Oct 10th 2025|3 min read
As oxymorons go, “barefoot shoes” takes some beating. Otherwise referred to as “minimalist footwear”, these are shoes designed to mimic the experience of not wearing shoes. Evangelists include Joe Rogan, a podcaster who occasionally blesses followers with photos of his toes splayed out in a pair of Vibram FiveFingers (imagine a rubber glove, but for your feet).
The idea that running barefoot might be good for you took off in 2009 when Christopher McDougall, a journalist, published a best-selling book about the Tarahumara, a group of people in Mexico who run long distances without shoes. These days a whole industry caters to enthusiasts. Vivobarefoot, one manufacturer, says “modern shoes are robbing our feet of their natural potential.” By returning to something closer to the barefoot experience, the argument goes, runners can improve their health and reduce injuries.
Evolution is one line of argument. After all, humans—and their hominin ancestors—have been running barefoot for millions of years. Shoes have existed for only around 40,000 years, according to one analysis of paleolithic feet. That is not an especially long time in which to adapt. And modern trainers, with their padded soles, elevated heels and arch supports, date back only to the 1970s.
Proponents of barefoot shoes argue that cushy modern footwear gives runners weak feet. For example, over 75% of athletes wearing conventional shoes use a rearfoot strike—when the heel hits the ground first. For barefoot runners, or those in minimalist shoes, the numbers are 40% and 67% respectively, with the rest opting for a forefoot or midfoot strike in which the ball of the foot lands either before or with the heel.
The difference is largely because of shoe design. Chunkier heels hit the ground earlier than they otherwise would. And a cushioned sole protects the heel from the otherwise painful impact of running heel-first. Barefoot runners rely on the foot’s inbuilt suspension system to reduce that impact—a collection of tendons, ligaments and muscles that act as a kind of spring, storing and releasing elastic energy to push the body into the next stride.
Such tweaks to the mechanics of running can have big effects on the body. One small study, published in 2021, found that six months of wearing minimalist footwear can increase toe-muscle strength by 57%. Another, from 2018, reported a 40% increase in just eight weeks. Those accustomed to walking and running barefoot—such as the Kalenjin tribe in Western Kenya—have thicker foot muscles and improved ankle mobility. Barefoot shoes may also reduce load on the knee. And among older people, minimalist footwear has been shown to improve stability and balance.
Supporters say that running in barefoot shoes should therefore mean fewer injuries. But no study has yet confirmed that. The evidence, both for and against, is inconclusive, with most studies examining only small numbers of people. Some scientists worry about increased loads on the calf and Achilles tendon. Others suggest barefoot running may actually increase rates of injury, particularly on hard surfaces, or if the switch occurs too quickly. One ten-week study found almost half of runners switching to barefoot shoes showed signs of bone-marrow oedema—a fluid build-up often caused by stress on the foot. “The most important thing,” says Ali Ghoz, an orthopaedic surgeon at the London Clinic, “is a gradual introduction.” ■
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