👣 New to Barefoot Shoes

What Are Barefoot Shoes?

Curious about barefoot footwear but don’t know where to start? The world of barefoot shoes can feel overwhelming at first, what with all the different terminology and categories of shoes that are available. We aim to be the best place for you to start. Where you can find answers to common questions such as:

• Why should I try barefoot shoes?
• What makes a shoe barefoot?
• How do I transition to barefoot footwear?

What makes a shoe barefoot?

The world of barefoot footwear has many terms that differentiate barefoot shoes from traditional footwear. Here are some of the unique terms you will often hear about in your journey:

Zero-drop - When you hear “drop” in the context of footwear, we’re talking about the change in elevation between your forefoot and your heel. For a shoe to be considered barefoot, it should have zero-drop, meaning that your forefoot and heel are on the same level just like your feet would be naturally. A typical traditional running shoe can have a drop of 8-14mm. And even though that’s nowhere near the drop of, say, a pair of high heels, that difference in height affects the way your feet, and therefore your entire body, moves.

Lower stack height -  The term “stack height” refers to the height or thickness of the sole. In barefoot shoes, stack heights are much lower than traditional shoes. A barefoot shoe is usually around 3-8mm, whereas a typical running shoe’s stack height is around 9-30mm. This lower stack height means less material between your foot and the ground, meaning your feet can better feel what's beneath you. As well, thinner soles usually mean more flexibility, which allows the bones and joints in your feet to move and flex as nature intended.

Less padding and support - When people think of barefoot shoes, they sometimes worry about the lack of support, especially arch support, but that is excluded in barefoot shoes on purpose. 

If you’ve ever worn a cast on your arm or leg, you know that after weeks of restricted movement, the muscles in the casted limb will shrink and get weaker. Artificial arch support works like a cast. 

If your shoe is holding up your foot’s arch, the muscles in your foot don’t need to activate. By wearing shoes without artificial support (and that let your feet move freely) your feet have no choice but to get stronger themselves, creating the internal support within themselves to give your body the stability it needs.

Why should I wear barefoot shoes?

When humans first started wearing shoes, they were designed to protect our feet from inclement weather and harsh terrain. Over time, we started to add more and more cushioning to  our shoes, inadvertently depriving our feet of their job as an important sensory system to keep our joints aligned and moving well over all kinds of terrain.

As well, our feet are designed to move and flex (each foot has 26 bones and 33 joints) with each step, and traditional shoes with narrow toe boxes and thick soles constrict that movement.

By wearing barefoot footwear, you allow your feet to both better sense the ground beneath you and move freely, gaining the strength to stabilize your entire body from the ground up. In other words, barefoot shoes give you protection from the elements without the constriction of traditional footwear.