Foot Doctor Explains If Barefoot And Anatomic Shoes Are Right For You

Real Foot Doctor explains if barefoot, anatomic and foot shaped shoes are right for you and if every athlete should be going barefoot

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Time Stamps:
00:00 Video Intro
01:58 What is a barefoot shoe and what is an anatomic toe box or “foot shaped” shoe
04:40 What is the purpose of barefoot shoes
11:35 Is there a performance advantage to barefoot/foot shaped shoes
19:47 Can barefoot shoes stop foot injuries
20:50 Can barefoot shoes cause foot injuries
22:22 Do barefoot/ foot shaped / anatomic shoes cure bunions
24:46 Should you go barefoot as much as possible
25:48 Should all athletes wear barefoot shoes

DISCLOSURE: I often review or link to products I regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible we use referral links, which means if you click one of the links in this video or description and make a purchase I may receive a small commission or other compensation.

Disclaimer : This is not medical advice, nor can I give you medical advice. Everything here including videos and comment responses is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical advice. You should contact your doctor to obtain advice with respect to any health issue or condition. Nothing here should be construed to form a doctor patient relationship.

[LOLxArcSaber]

After reviewing so many of these narrow, high heel lifted basketball shoes, I never thought I would see the day of Zach making a 30 minute barefoot shoe video. Been waiting for this day, to hear your opinion on it, so thanks for putting this video out Zach. ❤

[FootHQ]

As a podiatrist, I can 100% agree with you Doc. Great video btw

Being in one style shoe only can limit overall athletic performance and a strong agile foot is one that's adaptable. I do wear barefoot shoes in certain circumstances but for sure in an athletic scenario, sport specific shoes seem to have the biomechanical advantage over "barefoot" styled shoes

Every shoe has it's place.

[rickfarber]

I wish a tennis/pickleball shoe manufacturer like a New Balance would make a court shoe shaped like a barefoot shoe, zero drop but with the padding and comfort of one of their regular court shoes. Basically take the shape of a Altra Escalante and combine it with a NB 996. It seems like you would have the best of both worlds, at least for some people. Thanks for the video.

[eduardinodecielo]

I started using barefoot shoes for tennis since I saw your previous video. It was great. I’m number one senior in my state in Spain and a tennis coach. I’m 55 but thanks to you I’ve improved my speed. Thanks Doctor

[HarveySpecterYEAH]

Shoutout to @FootDoctorZach. Best shoe reviewer out there.

[KRN]

I use TYR zero drop wide toe box shoes in the gym for everything but squats. For squats I use squat shoes (Nike, not my favorite tbh). For my walks I use Brooks Glycerin running shoes. For Tennis I use Adidas Controls. My son wears New Balance 2ways for highschool basketball, loves them. He hated Jordan 37 (too narrow and boaty). All our decisions are based on content from this channel! Thanks Zach, great work

[LuZu_]

I really value this video - the public needed less commercialised bias on the effectiveness of trendy athletic footwear. You cleared up so many misconceptions and went into a lot of detail.


Have you considered doing physio therapist-ic deep dives into specific foot injuries, addressing causes and methods of improvement? I’ve been watching David Grey Rehab and some of his ankle/foot stuff is really fascinating. Very nerdy, but that kind of thing seems to do well.

[ryans]

As someone who has always been a fan of sneaker design and used to work at a podiatrist owned practice I like seeing your thoughts on different types of footwear products.

[zwright]

Thank you for taking the time to do this video! I, like a lot of non professional athletes, have a lot of questions about the different types of footwear. It's great to have some questions answered by an expert.

[tiefenverspannt]

Your work is invaluable. A video on barefoot shoes like this was much needed. Science-based, differentiated, and built on patient research and learning processes. It’s very easy to fall into the “regular shoes destroy your feet” lore when you first learn about barefoot shoes, because it sounds reasonable initially. Thanks for the closer look. Learning a lot from you, Doc.

[Rippy]

Great video Dr Zach! I have a hip and femur replacement (2004) and bilateral navicular dislocations, after eight years of AFO bracing and two plus years of orthotics I am in a pair of Xero shoes with no orthotics, this direction feels much better for me. Thank you again for the wonderful video!🦋👣

[TangoffalsUTD]

Really love this longform style of video where you go super in-depth. Would love to see this kind of style of video in the future if you feel there are any other pressing issues you want to discuss with your vast knowledge!

[sheahudson]

Totally agree with this video…Having different styles or pairs of shoes is like going in a toolbox because they all have advantages depending on what you’re doing…I have barefoot Vibrams and they give me an advantage in rock climbing, weightlifting, cross country (grass only), and driving whether it’s racing or just long distance traveling. I’m sure there is more but I’m still picking up hobbies 😊

[kyko-pjuz]

I appreciate the insight and nuance to a recent fad that I had put some money into. I'm glad that I also saw your early videos as I became interested barefoot/anatomical shoes, as I had noticed that even with your "training tennis barefoot" video, you weren't pushing the same kind of narrative the shoe companies did. It made me consider that we have to adapt footwear to the specific circumstances we are in. Thus, I wear tennis shoes based on the need for supporting tennis performance movement, while I wear relatively minimalist shoes for everyday walking and weight training. Great stuff, Zach!

[peterookotai]

more important than barefoot shoes, is exercising your feet. I have been suffering from severe plantar fascitis for two years. only thing helping is shock wave therapy and foot exercises. if your foot is healthy and you are doing foot exercises regularly, I think bareffot for casual use is great. Speacialist sports where your foot is under extreme strain, i think use proper sports specific shoes... and i go as wide as i can get

[wadestuch]

Incredibly good video! Thank you for using your platform and expertise to create such a well rounded discussion on the topic. Far too often I see "foot doctors" on social media saying "never wear these 3 shoe brands" or recommending orthotics or one particular brand. There is something out there for everyone and variety in footwear is important as is choosing the right tool for the job.

[niddelsarmiento]

30 minutes of my favorite doctor!! Great video, very clear and facts🤞

[njYK]

I was just thinking "When is Doc Zach bringing out a new review" and here we are! We appreciate you Doc, thanks for what you do!

[NotKurt]

Great video! Thank you for clarifying the whole debacle. Coming from a third year DPT student, this video will help me become a better clinician.

[WolframOctavia]

I find that rotating between different drops helped me avoid the kinds of injuries i incurred from being an obese person trying to get active. I was able to spread the load to different muscle groups throughout the day for different activity. Wide toe box anatomically shaped zero drop for walking (mix of stacks depending on the surface) and higher drop max stack for running. Its helped me avoid pain in my calves and hams.