The main difference about barefoot shoes, in general, is the wide toe box. They also usually have a soft upper fabric, so toes can stretch out and up to, without being blocked.
Another main difference is their flexibility. I can actually bend my foot from right behind my toes, without any restriction from the shoe.
The other main difference is the zero heal drop. The heal is not raised, so it is like you are walking on level ground when barefoot. They also don't come with arch support, which I am fine with.
My overall impressions:
I love being able to stretch my toes in various directions while wearing my barefoot shoes. Since I work from home, I usually go barefoot or wear flipflops around the house. I thought it would be a breeze switching to wearing barefoot shoes. Overall, it was pretty easy. But new muscles were being used, adjustments in my feet were being made. New aches were beginning to show up.
For awhile, I switched back and forth between my favorite running shoes (I used them for walking.), and the barefoot shoes. That just seemed more confusing to my feet, so I decided to just wear the barefoot shoes.
I started feeling quite a bit of pain near my big toe, especially on my right foot. I would stretch it out with my foot stretched out behind me, both with the bottom of my toes facing the floor, and then with the top of my toes facing the floor. I would do this several times a day. The stretches helped somewhat.
I did not consider going back to the old style of shoes; they were the reason I had decided to give barefoot shoes a try. So I continued with doing the stretches, and also did some massaging of my feet. My feet started improving. I decided to order another pair of barefoot shoes. I wanted some color choices.
One day, as I was scrolling through YouTube videos, I came across ones about fixing your bunion. Hmmm. I didn't really know what a bunion was. But the feet shape looked somewhat familiar. I recognized how the base knuckle of my big toes protruded more outward. Ah, so that's what they are.
Apparently bunions are caused from wearing shoes that cramp your toes. Yep, even as a kid, my toes were cramped. Narrow shoes weren't very common then, and I ended up getting shoes that were too short for my foot length so that they wouldn't be too wide. Then as I grew up, there was the wanting to wear heals. Yep, did that too. Anyway, those past behaviors had contributed to what I was now dealing with.
So low and behold, I have found out about some exercises that I found to be helpful.
The one that I have found most helpful, is wearing a somewhat wide stretchy hair tie, around both big toes at the same time. Both big toes are inside the hair tie. (My feet are elevated on the chair support while I watch some TV.)
When I first started doing this exercise, it was rather uncomfortable, so I place a thick sock folded in half and placed it in the space between big toes. I would wear that for 15 minutes and after a few days, for 20 minutes at a time. Then I was okay with going without the folded sock. My bunions are feeling better. I don't have to do those original toe stretches so much any more. My feet are improving! Smiles.
Other exercises that I have been doing, is squeezing all my toes under, followed by stretching them up and then spreading them out. Since I have added the above exercise, I am able to spread my toes further now. I have also heard that this particular exercise for toes, is helpful in improving circulation in the feet.
The other main thing to mention about barefoot shoes, is that they aren't as padded. I have found that if I am wearing barefoot shoes and walking across a grassy area in my yard, that they are rather comfortable on the bottom of my feet, even without extra padding. But when I am walking on hard surfaces, I usually walk on hard floors and blacktop pavement, I want some extra padding. So I am using Doctor Scholl's air pillow inner soles, no arch support, no bends, just the flat plain inner soles. And I do mean plural, I have two pair of the plain flat inner soles in my barefoot shoes.
Was it worth it?
Yes.
My feet are getting stronger. They are healing from my past habits. I'm glad I took the plunge.
The local stores where I live still do not sell any barefoot shoes that I know of, but I know I can get them on Amazon. https://amzn.to/4fdXMrl These particular shoes comes in a variety of colors and patterns. I chose the Joomra brand because I like the shoe style, I resonated with a lot of the reviews, and they are reasonably priced.
Cheryl Paton
If you want to find another use for the wide stretchy hair ties, check out my blog on Alternative Toys for Cats, Review.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
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