Thinking about going barefoot permanently.

February 20, 2024 8:06 AM

I’ve been having some trouble feeling confident to walk in the current (“traditional”) shoes I have now, and some online sources say that barefoot-style shoes would be much better and the chances of re-spraining my ankle would be very little/nil. Is this true?

(Before you ask, yes, I went to PT and am doing my exercises.)

I still do not feel comfortable walking, and wear compression socks when I go out. I know this is not good long-term. I’ve been doing some online research, and it appears that wearing barefoot shoes would be better in the long run for my feet/body overall, and the risks of spraining/twisting/rolling ankles would be minimal.

Is this true? If so, can you please help point me towards good barefoot shoes, preferably on Amazon? I’m a male and have arched heels, not flat heels, if that helps.

I’d mostly be walking on concrete/wood/grass here and there. I saw elsewhere online that concrete is murder on the knees, which is why most elect for traditional foamed shoes, but this is new to me. I hope you can help clear things up and help me make a better decision for myself. And, no, YANMD.

posted by thoughtful_analyst to Grab Bag (21 answers total)

Concrete is terrible to run on, it's pretty unavoidable to walk on. I've been wearing barefoot-style shoes since the mid oughts? I think? and they not only work for me, they made it clear pretty quickly how terrible rigid-sole shoes are - for me. This is really about your particular biomechanics, not about a global ideal.

If you decide to give them a try, you're going to want to do it slowly - like, a walk around the block in them one day, then switch back to whatever your current shoes are, then extend the wearing time over a couple of weeks. They take much more effort from muscles that don't need to be activated in standard shoes and you will deeply regret it if you go too fast. (This is why they might be better for stabilizing your ankle eventually - those muscles will get stronger and activate more consistently, and therefore support your ankle better - but it takes time to get there!)

In terms of recommendations, I've worn everything from Vibram Fivefingers to a Japanese brand that makes barefoot-style safety-toe workboots and they're all pretty fine. In fact, the Fugus might feel pretty good to you right now just in terms of having a little more ankle support. (I have the Sa.Mes, which are the safety-toe ones, which I would not recommend unless you need them specifically just because the rigid toecap can be a little uncomfortable in certain positions like squatting. Go for the Maguros instead.)
posted by restless_nomad at 8:15 AM on February 20, 2024 [8 favorites]

I've been wearing barefoot-style shoes since the mid oughts? I think?

I've been wearing them about the same time period, as well. Right now I'm liking the current version of the Merrill Trail Gloves, which are a bit further from "pure" barefoot shoes but still give good flexibility and let you feel the ground, but there are a lot of good brands and the key will be trying some on (probably by mailorder, since most stores don't seem to carry them, at least around here) to find the brand that fits the shape of your feet and gives the right balance of support vs barefoot feeling.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:21 AM on February 20, 2024

Katy Bowman has a whole book on transitioning to "barefoot" or minimal shoes and she also cautions that doing the switch in one fell swoop can result in injuries. Check out some of the foot-centric blog posts here. There are a ton of specific minimal shoe recommendations on Bowman's site too.
posted by spamandkimchi at 8:35 AM on February 20, 2024 [5 favorites]

I saw elsewhere online that concrete is murder on the knees, which is why most elect for traditional foamed shoes, but this is new to me

There's a lot of absolutist statements around foot health, like there are on any other kind of health issue, and it seems like in reality a lot of this is individual. That said, I like barefoot shoes and I've found one of the things with them (at least in my experience) is you need to get used to not striking your foot down hard, heel first, when you walk; instead you walk a bit more gently, sort of rolling your foot down onto the ground rather than striking it.

When you're at home, do you wear slippers or walk around barefoot/in socks?

Do start out gently and mostly slowly. Some people really like Merrills and some people hate them, but maybe they're a decent place to start. For less sneaker-ish shoes Vivobarefoot has nice designs, although quality can be inconsistent - I've had some of their shoes last years and others come apart within months. If you search for "barefoot shoes" on Amazon you'll see a lot of slip-on shoes in the $20-40 range, the soles of which mostly aren't anywhere near as thin as the vibram-type ones, but which might be a decent starting point if you want to try something sort of intermediate. (I think the Merrills are also thicker in the sole than some other shoes I've tried.) But like with any other kind of shoe, some will be comfortable for you and some won't; you basically have to try them out and see which models work for you.
posted by trig at 8:42 AM on February 20, 2024 [1 favorite]

I think we would all benefit from understanding a lot more about your current circumstance - you say you

1. recently had an ankle sprain
2. are feeling uncomfortable walking
3. are not comfortable walking without compression socks

this sounds like a lot of inflammatory stuff is still going on and/or your nervous system thinks there’s a lot of inflammatory stuff going on. how does your foot feel at rest? are you having nerve pain? what are your symptoms? particularly what symptoms are the compression socks relieving?

I’d take general advice here as VERY GENERAL, we know very little about what’s happening / has happened with your foot/feet.
posted by elgee at 9:06 AM on February 20, 2024 [15 favorites]

The other thing you can and possibly should do is get an appointment with a podiatrist, who might be the best professional to figure out *why* you keep spraining your ankle and what the best solution might be. PT is great and all but physical therapists vary hugely in skill and they're not doctors nor are they often diagnosticians.
posted by restless_nomad at 9:10 AM on February 20, 2024 [4 favorites]

Seconding the recommendation to seek the advice of a podiatrist, a doctor who focuses solely (see what I did there) on the foot and ankle. You can get individualized advice about how to protect your ankles in the future, including footwear recommendations. Feet and ankles and how they work or don't work are all so specific. I recognize you from past related questions, and I think you'll feel more reassured about things if you see a specialist.
posted by little mouth at 9:21 AM on February 20, 2024

You need physio (PT), but ideally for your desires it should be from a PT who is into barefoot footwear. You’ll need to strengthen and heal that ankle, the shoes don’t do it by themselves.
posted by lokta at 9:36 AM on February 20, 2024

Yes, this feels very much like a situation where you need advice from someone who is familiar with your specific anatomy and injury history from what sounds like a recent injury. Barefoot shoes might be great for you, they might not, they might be great for you eventually but not when you are actively healing from an injury. Talk to a podiatrist who can look at your specific medical records and situation.
posted by Stacey at 10:28 AM on February 20, 2024

Nth-ing that this is very much a function of your biomechanics and what works for one person's feet might not work for yours. A little over ten years ago I had PT for a knee injury and discovered that regular shoes were causing a problem with my gait. I started wearing barefoot shoes on a trial basis then, and they're basically all I wear now. I do feel like it's done wonders for my ankles, both in strength and injury prevention/recovery. In the past ten years I've had one (1) ankle sprain with any soreness, despite rolling my ankles multiple times a year on uneven sidewalks. With one exception, every time I've stepped off the edge of the sidewalk into a planter, or overlooked a missing brick or a sunken utility access point, I've just kept going without even saying "ow." I never had that resilience before I switched.

NB: I've discovered I have a strong preference for shoes with really flexible soles and rounded heels, but I had to buy a lot of different shoes to get to that point. This differs not just from brand to brand, but within a single brand's product range (and changes over time as brands "improve" their designs, sometimes for the worse). You may need to try a few different shoes before you find the ones you really like.
posted by fedward at 10:29 AM on February 20, 2024

Response by poster: this sounds like a lot of inflammatory stuff is still going on and/or your nervous system thinks there’s a lot of inflammatory stuff going on. how does your foot feel at rest? are you having nerve pain? what are your symptoms? particularly what symptoms are the compression socks relieving?

To clarify, I last sprained my ankle in December, and it has since then healed, no remaining injuries so far. I'm wearing compression socks for more of a psychological reason — it helps me feel safer walking and less prone to re-sprains, so I wear the socks when going out. However, I noticed it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and "squeezed" on my feet/legs, if that makes sense. I feel "naked" and afraid when I walk without the compression socks outside for long time periods. I sprained the same ankle three times last year so really want to avoid spraining it again.

When you're at home, do you wear slippers or walk around barefoot/in socks?

Barefoot/thin socks. My apartment actually has concrete floors. So, I guess you could say I have been technically "practicing" already.
posted by thoughtful_analyst at 12:57 PM on February 20, 2024

I guess you could say I have been technically "practicing" already.

I thought so too! And then I got my first pair of Nike Frees! Turns out walking from place to place out in the world and bumbling around my apartment were not the same.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:36 PM on February 20, 2024 [2 favorites]

I see "permanently" in your question and want to make sure you know that you don't have to commit to just barefoot style shoes. I usually wear minimalist shoes but also have some running shoes, some Vans for when I'm in that mood, etc. I currently like the Xero Prios.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:48 PM on February 20, 2024

My husband wears these socks with rubber bottoms outside/around town and says they work better for him/his back problems than regular shoes. He does still wear regular socks with them because otherwise the rubber makes his feet sweat.
posted by Eyelash at 3:09 PM on February 20, 2024

From a biomechancs perspective, you're basically looking at using the barefoot shoes as a form of rehab/PT/strengthening. The shoes themselves don't offer protection; what they do is remove a crutch so that your body has to develop resilience and strength. But this does mean you have to be very careful when adapting, so you don't overdo and cause an injury instead! It's not a bad idea but you might also look at other ankle strengthening, balance exercises, etc. as a way to get part way there as well and build your own confidence and ability.
posted by Lady Li at 4:06 PM on February 20, 2024 [2 favorites]

answering the original question, I'd recommend trying the Altra Lone Peak, which are a trail-running/hiking shoe with zero drop but some cushion. Version 8 is the newest, but there are deals to be had on 7 and 6. These are a fine gateway to strengthen your feet and stretch your achilles, while being comfortable for standing.
posted by zachxman at 5:41 PM on February 20, 2024

risks of spraining/twisting/rolling ankles would be minimal

I used to have problems with rolling/twisting my ankles frequently - and it turned out that it was due to my shoes, but not because of the padding. The shoes that I wore at the time had a sole that was narrower than my foot, so if I stepped down just slightly sideways, I would catch the edge of the sole and my foot would twist.

I started wearing shoes with soles that are wider than my feet - like Dr. Marten's shoes or Blundstone boots - and I stopped having the problem entirely. When I buy shoes now, I look for shoes where I can see a bit of the sole on either side of my foot when looking straight down.

At other times, I wear Converse hightops. The soles offer so little support that it is like walking barefoot, and the hightop fabric stabilizes my ankle nicely.
posted by jb at 8:33 AM on February 21, 2024

Nthing all the advice about a slow transition.

Finding shoes that fit is hard enough. Finding barefoot shoes that fit and don’t look goofy for everyday wear, athletics, work, and dress occasions is a major PITA. There will be a big barefoot shoe expo in Chicago on May 5. It may be worth going just to find shoes that you want.
posted by Headfullofair at 12:26 PM on February 21, 2024

I have been mostly barefoot since the early/mid 2000s. There was even a stretch where I was running entirely barefoot (as in no shoes at all) for 16+ miles. I still run and exercise in the most minimal shoes I can reasonably use.

spamandkimchi said what I think needs to be said but here is a general tip about finding barefoot shoes:

Lots of brands - Adidas, Toms, and Converse off the top of my head - are essentially zero-drop if not barefoot shoes if you rip out the insoles.
posted by cmoj at 5:36 PM on February 21, 2024

Wow, I had no idea you were supposed to "transition" to barefoot shoes. I just bought a pair of Lems and immediately started going on long walk (mostly on concrete) with them. I've had zero issues with them. I wear regular shoes primarily, but the Lems are always very comfortable when I pull them out. I'm not going to tell you not to take everyone's advice, but maybe don't get discouraged.
posted by umwelt at 9:09 PM on February 21, 2024

Yes every morning I stand out on my grass in my yard and feels great, if i have to wear shoes i use a pair of barefoot shoes i got from Hykes, suggest you get a pair when you really need to wear shoes but still want movement.
posted by kristyk at 7:50 AM on June 6, 2024