The 7 Best Barefoot Running Footwear to purchase for ladies in 2020

Have you ever try minimalist casual or formal shoes? I’m in search of those. I got the Vivos Lisbon and also have Camper’s Peu

I am a medical provider who loves Vibram five finger shoes, but almost no other medical providers will even talk to me. I have worn these shoes over 3 years and even now my foot muscle strength continues to improve even faster now than earlier. I say go all the way and now i am wearing the EX-L model and it really works. Did I go through a lot of pain, you bet ya. Have I essentially cured almost all my foot, leg, and hip problems, yes. No more hip pain, no more heel pain, no more chronic swelling of my big toes, no more inability to hike for miles, or stand on my feet most of the day without pain. Was it worth it, Yes. I am 72 years old. So it can be done. But if lots of people did this, these shoes would destroy a lot of podiatrists business. Good.

I wear a pair of Xero Hana and Xero Prio since about a year and I like them. The Hana is really thin and very responsive and the Prio is a great running shoe with enough support and thickness even to run outside in the forest.

Love this unbiased talk on minimalist footwear!!! I tried to switch from minimalist to more cushioning after years of being injury free, and got a stress fracture! I think that stress that was on my feet travelled up the chain somewhat…

Yes, thank you indeed this is very good information. Although i think the link to “do a test run” is wrong, it is actually a link to the podcast bersion of this video…

If I wouldn’t get so many looks of dismay, disgust or disapproval, I would go barefoot as much as I could. It has many benefits, health and wallet alike..

When a child is unshod noone bats an eye, when a woman is unshod she might get mild critique….but when an adult male goes unshod ‘he must be a hippie, homeless, or escaped from an asylum’. This is clearly a social affair.

Big brands in shoewear have us in their grasp of portraying the act of being shoeless is just not-done.. Shame on them for doing so, shame on us for believing it..

I wear regular runners, Nike Zoom to be exact, and I’ve noticed I never heelstrike when I walk or run, ever.

Are you a practitioner of the ido portal movement method? I’m digging those break dancing moves. Lol

There’s a lot of great shoes a company called Xero shoes puts out.

Funny I also get pinching on my fifth metatarsal (pink toe) in primus shoes.

Super helpful fact base without a sales pitch for a product or lifestyle just the pros and cons refreshing

So starting off with minimalist shoes is okay? I’m not in good shape currently and have just started running with minimalist shoes. Never ran with other shoes. I’m assuming my cardio and muscles/ligaments/bones will improve at the same rate so it’ll be safe.

Do you prefer maximalist shoes or minimalist shoes! LET US KNOW in the comments!
For maximalist shoes: https://youtu.be/GT3LjVp_cxk

Thank you SO MUCH for this video! I have high arches and pronated. I wear Adidas Swift Runs(wife bought em) and they are DESTROYING my ankles!

I feel minimalist shoes would be the key to breaking through my fitness goals.

Thank you!

Would you recommend walking in minimalist shoes for those with flat feet? I used to wear corrective insoles, however, after walking with minimalist shoes for a few days, the soreness forced me to walk in a different manner which fortuitously also corrected my “duck feet”.

Thanks Tom, saw a shoe brand called Tesla on Amazon which look good with great reviews…

Great job. Wonder why minimalist companies continue to design shoes with a traditionally pointed toe (where the shoe gets narrower toward the front, whereas the human foot continues to widen)? Only Lems, Altra (some models) and Xero (some models) leave enough room for the toes to splay out unconstructed by the upper.

This dude needs to try boost if he really thinks Nike free is comfy.

How can I prevent over compression of the cuneiforms when running on the balls of my feet? I’ve chasing pain around between turf toe-type symptoms and pain in top of my foot from what I think is compression from over-flexion of my ankle. I’m struggling here. ��

You included two Vivobarefoot Barefoot shoes but didn’t include the Merrell Vapor Glove? Fail.

Omgosh. First off, this review was incredibly useful. Having said that, even if it was total crap the fact that he says, “I don’t live in the Pacific Northwest, even though I am wearing a Patagonia jacket and it looks like I’m about to go on a hike” made my day. He read my thoughts exactly. Gold. And again, thank you for the review!!

I like the look of the runamoc shoes but damn. Over 100 dollars for what is similar to water shoes is just too much for me.

Great review, not sure how you dropped a 4 star on the cheapo shoe. I recommend trying a Merrell, either the bare access, trail gloves, or vapor gloves. These are superior minimalist shoes. Great support, light weight, looks great, decent quality, comfortable and reasonably priced.

Good comparison. Thanks for the video. Really helps a lot. I will check out softstar. What vivo size did you buy? How long is your feet in cm? I recommend to check out Zaqq from Germany.

Thank you for the great video. This is a nice site with lots of minimalist shoes http://magneticfirstimpression.com/sitemap.html

All i’ll wear anymore is soft star! own 2 pairs of primal sawyers, a pair of dash and have tried but returned a pair primal run amoc’s. I also have a wide feet and difficulty finding shoes that work long tern for me. I’m ordering a pair of hawthorne chukkas next week. Try out the primal sawyers, your wide feet will thank you!

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Barefoot running is the way to go I brought my fitness lvl to a whole new lvl switching to barefoot style

I like the vivos best when I take the insole out. I have the same white ones and they are much tighter with the insoles, as soon as I removed it they where so much more comfortable, my toes had more room and I could feel the ground much more. The only time I leave them in is if I’m wearing my vivo boots, when it’s cold with the thermal insoles. Great review ����

Been wearing vivobarefoot since about 2011 and have absolutely loved them…. But they are SO expensive and fall apart too easily. Will check out this other brand!!

I was a runner until I got a plantar fibroma a couple years ago from riding another persons bicycle with a different style of pedals. I switched to minimalist shoes and sandals, and my fibroma has shrunk significantly. I’m also able to put weight on the ball of my foot again without discomfort.

I looked a bunch up as I’m really interested. I have no idea how to size them!

Actually I think the Vibrams look awesome. We are just not used to see all the toes anymore. If you see them every day on several people it just becomes normal and good looking.

The price of these shoes is still ridiculously high considering the amount of material used. Realistically Vivobarefoot has no direct competition since their shoes are the only ones that don’t make you look like a weirdo, hence why a pair of thin trainers like these cost over $100

I’m a fan of the five fingers. I’m currently running in an old pair of merino woolnlined winter ones. Initially tricky getting the toes in especially wearing the socks but ultimately got used to it. I love the lack of support. In summer i have a pair of the ones you reviewed. I can’t buy women’s sizes they come up way too narrow so i have to go with the men’s sizes to get the appropriate width. Be prepared to send them back and forth to get the right fit for your first pair. Avoid ebay. I ended up buying fakes someone was trying to offload.

I want something that helps my plantar fasciitis and rt knee arthritis pain. Ty. I am 70.

When I saw your name, I first thought of Joseph Merrick, the elephant man

9:50 Can I see your toes? Can you describe your toe splaying process? How long did it take and what caused it the most?

My favorite barefoot training shoes are the ones I was wearing when I was born.

How about modern pave, concrede dead flat, hard surfaces. I do not argue with bare foot method. In ancient time there were mostly grass lands…

I had the exact same problem with the primus lites. Not enough volume in the toe box, wide enough, but not high enough. After returning two pairs due to quality issues (sole separated from the upper) I got the stealths. WAY better, softer on the top of my feet and definitely more volume in the toe box. Love them! Hopefully they will not have the same quality issues.

I’m 30 and have dealt with flat foot issues my whole life. I’ve gone to podiatrist, gotten custom insole, tried all the “flat foot” shoes with good support and none have ever worked. I couldn’t run more than 1/4 mile without a burning feeling in my arch and my calves tightening to the point of making it difficult to even walk. I came across something on the internet that said flat feet people should actually use minimalist shoes to strengthen feet instead of the supportive shoes. So I said “what the hell tried everything else”. I got the Nike free 5.0. I ran a mile nonstop for the first time 15 years. They feel amazing. No flat foot problems at all. I think the general theory on fixing flat foot issues is completely backwards.

you did not mention vivobarefoot or Xero shoes which are much better

Are vivo shoes run true to size? Or should you size down a whole size since they don’t have half sizes

I by far prefer the Top One Feiyues with an green triangle under the sole. It’s much more barefoot feeling and a bit softer in the fabric.

Thank you for the video.
I have flat feet and I’ve seen many different doctorsfrom support for the arch until barefoot shoes (at the moment).
One of the comments I hear is that my feet won’t get “normal” because I am already 27 so most probably with barefoot shoes I will get many problems (foot,knee,hip) when I get older (60, 70) because I never corrected/compensated the arch.

Any experience on this? Flat free and wearing barefoot for many years?
Thank you once more

I sent y’all a message on Instagram with some videos of a problem I’m having. Be very grateful for a response!

You can put vibrams in the washing machine sorts them right out

Check out the review I did on my channel! I cover VivoBarefoot, Vibram FiveFingers, Xero Shoes, Lems, Merrel, New Balance, Tadeevo, Otz, SoftStar, and Nike

Very helpful brother. Iam looking into the shoes from Xero but its a pain in the ass the order them from the netherlands

4 of of 7 are made from the same China factory, with same design.

What are the benefits of switching to these types of shoes? Are they more comfortable to walk in than the regular shoes with thick soles? My other concern is they don’t seem to provide adequate protection against sharp objects such as nails or glass shards. (edit: meant to ask whether they provide adequate protection from the typical urban environment but I guess my brain wasn’t working so well at that time)

Thank you for bringing up ethics! It can really help decision making ��

Great Review! I started with Vibram KSO and loved them but the smell is definitely an issue. The first two iterations of the trail glove were awesome minimalist shoes, the new ones are overbuilt and not minimalist. At least the vapor glove is a quality minimalist shoe. Just got a pair of Primus FG and they are great so far, minimal, great traction, and good looking. My most used minimalist shoes are my Shamma Sandals can’t beat a completely open toe box.

Great video, but I think the Nike free are women’s shoe only.

Do you have narrow, normal, or wide feet?
I have wide feet and I’m very skeptical about getting some flat trainers because I have wide feet.

Nike Zoom racing flats. Minimal padding but keeps support (no ankle rolling). Good feel for the floor. Light when jumping or doing core work where feet are elevated/moving. Not supportive enough for squats

4/5 stars for a shoe with a life of 4 to 6 MONTHS? Regardless of price, Why bother putting this shoe even in the GD list??

I’ve been running barefoot since 2009 when the craze began. I did it because I was a fatty who suffered knee pain in regular shoes. Though I feared glass would shred my tender soles and my feet would stick to the 40-degree pavement, I decided that one run couldn’t kill me. My first run was 4 miles, painful and I kept thinking I was trailing blood, but once I was done, I noticed I’d suffered no harm (the pain was from the cold pavement). My calves were on fire the next day, but unlike shod runs, I had no knee pain. It’s also hard to describe, but there is this feeling of “feeling” that I got when running barefoot that is hard to describeit’s as if running shod was running anesthetized while running barefoot exposed my senses to the world beneath me. This was important because even if painful, I really enjoyed the feeling of “feeling.” I know it sounds stupid, but I’d rather feel the discomfort and pain and the sensory excitement of different surfaces to being anesthetized.
Since then I’ve been running barefoot and never looked back. I use Vibrams when the weather or surface is impractical (hot asphalt, winter ice, goats heads, mountains). The worst injuries I’ve suffered were glass splinters, though this happens maybe 3 times a year, and a high quality tweezer solves that quickly (do not buy cheap tweezers). I’ve never had knee problems since moving to barefoot nor do I suffer plantar or bone problems, but I imagine that has more to do with me slowly increasing my workload and not competing. I can now run 15-20 miles barefoot and prefer it: I would only wear shoes if you make me.
But I agree that barefoot is not for everyone. I have a student who is a natural runner and I’ve noticed she doesn’t care for barefoot, I assume it’s mostly because she’s light. This makes sense to me because I started as a fatass runner and even now that I’ve lost weight am still heavy for a runner; so I am more likely to suffer knee problems than a lightweight runner. Also, I had a naturally bad gait (my heels always wore on the outside) and had to see podiatrists and get special fittings and change shoes frequently. With barefoot running I don’t worry about any of that: I even suspect that my gait was never a problem.
If anyone is considering it, I’d give them a few bits of advice: (1) run 1/2 of what you normally run, and if you’re a beginner, run even less so your feet get accustomed, and do not use your heels (2) clean pavement or clay are best, so try those… yes, runners think pavement is awful, but to my bare feet, pavement feels like carpet while the harshest is old unmaintained asphalt (3) do not fear glassyou can run over glass and 99% of the time it won’t puncture you, while the 1% of the time it does, you can pull it out with good tweezers. In honesty, the first glass is the worst because of the mental fear you had, but once you get it out, you realize it was nowhere near as bad. (4) Be ready for soreness in muscles you never expected: my calves were burning, and some folks report sole pain, both of which subside as you do it more. (5) if you take it easy and follow those steps, you may find like me, that running barefoot may be your preferred way to run, but as I said, it doesn’t work for everyone… but at least you gave it a fair chance.

Thank you for sharing this information. I never heard of barefoot or minimalist shoes until a few days ago. Your reviews help select the right shoes for me. I looked into Softstar after your review what a great company. So excited to find one using leather tanned in the USA and making it in the USA. I make my best effort to buy products in the USA; shoes is a tough category. But not anymore! And for ladies, they make ballerina flats in many customized color options, so I can wear them with my suits to work and finally ditch the high heels! ��
My feet thank you, Upright Health.

Nice vid. Would like to see how the joe nimble nimbletoes and the merrell vapor glove shoes compare to these.

I wear a water shoes (sports shoes on amazon) because I do it mainly not to run but for body-weight conditioning.

those vibram 5fingers are awesome for weight training and trail running, and yeah, the smell will haunt them FOREVER

Minimal shoes = cheap chinese kungfu shoes.
Not cheap shoes = not minimal shoes.

what would you suggest for the lowest profile “shoe” to replicate barefoot barbell squats, in a gym that requires shoes.

I just started running a month ago and already have knee problems. I am so glad I discovered barefoot running and minimalist running shoes! Thank you.

Quick tip for smelly shoes: Throw a used herbal teabag in them and leave overnight. It will absorb the odours and leave your shoes smelling great.

Using Vivo barefoot boroughs right now. They are the best shoes I’ve ever owned, movement is more natural and my feet have no pain after a day in them. Only issue with the boroughs is (and you’ll see this in the review section of these shoes on vivos site) is the padding on the inside back of the shoes. It digs into the back of your ankles and it made my left one bleed after first day of use. I’ve had them months now so they’re fully broken in and they’re just the best. Very stylish too, got a lot of compliments.

Does anyone have any tips for playing basketball in these types of shoes? I own vtrain vibram fivefingers and everytime I play basketball in regular shoes I have horrible pain, any advice?

Thanks for this. Having folded my ankle inwards whilst running down the stairs I’ve realised that I need to strengthen my feet and ankles. I’m barefoot around my home which is helping.
Don’t forget beach shoes and surf boots. They are cheap alternatives which are pretty close to barefoot.

Vivobarefoot are one of the few minimalist shoe companies that actually make shoes for wide feet. Lems are another. I split my Merrel Vapor Gloves inside of 5 weeks and my Feiyues (which I loved) didn’t last a month.

I have always had issues running. Calves get super tight and shin splints become unbearable after maybe 100 yards. The last time I was able to run I wore some cheap fila shoes that looked like Vibram knock-offs. I’d love to be able to run again. Was it a coincidence that I could run wearing those? Thinking of the Xero running shoes.

What happened if you stepped on a sharp objects??? Did you made that study too???

The one topic not covered is if the runner is overweight. There’s a lot of new runners who are just starting because they are overweight. If you’re overweight, start out with walking before running. Being overweight even includes being muscular. Your feet and legs need to adjust after a lifetime of wearing shoes with too much support. STOP the heel strike when running or jogging. For walking it’s ok. When going downhill, it’s safer to just walk. Your run times will be slower in the beginning. Ok to keep track of time, but don’t try beat your old run times. Focus on feedback from feet and not on running times. With running shoes, I find my joints hurt afterwards. With minimalist, joints are fine, muscles and feet are tired/sore, but no real pain. I also use a training mask on an easy set when running with minimalist shoes. If it’s harder to breathe, then it will force you to slow down. It will raise your heart rate and breathing as if you are running faster.

Excellent advice. Feeling my calves and Achilles stretch after “just” walking around for half a day in zero-drop shoes convinced me that slow and methodical is the way to go.

I’ve had primus light for a few months and finding the lace loops tearing apart. I have 4 other pairs of vivobarefoot and these are disappointing:(

if you want something for lifting with a bit of support the Kobe lows are good. They are stiffer like any other basketball shoe but still super light and supportive

If you have very wide feet like I do then you will struggle to find minimal shoes that fit.
Vivo barefoot are good, though they cost a lot and the thin mesh parts don’t hold up over time. They always fail right where the toes bend as it causes a pinch point that weakens the mesh.
Vibram 5 fingers are good, though the quality of the glue they use seems to have dropped off as I’ve had some separation in certain areas, but the shoes last a long time. You tend to need a couple of pairs to allow them to dry out fully after wearing them or they can get a bit smelly, but you can also throw them in the wash.

Just bought some Brooks Adrenaline 20 « Run Happy » shoes. Great support but I now have ankle pain. I’ve been running minimalist trail runners for about a year. Why is it that I added support and got an injury?

What do you guys think about high end leather barefoot shoes? We’re a new brand at DaVinci Barefoot. Our shoes aren’t for running or training, but casual wear.

Hey Guys, we created a new barefoot shoe brand and we’re looking for feedback and or testers. If interested, the name is DaVinci Barefoot. We’re high end leather barefoot shoes for casual wear. We’re looking for video reviewers and testers if interested.

You dont run?!!! I dont drive…so i dont review the best car to drive…wtf…waste of a click

I’ve been researching barefoot shoes for half a year now and discovered about 6 or 7 makers. I now own several Xero shoes and 1 Vivobarefoot in which I like. I only heard of Softstar yesterday. I gotta a feeling I’ll be owning a pair of these in my near future.

That’s is true I’m glad I did my research before taking off on minimalistics, I ran 1/4 of a mile Walk the rest of the mile on an off for about 30mins and I felt like I could run a lot more but due reading reviews of people crying hurt I stoped… Next day I woke up with some pain in my ankles and feet and I was like not that bad, 2ndbday I woke up like ouch yeah kinda bad I almost fell went trying to go downstairs lol

My to-go shoe is unfortunately out of production. But I have managed to stack several pairs. They are the closest to barefoot I have experienced and they last a long time. The shoe is Mizuno Wave Universe 5.

Wildlings shoes everyone! They’re super comfortable. I own lems water proof boulder boot for when the weather is wet, but pretty much wear my Wildling Nebulas daily.

Great video man! Wish I could’ve of seen it years ago would’ve saved me a lot of injuries ��

More shoe and less talking head, please. A picture tells a thousand words.