barefoot footwear - any experience?

I have a pair of those. I bought them last winter. I really like them. I canf sag what they'll be like in the snow, but in damp weather they're fine.
I bought a pair of barefoot summer shoes from Amazon and never had them off my feet until well into September.
I have a bunionette and needed a wider toe box than regular shoes have.

I've been following this type of shoe - though I hadn't found any that looked "the bizz" on Amazon.

Will watch with interest and any recommendations on this.

Don't know whether they'd be suitable sizewise for me or no - as my feet are 1970s standard width (ie going into Clarks when their standard width was C and so we matched). Can no longer get footwear at Clarks these days - as they've done vanity sizing on footwear and what they call "standard width" is now width D (which is actually wide width and all the young assistants look at me blankly when I say "I want real standard width - not vanity size standard width. You used to do it" and they clearly have no memory of when clothes were accurately sized. So all they do these days is wide width. That leaves me stuck - as I'm not "real narrow width" (which is width B or maybe even A) and I'm not what they mis-name as "standard width".

So it's problematic for people with normal width (ie C) to get footwear these days....

Maybe what is 'normal' has changed since the 70's?

I have a pair of Vibae shoes, which are very comfortable, but since Brexit they cost a fortune because of customs charges, which aren't factored in to the cost of the shoes.

vibae.com/

I've read that podiatrists don't like barefoot shoes, but I can't remember why. I think the advice is to speak to one before buying them, as they can make some conditions worse.

Be aware that if you order Purestep shoes they come directly from China. I ordered my normal size which were just too small. I contacted customer service and ordered a size larger. They let me keep the first pair, and just charged postage for the second pair. They took a while to come, I do like them.

thanks for the comments
I wear skechers and find them comfortable, but feet and ankles change due to health issues, a fall that resulted in wary walking, lymphoedema, compression stockings etc and I was interested in finding a comfortable shoe that would be a different stand/walk experience.

I have a version of barefoot shoes but I forget the brand. They helped my plantar fasciitis but I found them a bit uncomfortable because they magnify all the bumps and faults on the surface you’re walking on. I guess that’s the point in some ways but walking on a piece of gravel or a stone can be painful and I felt unsteady on pitted surfaces.

thanks SueDonim,
feeling the lumps and bumps underfoot is not the experience my feet need
I guess I'll keep looking.

One of the instructors at my gym is doing a qualification in posture and balance for older people, and says to us (in her 'mature' class) that one cause of falls is older people losing some of the feel for the ground through foot sensations and thick soled shoes, and views this type of footwear positively.
I don't have any experience of them personally and have also wondered how they are for walking on stony ground and cold weather, so would be interested in hearing the experiences of anyone who does wear them.

NotaGrannie

Polar - Non-slip & water-repellant winter barefoot shoes (Unisex) – Purestep

Hello, has anyone tried and experienced these "barefoot shoes" is the marketing/publicity true, are they comfortable and feel safe to walk in?

I have them as does a male friend and we love them. You can spread your toes in them, although I'm told that can be a disadvantage to good balance? Tend to disagree as my balance is terrible, but feel much safer in these. I use them without the insoles in summer - it's good to feel the ground beneath your feet.

For wet wear winter shoes I buy Gortex. Riker and Gabor usually. Have to agree about Clarks sizing not only are they now wider but also deeper. On changing sizes I have several size 12 1975 dresses. No way woukd tgey fit nowadays but out of interest I measured the waistsize on 3 of them only just reaching 24". For comparison I cheekily measured a couple of dresses in a High Street store size 12, they came up at 27/28". Also checked size 14 and they did show up a couple of inches higher at 29/30. So yes, sizing has changed over the years. PS. My GD 12 years old at the time was with me for the measuring expedition and even she said you can't count on sizing you have to look, then try on!

Apologies for fat thumb errors, I'm watching rugby.

Ask me again in a month. We have just bought some - a bogof offer. They were still expensive, but DH falls a lot so I’m hoping they’ll help.

My son swears by them and so does his girlfriend so I bought some. They were not for me. I found them painful to walk in, it really is like walking with bare feet. Fine in a house but not outside.

I hadnt heard about these shoes, but may try and find out more about them. As I am diabetic now, I am told not to walk about in bare feet, which I find particulary sad in summer as I loved walking in the grass in bare feet. I tend to find Hotter shoes are very good , if expensive, so watch out for the sales of course. The one problem is that you cant get them soled or heeled, but they always feel comfortable from the first time you wear them.

I lived in barefoot fleece-lined ankle boots 2 winters ago after foot surgery and found them so comfortable - no bunching up of my toes.
My feet can feel the floor so I keep rough skin at bay or it can feel like walking on grit.

My daughter swears by Vivobarefoot. She has hip and knee issues and says they really help.

My podiatrist strongly rejects barefoot shoes especially for older people. She says they don’t have any support. I recently got biometric insoles in a trainer which has a lot of support and my walking is significantly better. Better for balance snd putting the right weight on both feet etc. She says if you can easily twist a shoe it’s no good. She also said that people could avoid hip and knee operations if they had looked after their feet properly earlier in life. It makes perfect sense but it’s the last thing we think of doing. If you are walking properly, thst travels up align your body ..to knees, hips, back posture etc.
the NHS offers no information or support along these preventative lines!

Doodledog

Maybe what is 'normal' has changed since the 70's?

I have a pair of Vibae shoes, which are very comfortable, but since Brexit they cost a fortune because of customs charges, which aren't factored in to the cost of the shoes.

vibae.com/

I've read that podiatrists don't like barefoot shoes, but I can't remember why. I think the advice is to speak to one before buying them, as they can make some conditions worse.

Not just shoes. I recently went though my loft, deciding that I will NEVER be a size 10-12 ever again.

I think it was sentiment that had me keep a suit from my courting days, but it is a size 10. Showing this to DIL who is a size 10 and it will go nowhere near her - she estimates size 4-6

Yes, I think sizing has changed. I have a book of vintage (1930’s/40’s) knitting patterns and the clothes are tiny. The ‘large’ sizes equate to about a 12, and the small are sized for children in today’s world.

4allweknow

For wet wear winter shoes I buy Gortex. Riker and Gabor usually. Have to agree about Clarks sizing not only are they now wider but also deeper. On changing sizes I have several size 12 1975 dresses. No way woukd tgey fit nowadays but out of interest I measured the waistsize on 3 of them only just reaching 24". For comparison I cheekily measured a couple of dresses in a High Street store size 12, they came up at 27/28". Also checked size 14 and they did show up a couple of inches higher at 29/30. So yes, sizing has changed over the years. PS. My GD 12 years old at the time was with me for the measuring expedition and even she said you can't count on sizing you have to look, then try on!

Yep indeed re the clothes sizing.

I've got the tables written down in my diary of what measurements the sizes really are and what they have been put up to these days. I just don't recall exactly when "vanity sizing" came in. Basically if/when I get back to my proper size I will be "real size 14" and that will mean me buying "vanity size 10" bottom half clothing and "vanity size 12" top half clothing. Back when I was real size 14 I was 36"-26"-36".

I keep reminding myself some people keep their figures throughout life - so why shouldnt I get mine back (given I've never had children or even been pregnant).

After all - there are a few older women around who've still got their figure. I don't count Princess Anne (who we all know will re-wear clothes 20/30 years old and everyone goes "Ooh she's kept her figure" - as my suspicion is that she had her clothes made for her and there was a lot of spare material in the seams for any future alterations).

So anyone who has kept their figure needs to look for clothes that say they are a size smaller than the one they used to buy years back and they will be around the same size.

I'm rather confused as to which era various clothes in my wardrobe are from - whether from the "real size" era or new enough that they are from the "vanity size" era. Thankfully I've kept what I know is a "real size" 14 swimsuit and so I can tell from that. My feeling is they can't alter bra sizing - so, if a bra of mine says it's 40 inches then it is real size 18.

The excuse they used to change the sizing is "Oh the shapes of women have changed" - errr....no they haven't for us - I've not changed shape - I've just changed size (ie gone overweight). I'm still "does my bum look big in this?" shape - which is fine by me...

Thanks for pointing out re Clarks shoes have also got deeper - as I hadnt realised that - but it doesnt surprise me.

Re clothes being smaller back at the beginning of last century I'd say that boils down to:
1. Early last century = most people undernourished
2. 1970s/1980s = most people properly nourished
3. Present day - most people overweight and many eating junk food.

I can recommend them very strongly indeed.

they do vary from almost literally barefoot where each toe has a slot, as it were

to ones with a reasonable amount of padding underfoot and very widespread in the toe area. Just have a look by entering "toe shoes" in Amazon, to browse.

I recommend the latter strongly for most of us seniors, unless your feet are in very poor condition, take advice

(I wear them at the gym, and at home, where of course it's not just indoors but the floors are flat), wear indoors initially.

They really do help with giving you toe spread out. I got mine on Amazon and yes often buy 2 pairs different sizes and send one back. Advice is to avoid sellers that don't send you the shoes for a couple of weeks or longer difficult to return!!! - choose a firm that has a UK distributer.

If you buy a bit of a size up you can of course add a nice or a medical padded insert, as well.

I have never heard of them. What are they?

See link Etoile

They are comfortable for people with a variety of toe and foot issues. They are very wide across the toes.

hobibear.co.uk/products/ash-2-0?variant=48054463135973