Has anyone experienced notable increases in calf muscle size after switching to barefoot shoes?

I have read that this can happen since the calves get more activated. However, I also know there are many indigenous tribes in Africa and other places that run barefoot all the time and the people in them don’t have particularly large calves.

Has the shape of your feet changed as a result of walking barefoot? I’ve noticed that my feet have changed a lot. My big toe has started to turn outwards. Also, the skin on the soles of my feet has become much thicker and firmer.

How have your feet changed as a result of walking barefoot?
What’s the thing you’ve noticed most?

Wide, breathable, flexible, minimal cushion. Does anything like this exist today?

Still have a 12 year old pair for I don’t know special occasions? They felt great!

Hello ! Not sure if this belongs here. Big fan of everything bedrock has to offer. Got a pair of their clogs and I love them, but they stink so bad. How are people cleaning them ? Everything I find online talks about spot cleaning when really all I need to do is just dunk them in some water and deodorize them. Not sure the best way of doing that without messing up the suede or the rubber. Anyone have tips for de-stinking these bad boys ? Thanks in advance !!

This is just a personal design concept I created, not a real brand or product for sale!

Vi presento il concept TEKRAM: infradito total black dal design essenziale e utility/gorpcore.

Tomaia: Bandelle piatte in tela ad alta resistenza (no forcella).

Suola: Profilo ribassato con battistrada Vibram® per il massimo grip.

Pensate per chi cerca qualità, estetica pulita e stile outdoor urbano.

Che ne pensate? Le indossereste?

I got the El x in 41 it’s a little too snug .. it’s hard to use force with fingers..
got the KSO evo in 42 and it’s too large ..
I want to order the El x in 42 or graspifier in 41/42 ..

Anyone has experience if they fit like the KSO or shorter..?

Any experience how it is on trail / hike .. the mesh looks really unstable..

Iemand al een zool van deze schoen helemaal versleten?

How long did it take before running actually started to feel enjoyable during the run, not just afterward?

I'm looking to get my first pair of Saguaros and having trouble deciding which model to get as they all seem super similar. This will be my first pair of minimalist running shoes I've had in a long time. Does anyone have any experience on which model would be best for running? If it helps, I usually run 2-4 miles on asphalt/concrete, but plan to eventually increase my mileage. When I asked the company directly, they recommended either Motion 1 pro, or the Fast 1 pro, but I can only find them directly on their website which is significantly more expensive than their models on Amazon, so I probably won't get those until I know if I even still like minimalist running shoes. Thanks for any insight!

The models I'm considering are:

Smart 1 - 6mm outsole, 204g

Fast 1 - 4mm outsole, 189g

Vitality III - 5mm outsole, 237g

Free 1 - 6mm outsole, 265g

3 Months ago I got myself my first Vibram Five Finger shoes (The Graspifier) for the gym. Started running more and more on the treadmill because I really loved the feel of them.

This got me so excited again to pickup outdoor running again. Ordered myself a pair of KSO Evo and V-Run shoes to try on. Now I can’t decide which one to keep (saidly can’t keep them both with those prices)

My goal is to start training again for half a marathon and hopefully next year also an Olympic distance Triathlon on one of these shoes. This would also mean training on them in winter times.

I like the groundfeel of the Evo and they give me the same excitement as the graspifiers indoor on the treadmill, but I’m afraid they will not last that long and maybe this feeling will go away on much longer runs. On the other hand the V-Run feels like they will last much longer and maybe is better suited for longer runs and also for those less comfy weather/temperature runs in winter.

Wondering if anybody has any experience with both shoes for these kind of goals and conditions. I see mixed posts of people using them both for running so I know they can both work.

Is it better to sacrifice some of the groundfeel for my long term goals or should I go for what gets me excited now?

It looks like Xero is discontinuing the Aqua X line 😫
Does anyone have any shoe suggestions similar to them? I wore Merrell Vapor Gloves before Aqua Xs were suggested to me (from this sub I’m pretty sure), but holes wore into the soles of all three pairs of Vapor Gloves I had (I’m not a huge runner, either, so I am assuming the holes were due to waterfalling/climbing rock surfaces? Never had that problem with the Aqua Xs).
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I have been using Merrell Trail Glove 7 for a while and they are starting to show signs of use.

I tried both new Vapor and Trail models but I don't like them for two reasons caused by the same issue: fixed upper side.

So, I'm wondering, if you were using Trail Glove 7 and didn't like the 8 either, what did you end up using?

Hello! I am currently building a toe sock brand — curious if my Injinji complaints are universal or just me.

I’ve been running in Injinji for a while and like the toe-sock concept a lot, but two things consistently bug me:

• They just don’t feel that snug against my foot — more like they’re loosely there than actually holding  
• The fabric feels thin and slippery, not the kind of grip/hold I want on a long run

These complaints bugged me enough that I’ve started building my own toe sock brand to try to fix them. We are currently testing out samples, trying to nail our material blend. I would love to gauge interest before I go further.

A few things I’d love this community’s take on:
• Do you deal with the same snugness/fabric issues, or is it just me?
• What would actually get you to try a new toe sock brand over Injinji, given they’ve kind of been the only real option?
• Any other gripes with toe socks in general — fit, durability, feel — that a new brand should be paying attention to?

Appreciate any honest feedback, good or bad — trying to build this around real problems, just my own personal preference.

The Summer vacation is upon us, meaning our quiet excursions and getaways are soon to be no more, and that has lead me to ask this question and whether anyone has any experiences with it?

For example, I was walking on the beach sometime and some parent with their kid came past me and the kid was like ‘barefoot?!’ As if they never gone on the beach like that before.

It’s a bit more complicated when you’re not at the beach, so my big concern right now is whether the beach parents start a conversation along the lines of ‘do you think what you’re doing is appropriate?’ ‘Oh but Mummy, I want to go in the mud’ 😭 And all the rest of it.

Apart from disgust, I can’t imagine a more escalated situation then that, other than if you’re squelching in some mud somewhere. But parents are usually very good at redirecting their kids in such circumstances.

Having said that, I am responsible for bare-footing in a responsible and respectful way and it comes to my responsibility first.

Hey, everyone so I have a last man standing endurance event coming up in two weeks and I'm wondering what would be a good pair of shoes to use or sandals?

I currently have been running in altras lone peak 8, but I think they have too much stack height for me ( too much cushion), and I'm not as careful with them because I can't feel the ground as much. I use them rarely, but latley have been running in some cheap Hurley Water shoes now, they were like $15 lol.

I'm kind of looking for something in the stack.Height of around 8mm to 12mm. Something that isn't super super thin , but isn't super super thick too - but still being able feel the ground and is gonna help me last potentially hundreds of miles.

I did order some of Vivbram Five Fingers Trail 2.0 for fun, and switch between those and others shoes recommend.

Thanks guys!

Hey guys,

Trying to decide whether I should keep these size 10 evo pros or get 11.

Without socks leaves around 5mm at the front and the same at the back.

Plan on using them for easier hikes and just around the city (would use crocs in these scenarios right now).

My twin brother and I are pro athletes who have been wearing toe socks and minimalist shoes for a while now. We couldn’t find sport/performance specific toe socks so we took on the challenge ourselves. Don’t make your dogs mad, wear Mad Dog Barefoot. We just dropped our preorder, check it out if you would like. Thanks!

https://www.maddogbarefoot.com/

I am looking to order the xero mesa trail 2. Trying to get the size correct since will be using a freight forwarder and returns are unlikely. I am 27cm, based on their size chart 43.5 looks correct. In vivos I wear 43 and Freet Feldom 3 am 44. On the xero chart says 277 mm for 43 and 282 mm for 43.5 what do people think based on their experience?

I started running with zero drop shoes few months ago (altra) and i feel sore each time mostly in my left calf, this is mainly because of feet difference that started after an accident.

So my question is, does that indicate that barefoot running style (front stroke) is not suitable for me?

Anyone with a similar experience?

Hi everyone,

I transitioned into Xero Sandals (DIY Kit) about six months ago after developing a case of IT Band Syndrome. I had been running in Vibrams for years, thinking I had good form; however, the sandals really kicked all of my pain to the curb, toned my butt and I have really felt awesome since the switch.

The only catch is it is summer in Florida and running in the sandals turns into a slippery sweaty hazard: they are basically un-runnable after three miles.

I tried running in my Xero Prios to no avail: some knee pain returned, so I think the "blockish" shoe design is sending me back into bad form.

Are the Xero HFS "barefoot" enough? I would love to find a shoe, or sandal alternative, that can stand up to year round sweat because I have really felt so great since starting to run in huaraches.

Knee injury forced a hard look under the hood and found flat feet. Im not a runner, but the prospect of never running again scared me into giving this a shod.

In particular the big toe drifting over the second toe now bothers me a lot and i use the big toe band every once in a while.

Just starting on smooth pavement as in pic and can only go a couple hundred meters once a week and trying to add a hundred every time. But already way less foot pain since day 1.

Only slight biomechanical improvement to prevent foot pain so far in addition to mindful walking.