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Barefoot / Minimal Shoes

Interested in joining the barefoot trail crowd? Check out How to Run or Hike Barefoot on the Trail for help getting started.

The best barefoot / minimal shoes, reviewed and curated by the Trailspace community. The latest review was added on January 18, 2024. Stores' prices and availability are updated daily.

In order to show you the most useful information, we have omitted some products.

Recent Barefoot / Minimal Shoe Reviews

rated 5 of 5 stars
Skinners Sock Shoes

great for "at the hut" shoes Kia ora , I use the as my "change into at the hut" shoes. Leave my wet, muddy, smelly tramping (hiking) shoes at the door to pretend to be drying. Walk around in the hut, or outside to use the long drop. Unfortunately my friends know I prefer to walk in bare feet so tend to borrow them to go to the long drop.  Last year on a tramp one of our friends tramping boots died. We taped, tided with micro cord & they stayed dead. The friend put the boot liners inside my… Full review

rated 3.5 of 5 stars
Skinners Sock Shoes

Great minimal shoes, but not "barefoot". Highly recommend as transition footwear, backup shoes, or for non-barefooters. Kids will absolutely love them! Do not recommend for running. I am nearly 20 years barefooted and these socks are almost fit for purpose except the toe box is just as narrow as regular shoes. They were perfect while I was switching equally between normal shoes and barefoot, but in recent years I only wear Vibram FiveFingers, so my toes are too permanently splayed for Skinners… Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
Skinners Sock Shoes

These are for people who have been working at transitioning to minimalist and barefoot running. You can feel the ground, and sometimes even pain, but that's how you learn to move properly. A small insert can be used if you want extra cushion. If you're not sure if you can go barefoot or not, throw these on and don't look back. Imagine putting a temporary callus on your foot. That's it. Comfortable, easy to clean, and they stay in place very well. Full review

rated 2 of 5 stars
Barefoot Company Free Your Feet

To small Socks are much too small. Full review

rated 5 of 5 stars
Barefoot Company Free Your Feet

Best minimalist footwear available for a true barefoot experience. For a fabric they perform extraordinarily well in terms of minimalist footwear. I own a landscape/hardscape company and I work barefoot quite often, but in some circumstances the terrain does get a bit rough so these are my immediate go-to. On dirt, grass, stone, and other natural surfaces they do excellent. I jump on shovels all day too, so it is nice to not worry about slipping and slicing my foot on the sharp metal sections. On… Full review

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Vibram FiveFingers Trek Ascent Insulated

They extend cold weather running. Added protection for the feet. And extremely lightweight and flexible. This is my third winter with my Insulated Trek Ascents. They definitely lengthen my minimalist running season (my first preference is barefoot) into the winter month. I bought a size up as suggested by the website. They fit good barefoot or with an extremely lightweight sock, but the next pair I order will be a size larger than that. Just so it’s clear, my regular Vibram FiveFingers are a size… Full review

rated 4 of 5 stars
Skinners Sock Shoes

Is it a sock? is it a shoe? Yes! Skinners sock shoes might be a new category in outdoor footwear. I recently acquired some Skinners Sock Shoes. What? They are basically a sock covered on the sole with a protective rubber polymer. I believe that this might be new category of outdoor footwear. I'd say they offer more protection that a sock and perhaps less protection than a minimalist shoe. I suppose the closest comparable footwear might be minimalist footwear like FiveFingers Shoes, Merrell Trail… Full review

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
Xero Shoes DIY 4mm Kit

It's a kit. You make it and then you have the skinniest sandals you can get. Simple really... Basically you get a thin sole unit 4mm in this case and a 6mm if you want the heavier version.  You also get a set of cords and a hole punch. That's the kit. Following the instructions online or in the kit you measure your foot. Punch holes for the laces and assemble your own sandals, cutting off any excess sole rubber (they come in size bands and you cut to your specific fit). They are surprisingly good… Full review

rated 0.5 of 5 stars
Barefoot Company Free Your Feet

Don’t believe in advertising. I feel painful when I wear sock on the road that full of rock. Terrible product. Terrible. I feel I‘ve been ripped off. Full review

Other Types of Footwear

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