You were born Walking barefoot is best, but there’s growing evidence that we should have stayed barefoot. Modern shoe technology and padding protect our feet, but protection isn’t always desirable. Feet are made to stretch, bend, roll, and flex. Allowing our feet to move that way, as they evolved, reduces impact injuries and provides many other benefits.
That said, don’t just buy these barely there shoes and start walking or running as usual – it won’t work and could lead to injury. You’ll need to gradually get used to everything barefoot-related and, to some extent, you’ll have to relearn how to walk and run. In this guide, we offer advice on transitioning from padded shoes to “barefoot shoes” (also known as minimalist or zero-drop shoes) and round up our favorites. These will get you as close as possible to the barefoot feeling without violating a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” sign.
Be sure to check out our other buying guides, including roundups of the best running gear and the best snow gear.
Update July 2024: We’ve added the Boulder boots by Lem, the Tracker FG boots by Vivobarefoot, and the scrambler mid shoes by Xero. We’ve also updated prices and links throughout.
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