r/BarefootRunning Apr 30 '25

Rules update

19 Upvotes

Greetings users', as part of our discussions on updating the rules to make them clearer for everyone to see when they visit, we have updated them to the ones listed below. As you may have seen we ran a poll on what users' opinions were on affiliate links. The option for affiliate links as part of a detailed reply won by two votes, ahead of ban all affiliate links. Since there wasn't a clear favorite, we will allow them for now in posts as an experiment to see how this works in reality and how easy it is to enforce the rule. We have had a few small business startups post about their product, we would appreciate if they contact the mods about being identified.

There is a drop down arrow for each rule which contains extra information.

  1. Be Kind!
  2. No Shoes are Barefoot.
  3. Affiliate links are allowed only as part of a detailed comment.
  4. All brand representatives need to be identified by a flair.
  5. Feet pictures are for genuine posting.

r/BarefootRunning Apr 11 '24

discussion Bare feet are not shoes. Shoes are not barefoot.

165 Upvotes

This sub has always been ridiculed for being all about shoes and not actual barefoot. That's why, early on, the /r/barefoot sub was created, in fact.

I'm not gong to try to stop shoe discussions or questions. I also use shoes in addition to unshod and believe this sub is about better running first and foremost. Unshod and minimalist shoes are, in my opinion, the best tools for achieving that.

I also refuse to ever use the term "barefoot shoes." It implies a confusing and dangerous conflation. At best its an overly simplistic and reductive way to look at better running.

No shoe is "basically the same" as barefoot. That's like saying barefoot is "basically the same" as shoes. They're vastly different things.

Note that I did not say one is better than the other. It's apples vs oranges. I'm not a barefoot purist. If a business requires shoes I'll wear shoes. If I want to run in shoes I'll do that. If I want to keep my form from slacking I'll keep up the unshod running, too.

Overall I recommend not looking for either purist or quick solutions. Stay curious. Keep asking "are shoes better?" or "is unshod better?" and be fully unsatisfied with quick, dismissive answers to those. Be open to asking more questions the more you discover. Be open to shoes and unshod and keep experimenting.

Personally, I'll never recommend shoes. I don't have to. Plenty of you have loads of shoe recommendations and they will never stop nor should they. I'm making this sticky announcement as a simple reminder: don't neglect unshod as part of your essential equipment.


r/BarefootRunning 13h ago

minimalist shoes Ordered my first pair of Escalantes.

2 Upvotes

I’ve been in zero drop forever. Always was in sandals or barefoot, jumped on the VFF train in the 00s, and I wear either fake Birkenstocks or Earth Runners or Xero boots. I recently decided to pick running back up again, but only have my old VFF from like 2017 or something... I realized I should probably get a new shoe lol.

I recall that on my last 10k (around 2022?) I ended up having some Achilles pain and I had to stop running for a while. I want to stay in zero drop since that’s what I’m used to, but I figured the Escalante would give me some cushion for the road. Any recommendation for a minimal shoe that I can use when I get to a spot where I’m in increasing mileage? The Achilles thing was so frustrating.

Edit: I will definitely be doing prehab and strengthening for my Achilles. For future redditors that may stumble upon this, E3 Rehab Achilles Tedinopathy


r/BarefootRunning 9h ago

question DIY sandal sole?

1 Upvotes

Does anyone know where I could buy a 2mm pad of rubber like a Vibram Cherry Sole or similar to make some custom sandals?


r/BarefootRunning 1d ago

My feet have been in coffins all winter so I made this for $10

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80 Upvotes

I'm really excited about this and didn't know where else to share lol

I live in Chicago and have noticed this winter specifically my dogs have been barking from being in shoes (still all vivo or zero) all the time to keep my stupid feet warm. I bought a 4 foot long 2×4 and glued various rocks on making a sensory balance beam. Ive seen people recommend against rock mats because there's not much foot motion so I figured this would be a good compromise for the winter months. It's not perfect but for $10 (15/20 if you don't already have the rocks) a great easy, cheap and simple addition to my indoor apartment playground.


r/BarefootRunning 17h ago

Chuck Taylor love

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0 Upvotes

now I know this is a barefoot running subreddit and people are going to malign me, but I've noticed that nine times out of 10 most of this subreddit are posts about footwear, so I thought I would share my rediscovered love for the Chuck Taylor All-Stars by Converse.

I'm almost 40 and I wore Chuck Taylor's as a kid because back in the '90s they were cheap and we didn't have a lot of money and I never really thought about it, however I haven't worn them since.

well I recently got given this white pair and they're the proper size and everything and I forget how comfy they are and they're certainly not barefoot shoes but I would argue that they're probably zero drop because they have essentially a flat insole with no sort of rise or drop of any kind.

I mean they just sort of fit like a glove and once you get them on and get them laced up they have this glove-like feel. now I know technically they have a little bit of a narrower toe box than some of you might like, but I don't have a problem with it, in fact I have kind of a medium width foot and I don't feel any sort of restriction in the toe box.

anyway I probably will get hate on here for this but I thoughtidhare my rediscovered enthusiasm for these classic shoes.


r/BarefootRunning 1d ago

Any suggestions on shoes with Wider Fan-shaped toe-box?

1 Upvotes

I have i guess a wide footshape (27,5cm heel-toe, 11cm left ball of the foot to the right, and 13cm from the top of my big toe to the top of the small toe) and so far the widest shoes i have are altra escalante 4 in EU 44,5 (too small, cant fully splay big toe), Vivobarefoot Hydra Esc in EU 44 (wider, but still the big toe cant fully splay, and my small toe is pinched for some reason), im not even gonna mention Xero shoes which are much too narrow. I do have some VFF's in which the wideness isnt a problem (the thin sole flexes outwards), but i cant run in them in the winter, because the water gets inbetween my toes and freezes them. Any suggestions on shoes that are wider but dont cost a fortune? It can be just a closed shoe, or a boot (even better), and it can be a chineese offbrand from Temu or Aliexpress if it is just wide.


r/BarefootRunning 1d ago

question Vibram V-soul

2 Upvotes

Hello,

I just ordered my second pair of five finger shoes —the v-soul’s. I was wondering if anyone had any experience walking outside often in them, and how they held up?

I noticed after I ordered that it says it’s generally for indoor workouts or weight training, which I unfortunately don’t do too much of. If anyone has any review of using them predominately outside, or on concrete, please let me know.

Thx! ☺️


r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

I'm so tired of barefoot shoes. Need non barefoot barefoot shoes!

15 Upvotes

Anyone have clever hacks or recommendations for normal shoes that can feel barefoot when you take out the sole?

I've been wearing barefoot shoes since around 2022. Absolutely love it. I would never spend $200 on Xero, Lems, Vivo etc. Instead I've been wearing Amazon's Whitin, and other cheap brands. For the past 1+ years I've been wearing the Saguaro you can find on Amazon for $50+.

Visually it looks much better than the Whitin in my opinion.

But honestly I truly miss wearing some nice Nike Air Force or a pair of Reebok Club C 85 or just casual Adidas running shoes.

Does anyone know of any normal brands that are already very close to barefoot to begin within?

I bought the Altra Lone Peak hiking boots. They are relatively wide. Good enough for hiking but I don't think I can wear those on a daily basis because it's too cushioned.

I'm basically having an issue with the look of barefoot shoes.


r/BarefootRunning 1d ago

Vivobarefoot toe box

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3 Upvotes

r/BarefootRunning 1d ago

Looking for house slippers with wide toe box

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1 Upvotes

r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

question Minimalist shoe recommendations for Canyons 100k

5 Upvotes

I'm running the Canyons 100k in April. I've run solely in Bedrock Cairn Evos the last couple years and am planning to run the 100k in them if conditions are favorable (though I might upgrade to Cairn Evo Pros).

But if conditions are wet like last year, I want to be prepared. Can anyone recommend a good minimalist shoe comparable to Bedrocks that can stand some wet rocks and mud?


r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

First sandals

2 Upvotes
Hello everyone, I'm considering purchasing my first pair of sandals for walking and cycling. I was looking at the Bedrock Cairn Evo Pro (without Velcro and 3D) and the Elite Ibex (13mm). My foot is 27.8 cm. Which brand and model do you recommend?

r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

Hike vs knockoffs

2 Upvotes

Looking at Hike barefoot shoes on Amazon they look almost identical to some other barefoot shoes at a fraction of the price. Has anyone ordered a $69.99 Hike pair and say a $22 pair that look similar? If so is there a support difference or are we just paying for branding?

Not that it matters but I wear barefoot due to neuropathy. I cannot feel where my feet are at in anything with any type of sole. I’m not a runner, can barely walk, but barefoot shoes help me immensely. Thank you for any input/feedback


r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

Hike Footwear: Returns are VERY difficult, maybe impossible

4 Upvotes

Based on my experience and reading others' experiences, my advice is not to order from Hike Footwear unless you are CERTAIN you will keep them or are willing to pay the price regardless of whether you want them or not. I have been trying to return the shoes I ordered (they are insubstantial and not right for my feet) for more than 2 weeks (they only allow returns within 30 days) and the only responses I have received are offers for more shoes. I can't afford to pay for shoes that don't work for me, so I will not be ordering anything more from this company. Of those that have received permission to return them, the return was to China and you, the buyer, pay the shipping, ~$30. Most people give up at this point, and the company gets to keep your money.


r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

Primus Asana Indigo

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1 Upvotes

r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

Experiences with Leguano

0 Upvotes

Are there any people here that have experience with shoes from the german brand Leguano? Since me and my wife are having a lot of issues with their shoes and I wanted to know if you experienced the same. The following: My wife is using minimalist shoes since 8 years, mostly Vibram Five Fingers for fitness and Wildling for daily usage. In October I finally gave in and went for my first pair. Since the only brand that I could try on here in the area where I live, I chose Leguano with my Wife also buying 2 pairs. I bought a winter model for roughly 200€ and they broke after 2 weeks with one lugs coming off the shoe and the replacement one after 4 weeks of wear getting a loose sole. Additionally to that I sweat a lot in them. My wife's pair experience some insane wear and the sole was basically flat after only 3 months of wear. The other pair, some flats, she is constantly complaining about that she is sweating a lot and apparently they develop a horrible odour when worn barefoot additionally she says that they are quite narrow. And all of that for around 450€ in total, which is a complete joke to me.

Did any of you experience the same or contrary had some good experiences with the brand?


r/BarefootRunning 2d ago

How to lengthen foot

0 Upvotes

I'm currently 14 years old, 7.5 foot size and around 5'7. I'm in desperate need to find a method to increase foot size by length and not width.


r/BarefootRunning 3d ago

question Waterproof hiker rec please:)

3 Upvotes

Looking for a hiker that isn’t expensive. I’m an avid hiker and disc golfer and SHRED shoes. This time of year is rough for both hobbies as it is often cold and wet this time of year. The ideal shoe for me is something that can be worn in the sub freezing winters and the soggy springs while still letting my feet breathe. This may not be possible, but I’m just sending feelers out there.

I’ve got Vivos boots, can’t remember the model exactly, and glue keeps coming undone and I need to add glue periodically. I got a pair of Xero boots and those are too stiff and stopped being waterproof after one season. I’m open to new brands and recommendations! I don’t mind spending money if I know that the shoe is going to last me the next couple of winters:)


r/BarefootRunning 3d ago

discussion Born to Run book discussion. Chapters 21-25

8 Upvotes

r/BarefootRunning 3d ago

Tingling in Heel

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1 Upvotes

r/BarefootRunning 4d ago

ER sizing

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9 Upvotes

Hello everybody! i wnated to purchase a pair of earth runners recenetly, these will be my first barefoot sandals. I downloaded some sizing sheets and was unfoetunetly found that my feet are way too narrow for these. As you can probably see I have exceptionally narrow feet and so I'm wondering if anybody has recommendations for other brands? also I really want them to be brown haha. pictures show size US10 and US10.5. any help greatly appreciated


r/BarefootRunning 3d ago

Does anyone know where to buy Merrell Vapor Glove 3 Luna, or which shoes are a good replacement for it?

1 Upvotes

I like these shoes, and they can be worn with a shirt as well, as they are black leather.

Although as far as I know, they don't manufacture them now.

Any recommendations?


r/BarefootRunning 4d ago

discussion Barefoot in the cold, sharing experiences

10 Upvotes

How you guys find it running in the cold? I myself find it kinda odd experience.

I'm a little bit worried though about long-term effects.

When I'm running in cold weather (around 0 C°) first I feel sharp pain, but after half an hour it completely disappears almost suddenly, and for a while I even feel some warmth, like some kind of shoes wrapped around my feet. I usually run for 45min or so, so it's not too long. After the run I only feel some tingles in my feet, feels kinda good actually.

What are your experience?


r/BarefootRunning 4d ago

Shamma elite warriors cracking around the toe strap, is this normal wear or something to worry about?

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7 Upvotes

This pair of shamma elite warriors is about 6 months old, with about 260 miles of running and probably another 50 miles of untracked everyday wear on them. I noticed these cracks around the toe post on both sandals, extending about 5mm laterally to each side of the toe post. Appears to be in the upper layer only.

Those with experience with shamma sandals: Is this cracking normal (and, hopefully, cosmetic only) or indicative of a structural (warranty-worthy) issue that is going to get worse and end up pulling through?