The Dark Side of Barefoot Shoes

Everyone who post about Barefoot Shoes on YouTube says they are the greatest thing ever. But do they actually work or is the science just fooling us? I discuss the top 5 reasons that people recommend barefoot shoes, why they could or couldn't work, and why critical thinking is important.

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What they don't want you to know
they don't work

** Timecodes **
00:00 - Lawsuit Barefoot Shoes
00:37 - What are Barefoot Shoes?
01:01 - Wide Toe Box
02:26 - Zero Drop for Heel
04:33 - No Arch Support
06:47 - Ground Feel & Thin Sole
07:27 - Fashion & Looks
08:17 - Amazon Barefoot Shoes (WHITIN)
10:03 - Why you should not buy minimalist shoes

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[KinseiSensei]

Still don’t understand why shoes aren’t shaped like feet. Why would we smash our feet into weird shapes?

[abandonedotter]

I went completely barefoot for 8 months. No, I didnt work at the time. Long story. But the point is this: My balance imroved, my feet loosened up, back and knee pain were negligible. The minute I had to wear boots again knees, feet and back hurt again.

[SantiagoGT]

I recently started using the five fingers and people have openly mocked me, it’s fun, I’m out there walking super comfortable and that’s all that matters

[hannahdeforest]

For two years I have suffered with increasingly severe, debilitating pain from plantar fasciitis. It's only been a few weeks since I started going barefoot and wearing barefoot shoes when I go out, and the difference is night and day. I used to be in such pain when I woke up that I would have to roll and massage my feet for 5 minutes each just to be able to walk. I was temporarily immobilized. It was embarrassing to gasp in pain when I was with friends. But by going exclusively barefoot and wearing minimalist shoes when I go out, I have reversed two years of foot trauma. The conventional wisdom of physical therapists told me to buy shoe inserts to support my feet, but they only ended up making the problem worse. The exercises worked, but the orthopedic inserts counteracted any good it did.


What I'm saying is that strengthening and stretching my feet has put me on a surprisingly fast path to healing. Praise God!! ❤🙏🙌❤

[sacredtime]

Bought my first pair of Vivo Barefoot shoes in August 2021 and now I have a total of 4 pairs (for different occasions).
For 30+ years I had flat feet and no natural arch in my foot, since wearing barefoot shoes I have developed an arch, my posture has improved and my feet feel so much better.

[TheOneAndOnlyTed]

The more I've been looking into getting barefoot shoes, the more I realize I already use something kind of similar. I used to skateboard a lot in my teens, and for the most part I've worn skate shoes ever since. They tend to have no height difference from heel to toe, are wider in the toes, and they're relatively thin and flexible so you can feel the board better underneath you (depending of course on which ones you get, but I'd say the majority and the ones I get especially are like that). They do give a bit more cushion for impacts than I believe a barefoot shoe would of course, but they seem to be a good middle ground from what I can gather, and might even be the better option for certain people from a budget angle and a transition point.

[sjharris]

My understanding is Vibram settled the lawsuit (without accepting any fault) because they didn't have the scientific evidence to back up the claims they were making, that doesn't automatically mean that those claims were false. Very few minimalist shoes studies existed at the time.
The people bringing the lawsuit also had no proof that the claims were false, just that they had no scientific merit behind them.
The previous CEO of Vibram, who had left before the lawsuit was filed, said he wouldn't have settled, he would have fought it.

[Sypossc]

There's definitely a health benefit in wearing the footwear that is most comfortable to you. I was yelled at a ton as a kid for walking outside without shoes on, so I naturally enjoy barefoot shoes, minimalist sandals, five fingers for walking, hiking, working out. But you really have to ease into minimalist footwear if you aren't used to walking without support. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR GAIT and that is an uncomfortable process for many people. You have to build up the muscles that you weren't using, and people tend to fatigue during this process and just slam their foot into the ground when fatigued. This can easily cause ligament strain and shin splints.

[veljkoblur]

Was not prepared for all these Tarantino foot shots, you've definitely made someones day with this vid.

[PGBlanks]

I think the most important thing is to listen to your body. If you're in pain even if you've followed all the "right steps" in transitioning into barefoot shoes, then maybe don't force it!

[RelUnrelated]

Barefoot shoes cured my cancer!! [I'm kidding, of course, but it IS related!] I had neuropathy following chemotherapy twelve years ago. The pain and tingling when walking was annoying at best. I switched to barefoot-style shoes (Vibram Fivefingers in my case), and my feet felt MUCH better almost immediately. I've been wearing barefoot-style shoes ever since. Thanks so much for the informative video!!

[madameblatvatsky]

Somehow humans survived for hundreds of thousands of years without wearing wedge shaped marshmallows on their feet.

There is a whole difference that should be made between "unsubstantiated claims" and "wrong claims". Vibram settled the class action because they were a bit reckless in their claims while they have no actual proof to defend them. Nothing says these claims were right or wrong. Now, if you think about the biomechanics of feet and legs, what they say makes a lot of sense : having shoes compressing the toes distorts feet over time (just look at the feet of women in their 50's who have worn "sexy" shoes for most of their life… nothing sexy to look at after a couple of decades) and it's just common sense that reducing foot surface reduces stability. Then, thick soles only dampen "wrong" (brutal) foot strokes and surely makes leg muscles lazy while letting people take wrong habits. Human have evolved to be moving mechanics, and it turns out that most technologies allowing human to avoid effort and reduce motion are actually detrimental to our well-being because… we just need to activate those muscles to be well, since a lot of biochemical reactions depend on juices flowing. Motion is life and muscles are the way to move. Vibram marketing and their lack of scientific background doesn't mean they are wrong, they are most likely too forward and should probably invest more in research and less in advertising.

[lizzaangelis]

The arch support… the bane of every shoe I ever had…. Arch support kills my feet. My arches are in weird places for my foot size and so every shoe hits it at the wrong place and it ends up hurting me so bad! It even dislocated a bone in my foot! (No BS-ing about that one!)

[marymissmary]

I’ve been wearing my creepy toe shoes (vibram 5 fingers) for a decade now! I love ‘em. I feel awesome and am never going back. For reference, I’m 48, CrossFitter, yoga practitioner, and generally feel awesome most of the time. Longest run in vibrams: 10 miles. Longest hike in vibrams: 50 miles in mountain terrain.

[bigbattenberg]

The only thing I regret about minimal footwear (Merrell VG in my case) is that they did not exist 30 years ago and that I was completely in the dark anyway about the barefoot/ minimal concept. It's worked out for me great both for running and leisure. I only (very reluctantly) put on safety shoes in my shop, and then only when the work requires it.

[HolliNiesen]

I sprained my midfoot somewhere around 2016 and had pain every now and then for years after. I spent about a year transitioning to barefoot shoes and haven't had pain from walking too much on it in over a year. Anecdotally, I'd say barefoot shoes for the win

[JayTeeLofton]

When Shervin drops on the weekend, the weekend is better!

[GenghisKhan]

The default state for humans is barefoot. The burden of proof is on shoe advocates to explain why footwear is superior. The science of cushioning, heel drop, etc, is lacking.

[randygeyer]

I can’t remember barefoot shoe manufacturers claiming they’ll reverse your back problems. You need to figure out why you have back issues then go from there.