Xero Shoes Review | Podiatrist Thoughts and tips on the Terraflex

By Elly McGuinness

TERRAFLEX BAREFOOT HIKING SHOE interview with a former podiatrist

Are you wondering what a qualified podiatrist thinks about barefoot shoes, and specifically the Terraflex trail shoe from Xero Shoes? Watch the video above, or read the transcript below for insights from my friend Sue, a former podiatrist.

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

[Click here to check the latest prices on the Terraflex at Xero Shoes].

My Xero shoes review podiatrist tips transcript

Elly:                                                  

Hey everyone. So today I’m here with Sue Dickens from Intrepid Medical. Sue is also a former podiatrist, so I am super excited to hear what she has to say about the TerraFlex trail shoe from Xero Shoes. First of all, before we get started, make sure you click on subscribe and also click on the little bell button because that means that you’ll actually get notified when I post new videos like this.

Elly:                                                  

So Sue, do you want to start by telling us how you found the TerraFlex over the last few weeks?

Sue:                                                   

Thank you, Elly, for giving me these shoes, because I was so excited to grab them and was heading off to Canada to do our conference.

Elly:                                                  

You’re welcome.

[EM: Click here to visit Xero Shoes and check the latest prices on the Terraflex].

Comfortable and versatile barefoot shoes

Sue:                                                   

And it was summer in New Zealand, and winter in Canada. So I grabbed these shoes, put them on, they felt amazing as soon as I tried them on. Sometimes when you put shoes on they feel like you’ve got to wear them in, and you need time. And I didn’t have that time to go away, so putting them on straight away they felt comfortable right off the bat. And that’s as an ex-podiatrist that’s really important for me to know that those shoes are comfortable.

Sue:                                                   

And then wearing them in a plane, and you’re going up to thousands of feet, but your cabin is compressed, you know that you’re at the equivalent of like 1,600 meters when you’re in the air. And your feet do swell and they felt really comfortable for that whole flight. I could get them on, I took them off to sleep, and then I put them back on and walked out and my feet felt just amazing.

Elly:                                                  

Comfort’s probably a pretty important factor for most people.

Sue:                                                   

Absolutely.

Elly:                                                  

Well sometimes I guess people wear shoes because they look good.

Sue:                                                   

Absolutely they do.

Elly:                                                  

But the people that are opting for Xero Shoes I would say comfort is going to be a big factor. Can you tell us what you’ve done in your shoes so far?

Minimalist hiking shoes - Terraflex Review - Xero Shoes

Sue:                                                   

Okay, so besides wearing them on the plane and putting them on. Once I got to Canada obviously from summer to a winter environment was walking around in a little bit of snow and a little bit of ice. And I was actually really surprised at the grip that I actually felt like I was really secure, and wasn’t going to slip over in those shoes. 

Obviously, once we got to the deeper snow areas and ski resorts I didn’t wear them, but once we got out of those resorts and walking around town, they were really just really comfortable and I just wore them on a day-to-day basis on concrete. I wore them on snow and ice as I said. And on some trail areas as well too. Which for a shoe that I didn’t have to wear in, it was fantastic.

Elly:                                                  

Yeah.

Sue:                                                   

Comfortable straight away.

[Click here to check the latest prices on the Terraflex at Xero Shoes].

Best minimalist hiking shoes for the trail and beyond

Elly:                                                  

And that’s what they’re designed for, they’re designed for the trails so I know people use them for trail running. Myself, I’ll be using them for my slow travel lifestyle, so I’ll be hiking in them, but also wearing them on airport days because they take up more room than I other pair of footwear that I take. So it’s good to know that you can wear them whatever you’re doing, pretty much even in a little bit of snow by the sounds of it.

Sue:                                                   

A little bit. And ice, the ice stuff I was so surprised because I thought I’ll need my hiking boots here I have to change. And they were great, the grip on them was good on ice as well as just regular stuff.

Elly:                                                  

Okay, so can you just finish by giving us your opinion on I guess choosing a barefoot shoe as opposed to choosing a traditional shoe?

Should I try minimalist shoes for walking?

Sue:                                                   

Okay. So as a podiatrist I first want to say that, it’s definitely up to the individual. Everybody’s feet are completely their feet. So nobody’s feet are the same, so it’s really hard to generalize. But I think the majority of people benefit from going barefoot. It helps those muscles exercise; we’ve got a lot of muscles in our feet and we don’t exercise them enough. Traditional shoes are generally really hard and the surface underneath them is really firm and therefore their muscles don’t get exercised.

Elly:                                                  

Hard, meaning you can’t sort of bend them and move them.

Sue:                                                   

Exactly.

Elly:                                                  

They’re very rigid.

Sue:                                                   

Yeah, when you think of a traditional shoe like your leather work shoe, those shoes only bend at the toe and they don’t mold to the surfaces underneath them. The Xero Shoes, Terraflex shoes, they move with your foot and they move with the surfaces, but without causing you discomfort because the soles are nice and thick. But it’s soft.

terraflex - xero shoes

Sue:                                                   

If you’ve got a foot problem, and you’ve got a foot injury, or you’ve got foot pain, then I suggest seeing your health professional and getting advice on what type of shoe. But if you’re generally a person that walks around, is comfortable then I think you’ll benefit from a barefoot shoe for sure because you’ll help those muscles exercise.

Sue:                                                  

I wouldn’t go straight from a traditional shoe to a barefoot shoe all the time because your muscles are going to fatigue because they’re used to being in that shoe. So doing it gradually would work really well. But again, saying that, that is an individual thing as well too because some people might be able to go straight to it and some people won’t.

Elly:                                                  

Adapt quickly.

Sue:                                                  

Yeah.

[Click here to check the latest prices on the Terraflex at Xero Shoes].

A foot problem versus a foot type, and how barefoot shoes can fit into the mix

Elly:                                                  

You mentioned if you’ve got a major foot problem that it’s possible that a barefoot shoe might not suit you. So by that do you mean like just having flat feet or high arches? Because I know that people with flat feet or high arches quite often our Xero Shoes would be suitable for them, is that what you mean by having a foot problem?

Sue:                                                   

No.

Elly:                                                  

Or something else?

Sue:                                                   

Not at all. A foot type is a high arch foot or a flat foot, so that to me is a foot type it’s not necessarily a problem. Other people may have differing opinions on that of course. But a foot problem to me would be something if you’ve got a sharp shooting pain in that foot or a dull ache that doesn’t go away that stops you from doing a particular activity. That’s a foot problem. 

Or, if you’ve been born with a deformity or you’ve fractured something or you’ve broken something, or you’ve got that kind of issue. But a high arch foot or a flat foot is just a foot type.

Elly:                                                  

Right.

Sue:                                                  

And those kinds of people need the same as everybody else, just make the adjustments and try it for yourself and see. See what happens.

[Click here to check the latest prices on the Terraflex at Xero Shoes].

Elly:                                                  

Yeah, I mean if your foot feels good in the shoe, then wear it. If you feel like your feet problems are decreasing because of wearing them, then that’s a good thing. I was wearing minimalist shoes some of the time, and traditional shoes some of the time.

Sue:                                                   

Yeah, absolutely.

Ease into your barefoot adventures if you need to!

Elly:                                                  

And then for the last year or so I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes exclusively and then I came home recently and I went to try on some of my old shoes and I find that I can’t wear any of the traditional shoes anymore because my feet actually hurt in them now. Whereas when I first started wearing the barefoot shoes my feet were probably challenged in wearing the barefoot shoes because my muscles weren’t strong enough or I just wasn’t used to that type of shoe.

Sue:                                                   

Absolutely.

Elly:                                                  

Okay, well that’s good to know. It’s a foot type versus an actual problem. Anything else you want to add?

Sue:                                                   

Not that I can think of except, give them a go. They’re really comfortable and from my point of view, comfort is the main thing. And actually, they look pretty good too. If you’re into the looks, they look pretty good. I mean, you wouldn’t wear them with your evening gown, but maybe they’ll make one for that too.

Terraflex - xero Shoes

Elly:                                                  

Maybe. Cool, well thanks so much Sue for sharing your opinion on the TerraFlex shoe from Xero Shoes. Remember to like, comment, and subscribe to this video if you haven’t already. I will include a link to Sue’s website down below in the description so you can find out more about what she does there. 

I’ll also include a link to the Xero Shoes store. Now, this is an affiliate link of mine which means that if you choose to purchase through that link that I will earn a small commission and it’s at no extra cost to you. So that just makes it easier for me to continue to produce videos like these to give you guys more information on great products like these.

Sue:                                                   

Awesome. Bye Elly.

Elly:                                                  

Thanks Sue.

Sue:                                                   

You’re welcome.

[EM: Click here to check out the full range at Xero Shoes].

Further reading about barefoot shoes | OTHER XERO SHOES REVIEWS

I’ve done several other barefoot shoes reviews. Depending on what type of shoe you’re looking for, you may want to check out the following posts.

Wondering what the barefoot buzz is all about? Read about the benefits of barefoot shoes.

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].

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Elly McGuinness

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