What are the benefits of barefoot, minimalist, natural movement shoes?

In recent years, the benefits of barefoot shoes have captured the attention of those eager to experience a more natural way of walking and running. By promoting natural foot movement, barefoot footwear can significantly enhance balance and foot control, improve posture, and provide greater sensory feedback.

The shift towards more natural and minimalistic footwear choices is gaining momentum. Embracing this foot-friendly movement could be an essential step towards achieving a healthier stride.

(This post includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase)

Visit the official Xero Shoes store for the latest prices on barefoot shoes, boots, and sandals.

Are barefoot shoes good for you?

As is the case with many topics in the health and fitness industry, this remains a hotly contested question. The research is not definitive, and there are many factors to consider when answering this question.

When I think about what makes sense to me as an experienced former health and fitness professional, minimalist shoes are essential to the jigsaw. Suffice to say, I’m a fan. This post delves into the many potential benefits of barefoot shoes.

I’ll start by explaining some of the essential features of a barefoot shoe. Then, we’ll look at why these features could be important for your physical health. I’ll share my thoughts on a few considerations if you’re making the switch to barefoot shoes. Finally, I’ll offer some recommendations for barefoot shoes for walking and shoes specific to barefoot running.

And yes, I walk the talk. I have been exclusively wearing barefoot shoes for over eight years now. For a few years prior to that, I wore a combination of barefoot style and traditional shoes. And before that…well, I was in the most expensive and highly built-up running shoes my podiatrist had recommended!

What are barefoot shoes?

Barefoot shoes fit into the minimalist footwear category. They may also be called minimal shoes or even shoeless shoes! There are many barefoot shoes, boots, and sandal styles on the market. Many cater specifically to runners and hikers. Others are designed to be everyday minimalist shoes. You can also find specialized barefoot-style footwear, such as minimalist work boots or shoes designed for the water.

Common features of truly minimalist footwear

1. Zero-drop shoes. This means that the shoe or sandal has a flat sole with no drop between the heel and the front of the shoe.
2. A flexible sole. You’ll easily be able to bend, twist, and scrunch up a truly minimal shoe.
3. A thin sole. Barefoot shoes vary in exactly how thin they are. Essentially, they’re designed to help you feel the ground underfoot.
4. No arch support. Stay open-minded before you click the “back” button because you think you need arch support. A meta-analysis of 150 studies showed that arch support in a shoe is unlikely to be necessary unless a podiatrist recommended it for a specific foot-related problem or injury.
5. A wide-toe box. Barefoot shoes are generally made wider than traditional shoes. (Bear with me – you’ll find out why features like this are crucial soon).
6. Lightweight. The weight of different barefoot shoes will vary, but there shouldn’t be anything “heavy” about them.
7. Secure on your feet. You’ll find several barefoot sandal styles with a very minimalist design. It may appear like there’s not much to them at all. However, they’ll ensure that your feet are secure. So flip flops, or “jandals” as we call them in New Zealand, don’t pass the test.

Overall, barefoot shoes and other types of minimalist footwear have an anatomical design. That means they’re made with happy, healthy feet in mind. Let’s now explore some of the benefits of barefoot shoes and how they relate to the critical features I’ve mentioned.

What are the health benefits of barefoot shoes?

Wearing barefoot shoes isn’t the same as going barefoot. However, if you’re going to walk or run shod (with shoes), wearing shoes designed with the barefoot features listed above can offer the next best thing to going completely barefoot.

Walking barefoot or running barefoot can offer several benefits. However, it’s not always appropriate or safe to do so (e.g., when there’s a risk of sharp objects underfoot). When you need to wear shoes, consider the following potential benefits of barefoot shoes to help you choose whether a minimal shoe might be right for you.

1. Barefoot shoes help encourage natural movement

In my opinion, natural movement is one of minimalist shoes’ most significant health benefits. It’s an overarching benefit, like a combination of more specific benefits highlighted below.

Minimalist footwear allows your feet like they were designed to and helps you achieve a natural walking pattern. This is due to the combination of all the incredible features I mentioned above. 

The thin soles allow you to feel the ground and connect more with the earth. While you won’t get the same level of connection as you would if you were barefoot, you’ll undoubtedly get a lot more than you would with three inches of thick rubber sole between you and the ground.

So, how exactly do barefoot shoes relate to natural movement?

Your feet have a massive number of sensory receptors. These include mechanoreceptors, which detect changes in pressure and tension. Sensory receptors offer feedback to your brain, increasing body awareness and telling you how to move correctly. Conventional footwear with thick soles can make this sensory feedback mechanism less effective.

Barefoot shoes are designed with your body’s natural movement capabilities in mind. At the same time, they offer the support and protection your feet need when it’s not ok to be barefoot. 

If you’ve wondered, “What are the benefits of minimalist shoes?” Better natural movement is probably the most prominent key concept for me.

2. Minimalist footwear promotes better posture

Wearing built-up shoes all day, every day, year after year, can have negative consequences. These may include issues with posture and muscle balance. Specific muscles might become overly tight and/or weak. This can be especially so with high-heeled shoes (hello tight calves and Achilles!). 

The flat zero-drop design of barefoot shoes helps you to maintain a natural posture, just like you’d have without shoes. In turn, this may help you to experience less pain, stiffness, and associated problems. When you’re in a comfortable, natural alignment, you should be able to move more easily (see above – natural movement).

Visit the official Xero Shoes store for the latest prices on barefoot shoes, boots, and sandals.

3. Barefoot shoes help feet to splay naturally

Many traditional shoes were designed to look nice. However, they weren’t necessarily intended to be foot-shaped. As a result, the 26 bones that make up your foot can get rather jammed up. 

Many ligaments and muscles also connect to these bones. A lot is going on in your feet. Armed with some knowledge about the interconnectedness of everything in the body, you may begin to understand how problems with your feet can affect your entire body.

The wide toe box characteristic of barefoot shoes gives your toes the space they need to splay naturally. When your bones aren’t squashed together in a tight-fitting or strangely shaped shoe, they more easily maintain their optimal, natural structure and alignment. Going barefoot and wearing barefoot shoes when necessary may help you get your feet “unstuck.”

When your feet have enough space in a shoe or sandal, your big toe functions as it needs to. The big toe plays an important role in natural movement. When your feet can splay naturally, and your big toe is happy, it can help you achieve better stability and balance on your feet.

4. Barefoot shoes help promote stronger foot muscles and more flexible feet

When you see the flexibility in a barefoot shoe, you may realize how this feature helps promote foot strength and flexibility. I’ve noticed that some people comment on the flexibility of barefoot shoes and say they’re not good for you because they don’t keep your feet stable enough.

The barefoot philosophy takes the opposite approach. Instead of relying on the stability and support of supportive shoes, the focus is on the foot. One foot alone contains over 100 tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Just like other muscles, these need to be engaged and worked. This helps them stay strong and flexible so they can offer your body a good support base.

As I mentioned, a barefoot-style shoe can help you to get your feet “unstuck.” The flexibility in a barefoot shoe allows your foot’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments to develop the flexibility, strength, and overall mobility they need so that you don’t have to rely on your shoe to provide this.

If you choose a rigid sole (a common feature of many modern shoe designs), you’re handing over some of your foot tasks to your shoes. You’re saying, “It’s okay, muscles and tendons; we don’t need you to do as much anymore.”

Wearing stiff shoes is a bit like being in a foot jail with little space for natural foot movement. Don’t be surprised if you experience reduced foot function over time if you wear inflexible shoes.

Let’s take the Achilles tendon, for example. Traditional shoes with a raised heel may contribute to a shortened Achilles tendon. Flat and flexible barefoot-style shoes can assist with stretching and strengthening the Achilles tendon, which may help reduce the potential for injuries like Achilles tendinitis.

If you switch to a barefoot-inspired shoe, you may benefit from additional stretches to assist you through the transition period.

Benefits of minimalist running shoes

Perhaps you want to get a bit more specific about the benefits of barefoot shoes because you’re a runner. There are plenty of potential barefoot running shoes benefits. It’s important to recognize that studies are still limited. As I mentioned, this is a multi-faceted topic with many variables to consider.

Before we explore some potential benefits of barefoot shoes for runners, let’s first consider what inspired many people to take the barefoot approach seriously.

Minimalist footwear is inspired by some of the world’s best runners

The best-selling book Born to Run by Christopher McDougall influenced many people to seriously consider the benefits of barefoot shoes. The book is about the Tarahumara tribe in Mexico’s Copper Canyon. The Tarahumara people are renowned for their incredible long-distance running abilities, even though they don’t train for running races in any conventional manner.

The Tarahumara people traditionally ran in a DIY-style minimalist sandal made from a car tire or rawhide sole. Many modern-day barefoot-inspired shoe companies have considered this concept in their shoe designs.

I first listened to “Born to Run” in audio format on a long road trip. (Back then, we had a bunch of CDs to play in the car!) It certainly got me thinking about my highly built-up sports shoes at the time. However, I didn’t begin making the switch until maybe a few years later.

5. Barefoot shoes could help reduce the risk of injury in runners

A study on the Tarahumara Indians showed that a higher percentage of minimally shod runners used mid-foot or forefoot strikes compared with the percentages of those who wore conventional shoes. The latter group mostly used a rearfoot strike. 

The heel-to-toe strike is more common when you run in regular shoes due to the raised heel in the shoe. Barefoot shoes may help you walk and run with better posture by adjusting to more of a mid-foot or forefoot strike. This type of foot strike can also reduce your likelihood of overstriding.

The postural change to more of a forefoot or mid-foot strike can adjust the stress load to different areas further up the kinetic chain. In turn, this may have a positive impact on niggles and injuries you have been experiencing.

Visit the official Xero Shoes store for the latest prices on barefoot shoes, boots, and sandals.

Consider adjusting your footwear if you’re experiencing ongoing issues from running

It’s important to recognize that a particular type of foot strike doesn’t mean you will get injured. If you don’t have injuries or niggles, then you might not want to change anything at all! But if you’re getting recurrent injuries from running, your foot strike and footwear choice is an important avenue to explore.

Rear-foot strikers may be more likely to experience overuse injuries such as tibial stress injuries and plantar fasciitis. However, it’s crucial to recognize that many factors are at play regarding injury prevention. The best foot-strike position is the one that’s right for the individual. 

A survey of over 500 barefoot runners showed that the majority of runners who had previous injuries found that these were resolved after they started a barefoot running program. The survey has several limitations. However, it’s the type of anecdotal evidence that you’ll hear from many runners who have successfully made the switch to barefoot shoes.

6. Minimalist shoes may improve running efficiency

One study showed that running barefoot or in minimalist running shoes (as compared to running in a traditional shoe) has the potential to improve running efficiency from a biomechanical standpoint. The study size was small and was carried out on experienced adolescent cross-country runners.

So, is running in bare feet or minimal footwear healthy? Well, it can be. Overall, more studies are needed, and there are many factors to consider. Take a sensible approach to making the switch and see how your body responds over time. 

My personal experience with barefoot shoes

Many people can enjoy the benefits of barefoot shoes. I’m glad I embraced the barefoot philosophy as part of my holistic approach to health and fitness. It took me many years to open my eyes to it, and I continue to adjust my lifestyle and movement choices. 

I want to continue progressing with better movement patterns and decreased pain levels. My ultimate reason is to enjoy all the physical activities I want to do for many years to come!

Personally, my feet have gradually increased an entire size since I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes exclusively. I know that some women report their feet increasing in size during pregnancy. I believe that mine increased as a result of wearing barefoot shoes over a few years. 

That’s me below, rather pregnant, wearing the Jessie lifestyle sandal.

It will be interesting to see if and how they continue to change over time. I still have bunions, which I believe are largely hereditary. Wearing shoes that were too narrow for my bunions may have made them worse. Note that I’ve never worn high heels except for special occasions like weddings or nights on the town when I was in my 20s!

I used to get shooting pains through my bunions, which I have not had in recent years. Although I have plenty of mechanical and alignment issues that I’m still working through with my body, I never get sore feet or feel like I need to put them up at the end of the day!

A few considerations when you’re making the switch to a minimalist shoe

By now, you’ve hopefully got a few insights into the question, “What are the benefits of minimalist shoes?” Without going into a new post, I just want to recommend a few things to consider when switching from traditional cushioned shoes to barefoot shoes.

• Make gradual adjustments. There are many ways to do this. For example, you could wear minimalist shoes for short walks and everyday activities. Build up to longer walks later. If you’re a runner, start with the tiniest distance in your minimal shoes. Progress very slowly. Note how your body responds, listen to it, and tweak your approach accordingly.
• When appropriate, go completely barefoot more often. If you often wear shoes indoors, this may simply begin with taking your shoes off.
• Speak with a podiatrist about trying less built-up shoes if you think your foot issues might be related to your choice of shoes.
• Give it time, and be patient. If your niggles get worse, adjust your approach. Do what’s right for you!
• Some complementary foot strength exercises, stretches, and/or mobility work can be really helpful during your transition, especially if you have very flat feet or specific foot conditions. Self-massage using techniques such as trigger point therapy may also be useful. 

[Find out more about trigger points in “7 Incredible Trigger Point Massage Benefits”, “How to use a Trigger Point Ball Effectively,” and “The 9 Best Myofascial Release Tools for Easing Muscle Tension”].

Frequently asked questions about barefoot shoes

Below are some commonly asked questions about barefoot shoes versus regular footwear.

What are some of the potential problems with modern footwear?

Most modern shoe designs have a raised heel and stiff sole (even when it comes to sports training shoes). These features discourage natural movement and may compromise foot function.

Are barefoot shoes actually beneficial?

Barefoot shoes are beneficial as they promote natural movement by allowing your feet to move more freely and function more naturally. They help strengthen foot muscles and improve balance and posture, potentially reducing the risk of injuries associated with traditional, more restrictive footwear.

What are the disadvantages of barefoot shoes?

While barefoot shoes offer many benefits, they may also have some disadvantages. Transitioning from traditional footwear to barefoot shoes can initially cause discomfort or soreness as your feet adjust to the lack of cushioning and arch support. Additionally, individuals with specific foot conditions might find that these shoes do not provide the necessary support for comfort and stability.

Where can you buy barefoot shoes?

Several barefoot shoe companies sell various styles, from active shoes to casual shoes and even smart dress shoes. My favorite tried-and-tested brand is Xero Shoes, which offers a wide range of barefoot shoe designs for every activity.

Barefoot shoes recommendations – My Xero Shoes Reviews

As an ambassador for Xero Shoes, I highly recommend their wide range of awesome minimalist footwear. They have both performance-based and everyday shoes. Their trail running and hiking collection includes barefoot trekking shoes like the Terraflex and barefoot boots like the Daylight Hiker. A super-cute casual option is the Jessie sandal, and they even have barefoot options for kids, such as the Prio.

You can jump straight to a few of my Xero Shoes reviews below:

• Z-trail review (a trail sandal you can hike or run in)
• Terraflex review (offroad running and hiking adventures)
• Terraflex II review (upgraded version of the original Terraflex)
• Cassie review (Mary Jane style casual barefoot sandal)
• Jessie review (a super-minimalist sandal that looks great paired with a dress)
• Kids Prio review (for pretty much any activity your kid loves to do!)
• Zelen review (a sustainable, barefoot road running shoe)

The benefits of barefoot shoes | In conclusion

Have you been wearing highly built-up, supportive shoes your whole life? Do you suffer from foot, knee, and back problems that you suspect could be exacerbated by your choice of footwear? If so, minimalist shoes are worth considering.

So what do you think? Are minimalist shoes good for you? Please feel free to join the conversation and leave any questions or comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

Visit the official Xero Shoes store for the latest prices on barefoot shoes, boots, and sandals.

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these recommended service provider links, like an insurance broker, or a travel agent, I may earn a commission – at no extra cost to you. [For my full disclosure, please see my DISCLAIMER page].