First Things First: What Makes A Trainer ‘Barefoot’?
The structure of a barefoot shoe has, by definition, a thin sole that protects the foot from the ground outside yet doesn’t cushion it from feeling the ground beneath it, thus mimicking the feel of being barefoot. The sole is also pliable and designed to move naturally with the foot’s flex as we walk. A wide toe box design enables digits to splay inside while their lightweight nature minimises any interference or compensation our feet have to make when we walk with heavier, chunkier footwear.
3 More Benefits Of Wearing Barefoot Trainers
As the name suggests, a barefoot shoe allows for your natural gait as if you were walking without shoes; this minimal restriction or alteration of your foot placement allows you to feel every movement, starting at your foot but continuing through your joints and the rest of your body, thus minimising injury.
Barefoot shoes allow for a full range of foot moment, including splaying, flexing and gripping within the wider toe box for stronger feet and better balance.
Finally, they also give greater ground feel and sensory feedback from the surface beneath you when you are walking or training, which can help with posture, joint impact and give a sense of wellness as well as a connection with nature.
