I know this is a global forum so chances might be slim but looking for a recommendation for a physio in Leeds UK who has experience with barefoot running, or more specifically, isn’t going to try tell me transitioning to barefoot is bad for my feet 🫠

I just came back from a 5 hours hike with thin barefoot shoes (not even barefoot hiking shoes).
When I arrived at my motorbike, my feet actually felt just a bit sore but then I had to drive home for 30mins. After getting down off my motorbike, I barely could stand on my feet. The sole hurts a lot

Are there any good exercises or anything I can do right now?
The stones at the end of the hike was probably way too much massage for my feet

Why the running shoe industry keeps changing its mind on cushioned vs. minimalist

Yeah so I just wanted to make quick review of barefoot shoes from accés, which might be shops own shoe brand, but I found shoes that looked same from aliexpress with quick Search.

300km walked and run 100km in these

Pros:

- price, it cost 40€ but I saw them all the time for 25€

- Ground feel, I think that ground wheel is good, most likely because of thin sole. At least sole feels thinner and therefore better in my opinion than the 100€ Vaistoa uoma shoes.

- toe box is big. Most of the cheap barefoot shoes I have tested have had a very small toebox but these were suprisingly good

- warmth. These are winter barefoot shoes and they keep my foot warm in -20°c but colder than that they start to feel little chilly.

Cons:

- Guality: The elastic quick-lock laces broke almost instantly.

- The sole grip was worn out in 80km mark.

- inner badding started to look worn out in 50km mark

To sum up:

They are great for price and I still use them every now and then although many of the parts have worn out they still work but I wouldn't use them on slippiest places due to lack of grip.

Hi everyone! I'm looking for a pair of boots (but also shoes) with this characteristics:

• Available in Europe
• Made with leather, water proof o water resistant
• Anatomical toe box, winder on the toe side
• Safety toe box or reinforced
  
• Stitch down or Goodyear welt sole
• Zero drop / few mm drop
• A sole height between 20 mm or 30 mm high enough for hiking with a backpack

Budget: 250 euro

For now I only found a candidate: AnatomX 719 by Jim Green but unfortunately its sole is too tin, and Basher but for the pic I saw they seems to have a more close toe box on the toe side.

Should I consider a custom made boot?

Thanks for reading!

Hi,

I've been running in barefoot shoes for a while. And now I ordered fivefingers and want to try that out. However eventually I would like to be able to run fully barefoot. But along with the usual fear of stepping on garbage (which there is a lot in my neighborhood) I am also scared of getting harrased more by other people. I already get a ridiculed and harrased a lot based on my clothing style and just the fact that I am a woman. My city isn't really that safe. I'm scared what people would do if I stand out even more.

Anyone got any experience with this or am I maybe just too anxious?

Thank you if any of you comment :)

I have been running a few years, in the wet part of Oregon. I wear wool socks so the wet feel doesn't bother me, but I hate the squelch. I used to run in Brooks (even their waterproof styles aren't very waterproof) and Saucony (very waterproof but narrow). I don't run hot, so I'm not worried about breathability, I want very waterproof running shoes.

I have been wearing xero hfsII for two ish years, I really do love them. I have narrow heels, high arches, and bunions, and as long as I heel lock the laces they fit me great. But I want waterproof. I've been considering the new Mesa Summit or the old Mesa Trail by xero but I'd really like to know how waterproof they are before I buy. I also know that people tend to rag on xero and I can only assume that build quality varies a ton between models, which worries me.

I did try the old Merrell Glove 5 and hated them. I also have Saguaro trail shoes that feel incredibly cheap to me and can't be heel locked. I'd really prefer lower in price than xero, not higher. I wouldn't mind a wider toe box than xero but I can't go any lower in toe height, so by the photos I assume vivos are out. I'm happy to look at road runners but would prefer trail runners for this, I do both but like extra traction on asphalt in the rain.

I just got the Vibram road around 2’s and under my big toe on both shoes it feels like I’m walking on a hard lump, it’s kinda painful especially after walking 2 miles. Just seeing if anyone else has experienced this with these shoes and if it’s a case where I need to just keep wearing them to break them in or the shoe has a defect or something?

I had chronic feet pain for seven years at this point, and it all started from running. I saw countless podiatrists and sports medicine doctors, and they were a complete joke. They just say never run again, blame me for causing chronic pain, and then bill me $300. They just prescribe orthotics and physical therapy that don’t work. They keep changing the diagnosis after every appointment and yell at me. It’s comical so many Redditors see doctors as hero’s that can’t do anything wrong when they are so arrogant and don’t listen. It feels like you can’t complain about doctors now when they are the ones who suck at treating patients. I don’t think I will be able to hike or travel again sadly thanks to stupid healthcare

My length is 10.5 and width is 5ish inches more if you count toe splay. Wondering if anyone has tried them because a 11 size shoe is only 4.17 inches wide.

I'm looking for a new running shoe. My current shoe for running and all exercise are Whitin W81s. My regular daily shoes when I wear them are the Xero Aqua Clouds. I've been in these shoes for 3 or 4 years now and very rarely wear shoes that are not "minimalist". Lately I've been running more and my Whitins are worn out. I need shoe recommendations for pavement and gravel running.

Started running a year ago doing max 500m on barefoot shoes, wasn't consistent inbetween, now recently completed a "get back to running plan" by Runna working up to 5km straight and now continuing with a plan to get faster at 5K. After that I want to train for just being able to run 10K. Weekly distance has been average 20 km running for a month now.

How long did it take you to start doing 10k or half-marathon and marathon distances?

It feels like at current pace going from 5k to 10k it might be another 3 months for my calves. Calves are sore as hell all the time, but not so bad that I can't walk the next day. I do red light therapy and use a massage gun in addition to sauna few times a week. I run 4x a week, gym sessions 3x a week, 1x mobility session a week. 30M, normal weight, athletic all my life. Walking in barefoot shoes is no problem, I walk actually barefoot any time I'm home.

I got these older models of Vibram Five Fingers for my collection and bought them at size men’s EU43.

I usually get 42s but have been having some slight issues where over time they’d feel a bit tight but manageable. I switched to 43 and got these fellas. Problem is they’re a bit bigger than I expected and it’s probably because sizing was different years ago so I’d probably fit the 41 or 42 version of these. I don’t have too much problems but was wondering for better fit.
Is there a way to non destructively shorten them? I just have space behind my heel. Tightening the cinch helps but was wondering if anyone has faced the same.

I feel like some folks in this community might be interested in buying, but I'm unsure if it's appropriate to post to sell these here (I've sold many things on Reddit, you can check my post history). If not here, do y'all have recommended subreddits or marketplaces I can post these?

Hey all, the insole/footbed on my Merrell barefoot shoes has worn down right under the big toe, and it’s starting to rub. The rest of the shoe is still in great shape, so I’d rather fix it than replace them.

Has anyone dealt with this? Can the insole be replaced with a thin aftermarket one without losing the barefoot feel, or is a patch (fabric, leather, Shoe Goo, etc.) the better route? Open to any tips or product recommendations.

MERREL TRAIL GLOVE 7 (used 2 years)

Photo attached. Thanks!