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Choosing Shoes for Healthy Feet – a Practical Guide to Minimal Shoes
Have you ever wondered what movement teachers talk about when they get together? The answer is: minimal shoes. Yes, we spend a lot of time nerding out and playing around with movement, but the thing we talk about the most is actually our shoes.
Minimal shoes are seriously our obsession.
We swap tips, experiences, information on sales, and any new brands that we’ve scoped out – because picking minimal footwear is much tougher than you’d expect, and gets expensive fast.
Choosing minimal shoes is also a big decision from a health point of view, because what you wear on your feet makes a huge difference in your ability to have happy, healthy tootsies.
Talking the best minimal shoes is a topic that never gets old, and so I wrote this post to help you find the best possible minimal shoes for your feet right now!
Five Things To Look For In A Minimal Shoe
Basically, the more a shoe allows your feet to move naturally, the better it is for your feet. This means that it will allow the foot to do what it was designed to do without interfering, shortening, straining, pushing, squishing or immobilizing. Here are the big 5 things to consider.
#1 How High Are The Heels?
How much is the heel raised above the toes? Any amount of heel raise will mess up your entire body’s alignment. Can you say lower back pain? Pelvic floor issues? meh. Zero-drop is the term for the most nature-friendly choice.
#2 Are The Soles Flexible?
How stiff are the soles? Inflexible soles prevent the foot from articulating as you walk over bumps in the ground, which means the small foot muscles atrophy and the joints stiffen. Instead, a flexible minimal sole should allow your feet to move naturally across the surface of the world. You should be able to bend the shoe entirely double without effort.
#3 How Much Space Is There For Your Toes?
Almost all North American shoes aren’t actually shaped like feet – your toes are supposed to be wider than the ball of your foot. Squished toes are a big cause of bunions and nerve issues. The part of the shoe around your toes is known as the ‘toe-box’ and you want to find a nice wide one that gives you enough room for your toes to spread out when you’re standing. Try this fun test if you want to see how your shoes stack up!
I prefer the widest toe box I can find, so that I can wear my CorrectToes toe spacers when I walk.
#4 Can You Fully Attach The Shoe To Your Foot?
Look for shoes that can be securely fastened to your feet. If a shoe can’t be stuck to you properly (think flip-flops, slides and other barely-there styles), your toe muscles have to work double-time to grip the shoe. Although using more muscles sounds like it should be a bonus, unfortunately this is not the type of muscle use that we’re looking for. It just creates strain, tension and injuries. So get a shoe that attaches by itself, no toe gripping required.
#5 Do The Toes Lie Flat?
You know how many shoes curve up at the toes? This is a feature called ‘toe spring’. This is a strange addition to shoes by people who seem to have thought that toes like to fly in the air. It is a main cause of hammertoes and over time can really mess up your foot mechanics. Look for a shoe that is either totally flat, or has a flexible sole that flattens easily at the toes when you stand.
So the ideal minimal shoe is the shoe that interferes least with the foot’s natural mechanics – the same shape as your foot, flexible, no changes in height at the toe or the heel, and is solidly attached.
However, your feet have probably spent a really long time in regular shoes. Right now, they’re adapted to whatever shoes you wear the most. The body is very adaptable, but you need to work within it’s capacity for change. Going too fast can create damage and injuries instead of the healthy, pain-free feet we both want!
How To Plan Your Shoe Transition
Here are the two things you need to think about for a successful minimal shoe transition.
First, Ya Gotta Train For It
Just like you wouldn’t run a marathon without training for it, you need to prepare your feet for a transition to minimal shoes. A good footwear transition can take months or years, and the way to start is with gentle exercises. It’s easy to forget how hard our feet work and changes that seem small to our brains might be giant to our feet! You will want to mobilize and strengthen your feet – there are lots of ideas in this post I wrote about foot exercises.
For more ideas, I highly recommend either of Katy Bowman’s foot books: Simple Steps To Foot Pain Relief or Whole Body Barefoot.
Second, Ya Gotta Buy The Right Minimal Shoes
You do not want to go from being a regular high heel wearer to being a Vibram Five Finger wearer over night! Well, maybe you want to, but your body won’t thank you for it. You should make incremental changes slowly. For each change you make, first spend a few months letting your feet adjust, then take the next step.
It’s tricky to figure out the perfect shoe for each change.
But a good rule of thumb is to look at the shoes you wear the most right now. Where are they on the handy chart in this classic post from Katy Bowman?
For your next pair, pick shoes that change the variables a bit, but not all the way. For instance, instead of a one inch heel, pick a half inch heel. Then, let your feet adapt to that shoe for a solid chunk of time before your next shoe purchase.
If you find that your body hurts (could be feet, but could also be back, knees, hips, or anything else) and you think it’s the result of the shoes, then back off. Go back to your earlier shoes, or wear the new shoes for shorter periods.
I’ve personally found that the thickness/flex of the soles and the amount of heel drop are the two features that are most likely to cause pain – you can probably transition right away to a wide toe box and a shoe with good foot attachment. I also really like to rotate between multiple shoes – I usually have about 5-6 choices at a time – so I can pick the shoe that feels best on any particular day.
Remember, go slow, be kind to yourself, & do lots of foot exercises!!
My Favourite Minimal Shoe Options
What about actually picking shoes? There are great lists of shoes on Katy Says, for summer and for winter.
But I thought I’d save you some time by highlighting some of the ones I know the most about – that I’ve worn, or that my fellow RES teachers love the most.
And here’s my best tip – make sure you check the return policy!!!
Almost all minimal shoes are sold online (because people who want minimal shoes are such a small market. This means that the the more people who wear them, the easier it will be to find them in stores. So tell all your friends!!). Unfortunately, it can be hard to figure out shoe fit online. I’ve wasted a lot of money by not being careful enough. Ask me about this sometime if you want to see me actually cry.
Best Minimal Shoes For Starting Your Transition
Altra’s have lovely big toe boxes and zero drop. But they have lots of cushioning and a toe spring so they aren’t super minimal – which means they’re a great transitional option. Also great for experienced minimal shoe wearers who walk a lot on hard pavement. These are my top recommendation for when you’re just starting out but want a zero drop shoe.
Lems have flexible soles but still some padding. I find the running shoe styles a bit narrow (I have super wide feet though), but I love the width of the Boulder Boots. In fact, I can wear CorrectToes in my Boulder Boots, which is amazing. Plus they’re pretty cute for either guys or girls. Definitely one of my personal faves.
Kalso Earth Shoes actually have negative heels, which can be a help in getting longer calves. But still lots of structure around the sole and often fairly thick soles. Probably better if you’re already used to wearing zero-drop shoes but apart from that a really nice transition with lots of padding and many styles to choose from.
Regular ol’ Converse aren’t marketed as minimal shoes, but they have flexible soles and no drop, people. The super easiest choice if you want to pick up something fast and cheap. Very narrow though and no squishy padding, so best for a narrow and strong foot.
If you focus on Camper’s flats, they have lots of options, especially for transitioning. A bit narrow, a bit too stiff, and often a bit of heel rise, but they’re cute, and especially good for the office.
*A note on transitions* Your shoe doesn’t have to be officially minimal to be a transitional shoe. If you’re coming from a lifetime wearing heels or extremely supportive shoes (because orthopaedic shoes are all about bracing, they typically are exactly what you don’t want to wear if you’re trying to regain foot health), then just pick a pair of similar shoes with lower heels to start with.
Actually cute
I love so many of the Otz Styles! Not cheap but sooooo cute. Note – they only qualify as completely zero drop (and flexible) if you take the footbed out. Good transitional option.
Vivobarefoot is probably the most successful and well-funded of all the minimal shoe companies. They have lots of styles, and make really attractive shoes. These range from super cute hiking boots to runners to rain boots and more. However I find them quite narrow in the toe box, so if you have wider feet, they may not be the best option.
Another company that makes really adorable shoes! Everything from the Drifter Leather is hand made and custom fit and they have lots of really adorable styles and colours. One thing to watch for is that they like to put a little heel riser into the shoe – I prefer to ask them not to include this.
Volcom isn’t a minimal shoe line, but one of my clients has gotten many great zero drop summer sandals from them. Not the most flexible or the widest, as you’d expect from a regular shoe company. And of course, I’d recommend avoiding the flip flop styles!
Linge ballet flats are really super pretty, wide toe boxes and no drop. Plus they come in large sizes. My clients have reported that attractive minimal shoes in larger sizes are extra hard to find so this is basically golden.
Good for the office
I think Tieks are super adorable and back when I worked in an office, I dreamed of these shoes. They’re a lot more narrow than I’d prefer, but they are really sweet (I also can’t stand narrow toe boxes, I find them really uncomfortable. If you have narrow feet, these could be a great choice). Vivobarefoot JingJings are a less expensive alternative.
For the boys! It is so hard to find nice shoes for the healthy executive – most minimal mens styles are really clunky. These are not clunky, they are gorgeous. The Drifter Leather is another good men’s office choice.
What The Pros Wear
Every one of my teaching colleagues who has a pair of Soft Stars raves about them (and they’re great for kids, although maybe a bit expensive). I invested in a pair of their sheepskin Phoenix boots and just love them.
Yes, they look odd, but the way you can feel the ground in these is amazing. Hiking actually turns into a foot massage. I have several pairs and they are by far my favourite-feeling shoes. Can be a bit much for extended walking on pavement though.
Unshoes sandals look great on, and are amazing summer sandals – the perfect flip flop replacement. I wore through mine pretty fast by hiking in them though. They’ve started making loafers now too though I haven’t personally tried these.
I picked up a pair of Xero Amuri Z-Trek sandals last summer and they seem nice and durable so far. On the other hand, I don’t totally love their adjustment and fastening system. A solid pair of sports sandals as long as you don’t have to take them on and off too often.
It’s been truly awful trying to find a pair of minimal boots that can stand up to winter in Toronto. I bought a pair of Vivobarefoot Kulas last year, which are totally too narrow for me in the toes and are super clunky – a total disappointment. If you have serious snow, slush and winter to deal with, learn from my mistakes and try Steger instead – they get glowing reviews.
Sporty
Many of the Inov-8 styles are really attractive with lots of zero and low-drop options. Like many of the most attractive and stylish minimal shoes, they tend to fit on the narrow side.
Want runners? This is an incredible resource with all kinds of in-depth comparative info about different styles of runners.
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So that’s what I’ve got so far in terms of shoes. Have you made the transition to minimal footwear? I’d love to hear about your favorites, and anything you’ve learned along the way!
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Post updated January 31, 2017 with fresh links, some new shoe styles and a handy printable gift to help you remember what to look for when you shop minimal shoes!
Hi! I’m Petra.
WOW, what a great amount of work you have done. Excellent post. I will link it to my website, as it is so important to understand what shoes to wear, especially for those suffering with pelvic floor pain.
Thank you so much 🙂
Pelvic floor pain for prolapse too?? 10 months post partum with kiddo #3 and have pelvic organ prolapse I’m trying to naturally heal….
You definitely want to change your shoes for prolapse too! Any pelvic issue will benefit from healthier feet and better alignment!
Thank you so much for this list, especially for the toebox info. Short feet are somehow not supposed t be wide (thank you, Barbie) and it is so hard to find WIDE shoes for littler feet. Even Vibrams are too narrow for me in a size 7. I can’t wait to find Steger mukluks for Montana winters. This year I used my neoprene paddling boots for walking and snow shoeing. Very comfy, but only stylish enough for backwoods use. I’ve got some leather and a customizable pattern to make my own boots, but they may not be weather proof enough.
Hi Lois – You’re so welcome! It really is hard to track down good options, and I hope these are a help to you!
Wonderful, in-depth article. Thank you so much!! A big concern of mine has always been what’s the best thing to do with all those non-minimal shoes that we have acquired over many years. Is there a recommended way to get these shoes recycled/reused? I know that in the US, there’s a non-profit called Soles4Souls where you can send in shoes. They usually distribute to people in need. It might be good to share this information in articles about making the transition to better feet health.
Hi Sujata – that’s a great idea! Though I confess I always feel a bit awkward about donating unhealthy shoes, it’s also true that not everyone wants minimal footwear, and it seems better for them to go somewhere they’ll be wanted.
I wish I could find office-appropriate footwear for a business setting… not the typical “women’s wear”, but leather professional looking shoes that give your feet some protection (because of the work I do, slip-ons won’t work).
Hi Lori – Did you check out the Drifter Leather? Some of their shoes are a bit more substantial than ballet flats but are still very minimal. What sort of styles did you have in mind?
Thank you – what a great resource! I’m starting the hunt for some good summer sandals.
Good article. I love my LEMS. I have 2 pairs of Primals (an old pair I wear and a pair of Primal 2’s ready for when the others wear out), 2 pairs of boots (one tan, one black) and the Mary Janes.
I’m in the Saskatoon area and I wear the boots all winter.
The MJ’s are nice for a dressier look.
Everyone should unsquish! I recommend them whenever I can.
Thanks, Robin! I love my LEMS boots, too – they’re so cute and comfortable! Good to know you can wear them all winter as well – though the Toronto salty slush is hard on any boot 🙂 Hooray for unsquishing 🙂
You should take a look at Xero Shoes (www.xeroshoes.com). As far as barefoot sandals go, I think they’re the best. Plus they’re less expensive and have a sick 5,000 mile warranty.
I’ve been wearing them for a couple years and just got the new version, the Z-Tek, which I’m practically living in.
Thanks, Lou! I will totally check them out.
Thanks so so so much!
The teiks were definitely narrow, I had to give them away after only 1 day of wear!
The linge look very pretty, but in the images the women are wearing them without the strap and their toes look really squished. Do they really have a big enough toe box, and if you get the right size so they aren’t form fitting and your toes can move, do they still look good or just sloppy?
Hi Jayne – that’s really good to know about the Tieks, but so disappointing! I find narrow shoes so uncomfortable now. My friend and colleague wrote this about the Linge shoes, which might be helpful
“So far, I love these! I think I am going to pick up another pair. I love them waaaay more than my soft stars. It is like I am not wearing anything on my feet. So foot yummy!
I got a half size up from my shoe sizes (so I bought an 8 and am normally a 7.5) and they fit so nicely! I have wide feet and find them very roomy in the toe box. I love that they come up further on the instep than most ‘ballet flats”. I have never been able to wear the fashion ballet flats because they cut into the top of my foot and always squished my toes.
I haven’t worn them out yet. I don’t expect they will feel anything but great, I am just unsure how well they will last given the sole. I will keep you posted but am so over the moon having found a simple, more feminine minimal shoe option. “
Yay great!
Yes i too was wondering how well they’d last considering the sole, but they do look so pretty and could be a nice dressy shoe.
I’m giving them a try!
I hope they work for you! I used to keep my office shoes strictly for inside the office, which helped a lot with wear and tear, but of course, isn’t always that convenient!
Oh and I meant to say for the Teiks, I wonder if going a size up would work for them as well? Maybe someone who has tried them can let us know.
What about Fit In Clouds?
https://fitinclouds.com
Similar to Tieks.
Thanks, Erica! It’s always great to get another option to check out. Have you tried these?
Hi Petra. No I haven’t; they are mentioned here: http://www.katysays.com/shoes-the-list/ and I am considering getting a pair.
I just got my first pair this week. Curious to hear if anyone else likes them. They run a little small, so I bought a 1/2 size larger than my normal size and they fit really well. Looking forward to wearing them this weekend!
Indeed, foot care is important. It all starts with the footwear.
Thanks for sharing such helpful information. Foot wear is indeed important when caring for the feet.
So glad you found it useful!
What about the iguaneye shoe? I think it works better than a flip flop or a flat. Super comfortable and stylish if you like modern. I helped fund their kickstarter campaign and have been wearing them not stop ever since. Inspired by the native central american practice of dipping their feet in latex sap and curing them by the fire.
Ok, those are super awesome looking! I haven’t personally tried them on so I can’t really speak to them but they’re really adorable! If you want to analyze the ‘foot friendliness’ yourself, you should consider a) how flexible are the soles? b) Is there any difference in height between the heel and the rest of the sole, c) are they fully attached to your feet (looks to me like yes) and d) are they foot-shaped – if your toes are wider than the shoe when you’re barefoot, then they could use a wider toe box to get full points. I am going to add these to my list of shoes to investigate though – they’re adorbs!! Thanks for the tip!
I am a nurse and had plantar facititis which kept me from working for almost 2 weeks. This was in 2009. Since then I have only worn MBT shoes. They are based on Masai (?spelling) Barefoot Technology and have not had any problems since. Are these minimal shoes okay for people that have had plantar facitits?
Hi Elaine – so sorry for the late reply! I think it’s wonderful that you’ve found relief! I used to have plantar fasciitis and my feet are definitely fine with minimal shoes. In fact, the whole process of transitioning to minimal shoes can be very helpful for plantar fasciitis, but I’d for sure recommend going slow and making sure you do all the transitional work as well, such as hip strengthening. Otherwise, just switching can create loads that are too great and potentially trigger pain.
I am reading this with great interest. I am a registered midwife which means long hours on my feet on very hard hospital floors most of the time : at homebirths i am usually barefoot .
I tend toward Swedish clogs or blundstones. But my feet plague me after long births – any advice ? Ideally they would be somewhat robust in the face of many bodily fluids
Thanks in advance
hmm – that’s very interesting. If your feet are fine after a barefoot home birth, you might want to try Lems (you’ll likely need to waterproof them), or if you have narrow feet, Vivobarefoot has lots of styles that could be appropriate. I always like to transition slowly, so I’d suggest trying out any new shoes like this in your non-working life first, and doing some foot exercises (lots if you search the blog), then seeing how your feet like the change.
Are Tieks appropriate for a foot that is pronating (only one leg) and wider feet with fallen arches (years of dance) FOR sight seeing in cities (Paris namely)?
This is a great question – but it’s one that only you can answer, because it depends entirely on where your feet are at right now. Do you already wear minimal shoes? Will you be walking a lot more when travelling than normal? How do your feet respond to greater than normal loads? Are your feet strong and flexible (e.g. how much focused exercise/natural barefoot time do they get?) I definitely would not recommend that you start your journey into minimal footwear when you’re heading off on a vacation! But if you’ve already spent lots of time transitioning to minimal footwear, then potentially they’d be a good choice. I will say that every time I go on vacation I end up irritating my feet – it’s too much change too rapidly, and I have no problem walking 5-7 miles in minimal shoes daily when I’m at home and walking on pavement. This is a transition that benefits from you taking it slow and going carefully!
I noticed you didn’t mention Skora. My husband and I both love our Skora running shoes. In my experience, they have a very wide toe box, but my feet aren’t super wide to begin with. https://skorarunning.com/
This is a great list! I’ve always bought Vivobarefoot, Skora, and Soft Star, but I love discovering new options!
Thanks for the tip! I always love to learn about new options too 🙂 I’ll keep my eyes out for Skoras for sure!
I just bought a pair of New Balance Minimus trail runners- fairly minimal. I love them, but my second toe is right at the end of the shoe (my second toes are longer than my big toes). Is it ok that I can feel the end of the shoe with my toes? I’ve always thought I should have more room in my shoe’s length, but I’ve also heard that this isn’t the case for minimal shoes.
Hmm – good question. I haven’t heard that so I’m not really sure – I usually prefer to have at least a little bit of room, personally. Does it bother you?
it’s a little uncomfortable. I’m mostly worried about the cumulative effect of impact. I’m not a runner, but I will wear these shoes all day every day, and walk up to 5 miles a day in them.
maybe I should mention too, that I’m not “all the way” minimal yet, if I ever will be. I have prescription insoles that I wear for arch support and cushioning. I tried the shoes without them yesterday, and they fit better, but my feet were hurting immediately. I’m beginning to feel like my feet are like the Princess and the Pea!
hmmm. Yah, Emily, I would say that if it’s not comfortable it’s not ideal. I had one pair that felt a hair too short for my feet and I ended up not wearing them. It’s so heartbreaking buying shoes and then not being able to wear them but I think it’s worse to wear something that’s actively hurting you! Have you seen the Minimal Shoes Buy/Sell/Trade FB group? Might be a good option? And moving from prescription insoles to minimal shoes is a long process – takes lots of work and commitment! If it’s one you’re interested in doing, I’d recommend being on top of your foot exercises!
I want to like minimal shoes, but I keep screwing up my feet when I wear them. I used to run in minimal shoes, which might be nice on grass, but if you hit a rock or something, or like me run on pavement and step up on a curb wrong, you’re in trouble. My right big toe is permanently messed up from running in minimal shoes and stepping up on the curb wrong. They also don’t work for bike riding. I didn’t think shoes matter riding bike, so I wore minimal shoes. My foot (the other one!) was in so much pain I could barely walk. I need rigid soles for biking. If we lived in a natural environment, minimal shoes would be great, but I guess biking and pavement and curbs are not natural.
It sounds to me like you’ve been trying too much, too soon. It’s easy to overload feet, and to over estimate what is ok for them – I’ve done it many times myself! And I agree – the more natural your environment, the better the input for your feet. For city walking I often pick my Altras – these are cushioned, but they still have zero drop and a wide toe box, so for me they’re a great transition. I also do lots of foot exercises!
I did not see this mentioned but I used to wear shoes exactly as you described but was recently told that part of knee hurting had to do with not having sufficient arch support. He recommended I wear running shoes all day and said flats led to fallen arches and knee injury.
There are definitely lots of opinions about this. Personally I believe the human body has the capacity to work all by itself without technology to constantly brace it. In my view, it’s important to think about the whole context. If you don’t expose your feet to textures and make and keep them strong, then walking on pavement with no support can be damaging. I strongly prefer minimal shoes but I also do lots of work to mobilize and strengthen. I also consider the role of the hip muscles and hip aligment and walking technique since these have a major impact on feet.