idk about conferences or running or any of that but I know that my minimalist barefoot shoes (not the toe kind, they look like regular sneakers with an extra wide toe) are the only shoes that don't make my nerve pain flare up! So I'm glad they exist
I work in the service industry & noticed a whole body change when I started wearing barefoot sneakers. The headline is kind of misleading. the author supports barefoot shoes, wears them, feels stronger, etc. My hips feel a lot better, too.
I prefer to be barefoot due to sensory issues, and those ugly shoes are a good compromise.
They don't make me better at running, they just prevent more injuries than going without shoes.
I just wish it were possible to find a shoe that has BOTH a wide "barefoot" toe box and arch/heel support and cushioning. seems like you have to pick one or the other
Idk what's better health wise but THIS is exactly what feels more comfortable to me as well. It's maddening that with so many options out there I can't find it.
Check out Topo Athletics running shoes. Barefoot-style toe box, but still cushioned and supportive. Just went for a run in my Phantom 4’s and love them.
Jim Green Barefoot African Ranger offers a wide toe box, immaculately flexible sole which happens to also be replaceable via traditional cobbler methods, and good arch support. They are very lightweight especially compared to traditional hiking boots. As a delivery person I've found them the best balance of minimalism and protection. As to cushioning you would either want to use cushioned socks or buy one of them fancy cushioning insoles.
my style leans much more feminine sadly 😭 to be completely fair I have found athletic shoes that meet my requirements. but I never wear athletic shoes when I am not exercising! I just want normal, stylish women's footwear that allows a natural toe splay
I have seen barefoot-adjacent people on reddit say good things about Birkenstock shoes (not just the sandals) for people wanting to dip the toe in but not go all the way! Very wide toe box, but still have the support you are looking for. They make mary janes etc now!
The cork footbeds that birkenstock makes are extremely difficult to find a competitor. Not a big fan of the soft bed they make now but the classic is basically peerless. Probably the best compromise for feminine shoes with nice toebox and good cushion.
My mistake of language friend. I meant they had the low rise heel and the trooper high rise. You would need buy your own insoles to decrease? (Raise) The drop. I use them with lightweight cushion socks from Darn Tough and that provides me sufficient cushions but I also walk footpad first. I would believe an insole designed for your specific needs would make it more perfect for you.
They're seriously so lightweight flexible but also good ankle support i used to wear danner mountain lights and I couldn't imagine going back. All the other similarly lightweight low drop boots I've seen on the market are basically "tactical" looking athletic shoes designed to be allowed to wear in military uniform while basically being gym shoes.
Agree. Give me a wide toe box AND a decent stack. Why is that not as common? Why are all the natural shaped shoes also paper thin soles? I have a neuroma and cannot wear shoes that crowd my toes. But I also want some cushion.
Full disclosure that I run a shoe store that sells minimal shoes, but have you tried Flux or Topo Athletic? A lot of my customers with Neuromas love both of those brands. They have stack but give you zero drop (not all Topos, but some) and foot-shape.
The original idea of “barefoot” shoes is that it allows the structure of the foot to do the cushioning as nature intended. So the absence of that is deliberate.
Of course most of what we do these days has nothing to do with what nature intended. And Mother Nature herself overlooked certain issues when she evolved us into an upright species starting from species that were designed to have bent knee joints at all times. The heel strike was never part of the original design.
What you are looking for isn’t really “barefoot”, it’s wide toe box with some cushioning, with or without the zero heel. Which I know I’ve found in the past, though I can’t recall brands off the top of my head.
There were some recommendations for that in the article, specifically Splay Shoes (specifically their skateboard line) and Black Cicada. I’m not familiar with them but I hope you find what you’re looking for!
I switched to minimalist running shoes over a decade ago. It changed my running stride for the better. I took shorter steps that were more like a ninja or a deer where I pull up more than push down if that makes any sense. The big issue for me on the transition was my calf’s would take a beating. I couldn’t do long distances the same. I switched to more normal sneakers and with my changed stride I rarely get injured. So they helped me change bad habits but I have no interest in going back to them.
I don't even care about research (rare for me) because I'm 41 and they've been working for me for 20 years and 18 years on my feet in the service industry! Zero foot or back pain or problems
The thought of running in barefoot shoes on concrete gives me painful flashbacks. You can pry my high-stack, modest-drop running shoes with high arch support insoles from my cold, dead hands.
Accurate. The running community has a lunatic fringe (Harriers, nudists, Ultra enthusiasts…) and you’ll always find at least one nutter who swears by barefoots for a few years before he (it is *always* a he) suffers a significant injury or has an environmental incident that a normal shoe would have protected them from. In three decades of running, I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
Well I'm a she and I have fewer injuries after transitioning to running in minimalist shoes after dealing with tibial stress fractures. It does require very careful adaptation. The shoes themselves don't fix any problems, the way the shoes motivate you to change your gait do (shorter, lighter strides). It's very possible to brute force through that and overstride in minimalist shoes. And while shorter quicker steps are a fairly safe gait alteration for most people, it reduces peak stress at the cost of increasing repetitive stress so everything depends on what injuries an individual person is most prone to or at risk of.
Despite all the running shoe type inventions we hardly know anything about what shoes benefit what runners, even basic ideas like motion control shoes for pronation don't hold. One of the few things that might be clear is that high stack shoes are better for people with metatarsal stress fracture issues. They should definitely stay away from minimalist shoes.
Gotta say I didn't know I was associated with running nudists!
Are you calling ultra enthusiasts a lunatic fringe? You know, races that are supported and sponsored by lunatic fringe shoe companies like HOKA and Mount to Coast.
the irony of having a direct contradiction directly below you- would anything change your mind?
statistically roughly 50% of runners experience injuries. so it’s probably just noise that you and other runners have created a narrative on
i’ve been a runner for years and a massage therapist focusing on active athletic folks and many runners for years too. i always tell people to explore and do what feels best for them. shocking take called nuance and listening to their body.
you can read plenty of anecdotes in this thread of it benefitting runners- which is great for those people who try something new, experiment and do what works for them. for others it won’t bring benefit and they’ll move back to other options, being pain free is not a hard science as an amateur runner..
it’s a hobby and there’s tons of barefoot enthusiasts who do it long term, yet people get these strong biases they mistake for truth among them and their small sample of running buddies.
if i had a nickel and a strengthened bias for every runner who came to me with an injury while wearing shoes that provide support i’d have a really silly opinion of a diehard barefoot superiorist.. and a lot of nickels.
I'm a runner and I take them seriously. If you look at the current trends in running shoes, you'll see cushioning is getting really extreme. This does affect your foot strength for the worst. Having a pair to wear to get that strength back can be one of the steps to minimizing all sorts of problems like ankle sprains, hip pain, knee pain, etc. You don't have to do anything crazy in them: I walk the dog in them, do errands -- they're my gym shoes too. Sometimes, I do a light jog.
I just see this as a natural consequence of people raising a whole gen of kids in Crocs with no arch support. So there's like a whole gen of young adults with wide flat feet that can't wear normal shoes. I was raised in an era where moms cared about arch support, so I have a normal arch and my toes didn't get splayed out from wearing nothing but Crocs. Shoes I try on now have no arch support and feel way to big for my feet. Just a normal ass shoe. Cause they're making everything wider for these croc kids now.
I'm not saying the shoes are made because of this, theyve been around for a while. I'm saying these goofy shoes are blowing up because we've created a gen of adults that cannot wear normal shoes.
Longreads-ModTeam | an hour ago
Removed for breaking subreddit rule #4: we want recommendations, not self-promotions.
GoodBoundaries-Haver | 2 hours ago
idk about conferences or running or any of that but I know that my minimalist barefoot shoes (not the toe kind, they look like regular sneakers with an extra wide toe) are the only shoes that don't make my nerve pain flare up! So I'm glad they exist
heddassgabler2752 | 2 hours ago
I work in the service industry & noticed a whole body change when I started wearing barefoot sneakers. The headline is kind of misleading. the author supports barefoot shoes, wears them, feels stronger, etc. My hips feel a lot better, too.
hydrangeasinbloom | 2 hours ago
Very click-baity headline for sure.
trashdemons | 2 hours ago
I prefer to be barefoot due to sensory issues, and those ugly shoes are a good compromise. They don't make me better at running, they just prevent more injuries than going without shoes.
considerlilies | an hour ago
I just wish it were possible to find a shoe that has BOTH a wide "barefoot" toe box and arch/heel support and cushioning. seems like you have to pick one or the other
Mental-Quality7063 | an hour ago
Idk what's better health wise but THIS is exactly what feels more comfortable to me as well. It's maddening that with so many options out there I can't find it.
Possible-Mention-344 | an hour ago
Check out Topo Athletics running shoes. Barefoot-style toe box, but still cushioned and supportive. Just went for a run in my Phantom 4’s and love them.
comradevd | an hour ago
Jim Green Barefoot African Ranger offers a wide toe box, immaculately flexible sole which happens to also be replaceable via traditional cobbler methods, and good arch support. They are very lightweight especially compared to traditional hiking boots. As a delivery person I've found them the best balance of minimalism and protection. As to cushioning you would either want to use cushioned socks or buy one of them fancy cushioning insoles.
considerlilies | an hour ago
my style leans much more feminine sadly 😭 to be completely fair I have found athletic shoes that meet my requirements. but I never wear athletic shoes when I am not exercising! I just want normal, stylish women's footwear that allows a natural toe splay
feugh_ | an hour ago
I have seen barefoot-adjacent people on reddit say good things about Birkenstock shoes (not just the sandals) for people wanting to dip the toe in but not go all the way! Very wide toe box, but still have the support you are looking for. They make mary janes etc now!
comradevd | 51 minutes ago
The cork footbeds that birkenstock makes are extremely difficult to find a competitor. Not a big fan of the soft bed they make now but the classic is basically peerless. Probably the best compromise for feminine shoes with nice toebox and good cushion.
Puhwest | an hour ago
Could you share the higher rise version? I'm only seeing zero drop. Would love to try these. Thanks!
comradevd | 57 minutes ago
My mistake of language friend. I meant they had the low rise heel and the trooper high rise. You would need buy your own insoles to decrease? (Raise) The drop. I use them with lightweight cushion socks from Darn Tough and that provides me sufficient cushions but I also walk footpad first. I would believe an insole designed for your specific needs would make it more perfect for you.
Puhwest | 56 minutes ago
Thank you!
comradevd | 53 minutes ago
They're seriously so lightweight flexible but also good ankle support i used to wear danner mountain lights and I couldn't imagine going back. All the other similarly lightweight low drop boots I've seen on the market are basically "tactical" looking athletic shoes designed to be allowed to wear in military uniform while basically being gym shoes.
sixteenHandles | an hour ago
Agree. Give me a wide toe box AND a decent stack. Why is that not as common? Why are all the natural shaped shoes also paper thin soles? I have a neuroma and cannot wear shoes that crowd my toes. But I also want some cushion.
Sisterrez | 54 minutes ago
Full disclosure that I run a shoe store that sells minimal shoes, but have you tried Flux or Topo Athletic? A lot of my customers with Neuromas love both of those brands. They have stack but give you zero drop (not all Topos, but some) and foot-shape.
sixteenHandles | 27 minutes ago
I’ve heard of Topo. I’ll look into those and Flux. Thx
Puhwest | an hour ago
Altra via fwd 2 is the closest I found. Has a small drop, has cushioning, and has a reasonable toe box.
But yeah - I'd like something with an even more natural shape and more support.
ditchdiggergirl | an hour ago
The original idea of “barefoot” shoes is that it allows the structure of the foot to do the cushioning as nature intended. So the absence of that is deliberate.
Of course most of what we do these days has nothing to do with what nature intended. And Mother Nature herself overlooked certain issues when she evolved us into an upright species starting from species that were designed to have bent knee joints at all times. The heel strike was never part of the original design.
What you are looking for isn’t really “barefoot”, it’s wide toe box with some cushioning, with or without the zero heel. Which I know I’ve found in the past, though I can’t recall brands off the top of my head.
cajolinghail | 12 minutes ago
There were some recommendations for that in the article, specifically Splay Shoes (specifically their skateboard line) and Black Cicada. I’m not familiar with them but I hope you find what you’re looking for!
cheesaremorgia | 2 hours ago
My zero drop shoes have been great for my feet and even my knees and hips are thanking me for it.
espressocycle | 2 hours ago
What is this, 2012?
No-Butterfly-5148 | an hour ago
I have been walking for miles in my barefoot toe shoes and feel amazing!
ironwayfilms | an hour ago
I switched to minimalist running shoes over a decade ago. It changed my running stride for the better. I took shorter steps that were more like a ninja or a deer where I pull up more than push down if that makes any sense. The big issue for me on the transition was my calf’s would take a beating. I couldn’t do long distances the same. I switched to more normal sneakers and with my changed stride I rarely get injured. So they helped me change bad habits but I have no interest in going back to them.
aliquotiens | an hour ago
I don't even care about research (rare for me) because I'm 41 and they've been working for me for 20 years and 18 years on my feet in the service industry! Zero foot or back pain or problems
Awkward_Tick0 | 2 hours ago
Runners do not take them seriously. Only the dorks do.
fishWeddin | an hour ago
The thought of running in barefoot shoes on concrete gives me painful flashbacks. You can pry my high-stack, modest-drop running shoes with high arch support insoles from my cold, dead hands.
pastfuturism | 2 hours ago
Accurate. The running community has a lunatic fringe (Harriers, nudists, Ultra enthusiasts…) and you’ll always find at least one nutter who swears by barefoots for a few years before he (it is *always* a he) suffers a significant injury or has an environmental incident that a normal shoe would have protected them from. In three decades of running, I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
julry | an hour ago
Well I'm a she and I have fewer injuries after transitioning to running in minimalist shoes after dealing with tibial stress fractures. It does require very careful adaptation. The shoes themselves don't fix any problems, the way the shoes motivate you to change your gait do (shorter, lighter strides). It's very possible to brute force through that and overstride in minimalist shoes. And while shorter quicker steps are a fairly safe gait alteration for most people, it reduces peak stress at the cost of increasing repetitive stress so everything depends on what injuries an individual person is most prone to or at risk of.
Despite all the running shoe type inventions we hardly know anything about what shoes benefit what runners, even basic ideas like motion control shoes for pronation don't hold. One of the few things that might be clear is that high stack shoes are better for people with metatarsal stress fracture issues. They should definitely stay away from minimalist shoes.
Gotta say I didn't know I was associated with running nudists!
ex_oh_ex_oh | an hour ago
Are you calling ultra enthusiasts a lunatic fringe? You know, races that are supported and sponsored by lunatic fringe shoe companies like HOKA and Mount to Coast.
pastfuturism | an hour ago
People who run and drink Michelob Ultra afterwards. Like the commercials.
julry | an hour ago
That's so common.. half of the half marathons I've been to give out beer after
Mission-Art-2383 | an hour ago
the irony of having a direct contradiction directly below you- would anything change your mind?
statistically roughly 50% of runners experience injuries. so it’s probably just noise that you and other runners have created a narrative on
i’ve been a runner for years and a massage therapist focusing on active athletic folks and many runners for years too. i always tell people to explore and do what feels best for them. shocking take called nuance and listening to their body.
you can read plenty of anecdotes in this thread of it benefitting runners- which is great for those people who try something new, experiment and do what works for them. for others it won’t bring benefit and they’ll move back to other options, being pain free is not a hard science as an amateur runner..
it’s a hobby and there’s tons of barefoot enthusiasts who do it long term, yet people get these strong biases they mistake for truth among them and their small sample of running buddies.
if i had a nickel and a strengthened bias for every runner who came to me with an injury while wearing shoes that provide support i’d have a really silly opinion of a diehard barefoot superiorist.. and a lot of nickels.
justinsimoni | an hour ago
I'm a runner and I take them seriously. If you look at the current trends in running shoes, you'll see cushioning is getting really extreme. This does affect your foot strength for the worst. Having a pair to wear to get that strength back can be one of the steps to minimizing all sorts of problems like ankle sprains, hip pain, knee pain, etc. You don't have to do anything crazy in them: I walk the dog in them, do errands -- they're my gym shoes too. Sometimes, I do a light jog.
Great tool in the box to keep running!
fuckforcedsignup | an hour ago
Did Quentin Tarantino choose the main pic for this article
molotovzav | 2 hours ago
I just see this as a natural consequence of people raising a whole gen of kids in Crocs with no arch support. So there's like a whole gen of young adults with wide flat feet that can't wear normal shoes. I was raised in an era where moms cared about arch support, so I have a normal arch and my toes didn't get splayed out from wearing nothing but Crocs. Shoes I try on now have no arch support and feel way to big for my feet. Just a normal ass shoe. Cause they're making everything wider for these croc kids now.
I'm not saying the shoes are made because of this, theyve been around for a while. I'm saying these goofy shoes are blowing up because we've created a gen of adults that cannot wear normal shoes.