That all changed once I began looking for ways to raise the height of my arches. Footwear providing minimal interference with the natural movement of the foot due to its high flexibility, low heel to toe drop, weight and stack height, and the absence of motion control and stability devices.

So, as you can see, minimalist shoes have several characteristics that separate them from other types of footwear. I spend the majority of the time now in minimalist shoes. This includes both everyday use and working out. That right there is probably reason enough to continue wearing them.

But I also think there are a lot of other benefits that have come from using them. So here are my top five reasons for using minimalist shoes. Many shoes on the market have raised heels. Elevated heels can be found in everything from dress shoes to running shoes and many types of casual shoes.

Increasing ankle flexibility was one of the keys to improving my arches. A traditional shoe, with its raised heel, puts the calf muscles in a shortened position.

This is the opposite of what I was trying to accomplish. The conventional heel-to-toe drop the difference in height from the back to the front of the shoe is around millimeters in running shoes. Shoes marketed as minimalist typically have a drop of less than 6mm. I prefer the ones that are completely flat. This is sometimes referred to as zero-drop or a zero heel-to-toe differential.

Minimalist shoes typically have thin and flexible soles without a lot of added cushioning. This helps create that barefoot-like experience. A lot of the training I was doing for my arches involved adjusting the way that I walked. This involved spending time walking barefoot while paying attention to what my feet were doing. With minimalist shoes, I could replicate a lot of that training because I could actually feel what my feet were doing inside the shoes.

Traditional shoes often have thick cushioning, almost like having a tiny mattress underneath the foot. With the thin soles of minimalist shoes, there is a much better feel for the ground.

The vast majority of footwear seems to be designed with narrow toe boxes. So many shoes out there are tapered in the front and shaped like a bullet. This is not typically the shape of the foot. Having a wide or anatomically-shaped toe box gives the toes enough room to spread out.

I consider this an important part of stabilizing the arch. Using these shoes without socks or pairing them with Tabi socks feels so much better than having the toes crammed together into a narrow toe box. Key features of minimalist shoes include: zero pitch heels; minimal padding; ultra-thin soles; flexible upper materials; minimal arch support and a wide toe box.

The Nike-Free renewed the interest in minimalist and partially minimalist footwear, when it hit the shelves in Since then, other manufactures have followed suit, with their own versions. Sketchers are another example, open to the general non-athletic population and have become hugely popular due to their soft, light weight construction. The most extreme example of minimalist shoe on the market today, is the ultra-minimal Vibram Five-Finger running shoe.

Wearing this shoe is about as close as you can get to actually being bare-footed. In , a class-action was taken against Vibram for promoting the unsubstantiated benefits of the bare-foot movement. Bobux make great minimalist shoes for young children. There is, however, a general agreement among health professionals regarding the benefits of minimalist footwear in young children.

It is largely accepted that simulating barefoot walking as little feet develop by wearing flexible, lightweight footwear maximises sensory feed-back and proprioception, whilst protecting them from harm. Happy Fit Footwear stocks a range of Bobux shoes for early walkers, which are ideally suited for the unique demands of each stage of childhood gait development.

Please refer to a recent blog by my colleague Romany Vonarx for a detailed discussion on this topic. Are they a seasoned athlete looking for a new challenge?

Perhaps they are bored of their current training regime and running shoes. Other factors for consideration include their age, weight, current activity and fitness levels and whether or not they are used to going barefooted. Physical assessment includes evaluation of core, gluteal and leg strength, effectiveness and efficiency of the quads and hamstrings, balance, proprioception the ability to know where your body is in space and ability to perform single leg heel raises on each side.

Has the patient undergone a total joint replacement or are there any issues with the lumbo-sacral spine? It is important to consider that barefoot running first emerged as a new training method among the elite running community. It was intended as a method of training and conditioning which could be added once a week to stimulate the feet and increase athletic performance. The Nike Free running shoe was originally designed for this purpose.

When running, the feet must support between 2. So unless you have the body frame of the leading athletes in the City to Surf, minimalistic footwear such as the Nike Free, are probably not such a good idea.

If you are over-weight or untrained your risk of injury will be very high. Most people strike the ground with their heel, but to run barefooted you must change your technique and land on your forefoot.

Because of the lack of heel cushioning, minimalist shoes have been associated with an increased incidence of heel calcaneal fractures, especially in high arched, rigid foot types. If there is no history of metatarsal stress fracture, plantar heel pain or Achilles issues, barefoot running can serve to vary the stresses on the feet and lower extremities. As form and function change, and joints and muscles are worked either more or less, your injury patterns will change.

I am not a running coach. The majority of people I treat are not 65kg elite runners. Athlete or not, I first need to understand the motivation for a person to move towards barefoot or minimalist footwear, and what their goals are.

Consideration should be given to their biomechanics or and lower extremity structure. With over 20 years-experience as a podiatrist, I say with some confidence, minimalist footwear is a major contributor to the onset of many foot injuries. With its flat and supremely flexible sole and generous toe box, the Primal 2 is a durable and versatile option for those hoping to achieve foot health naturally.

The Ahinsa Bindu 2 Bare is a lightweight and minimalist casual shoe that's handmade in the Czech Republic using high-quality, regionally-sourced materials. Incorporating one of the widest toe boxes we've ever seen, the Bindu 2 Bare is Correct Toes compatible and truly lets your toes roam free.

This shoe also has a flat, flexible sole and low overall stack height. Featuring a flexible zero drop sole and wide footbed, the Z-Trail is a lightweight option for those who enjoy an open-toe footwear experience. If you are planning to make the switch from conventional shoes to minimalist or minimalist-like shoes, we encourage you to read this article on how to safely and successfully make the transition.

Marty Hughes, DC Dr. Marty Hughes is a chiropractic physician, or DC. Marty has always been interested in foot health, due to the connection between the feet and the spine. He has worked as a freelance writer for LiveStrong. He is a co-founder of Natural Footgear and an ardent supporter of natural foot care approaches. Marty enjoys road cycling, trail running, hiking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing as well as exploring the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Let the team at Natural Footgear help you! Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest offers and helpful info, and sign up for our FREE email courses on various topics and foot health conditions. We are here to help you every step of the way. Get our newsletter for the latest offers and helpful info, and sign up for our FREE email courses on various topics and conditions, including bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, plantar fasciosis, shin splints, ingrown toenails, and more.

Many people are aware that a transition period is required when switching from conventional shoes to minimalist shoes now Robyn and I are often stopped on hiking and running trails by fellow outdoor enthusiasts who Read more Comments February 21, Marc Desrochers There is no mention of how wide the shoes are, nor how high the arch is for a given length. Many people who go minimalist would also like to know what the other measurements are.

Thank you for your comment. Those are indeed some good considerations that you mentioned, and they ought to be assessed—in person, if possible—when selecting footwear, including minimalist footwear. I wear Lems Boulder Boots and love them but … I was wearing them in the woods and the soft outer sole material allowed a stick splinter, about half the size of a pencil, to penetrate right through the sole.

Is there something that can be done to beef up the sole to protect against such things? Or is there a foot-healthy boot alternative that could be suggested? The outsole of the Boulder Boot is made of a rather soft air-infused rubber, which makes it more lightweight beneficial but also more prone to punctures not beneficial.

But doing so will also add weight, reduce sole flexibility, and strip you of some of the tactile feedback you rely on to make proper footfalls it may also make the in-shoe environment more uncomfortable. So, there are some real tradeoffs involved here. Thank you for your question. Ideally, what you want to experience is a midfoot landing when running and walking.

The more minimalist your shoe is, the easier this is to achieve. Certainly, if you were to try walking barefoot, you would find that a midfoot landing is the default option. I have been using Correct Toes for 5 months. I followed directions and used transitional shoes and slowly began to trim the Correct Toes to find max comfort. Then I decided to try my first Lems Primal 2s after almost a month of using Correct Toes in conventional running shoes that I had slit around the toe box.

The Primal 2s were a dream. It took a while to stop landing on my heel, but finally, I adopted the midfoot landing and I immediately ordered more minimalist shoes. I now own four pairs of Lems Primal 2s, Mariners, and Boulder Boots, the latter of which are on my feet now. The only real downside has been offering my former shoes to others. I guess they are better than no shoes, but I feel a little guilty knowing what they did to my feet and skeletal system.