Minimalist training shoes

For over a decade, our team has run, hiked, and trained in some of the best minimalist and barefoot shoes on the market, with the 10 top current models included in this review. Our team of experts and athletes have put these shoes through their paces, running miles of pavement and technical trails and training hours in the gym. Unlike conventional footwear, minimalist shoes require a minimalist training shoes to training to properly develop foot strength. Our field testing requires a similar dedication, minimalist training shoes.

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Minimalist training shoes

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Modern shoes prevent your feet from doing what they evolved to do. Narrow and overly cushioned, they deny your natural foot function, making them weak, unbalanced and disconnected from the ground. That's according to minimalist shoe brands like Vivobarefoot — not to mention a growing body of research. The human foot, they say, has naturally evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to be wide, flexible and sensory — and barefoot shoes allow them to be just that. It's no surprise, then, that barefoot shoes have become wildly popular in the fitness industry. With a zero heel-to-toe drop for stability, a wide toe box for balance, and thin soles that bring you closer to the ground, minimalist footwear from brands like Vivo , Merrell , Inov-8 and Vibram have all the attributes, at least on paper, that you'd want in a gym shoe. But are they any good — and should you pick up a pair? From what barefoot shoes are to tips on wearing them for the first time, we called upon the expertise of two leading podiatrists, as well as the decades of experience behind our resident MH fitness editors, to answer everything you need to know before you go out and buy a pair. We've also reached out to leading barefoot shoe brands and spent time testing their most popular models to decide which are best suited to your training. First things first, let's take a look at how barefoot and minimalist shoes are defined and how they compare to regular training footwear. Bente Smith-Rewse , a foot health expert, biomechanics specialist and founder of Enertor shock absorbing and energy returning running insoles , describes barefoot and minimalist shoes as footwear that allows for your natural gait essentially how you move when walking or running, while also providing the bare minimum of foot protection. Steven Thomas , a specialist podiatrist with over 10, hours of clinical experience at the prestigious Harley Street medical district of central London, points to a study of 42 experts from 11 countries who came up with the following definition of what a barefoot shoe should be: 'Footwear providing minimal interference with the natural movement of the foot due to its high flexibility, low heel to toe drop, weight and stack height, and the absence of motion control and stability devices. We all know that shoes with flat soles are king when it comes to stability — which is why Converse and Vans have gained an unlikely reputation as legitimate gym trainers. Barefoot and minimalist shoes share this attribute, but are they superior to standard flat-soled shoes, or indeed dynamic trainers like the Nike Metcon , for general gym use?

The aggressive tread grips the trail well — in fact, this pair has some of the best dry traction out of all the contenders in our lineup.

JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Ends midnight on Sunday. Reconnect your feet with the ground, and move in the ways that nature intended. Learn how to master safe, effective bodyweight training to improve your mobility, balance and strength with calisthenics coaches, Calisseum. Join us to learn how to shift our mindset from one that is human-made to one that is nature made. Our regenerative report card has dropped.

Even among the young category of minimalist shoes, the options can be overwhelming. We reviewed the newest crop of training-focused models so that you don't have to feel like Cinderella in the shoe store! Over the last few years, a debate has been raging in the fitness community about shoes—or the lack thereof. A number of studies tout the injury-prevention benefits of running barefoot or in so-called "minimalist" shoes, while others says it puts athletes at risk for a whole new slew of maladies. This uncertainty hasn't stopped shoe producers from offering up a host of new models—minimalist in size, if not always price—that claim to encourage moving "naturally" or "the way you were designed. The difference in height between the forefoot of a shoe and the heel. Shoemakers only recently started including such info on product pages. We only tested shoes with a drop of 4 mm or less.

Minimalist training shoes

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Why Trust Us? With stronger accessory muscles in the foot, injury rates were expected to drop and running efficiency would improve. After all, the practice seemed to work for the impressive Tarahumara tribes that covered hundreds of injury-free miles in wafer-thin sandals. Minimalism sought to reconnect runners with that organic barefoot experience—one that would ultimately improve our form with the hope that the PRs would soon follow. As it spread to a wider audience, the minimalist running movement had some mixed results. While strengthening muscles in the feet can be very beneficial to runners, logging high barefoot mileage without a slow buildup proved a risky way to do it. Overzealous new minimalists jumped into the craze quickly—ditching their supportive shoes—and many actually saw their injuries and aches and pains increase.

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Equally you might prefer a wider fit if you are running longer distances or lifting heavy weights. Merrell has nailed the outsole construction of the newly redesigned Trail Glove 6 , incorporating tacky lugs into a low-profile trail runner that finally belongs in the beloved "glove" series. Go back. You can opt out of receiving emails at any time. Now, if he even looks at a pair of narrow shoes, it makes his feet hurt. Not only does the Merrell Vapor Glove 6 provide great ground feedback, but it is one of the more affordable options. If it is a gym-specific trainer, like the Inov-8 BARE-XF V3 , how well does it allow you to engage the natural support structure of your feet without slipping or feeling off-balance? Make a mark either side of your foot, at the widest point. It's no surprise, then, that barefoot shoes have become wildly popular in the fitness industry. We'll focus on the latter since it's the type that we tested. We highlight products as exceptional values only if they both perform well across the board and are reasonably priced. In addition to hiking miles and miles through the mountains, we took the Vivobarefoot Tracker II FG boots to the worksite to gauge comfortability and durability between different environments. Enrol to learn all the skills you need to run safely, confidently and to your full potential in the great outdoors.

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Merrell Vapor Glove 6. If you want a stable shoe with boot-like features and are willing to compromise on weight and ground feedback, check out the unique Tracker II FG. Luke Chamberlain. Xero Shoes HFS. Shop Kids. We found the crease point on the outsole, where it's welded to the upper, to be a weak point on the Vivobarefoot Tracker II FG. New to the barefoot game, Whitin has a couple of well-thought-out offerings at an affordable price. Learn how to master safe, effective bodyweight training to improve your mobility, balance and strength with calisthenics coaches, Calisseum. The thin 3. The traction bites down on the trail while providing unbeatable durability for long days on the trail. The V-Trail 2. Our barefoot and minimalist shoe experts are Aaron Rice and Jon Oleson.