Product Review: Barefoot Shoes

hoes say a lot about a man and what his daily activities consist of. From conquering mountains in hiking shoes to scoring touchdowns in cleats, our footwear choices define every adventure. Dress shoes command the boardroom, running shoes fuel our jogs, and nothing beats the grip of hiking shoes on rugged terrains. In our pursuit of cultural expression and personal flair, we relentlessly seek the ideal footwear companion for every occasion. Shoes embody the very foundation of the soul (and sole) of our existence, becoming an indispensable part of every man's wardrobe.

But have you ever actually studied your shoes before? Seriously, go grab a pair of your shoes and look at them. Study the shape of them. The style of them. Now, look at your feet. Look back at your shoes. And now back at your feet. Do you notice how your shoes aren't actually the same shape as your foot in it's most natural position? For the sake of fashion and comfort, mainstream shoe companies are outputting stylish and comfortable shoes alright. But in the process, they are moving farther and farther away from the way our feet naturally function.

Unleash Your Sole: A Return to Our Original Design

Enter the world of barefoot shoes. Also referred to as “minimalist shoes,” barefoot shoes have increased in popularity over the past several years. Somewhere down the line, people have started to realize that mainstream shoes have started to conform our feet to the shape of a shoe, rather than conforming the shoe to the shape of our feet. 

When Support Actually Hurts

While there are times and occasions for supporting your feet and ankles (like that ankle sprain you got when attempting your first kickflip), supporting our feet on a regular basis actually weakens our feet over time. When our feet aren’t regularly using a full range of motion, enduring various terrains, or are squished into shoes that aren’t even the shape of our feet, our feet tend to get lazy, relying on the work of the “supportive shoe” rather than our foot’s innate abilities and function. Think about it in another way: would your back muscles strengthen and your spine align properly by sitting in an upright, sturdy chair or lounging slothfully into a La-Z-Boy? When we overly support our feet day in and day out, we are actually weakening the muscles, joints, and bone alignment in our feet, ankles, and legs. This is where barefoot shoes come in.

Most shoes are shaped as if feet were made for shoes. [Mokokoma Mokhonoana]

Barefoot (But Not Really)

Though there is a myriad of undeniable benefits to walking around barefoot in an open field or on the beach, there are times in which shoes are actually needed, like exploring the frozen tundra, competing in a triathlon, or walking across a living room floor scattered with your son’s Lego® creations.

To understand what constitutes a "barefoot shoe," let's refer to Anya's Reviews' classification of what defines a barefoot shoe:

• Completely flat
• Thin
• Foot-shaped
• Secure to the foot
• Provides no support in the arch [1]

Though there are countless brands of barefoot shoes out there, I want to highlight a few brands that can help us stay on the path.

Essential Barefoot Shoe Recommendations 

‍‍VIVOBAREFOOT

Why It's a Path Worth Considering:

• Wide variety of styles offered for men, women, and children
• Transparency of the company’s supply chains
• Uses bio, recycled, and natural materials
• Certified B Corporation
• Offers mail-in repair services for your shoes

WILDLING‍

Why It's a Path Worth Considering:

• Many options made with natural materials, such as cotton canvas or leather
• Certified B Corporation
• Wide variety of unique shoe styles 
• Styles for men, women, children, and toddlers
• Easy, downloadable sizing guide

‍SPLAY

Why It's a Path Worth Considering:

• Affordable
• Made with natural materials, such as cotton canvas or leather
• Offers three gender-neutral styles
• Shoes offered in a variety of colors
• Easy, downloadable sizing guide

Why do you fear touching the earth? Does not the concrete separate you from it enough? [Chester Brown]

Barefoot shoes are truly an amazing product that could lead to positive changes in not only your feet, but the health of your entire body. However, it may take time to rehabilitate your feet and for your body to adjust the lack of support they are so used to leaning on. Here are some things to consider as you ponder the world of barefoot shoes:

On The Path (+)

• Many barefoot shoe options made with natural or recycled materials
• Wide variety of shoe styles for every activity and personality
• Most barefoot shoe companies offer easy, downloadable sizing guides to help you find the right fit
• Barefoot shoes are made to fit your feet, not the other way around

Off The Path (-)

• Limited accessibility (typically can only buy them online)
• Comes with a higher-than-average price tag
• It may take some foot rehabilitation before you can transition to barefoot shoes
• International shipping costs

Musings from the Trail

According to Orthopedic Associates, 75% of Americans will experience foot problems at one time or another in their lives [2]. Seventy. Five. Percent. As in, three-fourths of Americans. My wife is one of those 75%. In fact, she's had foot problems most of her life, being flat-footed and all. And when I say that she has flat feet, I mean that her feet are so flat, her footprints curve outwards at the arch instead of inwards. 

Since the age of ten, my wife has been given orthotics for her flat-footedness. She's had tendonitis in both ankles. She's been told to spend hundreds of dollars on high-quality, extremely supportive footwear. She's invested in very supportive footwear for over 20 years. And yet, here she is, at age 31, still struggling with foot problems. So if she's invested so much in footwear that is supposedly going to solve all her foot woes, why has she continued to deal with various pain points in her feet for so long?

After stumbling across the world of barefoot shoes less than a year ago, my wife faced an internal conflict because everything about barefoot shoes (especially the complete lack of arch support) went completely against everything she had been taught to be true about foot health. However, after buying her first two pairs of barefoot shoes, and beginning to do some basic foot exercises to rehabilitate her feet to their natural shape and state, she has already begun to see small steps of healing in her feet. When she felt all hope was gone for her incredibly flat feet, she found hope in barefoot shoes.

Challenge:

Evaluate the condition of your feet and consider how barefoot shoes might improve your foot health. See the Objective(s) for ideas.

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Objective(s):

1. Read Whole Body Barefoot by Katy Bowman
2. Browse Anya's Reviews for in-depth overviews of various barefoot-style shoes
3. Take this Barefoot Shoe Finder Quiz to find the best barefoot shoes for your lifestyle
4. Join an online course with VivoBarefoot to start rehabilitating your feet, OR take a workshop with My Foot Function
5. Begin transitioning your feet to barefoot shoes with these simple exercises