like cozy sweatpants for your feet (and some are even office approved!)
During the summer this year I did the same thing, but ended with the opposite result. I started wearing barefoot shoes 9 years ago to help with knee pain when running, and that massively helped, forcing me to land on the ball of my feet instead of the heal. Then 3 years ago I moved all my footwear to barefoot shoes. Unfortunately my knees seemed to get a lot worse over the past 3 years, with pain kicking in after only 60-90 minutes of casually walking around. 6 months ago I moved back to Nike's for walking and my knee pain has pretty much gone. I loved the feel of barefoot shoes and the close contact with the ground, but not the knee pain that went with it. So I'm now barefoot for running and air-cushioned for walking.
Yes I think long term barefoot seems to take a toll on feet and knees, well it seems to have for me. I have just got some Altras and I feel like I am walking on clouds
I really rate them, super comfy. The only problem is if you walk 10k+ steps a day like myself I find the sole wears down really quickly, same in all my minimalist shoes really.
@@PeteOnPurpose Thank you very much for this fast answer. I think I will buy them, because they are on 40% sale and delivery costs about £3,65 to my country.
I worse skateshoes from 14 years old to 34 years old (current age) I got my first pair of barefoot shoes in September, and never looked back, its been only a few months but ive already ordered a pair of barefoot boots from the snow Coming from skateshoes I was used to the flat, but the wide toe box is a game changer
Skate shoes are not made for walking because they are focusing on how you can have the best grip on the skate board surface. Eventually, for succeeding this kind of grip, they can't have an anatomic shape for having a comfortable walking experience. But of course for some people they look very cool and they wear skate shoes even if they have never touched a skate board. Any kind of good quality pair of sneakers made for walking would have been a game changer compare to skate shoes.
its def the raised heel, when i wear nike romaleos while squatting i always get knee pain vs when iam using my nike jordan 1s it has a heel but its less than the romaleos maybe try out some jordan 1s they have a wide toe box vs de airmax and have less of an heel and more of a flat hard base
No way! I used to love Jordans as well (but for some reason, I thought they would be worse) Do you experience knee pain when wearing your squat shoes? I squat in barefoot shoes but I assumed squat shoes would be better?
@@PeteOnPurpose ive tried multiple times to wear squat shoes and every time i experience knee pain from it and i feel unstable and on my toes losing balance etc ive heard it from alot of People Who had the same problem even elite powerlifters who said the same thing. Try out some Nike Jordan 1s low for just casual shoes i think you have no knee pain in those because the heel is lower and the toebox is wider. What you also can do is take the insole out of the jordan 1s and then it feels kinda barefoot ive done that too for some time because i was wearing barefoot shoes every day for some time and needed nice shoes some times so i walked in my jordans without the insole
What can you say about the keen brand? I don't have a chance to experience barefoot shoes in my country. Most of the manufacturers are in America and I don't have a chance to bring them.. There is a brand called Keen and will this shoe help me at least in terms of accessibility?
I have always had a pretty high arch, I used to do a lot of stuff with my feel when I was a toddler and I'm the only one in my family that actually has an arch. I can even fist my feet. For me wearing shoes has always been an issue, I know my feet are way wider than the "normal", I used to get hurt and bled so much wearing converse as a teenager 😂. I finally got some barefoot shoes that in my country are very difficult to find and I'm happy my feet are no longer strangled. I can be sure that I will not return home with a huge blister in random places. No more plantar fasciitis
I have recently been wearing Altra shoes, they are zero drop with a wide toe box but have some cushion for walking on concrete and I am loving them so far.
Being a chef, has made me hyper aware of the importance of a good shoe. I used to wear Dansko's and I used to fall a lot, my knees used to hurt, and gave my feet blisters and calluses. I switched to the wide toe Birkenstocks and after months I noticed my toes began spreading and my Converse's didn't fit anymore. Now I'm in kitchen new balances and all I wanna do is work barefooted. Once I'm home and take off my shoes it feels like taking a bra off lol 😂
Ive been wearing my bare foot shoes and boots at least 98% of the time, everyday for the past year and I can say that the only downside is the transition from regular shoes.
Have you tried the Nike Free Run 2018? They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever had, except the toe box doesn't feel wide enough. I haven't tried barefoot shoes though.
It's funny that you mentioned tripping. I've been wearing Xero prio's for a few weeks now, I wore my Skechers which are fairly wide not too high heel and good cushioning. I tripped three times at work and wondered if it was just because I was tired.... I didn't trip once while wearing the prio's
Overcame my plantar fasciitis over three years ago after going all in with going barefoot and barefoot shoes. I've even successfully completed 10km road races using zero drop minimalist style shoes recently. I'm not going back.
Hey thank you for this very informative video. I didn't feel like you were pushing an agenda or trying to convince me of anything. It just felt like you wanted to explain some things you've learned and share your experience. Thank you!
Can someone please recommend shops where I can buy shoes with a wide toes part but a normal sole? The only problem I have is that my toes don't have space and I feel like I can't even separate them :(
Try Altra running shoes. They have a wide toe box and zero drop, but a reasonable amount of cushioning. They are a good break from the constant pounding on concrete.
Thank you bringing out a fair comparison. Barefoot shoes seem excellent for everything health related, when you cannot really go barefoot, but let's not forget the main advantage of regular shoes which is some look really cool.
Oh Pete you naughty click baiter 😂 Had the same thought and decided that my city commutes would be in wide toebox Inov8 F-Lite Fly G 295 which have 8mm drop. Most running in Vivo Primus SG which have rubber lugs which slightly cushion on concrete and grip on mud. Other walking and running in Xero HFS, but not too much concrete. It works for me 😊 No pain.
I’ve got a lot of knee pain. Being rough as a kid and military has kinda shot them out. Will barefoot shoes help knee pains like mine? I’m barefoot most of the time already except when I go into public, which is not often.
Fwiw I never wear shoes that cause any foot pain, I never have. I have wide feet and thankfully my mom was a good one that put effort into finding me good shoes, so I’m kinda surprised people have pain in their feet from shoes.
I am not sure if barefoot shoes will alleviate your knee pain? I think the issue is that non minimal insoles, slightly raise our feet and put our body in an unnatural alignment (more forward over toes) You could always try some out for a month or two and see if your pain goes away?
Thanks, Pete. I also don’t think it’ll help me much but I’ll give it a try anyway. 👍. My knees make crunching noises when I kneel or squat down, I’ve been told I have some sort of arthritis in my major joints, don’t remember which.
Thanks bud. I do and take things to help it. I reckon it’ll be alright. When you’re a teenager and young 20s you don’t think about being 40 and beyond. 😅. Honestly, I’m still perplexed by people wearing shoes that hurt, I can’t imagine the foot problems that could cause.
Also when it comes to concrete if you want to wear barefoot shoes on concrete that are actually comfortable ... you want a barefoot shoe with a thicker sole... thats like 7mm. The most comfortable barfoot shoe that i owned that had a perfect blend, of ground feel and comfort while walking on any surface.. esp concrete/cement, where the Xero 360s... and they had a 7mm stack height. When you go below 7mm that's when walking on concrete for extended periods of time can get uncomfortable and exhausting. The next pair of barefoot shoes i get will be 7mm in stack height then, i wont have to swap back and forth between shoes as much.
i disgree. the most important thing, if in barefoot shoes, is to NOT heel strike, and frontfoot strike.. i took the small soles out of my barefoot shoes.. they are barley 1 or 2mm thick now.
I'm a sneaker head and do a lot of walking. Having the perfect arch support is key to comfort. Of all my shoes my premium Jordan 1s, Jordan 2s, Jordan 11s and 90s combat boots are the most comfortable. Some of my shoes have too little or too much arch support. Room in the toe box is not an issue. Shoes without arch support make my feet hurt a lot.
Basically for me I feel the same way. most of the casual shoes I have I can't wear anymore because of wearing barefoot shoes for so long now. I still run and do CrossFit in runners/ cross trainers most of the time. Unless I am using a Flux Footwear shoe which walk the line of minimalist and regular shoes.
Try Altra and Topo shoes for sneakers, and Meindl Comfort Fit models boots/normal shoes. For the first two they have zero drop options and whatever, high, mid and low cushioning, etc. My feet are stupidly wide, so much so that my actual size is 1.5 to 2 sizes smaller than the ones I usually wear/buy.
I’ve always worn red wing boots for work and currently have 4 pair in various stages of decomposition. I need a level of safety and support for construction yet I don’t want to be entombed into boot’s anymore. Any suggestions? Thanks so much !
The only boots I could suggest are the Feelgrounds winter patrol boots however I don't know if they are suitable for construction. I have many messages asking about barefoot work boots and I am yet to find a solution.
Great video. I have low heels shoes and more padded ones. I don't experience major knee pain but it is food for thought and I am really considering expensive bare foot shoes over £25.00/35.00 TKMax shoes offer. My issue is that i am very active and I consume soles very fast
Yes the biggest negative of barefoot shoes is how quickly they wear out. I’m also experience some pain in the front of my foot which I think is due to walking a lot on concrete so I’m try to resolve that.
@@PeteOnPurpose i have been wearing lems primal 3's to work for about 7 months, and I walk on concrete for eight hours. the first month was rough, a lot of foot pain after 6 hours, so I went and bought a cheap pair of flat foam shoe inserts, that helped immensely. I ended up replacing them after a month or so but haven't had to again, in fact, I think I could just take them out.
and as far as them wearing out, the soles have almost no wear and they are in very good shape. With regular shoes like Hoka's the soles would wear down on the outside because I pronated that way, and I'd have to get a new pair. Now I walk evenly and knee and back pain are gone.
@@scottcunningham5425yea I have contemplated some insoles for long days on my feet but not sure which ones. Will have to look into it. Appreciate the tips
I highly recommend Altra’s line of running shoes. Foot shaped, generous toebox, zero drop, and a bunch of cushioning. Kind of the best of both worlds. I wear thin soled ‘barefoot’ shoes a good portion of the time, but for long runs and when I’m on concrete all day, SOME cushioning is helpful.
Try zero drop and wide toe box rather than barefoot. I've recently bought Altra Lone Peak and love them. You need to transition shoes slowly -- round the house at first.
Literally millions of years of biomechanical evolution versus fifty years of some lumps of rubber and marketing designed to improve athletic performance in very specific range of motion. The odd thing is how we have culturally accepted specialised sports footwear as normal. I've been in barefoot for about 6 months. Fairly straightforward transition as only ever worn minimal trainers like Gazelles and Converse, or cycling cleats, or thin sole brogues for work. I tried on my last remaining pair of Gazelles last week and they feel like someone elses shoes, look ridiculously narrow, and basically didn't fit. Not really a case of 'would' I go back, but 'could' I?
I went the exact opposite direction for footwear but with the exact same results... really weird lol. PNW boots are about as far from barefoot shoes/boots as one could get but I keep wanting to try out the jim green barefoot AR's. Any thoughts on those for someone thinking of trying out barefoots but still wants to keep the actual toughness of boots?
Great experiment this Pete. I’ve been trail running for a few years exclusively in barefoot shoes and sandals, I don’t think I’d have a chance of getting them in any normal shoes now. Do look cool those Nikes though, maybe they could be an unhealthy treat for your feet, like a foot KFC. You should have a wander over to Helsby or Frodsham sometime, only 1 stop on the train from Chester and some great walks/runs.
Guys are local. Nice to see that. I just started to look into barefoot but are there also barefoot shoes without rubber sole, so you are barefoot and grounding at the same time? Like actually walking bare?
I apologize for the ‘click-baity’ title I’m just trying to play the game.
PART 2: ua-cam.com/video/PfMXB2h7YZw/v-deo.htmlsi=PvpLNPyOjrICyMxO
fair play
Atleast you’re honest
No worries, it was worth the watch.
Glad you liked it mate. 😀
No problem bro we use adblock
The hardest part about wearing barefoot shoes is not making UA-cam/TikTok video's about it
Haha
Barefoot shoe user's must be genetically related to crossfitters and cyclists.
😂😂
Impossible challenge
Dude just found out where the word niche meant
I am 33 and have had constant back pain for years. I just thought it was because I was flat footed. Had a couple guys at work tell me about barefoot shoes and how it helped them. I decided to try it and i have now been 6 months with zero back pain. It has absolutely changed my life. I can't stand to wear anything else now.
Glad to hear they have helped your back pain
Same with me. I'm a bit younger but had near the same experience
What shoes are you wearing?
Xero HFS. I chose those because I got them 50% off. I have been happy with them so far.
barefoot shoes forces you to walk properly otherwise your feet could hurt more. i learned the hard way so since im walking properly with strong feet my chronic back and neck pain were gone
Barefoot shoes make sense to me but holy shit most of their marketing sounds like that of a cult.
Yea your not wrong mate. Anything that is outside the 'main-stream' seems to fall into a 'culty' category.
That't my current perception of the barefoot community. Trying to find out right now whether it actually has any benefits. I'm really not convinced. My ankles are overpronated and I think I need my feet supported.
feet support is a temporarily solution. If you want to solve the issue you first need to remove the cause@@TheSalosful
Well that’s what happens with non mainstream products that tell you “no, but you have to try for a good while to feel the benefits” and a bunch of enthusiasts telling you all the good and barely any of the bad, though I gotta say I do like wide toe boxes, I’m definitely not a fan of the community these shoes have, like just let enjoy my shoes, I don’t wanna talk about them with you
It's not a cult; it's science. If your footwear has arch support, then why do your feet have arches? You were given arches in your feet for a reason. If you support that which was designed not to be supported, then it makes your foot weaker over time.
Im not disputing the benefit of walking ''barefoot'' occasionally, but the prices should reflect the shoe. They're basically selling you a piece of rubber for the same price as a regular pair of shoes which have double the materials. There are huge profit margins in this trend. Its not okay, they should be at least 20% cheaper than regular equivalent shoes.
Double the material at 0.5% of the quality, barefoot shoes are built to last
@@ProRecker I know, I had to retire my running merrells today after 3 years!
Well, the thing is that nobody's making cheap barefoot shoes with comparable quality to regular shoes, so they are able to charge whatever the hell they want.
Personally, regular shoes have toeboxes that are too narrow for my feet. I'm hella uncomfortable in them, so I have to buy barefoot shoes, regardless of the cost, since I can't wear the regular ones.
I find Lems to be relatively affordable for quality shoes. I have been wearing my Boulder Summit boots for a year and some change now, I absolutely love them. I owned a pair of Primal 2's I got on sale for fhe gym and loved them as well. I just ordered the Kourt in white leather, really excited for those to come in. I feel like they hit the mark perfectly for me as whenever they run a sale the prices are good for what you get.
Keds. Cheap, zero heel drop, minimal padding. 60 something bucks flat. Seem to be holding up well so far.
I think the best middle ground is a zero drop, wide toe box, cushioned shoe like altras or topos if you’re walking on hard surfaces all day
I have some Altras now
Yeah it's kinda dodgy to compare barefoot shoes that fit well with a pair of regular shoes that don't fit well.
I walk 10 to 15 miles a day on concrete floors and Altra's are my go to. Never any foot pain.
Altras rule, wide toe box but still cushioned enough for concrete and other hard surfaces.
I have 3 altras including the most expensive and second most expensive road models they make. Altra is bad and getting worse all the time. since they got sold and bought by VFC every year they get narrower and taller and less durable and cheaper materials and very questionable designs. I could honestly rant about it for a while but even the so called foot shape thing is nonsense. Altras don't fit most folks correctly, almost everyone that tries them on will notice their midfoot hanging over on the lateral side, sometimes jamming the pnky toe. The truth is altras current shoes are no wider than any other legit running shoe in the toebox. just cuz "normal" shoes have a taper doesnt mean there is any less room if you actually get the correct size. it's about the room inside the shoe not what it looks like from the outside aesthetically. amazing how the cult can't understand that. Just compare the insole from an altra to any normal legit running shoe. Tons of running shoes are wider than the widest models altra makes.
I was walking up the stairs yesterday and thought, "Oh, yeah, I couldn't do this without pain before barefoot shoes." My body feels better now than 7 years ago.
Thats great to hear! I am still experiencing some dull pain in my foot (I assume from walking so much on concrete) which I am still trying to resolve.
@@PeteOnPurpose Maybe you can use yours Lems Primal Zen on concrete ?
Good idea, I personally find them a little tight for me. Should have gotten a bigger size.
@@PeteOnPurposehow about the barebarics? Don't they have a slightly thicker sole?
They are but they are also very stiff so I don’t enjoy wearing them daily as I walk a lot.
Barefoot shoes completely stopped my knee pain and foot pain and have helped me with stability not only during regular movement but also during weightlifting.
I quit shoes.
Real
I started watching your videos about a year ago and fully transitioned into barefoot shoes. Literally changed my life. Unfortunately, I'm in the military which forces me to wear boots all day long, so it's a constant foot pain battle on my feet going back and forth from boots to my vivo's. I just wish I could get a barefoot military boot. It would make my life a million times better.
You are about the 20th person to ask me about a work/military barefoot boot, so there definitely seems to be a market for them.
I have the feelgrounds patrol boots and I love them but I am not quite sure they would cut it in the military.
@@PeteOnPurpose I appreciate your response! I looked everywhere for even just a wide toe box military boot but had no luck. I reached out to Lem's earlier this week about creating a military boot and now I'm just waiting for their reply. I'll make sure to let you know if it gets put in the works!
Check out Belleville mini mil boots. Designed to be a minimalist 670-1 compliant boot
@@wesleyhack1745I agree these are one of the very few that are barefoot enough for the military
have you tried Belleville Minimalist Training Boot? They have zero drop and kinda wider than usual toe box
I did your experiment by accident. I used to walk in regular shoes my entire life...and was always suffering from knee pain and back pain..since even before i was 16..obviously there was "nothing wrong with me" from the doctors viewpoint besides having "partially flat feet" as one doctor said to me...anyway fast forward to age around 24 to 26, i began walking in flip flops...i even wore flip flops to work with a little back strap to have the excuse that they are "closed" shoe like sandals and not actually flip flops..i wore them at home and basically anywhere i went to..and also almost the entire year besides when rain season started..and after a few years i did that i started noticing that there is absolutely no shoe that i can wear that wont hurt me in some way..so i began researching and found out about "bare foot shoes" and i realize that essentially what i did is walk almost barefoot this whole time and my foot grew wider and healthier...i even thought that my knee and back pain went away because i have gone to a chiropract for a few meetings (which basically happened around the same time i started wearing flipflops) anyway now we fast forward to age 31 and i decided im gonna buy me some other shoes to wear in the hose..basically pink huge cushioned flip flop...and i wore them in the house for about a week...and you know what? my freaking knee pain hit me so hard i almost threw the shoes in the garbage. also any time i had to wear my boots to work in the winter i got the same knee and back pain. so yeah...that's my story about how i accidently discovered bare foot shoes and how regular shoes give me terrible knee and back pain.
Haha that’s similar to how I transitioned, wearing flip flops in Bali for 7 months.
@@PeteOnPurpose imagine my shock when i realized i can't wear any of my shoes anymore xD
Haha the same thing happened to me, I thought my feet had swollen initially. 😅
We Arabs don't wear shoes indoors. Even in England. Perhaps imitating us could help your feet.
@@موسى_7 my parent are from Ukraine which is very cold during winter and usually colder during the rest of the year..so it's almost a tradition to wear indoor shoes to keep your feet warm..now i live in a hot country so I don't really need shoes indoors..but I still have "house" flip flops that I wear inside haha
there's a theory floating around that the extra padding in non-barefoot shoes affects your joints negatively because you aren't walking in a way that supports your joints. when you wear barefoot shoes, walking on the ground incorrectly actually hurts so your body adjusts accordingly. when I switch to normal footwear, I notice back pain pretty quickly.
I agree with that. I hate the the extra think soles on many.
at the same time we are walking on concrete pretty much all the time which is unnaturally hard and we are not designed by evolution to walk on such hard surfaces. If you walk only in nature (so mostly on softer surfaces) then its fine to be barefoot but once you go hard surface, you either need cushioning or change the way you walk or put your foot down, to be exact (heel, forefoot or mid foot strike). So in short, if you're walking in the city, either get some cushioning or change the way you walk and walk in barefoot.
@@Batman69343 but that is exactly why barefoot is better.
in american football, more and more terrible brain injuries are coming to light. the padding prevents people from experiencing the pain that would stop them from going too hard and then getting those terrible brain injuries.
when you go barefoot on concrete, certain load types feel terrible so you adjust your footfall to something better for your foot, and better for your joints.
@@Batman69343 What do you think about very lightly cushioned but zero heel elevation shoes for cities with the same toe room as barefoot shoes?
@@Draw4Dame that's what I'm trying to find as well plus must not look ugly and be sanely priced. It's a challenge!
Ive been wearing barefoot shoes for almost 2 years now myself... and i live in a city and walk on a lot of concrete, when my feet feel overworked, i will temporarily switch from Vivo's or Xero, to my Lems bolder boots mids and Altra Escalante's in order to give them a break. This is what works for me I alternate between barefoot shoes and mildly cushioned minimalist shoes. I wear my 4-3 mm thin barefoot shoes 70 percent of the time and my mildly cushioned minimalist shoes 30 percent of time... or maybe more like 60/40 some weeks.
Interesting to hear, it sounds like I need a pair of more cushioned shoes for days when I’m walking a lot on concrete
do you front foot strike? or do you heel strike? while wearing barefoot shoes.
I second this, my Lems are what I wear if I’m doing a lot of concrete city walking or need more cushion. I run in altras. Still barefoot but a bit more cushion. Vivos for hiking or natural surfaces. Also I recently discovered Northsole insoles, barefoot insoles with two dif cushion levels. Really nice
@@techno31everyone in replies only talks about the brand they wear and not specific shoes. Is it because the fot and sole is the same for all of them?
Was trying to find your shoes research them, but found so many versions.
Searching for shoes to wear when doing long trials, that also work for climbing, and other shoes to wear in the city
I switched to minimalist in 2011 and never looked back. 100% game changing life saver
Minimalist barefoot shoes?
@@John-jt5vdyep
@@John-jt5vd Minimalist shoe - barefoot shoe. Same thing different word
@@tommymack3210not really. Minimalist shoes have a wide toe box and no heel drop but usually a thicker sole, so you can't feel the ground. With barefoot shoes you usually can feel the ground (e.g., Stones).
I used to size up... Now I size DOWN and wear a WIDE WIDTH. I don't think I realized I needed wide before years in barefoot style shoes, because I think my toes spread out. Just bought some New Balance 1540V3s yesterday. While extremely ugly, they are the very best shoes I've ever tried on. I went from Nike Airmaxes in Sz 12 standard width to Sz 10.5 wides. My hip pain instantly felt better. I also went wide width in my Keen work boots, and I have so much more energy at the end of the day now. I honestly want to keep those boots on even after a 12hr work day. I think barefoot shoes may be good for certain activities, but a properly fit conventional show is hard to beat, especially if you forget the style aspect.
Barefoot shoes seem to make my feet stronger, but I notice I get pain on one of my toes when I wear my jikatabis, which are have the thinnest soles in my collection. I bought some insoles to see if this helps. Minimalist shoes still need to account for how concrete is hard.
exactly!
I went through the exact same thing a few years back Pete. Not to repeat everyone else, but seriously you need to try Altra. Zero drop and a wide toe box, a lot of people wear Lone Peak's as a everyday shoe. I probably wear Merrell Trail gloves, Vibram's and Vivobarefoot like 80%-90% of the time and Altra's the rest.
Cheers mate, yes I’m definitely going to check out some Altras soon, thanks 🙏
Lone Peaks slap, I love mine
Nice, I will check them out.
Got the trail gloves 3 months ago, great shoes
The most helpful comment here
Good video! I’ve not yet encountered anyone who’s reverted back to normal shoes after going barefoot. I’m 100% in barefoot shoes or actual barefoot, so normal shoes are now low level foot torture. Super frustrating when going out out sometimes. I look at my old footwear and weigh up the equation of aesthetics x time = discomfort 😂
haha, I am back on the dating scene so thought some 'normal' shoes could work for dates and once we know each other a little better I whip out the barefoot shoes. 😂
@@PeteOnPurpose You never know Pete … I was in a shop wearing my vivos and a guy had some on too. There was a mutual glance and affirmation nod as we acknowledged each other’s shoes 😂
@@anniwilson2534haha I also give other ‘barefooters’ nods of approval when I walk past 😅
do you front foot strike or heel strike in barefoot shoes?
@@multitablez7825 rear to mid for walking, mid to front for running.
Be aware that it gets harder and harder to get back to footwear with each step away from it. I experienced the same you talked about at the beginning of my barefoot transition when trying on a shoe with heel elevation again. I then used Altras for trailrunning and slowly transitioned to vibram fivefingers and later to a combination of barefoot sandals and bare feet whenever possible. I wanted to do some beautiful long runs in rough mountainous terrain and because my feet hurt a lot the first time due to the rocks and gravel I bought Altras again. I'm sure they're still fantastic shoes with zero drop and an anatomic toe box but I just felt so unstable and wobbly because of the cushioning I couldn't properly run in them. I instinctively started stomping in order to feel the ground better and I rolled my ankles several times which didn't happen in years. I really tried to make it work but no chance 😂
It’s pretty wild to realize how bad shoes are once you’ve not worn them for a while. It’s the equivalent of having to wear ski gloves on your hands. 😅
I’ve found the less the better for me as well. I even hiked Mt Ranier for 9 hrs completely barefoot and absolutely loved it.
Thats awesome mate
Thanks for the warning. Was considering getting the altras but I've been wearing zero drop for 7 months. I'll try before buying now.
@@Tribuneoftheplebs Altras has plenty of 0 drop jogging shoes just fyi! I noticed the same regarding stability, but if you mix between barefeet and Altras regularily you get accustomed to it. Definitely easier to twist the ankle with shoes vs barefeet ones though! Happens rarely-if ever-with barefeet.
I started to get knee pain on a recent trip to Europe when I was walking 7-10 miles a day in Lems Nine2Fives. I'm sure my technique could be better, and I could build up a bit more endurance at home, but I started to get a little skeptical about "barefoot" shoes. But ultimately, the things I like about barefoot shoes are the zero drop, flexible movement, and wide toe box. Changing any of these things feels like I'm walking in Wooden Clogs. I might want a bit more cushioning, especially when walking on pavement 99% of the time.
I have a similar issue just with mild pain in my foot, nothing bad but I can feel it and I’m worried it will get worse if I don’t resolve the issue. So I think I need a more cushioned shoe for all the pavement walking I do also.
Try Altra shoes! They have zero drop and a wide toe box but plenty of cushioning!
Lems has all the same features of "barefoot" shoes except for the fact that the outer sole is decently thick. They have some great shoes & boots!
I don't know about Altra but they're probably worth a look as well.
@@notisac3149I'm liking their Primal Zens so far, though I just recently had to send mine in to get a bigger size. I'm usually a mens 14, but these were almost too perfectly snug, so my big toe lightly rubbed against the front and the sides felt a hair too tight.
The only issue I might have is that I wish they had slightly more vertical room around the toes, but I'll need to see if that's better on the size 15's.
The sole thickness feels good for walking on concrete though. Seems pretty durable too.
COMMON MISTAKES:
1- Minimalist shoes, with zero drop, were designed for those who use the barefoot walking technique, in which the form of support on the ground is done with the half foot and not the heel. It is worth studying and practicing this beforehand. People that want to continue using the traditional method of walking and running, do not wear these type of shoes as you will get serious injuries.
2- If you want to use this type of shoes with the barefoot walking technique, then you will have to learn and practice the technique correctly. It will take a few months for your body to gain new muscle memory and the muscles in your feet to become fit, as well as the entire bio-mechanics of the body, from the tip of the toe to the hip. You should practice calmly and for short periods of time, half an hour a day at the beginning. A sign that we are overdoing it is when we start to feel discomfort with inflamed muscles, just above the ankles, sometimes even on the hips. We cannot change something that was before natural, but due to cultural habits we modified, overnight. This relearning takes time, but for me it was worth it.
It is no coincidence that competitive runners run this way. By cushioning the impact with the muscles and joints of the feet, the reactive force is prevented from having an impact on the body, especially the skeleton, resulting in better use of the force of gravity, more comfort and control of movement and avoiding injuries. This is not a scientific innovation, but rather how we all started to walk naturally, therefore the most efficient.
After a few months of using this type of shoes with this technique, I don't want to go back, and I recommend it to anyone who is willing enough. ;)
PS] These shoes have some differences in the soles depending on use. I use Merrel Gloves for walking in the city, they are fantastic, but for trail runs with a lot of rocks, it's better with insoles, but I'll have to buy more adapted ones.
There are regular shoes with wider toebox too, it just takes longer to find one with good style though.
I know I am yet to find a pair, do you know of any?
@@PeteOnPurpose New Balance have quite a catalog of wide width normal shoes, I recommend the New Balance 608v5 (typical dad shoe) as a starting point. From there on you may be able to browse some better styles.
When I was a kid, I use to wear cheap converse knockoffs. They were to wide and the soles were so thin you could feel every single little pebbles of the ground. And I love those shoes. I bought all the ones I could find until I was 20. I was a good sprinter, long jumper, hurdle runner, javelin and shot put thrower. Then I couldn't find those shoes anymore and struggled to find something remotly close. I tryed barefoot shoes 2 weeks aggo. I am 51 and I feel like I wasted 31 years of my life. I was instantly capable of running 5k again. To be fair I already spend most of my days in socks durring office hours or at home. So shoes were always a constraint. I had to buy 1 to 1.5 size bigger than my suggested size because my feet are wide. So I had shoes with 1 inch of empty space at the front just so I could fit my wide feets in. Zero drop wide toe boxes is the way to go If you already spend most of your time barefoot. Better balance, no more tibial and calf pain. If your body has already been deformed by fashion shoes then it's probably not for you.
Respect for being willing to experiment w yourself like this, thank you, it's very helpful for someone like me who's new to all this considering taking the journey into barefoot shoes. Thanks!
Happy you found it helpful. 😊
I work 8+ hours a day in a concrete floored warehouse, and I also hike trails, all in my VivoBarefoot shoes. LOVE IT! No pain. I only get pain when I wear my skateboarding shoes; which cramp my feet.
yo have you found any good wide toe box shoe to skate in, since writing this comment?
@@guidemeChrist I have not, but now I know why I used to wear a half size larger when I skated. Makes a big difference.
Which Vivo shoes do you wear? I’ve been looking at what they offer to wear for long periods of time
how do barefoot shoes do on super hard stone sidewalks. also, i have degenerative lumbar disc problems. are barefoot shoes ok with this issue. thanks
I have switched to Altra shoes when walking predominantly on concrete, they have a wide toe box with a little mor cushion
Interesting findings! I've been wearing barefoot shoes for about 15 years. For some works (am a farmer) I need to wear non barefoot safety shoes. The mix is nice and after hours in safety shoes my feet are longing for my barefoot shoes. During long runs I also wear cushioned and wide shoes, because o regularly make 20k+ steps a day and adding a 16 km run for like 36k steps a day is the point where a pillow made of air bubbles under my feet starts to make sense.
Yes I think everyone needs to work out what works best for them, sounds like you have,.
What cushioned shoes are you using for running? Thinking about getting the altras
Birkenstock makes some safety boots & shoes with a couple of the same features of barefoot shoes, namely zero drop, wide toe box. At the cost of flexibility and ground feel, they're non-slip, resistant to shock, puncture resistant, and some come with steel toes. If you look up the QS 700 model, you can probably find a site that'll ship it to whatever country you're in.
In Indonesia, barefoot shoes are kinda hard to find. I had to purchase my vibram and vivo's abroad. And during the occassion where I need to use conventional shoe, I found skechers are the most comfortable of all conventional shoes. But still, after prolonged use my knee and hamstrings started aching
Hello my Indonesian friend. There is an Indonesian barefoot shoe brand called Pyopp Fledge. Check them out. ❤
Kayaknya banyak yg make pyopp bwang... Sering liat waktu ikut event HM selain CFD reguler Sudirman-Thamrin sama di trail sekitaran sentul dan GePang
@@kakikudua6154 yup sering make juga, tapi kadang buat casual occassion enak sepatu. Sayang pyopp fledge sepatunya belom produksi lagi
OMG the SAME thing happened to me!! I didn't wear shoes during the pandemic and when I went back to work, NONE of my shoes fit me!! this sent me down a long journey, spending hundreds on shoes, sizing up, researching, until I finally came across the barefoot shoes community. life changed!! I still wear heels when I go out dancing or a skechers or adidas shoe sometimes, but I always feel it in my knees and hips when I don't wear barefoot shoes.
This is really helpful, but not quite to the point that i am fully convinced. You see, i have several issues with my low back, hips and lately even knees (torn meniscus in both my knees) and i've been doing extensive research trying to find the right shoes for me. I am still working out thankfully, and i need a shoe to match my training needs: i do a bit of everything, from bodyweight workouts to lifting to plyometrics to cardio. I need an all-rounder which will not cause any additional discomfort to my already existing pains and aches as well as guarantee a good deal of cushioning and stability, especially for high-impact plyos (jumps, bounds and hops mainly).
Any suggestions?
Have you checked out Altra shoes?
@@PeteOnPurpose I'll be sure to do that as soon as possible. Altra might be my best bet.
Soo you quit or not?
I just want a super wide toe box, duck foot shaped trail shoes and winter boots with zero drop but tons of cushioning. Why can’t these exist?
Have you checked out Altra shoes?
Have you tried Altra’s? They’re zero drop shoes with a wide toe box and some cushion. I like to wear them on some of the harder hikes here in British Columbia, so my feet don’t feel completely wrecked. Otherwise I’m wearing barefoots.
I have not tried them but I have had several people mention them so I will have to check them out. Thanks
@@jdelarunzcheers for the suggestions, I will check them out. 😀
I bought a pair of Altras and they fell apart rather quickly. Hoping my Xero Prio Neos will last awhile at the gym.
I ran for a year in altras and couldn't get rid of plantar fascitis - they are meme shoes to me.. regular arch shoes are possibly better for forefoot striking. Having to work in steel toes all the time put a stop to my running but I might start again
Very cool man, I really like my Topo Terraventures. What's the brand of your barefoot shoes?
I am wearing Belenka shoes in this video.
@@PeteOnPurpose awesome, thanks! I'll check em out
@@stever23I review them about six videos back
I’m glad you mentioned about living in a city with lots of concrete. Yes, hundreds of years ago humans were primarily barefoot, but there was all the concrete terrain everywhere. I don’t believe we are supposed to be walking barefoot all the time on concrete. I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes daily for a little over a year now and my feet ache much more than they did before my journey with barefoot shoes. I love them for hiking, when i’m not on solid concrete, etc. I think I am going to reintroduce myself to more traditional footwear for certain activities and do the 80/20 rule.
Yes i am going to try another pair of cushioned shoes but with a wide toe box and see how i get on
@@PeteOnPurposeplease update us if you find a good one!
Will do mate
The main problem with traditional shoes is not cushioning, it's the narrow toe box. Regardless of how hard the surface is, traditional shoes are going to crush human toes and do a lot of harm in a long term. If you want more protection there are a lot of barefoot options with thicker sole. You also can use insoles and thick socks. I personally started with Merell Vapor Glove (2 mm outsole) and wore them on hard concrete in the city. It was absolutely fine after a normal adaptation process.
@@PeteOnPurpose which pair did you go with? I got a pair of Altras that have a wide toe box. It feels practically as wide as my Vivo Barefoots. So far I’m loving them
0:15 which brand are those old green shoes? looking good. also 3:27...
The first shoes are Xero Messa Trail (first barefoot shoes I ever wore)
The next one you mentioned are the Belenka Stride (very comfy)
You said you had foot pain while wearing barefoot shoes while walking on concrete. I have found that you have to use a new way of walking when using barefoot shoes.
Because there is nothing in a barefoot shoe to make the cushioning, you have to do it yourself. When I started absorbing the shocks of the impacts with my leg muscles instead of my feet, the pain has gone away and never came back.
It takes a little while to make it a habit, but once it is, you'll never have to think about it again.
Edit: specified "leg muscles" to clarify on what muscles I'm talking about. Could be obvious for some people, not for others
Nice one, I will give it a go. 😊
The answer if you're always walking on unnatural surfaces (concrete etc) is to just put a flat cushion insole inside your 'barefoot' shoes - so you still have the wide toe box, the zero drop, and the flexibility.
I recently bought zero-drop Altras and walk barefoot at home and after 20 days I noticed my knees don't click any longer when I squat or bend down after clicking and cracking for nearly 15 years. I always thought it's due to the sports that I train, but it wasn't. It was all because of improper footwear. So I'm getting Lems Chillums now because they have 10-13mm soles and I don't want to go barefoot completely, I just want shoes that are WIDE, thin soles and no drop and you can't get them regular.
Yes until you wear barefoot shoes it’s hard to realize how coffinesque regular shoes feel.
@@PeteOnPurpose I WFH and had to go to the office today and I noticed that my right foot pronates (never noticed it before) and I wrote it off to a lifetime of wearing improper footwear and panic-bought orthotics (insoles) online until I came home and took my socks off. I looked down and saw that I wasn't pronating at all. This was the moment for me. I cancelled my Chillum order and will go for the thinnest shoes I can buy. All these years with knee pain, weak ankles, uncurable shin splints and posture/neck problems...it was all shoes. All my problems came from improper shoes. /lifestory off I appreciate these kind of videos, people need to be more aware of the problems that can arise from not knowing how to buy shoes correctly.
what about zero drop shoes that still have some cushion? Im thinking Altra. Wide toe box/zero drop/and varying levels of cushion depending on style.
Yes everyone seems to be advocating for Altras, will have to check them out
@@PeteOnPurpose sadly their quality has decreased but i sttill buy them. Depends on activity level.
Had a similar journey to you, every so often I think I can go back to narrower shoes (eg. I’d really like a slightly cooler trainer or boot for going to this gig or party or something) but when I try to squeeze my foot into ‘normal’ footwear I feel like I’m trying to put hobbit feet into some sort of pointed doll shoe. But I also find that Xeros and Vivos don’t give me enough protection from the ground, particularly as I walk a lot in cities; so the best brand I have found is Lems - wide toe box, zero drop, more flexibility than standard shoes but a thicker sole and slightly more rigid - Lems Outlander Boots and Primal Zens if you’re after more to review. Good luck with the channel, enjoying the content.
I do have a pair of the primal Lems I find them good but not as comfy as some of my other shoes (probably due to the thicker sole) The outlander boots look nice, I have added them to my list.
Try Altra Escalantes, wide toe runners with decent shock absorbance, zero heel drop, and they look 'normal'
cheers mate, will do
Xero trail IIs are what you want
I came across your video because I did a search for barefoot footwear. I'm older, not as mobile as I used to be, and am mostly looking for something to wear around the house as flip flops just aren't cutting it for me anymore. That's neither here nor there though although I do appreciate your point of view and it was an informative video; but I'm commenting specifically because of your brief "Story Time" segment in the video. That was great. Got "stuck" in Bali for 7 months during the pandemic. Man, of all places to have to get "stuck" at. Then explaining why you went barefoot all the time. "Because I was in Bali". Yup. Greatest most concise, most logical explanation I've ever heard. Man, I spent most of my 20 years in the military in Hawaii. I can relate. It was "rough" duty, but someone had to do it. Cheers and best wishes for a prosperous and peaceful 2024.
Haha 20 years in Hawaii sounds like a tough gig
I had knee pain, too, when I did a long bout on the treadmill in regular shoes, but arch supports took the pain away. With everything I've watched, I haven't been persuaded to convert to barefoot shoes. I have a comfortable, wide, walking shoe and am always barefoot in the house. I'm good - for now!
I've watched more than a few of these videos and nothing I've seen has convinced me that just wearing a wider shoe wouldn't solve the problem.
Which comfortable wide walking shoe would you recommend?
Hi!. I think I'm on about my 4th pair of Spira Classic Walkers. Have been using strictly them for longer than I can remember.
Can you recommend any that keep your feet dry for the winter?
Feelground winter Patrol boots, if you like this style?
ua-cam.com/video/1Ni8MP7iLmk/v-deo.htmlsi=OlF0dIUGcU_M6Pum
Great video, man. I've recently started jogging. The shoe situation has been confusing. Hearing anecdotes like these is really helpful.
Thanks mate, I don’t do much running myself as its causes old knee injuries to flare up
@@PeteOnPurpose I hear ya. Seems like an incredibly injurious hobby. Still, running around outside feels amazing.
I get shin splints, but I'm hoping I can work through it.
I'm also considering swapping out some jogging with rucking. Maybe that'll help balance out the impact on my shins.
@@BonytoBeastlyI think shin splints are caused when you are new to running so they should dissipate over time. I am a big fan of unintentional rucking, literally always have a heavy bag with all my gear in. 😅
@@PeteOnPurposeknee pain isn't an actual knee issue most of the time. Search for IT band syndrome, some simple exercise will likely fix your issues
Thanks for sharing! What's the brand and model of the black barefoot shoes you're wearing during the comparison?
They are the belenka - stride. I reviewed them here - ua-cam.com/video/aEBy_2ueXsI/v-deo.html
I started wearing barefoot shoes in 2020 at age 58. I now wear them 80% of the time. My feet have gotten much stronger in every respect (over time).
While I own Xeros and Oragineers, I’ve found that any cheap water shoes from a discount store work fine too, assuming the toe box is wide enough.
Nice man - was also thinking of experimenting with regular shoes after barefoot for about 5 year - wonder what'll happen to my knees!
Let me know how you get on
I've been using Vivo Barefoot shoes for 6 months now. I liked them since the beginning. However, walking 99% of the time on concrete meant heel pain after a few hours or after long walks. A couple of months ago I decided to add a soft heel pad and that helped a lot. If they came with just a little more padding from the factory, they'd be the perfect shoes for me.
Wondering what to do.
I like walking barefoot, did Isle of Skye trial 30km barefoot and rest with shoes. But pretty sure when wearing a heavy backpack, I need the cushion.
Mostly dont want to carry 3 pair of shoes
I use barefeet summer and winter shoes, and absolutely love them for the ground feel and weight. Plus Altras jogging shoes with 0 drop and wide front for hiking in the forest, and it's been generally solid all around. Only downside was city setting + barefeet could be problematic on the heels if walking fast. 0 drop is a life saver for our posture!
Do you wear any ASICS or New Balance?
Hello! What is the brand of your T-shirt?
Mons Royale
What kind of black trackpants are you wearing in the walking trough the city parts of your video, they look really comfy
They are from Decathlon - www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men-s-dry-100-breathable-running-trousers-black/_/R-p-339772?mc=8756577
I’ve never been able to wear Nike shoes. They come up uber narrow! I wear regular shoes with a wide fitting (nothing like barefoot shoes). Completely comfy, I’ve walked around with them all day and only taken them off because I never wear outside shoes in the house.
Why is it that 90% of videos about barefoot shoes have misleading negative titles?
I have noticed this too
@@johto Glad I'm not crazy!
I started using barefoot shoes 4 months ago and I'm really enjoying it so far. This said, i miss the style of common shoes and the cushioned soles for long days walking on concrete and in the office. But whenever I feel my feet sore due to lack of cushioning, I adjust my walking (almost walking on tiptoes) and I'm good again. I couldn't do this in regular shoes. I'm not going back to regular shoes any time soon. Right now I just really want some "meh-kind-of-nice-looking" barefoot winter boots, to go for a few walks while keeping myself warm and comfy. Barefoot comfort is like cozy sweatpants for your feet (and some are even office approved!)
belenka bro
Why not get zero drop shoes with a decent stack height? It’s the best of both worlds. Flux, Altra, and Lems have good options
I have Altras now
I have always been a forefoot walker and runner so barefoot shoes finally allowed me to walk instinctively.
During the summer this year I did the same thing, but ended with the opposite result. I started wearing barefoot shoes 9 years ago to help with knee pain when running, and that massively helped, forcing me to land on the ball of my feet instead of the heal. Then 3 years ago I moved all my footwear to barefoot shoes. Unfortunately my knees seemed to get a lot worse over the past 3 years, with pain kicking in after only 60-90 minutes of casually walking around. 6 months ago I moved back to Nike's for walking and my knee pain has pretty much gone. I loved the feel of barefoot shoes and the close contact with the ground, but not the knee pain that went with it. So I'm now barefoot for running and air-cushioned for walking.
Yes I think long term barefoot seems to take a toll on feet and knees, well it seems to have for me. I have just got some Altras and I feel like I am walking on clouds
What is your opinion about be lenka stride after owning them for almost 3 months?
I really rate them, super comfy. The only problem is if you walk 10k+ steps a day like myself I find the sole wears down really quickly, same in all my minimalist shoes really.
@@PeteOnPurpose Thank you very much for this fast answer. I think I will buy them, because they are on 40% sale and delivery costs about £3,65 to my country.
I worse skateshoes from 14 years old to 34 years old (current age) I got my first pair of barefoot shoes in September, and never looked back, its been only a few months but ive already ordered a pair of barefoot boots from the snow
Coming from skateshoes I was used to the flat, but the wide toe box is a game changer
Skate shoes are not made for walking because they are focusing on how you can have the best grip on the skate board surface. Eventually, for succeeding this kind of grip, they can't have an anatomic shape for having a comfortable walking experience. But of course for some people they look very cool and they wear skate shoes even if they have never touched a skate board. Any kind of good quality pair of sneakers made for walking would have been a game changer compare to skate shoes.
Could you just wear barefoot shoes with an insole for cushioning?
Maybe, depends on the insole I would guess?
its def the raised heel, when i wear nike romaleos while squatting i always get knee pain vs when iam using my nike jordan 1s it has a heel but its less than the romaleos maybe try out some jordan 1s they have a wide toe box vs de airmax and have less of an heel and more of a flat hard base
No way! I used to love Jordans as well (but for some reason, I thought they would be worse) Do you experience knee pain when wearing your squat shoes? I squat in barefoot shoes but I assumed squat shoes would be better?
@@PeteOnPurpose ive tried multiple times to wear squat shoes and every time i experience knee pain from it and i feel unstable and on my toes losing balance etc ive heard it from alot of People Who had the same problem even elite powerlifters who said the same thing.
Try out some Nike Jordan 1s low for just casual shoes i think you have no knee pain in those because the heel is lower and the toebox is wider.
What you also can do is take the insole out of the jordan 1s and then it feels kinda barefoot ive done that too for some time because i was wearing barefoot shoes every day for some time and needed nice shoes some times so i walked in my jordans without the insole
Oh sick, yes I’m definitely going to get some Jordan’s. 😀
What can you say about the keen brand? I don't have a chance to experience barefoot shoes in my country. Most of the manufacturers are in America and I don't have a chance to bring them.. There is a brand called Keen and will this shoe help me at least in terms of accessibility?
I have never tried Keen shoes out mate, so I am not much help I'm afraid.
I have always had a pretty high arch, I used to do a lot of stuff with my feel when I was a toddler and I'm the only one in my family that actually has an arch. I can even fist my feet.
For me wearing shoes has always been an issue, I know my feet are way wider than the "normal", I used to get hurt and bled so much wearing converse as a teenager 😂. I finally got some barefoot shoes that in my country are very difficult to find and I'm happy my feet are no longer strangled. I can be sure that I will not return home with a huge blister in random places.
No more plantar fasciitis
That’s great, I’m happy you managed to resolve your problem
Do you know of any major brands with shoes more « square », a compromise between between aesthetics and going all the way towards barefoot shoes ?
I have recently been wearing Altra shoes, they are zero drop with a wide toe box but have some cushion for walking on concrete and I am loving them so far.
Being a chef, has made me hyper aware of the importance of a good shoe. I used to wear Dansko's and I used to fall a lot, my knees used to hurt, and gave my feet blisters and calluses. I switched to the wide toe Birkenstocks and after months I noticed my toes began spreading and my Converse's didn't fit anymore. Now I'm in kitchen new balances and all I wanna do is work barefooted. Once I'm home and take off my shoes it feels like taking a bra off lol 😂
Great experiment! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Ive been wearing my bare foot shoes and boots at least 98% of the time, everyday for the past year and I can say that the only downside is the transition from regular shoes.
Could you please recommend shops where to buy them??
Have you tried the Nike Free Run 2018? They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever had, except the toe box doesn't feel wide enough. I haven't tried barefoot shoes though.
No, I haven't but if the toe box is too narrow for a non-barefooter my fat feet wouldn't stand a chance. :P
It's funny that you mentioned tripping. I've been wearing Xero prio's for a few weeks now, I wore my Skechers which are fairly wide not too high heel and good cushioning. I tripped three times at work and wondered if it was just because I was tired.... I didn't trip once while wearing the prio's
I found regular shoes moved my weight to the front of my feet which make it more difficult to balance.
Honestly, this explains why i found myself tripping as a child. Never tripped playing in the backyard...
Overcame my plantar fasciitis over three years ago after going all in with going barefoot and barefoot shoes. I've even successfully completed 10km road races using zero drop minimalist style shoes recently. I'm not going back.
Same here
Hey thank you for this very informative video. I didn't feel like you were pushing an agenda or trying to convince me of anything. It just felt like you wanted to explain some things you've learned and share your experience. Thank you!
Thank you, yes no agenda just sharing my experience. 😊
Can someone please recommend shops where I can buy shoes with a wide toes part but a normal sole? The only problem I have is that my toes don't have space and I feel like I can't even separate them :(
Have you checked out Altra?
To be fair I also mix it up.
I’ve got converse shoes that I wear about 10% of the time, always been a fan but I do size up.
I do love converse I find them so narrow though, does one size up really make them comfortable?
@@PeteOnPurpose they do have a wide option on the classic converse.
Try Altra running shoes. They have a wide toe box and zero drop, but a reasonable amount of cushioning. They are a good break from the constant pounding on concrete.
I now have some and they have changed my life. 😅
Barefoot shoes make sense because humans have toes and we had them for a long time so they need to move😂
Thank you bringing out a fair comparison. Barefoot shoes seem excellent for everything health related, when you cannot really go barefoot, but let's not forget the main advantage of regular shoes which is some look really cool.
Oh Pete you naughty click baiter 😂
Had the same thought and decided that my city commutes would be in wide toebox Inov8 F-Lite Fly G 295 which have 8mm drop.
Most running in Vivo Primus SG which have rubber lugs which slightly cushion on concrete and grip on mud.
Other walking and running in Xero HFS, but not too much concrete.
It works for me 😊 No pain.
Sounds like you have a shoe for every occasion! 😀
When you tried the Nikes, did you go with extra wide versus a normal width shoe? I wonder if that would have made any difference.
No, I didn't realise wide versions were an option?
they are on like 1 or 2 pairs and normally an ugly fat shoe@@PeteOnPurpose
After just two months I put on old normal shoes and I was like... Well, picture a dog you put dog shoes on his paws. I struggled walking.
haha wow, incredible it happened that fast
I’ve got a lot of knee pain. Being rough as a kid and military has kinda shot them out. Will barefoot shoes help knee pains like mine? I’m barefoot most of the time already except when I go into public, which is not often.
Fwiw I never wear shoes that cause any foot pain, I never have. I have wide feet and thankfully my mom was a good one that put effort into finding me good shoes, so I’m kinda surprised people have pain in their feet from shoes.
I am not sure if barefoot shoes will alleviate your knee pain? I think the issue is that non minimal insoles, slightly raise our feet and put our body in an unnatural alignment (more forward over toes)
You could always try some out for a month or two and see if your pain goes away?
Thanks, Pete. I also don’t think it’ll help me much but I’ll give it a try anyway. 👍. My knees make crunching noises when I kneel or squat down, I’ve been told I have some sort of arthritis in my major joints, don’t remember which.
Oh no, arthritis is no joke mate! I hope you can get it sorted out.
Thanks bud. I do and take things to help it. I reckon it’ll be alright. When you’re a teenager and young 20s you don’t think about being 40 and beyond. 😅. Honestly, I’m still perplexed by people wearing shoes that hurt, I can’t imagine the foot problems that could cause.
Also when it comes to concrete if you want to wear barefoot shoes on concrete that are actually comfortable ... you want a barefoot shoe with a thicker sole... thats like 7mm. The most comfortable barfoot shoe that i owned that had a perfect blend, of ground feel and comfort while walking on any surface.. esp concrete/cement, where the Xero 360s... and they had a 7mm stack height. When you go below 7mm that's when walking on concrete for extended periods of time can get uncomfortable and exhausting. The next pair of barefoot shoes i get will be 7mm in stack height then, i wont have to swap back and forth between shoes as much.
That is a very good point, most of my shoes are so minimal the stack height is 5mm or below
i disgree. the most important thing, if in barefoot shoes, is to NOT heel strike, and frontfoot strike.. i took the small soles out of my barefoot shoes.. they are barley 1 or 2mm thick now.
I'm a sneaker head and do a lot of walking. Having the perfect arch support is key to comfort. Of all my shoes my premium Jordan 1s, Jordan 2s, Jordan 11s and 90s combat boots are the most comfortable. Some of my shoes have too little or too much arch support. Room in the toe box is not an issue. Shoes without arch support make my feet hurt a lot.
Basically for me I feel the same way. most of the casual shoes I have I can't wear anymore because of wearing barefoot shoes for so long now. I still run and do CrossFit in runners/ cross trainers most of the time. Unless I am using a Flux Footwear shoe which walk the line of minimalist and regular shoes.
Yes, barefoot shoes should come with a warning saying that you wont be able to wear your old shoes. 😅
Try Altra and Topo shoes for sneakers, and Meindl Comfort Fit models boots/normal shoes. For the first two they have zero drop options and whatever, high, mid and low cushioning, etc. My feet are stupidly wide, so much so that my actual size is 1.5 to 2 sizes smaller than the ones I usually wear/buy.
I may have found someone with wider feet than me?
You’re more brave than me to try out the regular shoes again.
haha I know, didn't know what I was letting myself in for to be honest. 😂
I’ve always worn red wing boots for work and currently have 4 pair in various stages of decomposition. I need a level of safety and support for construction yet I don’t want to be entombed into boot’s anymore. Any suggestions?
Thanks so much !
The only boots I could suggest are the Feelgrounds winter patrol boots however I don't know if they are suitable for construction. I have many messages asking about barefoot work boots and I am yet to find a solution.
@@PeteOnPurpose appreciate the response. I’m hopeful that model is right around the corner in development.
Birkenstock QS 500 or 700
You should’ve try the New Balance 990v6. A bit pricey, I’ll give you that. But worth it all the way. Nice vid, peace ✌🏽
Cheers mate I will check them out alongside the Altras people keep mentioning 😀
Why didn’t you just get wide toe shoes like new balance or asics
I did eventually
Am I the only one who thinks he looks like Maximus from Gladiator?
I've had someone tell me that once before, so no. 😅
Altras have a more cushioned sole, but are zero drop and have a wide toe box
I have some Altras now and they have been a game changer
Great video. I have low heels shoes and more padded ones. I don't experience major knee pain but it is food for thought and I am really considering expensive bare foot shoes over £25.00/35.00 TKMax shoes offer. My issue is that i am very active and I consume soles very fast
Yes the biggest negative of barefoot shoes is how quickly they wear out. I’m also experience some pain in the front of my foot which I think is due to walking a lot on concrete so I’m try to resolve that.
@@PeteOnPurpose i have been wearing lems primal 3's to work for about 7 months, and I walk on concrete for eight hours. the first month was rough, a lot of foot pain after 6 hours, so I went and bought a cheap pair of flat foam shoe inserts, that helped immensely. I ended up replacing them after a month or so but haven't had to again, in fact, I think I could just take them out.
and as far as them wearing out, the soles have almost no wear and they are in very good shape. With regular shoes like Hoka's the soles would wear down on the outside because I pronated that way, and I'd have to get a new pair. Now I walk evenly and knee and back pain are gone.
@@scottcunningham5425yea I have contemplated some insoles for long days on my feet but not sure which ones. Will have to look into it. Appreciate the tips
I highly recommend Altra’s line of running shoes. Foot shaped, generous toebox, zero drop, and a bunch of cushioning. Kind of the best of both worlds.
I wear thin soled ‘barefoot’ shoes a good portion of the time, but for long runs and when I’m on concrete all day, SOME cushioning is helpful.
Love my Altras
Try zero drop and wide toe box rather than barefoot. I've recently bought Altra Lone Peak and love them. You need to transition shoes slowly -- round the house at first.
Another one for Altra shoes, I will definitely check them out.
What kind of barefoot shoes are shown in the video?
They are Belenkas - the stride. I reviewed them about 5/6 videos ago.
Literally millions of years of biomechanical evolution versus fifty years of some lumps of rubber and marketing designed to improve athletic performance in very specific range of motion.
The odd thing is how we have culturally accepted specialised sports footwear as normal.
I've been in barefoot for about 6 months. Fairly straightforward transition as only ever worn minimal trainers like Gazelles and Converse, or cycling cleats, or thin sole brogues for work.
I tried on my last remaining pair of Gazelles last week and they feel like someone elses shoes, look ridiculously narrow, and basically didn't fit.
Not really a case of 'would' I go back, but 'could' I?
haha yes one your feet have adapted to barefoot shoes, there is no going back.
Litteraly millions of years of evolution of our ancestors walking on soft undergrounds….we live on concrete cities………….
@@cryptonian7706 True, but concrete has been around since the Romans, and tarmac pre-dates Nike Air Force Ones
@@duncanhamilton5841 and the romans wore shoes and sandals
@@cryptonian7706 yeah, which were strips of hardened leather with no lift or arch support... the Legions weren't all decked out in Reebok Pumps.
I went the exact opposite direction for footwear but with the exact same results... really weird lol. PNW boots are about as far from barefoot shoes/boots as one could get but I keep wanting to try out the jim green barefoot AR's. Any thoughts on those for someone thinking of trying out barefoots but still wants to keep the actual toughness of boots?
Great experiment this Pete. I’ve been trail running for a few years exclusively in barefoot shoes and sandals, I don’t think I’d have a chance of getting them in any normal shoes now. Do look cool those Nikes though, maybe they could be an unhealthy treat for your feet, like a foot KFC.
You should have a wander over to Helsby or Frodsham sometime, only 1 stop on the train from Chester and some great walks/runs.
Haha, KFC for your feet I love that. Cool I will have to check them out, always up for a nice walk.
Guys are local. Nice to see that. I just started to look into barefoot but are there also barefoot shoes without rubber sole, so you are barefoot and grounding at the same time? Like actually walking bare?
Why not try Altra? Zero drop, wide for box to an inch of cushioning.
Haha yes seems to be the consensus of the comments 😅
can u make a video of u wearing 6 inch heels for a week to see how u feel? 👍👍
😂😂😂