Barefoot Shoes vs Super Shoes - Look at the RESEARCH 

I started wearing Xero shoes and "barefoot shoes" a year ago and if I wear any other shoe, my toes are squished, my knees hurt, I feel imbalanced walking. Nothing compares to wearing "barefoot" shoes. It changed my health for the better in so many ways. Probably because I don't have arches, it's even more crucial for us flat footers to wear these.

I am a runner. I have been running in Xero shoes now for about 6 years. I love the Speedforce! I do long distance running. I was training for the Houston Marathon and I was training with a partner who said I should get some “super shoes” with the high stack foam and carbon plate. I was doing tempo work in these shoes. I always felt unstable in them. Lo and behold, I got injured in the stupid shoes. I won’t wear them ever again! Barefoot shoes for me!

Xero shoes have been super helpful to me. Ive struggled wirh Posterior Tibial Tendinopathy and a partially collapsed arch on my right foot for the past few years. This was probably a result of having genetic flat feet and doing a ton of running in really terrible shoes. I was prescribed inflexible orthotics with a large heel-toe drop as a result. Wearing these for a year or so alleviated my symptoms sonewhat, but led to my beginning to develop bunions. My feet were also weaker and flatter than ever. I found out about minimalist footware and began deliberately training my plantar intrinsics. I also switched to predominantly wearing Xero shoes. As a result, I have significantly less pain than when I was wearing my orthotics full time, and my right foot actually has developed a noticeable arch for pretty much the first time in my life. Definitely still struggling here and there, but its really awesome knowing that the best response to the condition (for me) is not lifelong dependency on expensive and uncomfortable orthotics.

A lot of 'running channels' on you tube don't want you to talk about barefoot running. I've had numerous non aggressive but fact based comments on the benefits of minimalist/barefoot running simply deleted. If you challenge the 'supershoe' narrative you just get deleted. especially the ones with lots of subscribers. they get sponsorship money from shoe companies.

I read Peter Attia’s “Studying Studies” years ago. It’s worth the time.

I bought my first XeroShoes in December and WOW. Those shoes are something else! I live in Portugal, in a city that has a lot of steep streets, and I had pain in the middle of my left foot. At the beginning, I thought that the shoes were not helping, but in one week, the pain was gone and hasn't returned yet. And the best part is that you don't have that feeling of relief when taking off the shoes because your feet are comfortable inside them. I don't know if the next info has something to do with the shoes, but I had this knee pain, andthat's also gone.

I’m totally convinced of the benefits of barefoot style shoes (and I’m partial to Xero), but I’m having a heck of a time convincing my husband to do the same. We go on long walks together, me in my Xero Zelens and he in his Hoka shoes and partway through the walk he complains about his hip pain that he only experiences only on these walks, meanwhile I’m practically skipping along. We’re the same age (54) and relative health. I USED to have severe foot pain on and off on these walks until I switched from thick cushioned soles to zero drop. He really believes in the whole thick cushion is best idea-but he is noticing that I’m not in pain any more…

I'm not a runner, but I got a pair of Prios in October and I quickly fell in love. I decided to invest in my health and replace all of my footwear with minimalist shoes, and all but one pair are from Xero Shoes! So, I don't know about running, but hiking in Xero Shoes is awesome. Legs, thighs, glutes... all getting stronger than ever!

i just ordered yesterday!im just waiting to arrive..im excited😊 hopefully i get some freebies like shirt.i like the color.

I used for all my life 'normal' running shoes, but about 4 years ago I've tried for the first time Barefoot Shoes. As expected, i've exagerated right away (of course!) and insured my self (beeing on pause for about 8 weeks) but thx to that I've learned my lession and tried it again, taking it slower and with a little bit more brain. Today I can run up to 10 KM in barfoot shoes (all kind of undergrounds) without any problems and I love the feeling. My legs became significantly stronger and my back pains are inexistend. I have a higher spm and I perfectly hit the middle/forefoot, even when running the longer distances in my normal running shoes. Personally I never want to go back.

So Interesting! I'm really hoping to land a summer internship for xero shoes and gain more insight.

I’m really considering buying a pair of your shoes I just can’t decide between the HFS or mesa trail 🤔

It's funny that you say I refuse to wear comfortable shoes because i find big cushion shoes with arch support more uncomfortable now after wearing barefoot shoes for 1 year as i find the high cushion shoes weird and unnecessary squish and that messes with balance

I got a new pair of prio's recently and I really like wearing them. My gait pattern is better.

As a 61 yo old ex-athlete with a knee replacement and on the big side (6'2", 230lbs). I switched to Xero's in 2021 and on my 3rd pair. I don't run great anymore but I do sprints with my Piro's as well as lifting, sledding, sprinting, walking, hiking you name it. I know my feet are stronger! Took me a bit to get used to em.

to me it's clear, I was running with cushioned nike shoes heel striking like a madman, I had achilles problem, my ankle joints were aching too a lot, as my knees and my back, I had also problems with hernia in my lower back, I stopped running and because of my back moving much at all... because of this I got type 2 diabetes eventually ... so I had to start exercising again,. I've watched countless videos about how to walk and run properly, I've discovered minimalist shoes, I started walking more on my toes a lot to strengthen my calfs, doing shorter steps, then slowly running without heel striking, also doing short strides, I bought few pairs of xero for walking daily and running, I run in them interchangeably with my winter brooks now and I walk in them daily, my foot touches the from the midpoint to a toe while running, when I walk I engage my calfs more than I used to and do not heel strike hard, I place my feet differently now, I run now around 100-120 km a month I have ZERO problems with my back knees ankles and achilles, no pain at all only muscle soreness sometimes after hard training. I don't understand why companies produce those maximal shoes, I went to a shoe shop to try them, they feel terrible, they are not stable I feel like I could break my ankles on every step I take and they encourage you to do bad things, heel striking should be a crime even in maximal shoes :) if you stop doing it, all problems I would argue will go away, then you will understand that instead of thick foam soles you can use your tendons and muscles to mitigate impacts more effectively even running in socks :P

Steel or composite toe box when?

Absolutely love the barefoot shoe concept and I kind of want to get a pair of zero shoes to go alongside my vibrams. But I have one important question do you all have a safety shoe yet! I want to wear safety shoes to work from y'all

Alright Mr. Sashen...I've listened to you point out in clear and concise detail about the lie that is the "cushioned" shoe sham. I am a factory worker, and want to know which shoe style of your products you would recommend. I don't do anything regarding risk of dropping heavy equipment, but I do move around quite a bit for my job.

I love your prio shoes, I'm wondering if that's the most durable soles you have for walking 10 miles on concrete a day? Also hoping for some maybe cooler looking shoes.

Yeah, I do all my workouts usually in zero shoes or something I like it cause I can take them off for a little bit. It’s really easy go run pure barefoot put them back on but right now races when I’m really trying to do something and I’m 62 so I don’t do that much but when I’m really trying to do something then I I have a pair of carbon plated racing shoes and are only used for racing, I would love to get an appointment for me. I was just as fast without Shoes because I realize it’s not me as fast as Shoes so something I’m working on, but I don’t have a problem with using shoes like that just for race if this came out as gibberish, apologize in the car, voice text.

I can't run unless my feet are bare and it takes learning to do it.

I don't run at all. I am 61 years old and after wearing "normal" work and casual shoes with heels for 50 years i continually had ankle, knee and back pain. Due to years of playing squash and training in karate, jiu jitsu and Aikido I had both my knees replaced in 2012. My surgeon (who is chinese) recommended i try barefoot shoes for work and exercise. Fantastic. I have not had any pain since (except when I wear my work safety boots that have a heel and thick sole). I recently had my 10 year checkup on my knee replacements and he was extremely happy as i am well overweight still. He told me to come back in 5 years for another checkup. I typically walk about 5 kms a day according to my apple watch.

I own a pair of Hfs and a pair of Prio. Any suggestions for my next Xero Shoe ?

Which xero shoe should I get for 40yard dash sprints and jumping

If you can come up with a rugged work boot you would be a hero!

I bought two pairs of prio neo and havent really worn them yet I only tried them on. I ordered size 44, since thats what I normally wear but they were way too big, I still feel like 43.5 is too big and now I just received a 43 and that feels a tiny bit too small. What do you suggest I do? Also, the laces on the 43.5 were waaaay too long. Much better on the 43 but as said, they feel a tiiiiny bit too small. Do they wear in after a while?

Why don’t the elites of the world that want to win regardless of dogma, technology, etc. use barefoot shoes? Don’t use the excuse that they won’t have longevity by seeking short term goals such as a race or season because there are elites that have been running for decades. We just saw new men and women’s world records in the marathon this year by new marathon runners that aren’t well established in the shoe game and just wanted to win. Both used a super shoe, one from Nike and the other from Adidas.