Barefoot trainers

[BassJunkie]

Hi,

Would anyone care to express an opinion on barefoot trainers?

I'm tempted to try them for a change. And slightly for hippy reasons, to feel Mother Earth beneath my feet.

However, it looks like the choice is spending twice what I may spend on some Adidas trainers, or paying for some that may be being drop shipped from Temu.

Have they changed your life, or left you with indifference?

I'm not thinking of using them for running, I've already got trainers for that, more the school run, pub etc

 

[TopCat]

Pics examples etc

 

[Dystopiary]

If they're good for your feet/posture etc, yes.
If not, no.

 

[Dovydaitis]

Are you on about this sort of thing? I’ve got a pair and live in them in the summer

 

[magneze]

If you're mostly using them on concrete then there's little benefit and they're probably worse for you.

 

[Silas Loom]

Is this a disguised sock thread? To get around the ban?

 

[dessiato]

If they were any good wouldn’t professional athletes use them?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

My experience with bare feet and trainers is that they end up stinking to high heaven.

 

[PTK]

How can your feet be "bare" if you are wearing some kind of shoe?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

How can your feet be "bare" if you are wearing some kind of shoe?

Your foot is in the shoe sans socks.

 

[skyscraper101]

So like slippers

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

How can your feet be "bare" if you are wearing some kind of shoe?

They're not but the shoes aim to recreate that feeling - so they're light and have a very thin sole which in theory feels like bare feet but without your feet getting filthy and stuck full of pointy things.

For running they were a bit of a thing a few years ago but are definitely not in now. For other use though I'm not sure.

ETA: It's not about not having socks on!

 

[PTK]

Your foot is in the shoe sans socks.

Why do we need special shoes for not wearing socks? Have we not slippers? Did Flip Flop die in vain? That lowly peasant girl who dared defy the cobblers?

 

[Magnus McGinty]

Why do we need special shoes for not wearing socks? Have we not slippers? Did Flip Flop die in vain? That lowly peasant girl who dared defy the cobblers?

I got it wrong, apparently.
Anyway I had something similar once for going into the sea on holiday. Which made standing on rocks under the water slightly better than bare foot.

 

[Magnus McGinty]

They're not but the shoes aim to recreate that feeling - so they're light and have a very thin sole which in theory feels like bare feet but without your feet getting filthy and stuck full of pointy things.

For running they were a bit of a thing a few years ago but are definitely not in now. For other use though I'm not sure.

ETA: It's not about not having socks on!

Yeah, but what’s the point in buying something that feels like you have bare feet if you end up putting socks on?

 

[PTK]

I asked my friend who made these shoes, and he said "cobblers" and I said "there's no need to be rude. I was only asking".

 

[rubbershoes]

From friends who've had them, they seem quite marmitey. Some love the lack of support and others hate it. . Not tempted myself

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Yeah, but what’s the point in buying something that feels like you have bare feet if you end up putting socks on?

Hmm good question.

On the running side of these, I heard on a podcast a while ago about a study they ran to test them. They found a small but statistically significant reduction in injury rates amongst the runners who used them. Which seems good right? Except it turned out that the reason for this was that they were so uncomfortable that they'd only run about half as many miles...

 

[Idaho]

I run in very minimal trainers. They suit me well enough. Can get quite achy calfs while you get used to not having a thick heel.

 

[hitmouse]

I'm only just learning that these things exist and aren't a figure of speech meaning something like oxymoron or emperor's new clothes.

 

[BassJunkie]

Thanks all, I think, given the response, I'll go for some cheap pair, and see what they're like. If they fall to bits then I won't have lost much.

 

[redsquirrel]

Thanks all, I think, given the response, I'll go for some cheap pair, and see what they're like. If they fall to bits then I won't have lost much.

This might be of some help (or not) Sliced Bread - Barefoot Shoes - BBC Sounds
It's been some time since I listened to it, but IIRC the conclusion was that they weren't some wonder fix, but they weren't just bullshit either.

 

[BassJunkie]

This might be of some help (or not) Sliced Bread - Barefoot Shoes - BBC Sounds
It's been some time since I listened to it, but IIRC the conclusion was that they weren't some wonder fix, but they weren't just bullshit either.

Thanks! I have listened to Sliced Bread in the past, but must have missed that episode.