Everything You Need to Know about Barefoot Shoes for Strength Training (2024)

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.

'The purpose of barefoot shoes is to emulate your natural walk while allowing you to feel the ground and adapt to various surfaces,' she says. 'The broader toe box allows for natural toe splay, unlike daily shoes.'

Steven Thomas, a specialist podiatrist with over 10,000 hours of clinical experience at the prestigious Harley Street medical district of central London, points to a 2015 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?

Foot Strength

According to Vivo, the benefits for training in barefoot shoes are threefold – one of which is improved balance. 'All that flexing, splaying and gripping means stronger, more mobile muscles, ligaments and tendons. From functional training to primal movement, you will experience improved performance.'

Thomas agrees with this claim. 'As minimalist shoes are designed to have a minimal effect on foot function, your foot muscles will work more initially to meet the demands,' he says. 'This will help build strength in the foot muscles.'

Research adds further support to this idea. This 2019 study, for example, found that walking in barefoot shoes is just as effective in increasing foot muscle size and strength as foot strengthening exercises.

Balance

Vivo also claims that training in barefoot shoes helps to improve balance. 'Being barefoot means your feet flex, splay, and grip more. This builds foot strength and encourages even weight distribution, improving balance that will lead to healthy movement patterns.'

Smith-Rewse backs up this claim. 'Minimalist shoes have a flat sole that connects to the ground more closely. This can help you maintain greater stability and balance during weightlifting activities by improving you proprioception.'

Proprioception

Proprioception is your unconscious and instantaneous awareness of every muscular contraction and joint movement you make. It’s what allows you to pound the pavement without looking at your feet when running, to pass a rugby ball without looking at your hands, and, in football, to score without taking your eye off the goal.

According to both Vivobarefoot and the two experts we consulted, the flat soles and greater 'ground feel' you get with barefoot shoes helps with this unconscious awareness because of the increased sensory feedback you receive from the ground.

Smith-Rewse outlines the following as attributes you should look for and avoid when shopping for barefoot shoes for training.

What to Look For

• Thin soles: Enhances ground feel and mimics the sensation of being barefoot.
• Lightweight: Minimises interference with your natural foot movement and won't add unnecessary weight to your strength training.
• Wide toe box: Enables natural toe splay, which improves stability and balance and can lessen the chance of developing foot issues like bunions.
• Zero-drop: Promotes posture and alignment.
• Flexible: Flexible footwear benefits natural foot movement. The shoe should be simple to bend and twist with your hands.
• Comfortable: During activities, a snug fit prevents your feet from slipping within the shoes, which can cause instability.
• Breathable: Buy shoes made from breathable and durable materials.

What to Avoid

• Thick soles: These may diminish stability and may make it more difficult to feel the ground.
• High heel drop: Shoes with a high heel to toe drop might throw off your posture and alignment.
• Rigidity: The natural movement and flexibility of your foot, which are necessary for many strength training exercises, might be restricted by soles that are extremely rigid.
• Inadequate support: Avoid wearing shoes with too little structural support or that are too fragile. The thin, arch supporting Enertor insoles are comfortable.
• Tight toe box: Your balance and overall foot health may be impacted by shoes with a tight toe box since they squeeze your toes and reduce natural toe spray.
• Heavy shoes: Adds unnecessary weight to your workouts and potentially could affect your outcome.

Where better to start your barefoot journey than with vanguards of the modern-day minimalist shoe movement, Vivobarefoot. The Motus Strength is Vivo's first strength-training shoe and is designed to aid natural movement during workouts like CrossFit, powerlifting, functional fitness and road running.

The brand says the shoe has extra support on the sole compared to its lifestyle options, giving the Motus Strength added protection for strength training, without compromising on the barefoot feel.

The Motus Strength weighs in at 282g per shoe (based on a men's size 8), comes in four colours – bright white, obsidian, sun baked, and burgundy – and is made from a combination of polyester, natural rubber and recycled PU foam.

Our tester's verdict: 'If you’re not used to a minimalist, flat sole, the Motus Strength can feel a bit odd at first; like there’s not quite enough between you and whatever might be on the ground. But these were sturdy enough that I felt confident to leap without looking, whatever I was doing.

'The tight fly-knit style upper and minimalist rubber supports around the heel and across the top of the foot did a great job of mitigating that unsettling feeling that you’re about to slip out of your shoes with every step you take.

'Overall, they performed as well as (although I wouldn’t say any better than) my usual choice for training: a pair of flat soled pumps such as Vans.'

For something a little lighter and with even less padding, opt for the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III. Weighing in at 232g per shoe (50g lighter than the Motus Strength), the Primus Lite is a more versatile shoe than the Strength and is better suited to running in as well as training in. It's essentially the cross-trainer of the barefoot shoe world.

The Primus Lite III is made from a similar combination of polyester, natural rubber and recycled PU foam as the Motus Strength, and comes in a choice of five colours – obsidian, bright white, navy, safety yellow, and grey.

Our tester's verdict: 'The Primus Lite III is more noticeably minimalist than the Motus Strength. The sole feels very flat, the toe box especially wide and the upper thinner. The outsole design is also far more minimalist, with a flatter tread pattern than you get with the Strength, despite the depth actually being 0.5mm deeper on the Primus.

'In general, the Primus Lite performed well. The shoe offered great stability, ground-feel and balance, and were plenty flexible when stretching, bending and striding. I preferred the thicker outsole design of some of the other shoes in this guide, but perhaps that's just because I'm used to wearing ultra-cushioned runners.'

The Bare-XF 210 V3 is Inov-8's most minimalist training shoe. Intentionally built with 'less shoe' to help your feet perform 'naturally and virtually unimpeded', the Bare-XF feels lightweight, flexible, and features a close-to-the-ground construction for greater stability and control.

The Bare-XF 210 V3 has a lug depth of 1.5mm on the outsole, weighs in at just 210g per shoe, and a mesh upper for breathability.

Our tester's verdict: 'The upper of the Inov-8 Bare-XF 210 V3 is far thicker and more substantial than the two Vivobarefoot shoes, particularly around the ankles, which, if you're new to barefoot shoes, makes for less of a stark introduction. The toe box is also narrower, but still plenty wide enough to allow your toes to spread and splay. The outsole also offers great grip during workouts, and contributed to a sturdy base when squatting and for floor work.'

If you plan on taking on the trails in your barefoot shoes, opt for a pair like the Merrell Vapor Glove 6. Offering what Merrell describes as 'maximum lightweight performance' in a minimalist design, the Vapor Glove 6 is a great shoe for anyone looking for as much protection as possible while still getting a stripped back trail runner.

Our tester's verdict: 'What really stood out with the Vapor Glove 6 is the outsole. Despite a fairly standard 6mm stack height, the outsole felt much more protective than the other barefoot shoes tested thanks to the more pronounced lug and stiff build. Unlike the Vivobarefoot shoes, the Vapor Glove 6 only bends in half rather than being able to curl into a ball. And while that's great for more protection when running, the shoe does feel significantly less minimalist than the Vivobarefoot options as a result. Overall, a great compromise for minimalist trail running while still maintaining a degree of robustness.'

To compile this guide, we tested the best barefoot shoes from Vivobarefoot, Merrell, and Inov-8. We wore them in the gym and during light runs, testing each pair on their fit, quality, features and performance. The six we've included in this guide passed both our tests and the recommendations of our experts.

Transitioning to barefoot shoes doesn't come without its risks. 'If you load too much too soon it can also increase the risk of injury,' says Thomas. 'For this reason, if you are new to minimalist shoes you should gradually increase the use for general day to day activities before gradually introducing weight training and gym workouts.'

Men's Health fitness editor Andrew Tracey similar warns against doing too much too soon. Or, quite literally, running before you can walk. 'If you overdo it and you’re not used to spending a lot of time barefoot, you may find you have slightly sore feet for a few days, but this, as Vivo point out, is a result of essentially walking around on fluffy mattresses for most of our lives — the nerves and muscles of the feet haven’t had a chance to develop the requisite toughness.'

See more of our tried and tested shoe guides below:

1. 10 Best Gym Trainers to Supercharge Your Workouts
3. The Best Weightlifting Shoes, Recommended by Expert Lifters
4. The 30 Most Stylish Trainers You Can Buy This Autumn