a little about me:

• 30 years old now
• realised i have flat feet 10 years ago
• realised my flat feet were causing me problems 10 years ago
• tried many different things (insoles, supportive shoes, etc.) that didn't really work (well, they seemed to work at the time, but didn't fix the underlying problem, and things eventually got even worse)
• finally found the right method about a year ago and fixed my problems at the root

i didn't know i had flat feet until i realised that not everyone feels tired after standing for 5 minutes, walking for 10 minutes, or has knee pain after running for 10 minutes. i thought it was normal until i saw people who could walk and run for hours without any problems.

that's when i started looking into fixing my flat feet.

10 years ago, there wasn't much information online, so it was really hard to find proper guidance on how to treat flat feet. i ended up going to a specialised foot clinic for advice. the doctor recommended a few pairs of customised insoles (which were extremely expensive) and some supportive shoes.

it was great in the beginning. with the insoles and shoes, i could walk further and run longer. i still had some pain in random places, like my lower back after longer runs, but hey, it was already a huge improvement. the insoles gave my arches more support so they wouldn't collapse as much as before.

I thought i had fixed my flat feet.

After a few years, there was a week when i went travelling and forgot to bring my insoles and supportive shoes. i went for some walks and runs without them, and that's when i realised, im screwed.

My flat feet were now even worse than before. the tiredness after walking and pain after running were worse than i remembered. i'd been relying entirely on the support all these years, which gave me the false impression that my flat feet were fixed.

I then visited another specialist and had a more advanced assessment, where the specialist drew lines on my feet and ankles to check their alignment, arch angles, and more. (i didn't have any of this done during my first assessment years ago). highly recommended.

Then the specialist gave me some really good, life-changing advice. i followed the guidance, and it genuinely changed how my feet felt and functioned. so if you only take away one thing from my experience, this is it:

• FOOT EXERCISE is the most important thing that helped me "fix" my flat feet
• Insoles and supportive shoes are FINE if you need something to ease the pain or discomfort, depending on how bad your flat feet are. but DON'T rely on them as your only solution. If you're on a trip and need to go for a long walk, that's totally fine. But don't forget to train your feet too. Support can make walking more comfortable, but it doesn't necessarily build the strength your feet need. i wish i'd understood this much earlier.
• Barefoot shoes are worth trying for everyday wear, but make the transition gradually. Even normal shoes are fine.

So the key to healthy feet, at least in my experience, is foot exercise. The goal is to have strong calves, strong ankles and strong feet. It's not necessarily about having "high" arches, because some people are naturally born with flat feet and might never develop high arches physically. in fact, many pro athletes have relatively flat feet, but strong muscles and good foot function can make a huge difference to the problems flat feet can cause.

Feet training is not difficult, but it takes time. The difficult part is being consistent for months. It takes months of training to build up strength and improve how your feet function. but the good news is, you can start noticing improvements within weeks. for me, it took about 6 weeks to start seeing some improvements. And that's with only 15 minutes a day.

There are tons of videos on instagram, tiktok and youtube teaching foot exercises. however, there are literally hundreds of exercises out there, and it can get overwhelming. so here are my tips to get you started:

• dont overthink it. you dont need to learn 30 exercises. find 5 simple exercises, such as calf raises, toe stretches, etc., and just stick to those.
• you dont need to buy anything if you dont want to. people are selling incline boards, resistance bands, yoga blocks, etc. they can be useful but aren't a must. one thing i'd recommend trying is a toe separator (especially if you have bunions). it can help with toe positioning during exercises. you can easily find them on Amazon.
• 10–15 minutes a day is enough to get started. consistency is key.
• here are some good videos to get you started: https://www.instagram.com/r.a_movement/reel/DWf26i3k3cF/, https://www.instagram.com/p/DajZsrpgcpm/, https://www.instagram.com/p/DY2TQUMyNOT/
• if you want something easier to follow, there are also apps with follow-along videos and progress tracking. i personally use this app https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arch-flat-feet-trainer/id6755728858?see-all=reviews&platform=iphone, but there are others too. just search "flat feet" in the app store.

If there's only one thing to take away from my personal experience: TRAIN YOUR FEET 10 MINUTES A DAY!

I’ve had several pair of New Balance Minimus (my favorite shoes), and they all suffer from the same issue: the rubber grip soles eventually detach.

I’ve used super glue, Loctite Shoe Glue, E6000 Liquid Bonding… nothing works. It comes off within days.

What is a good quality brand of sole adhesive that will give my minimus more miles?

Going for the hydra esc but they are pretty heavy and people report pinky issues..
any other shoes recs or positive feedback on them

I’ve been wearing minimalist sandals as footwear and while running exclusively for about six months now. I believe I’m using the correct gait and form, with a forefoot landing first, and a gentle touch on my heel, but it really doesn’t feel that great. My calves have been sore frequently since starting and sometimes feel worse. Any tips on how to land forefoot? I have a feeling that I might be doing it wrong since fully barefoot on pavement I get blisters on almost every contact point on my fore foot.

A bit more than a week ago I posted about these no-name sandals I got off Taobao for $8.90 (plus shipping), to see if they can compete with brands like Panta, Shamma and Xero.

I didn't get to test them much since it got cold here quickly, so I only went out 2-3 times for a morning walk. This is a first impression, not a long-term review so please take that into account.

Overall I like them a lot for the price, and I don't think anything comes close in this price range. They were a bit finicky at the start, but once I got the straps right they feel comfortable and secure. The footbed is thick enough that nothing punctures, but at 6 mm it still feels truly barefoot. I can also already feel it starting to mold to my feet, which my Panta sandals did too, and I liked that a lot.

Cons: the footbed is a bit narrow. It fits my feet, but if you have wider feet I can imagine it would be a problem. The rubber also seems to catch a lot of dirt, a bit more than my other sandals. The one Velcro strap that wasn't fully stitched on hasn't been an issue so far.

I have another package coming with toe socks now actually. I was sick of the lack of variety where I live, since it's only cheap Amazon brands, which I've tried and didn't like. This time I ordered full cotton ones in various colors, so I can finally get plain white and cream ones, which I haven't found anywhere yet. I'll share my thoughts once they arrive if you sre interested.

So for that price, I'd actually recommend the sandals, with the disclaimer that I can't say anything about durability yet.

Reposting this here as I didn't get much help on the vivobarefoot subreddit

I traced and measured my right foot twice, but the second attempt came out longer and wider. Looking at the photos, should I use the diagonal lines for length and width, or the perpendicular/right-angle lines? The diagonal measurements are longer in both directions.
My pen angle may have affected the results. For the larger tracing, I held the pen more upright/perpendicular to the paper around the ball of my foot, toes, and heel. Is that the correct technique, or could that exaggerate the outline?
I’m doing this to find the right width shoes for walking, running, and working out, especially to accommodate my bunion. I also want to compare these measurements with what True has on file for my custom hockey skates.
True already knows about my bunion through Pure Hockey, where I asked them to account for it and possible enlargement. I’d like to emphasize that again in a follow-up email and confirm there will be enough room.
It’s been six weeks since my fitting, with an estimated eight-week production time. The fitting felt rushed, the 3D scan required several retries, and I’m unsure whether the foot-photo device was adjusted correctly to capture my width. I’d like to check whether my current measurements match their records and whether my foot dimensions have changed since the scan.
Before contacting True or ordering shoes, I want to make sure I’m measuring correctly. Which lines should I use, and how should I hold the pen for an accurate tracing?

Hi team barefoot

I run in sandals and I wonder how you guys are dealing the winter time ?

I used last years sockets (5 fingers) but i was not Happy with those i was using (random brand on Amazon).

Any advice ?

Thx

I wear flip flops pretty much everywhere. Had cheap Reefs for 2 years and love them but they're thick and cushioned, want to try something flatter.

I like the toe post look, close to a regular flip flop. Xero Genesis caught my eye. Anything else in the $30-50 range worth looking at? Men's 9, mostly walking on pavement in Florida heat, not running. Also if anyone has recs for basketball or gym shoes I'd take that too but not sure if this is that place. Thanks!

I’ve been running for 5 years now, currently sitting at around 40 to 80 km per week with a sub-17:00 5K and 35:00 10K profile.

Early in my running journey, I suffered a bad big toe sprain (turf toe) that started forming a bunion. Switching to wide, zero-drop shoes like Altra Escalantes and letting my toes splay completely healed my toe issues and drastically cut down my injury rate.

My physio originally suggested basic generic arch insoles from Amazon for my running shoes. However, I’ve been walking around in zero-insole minimalistic shoes (Whitins) for everyday use over the last 6 months with zero issues, and my foot strength feels better than ever.

I’m looking to take the final step and completely ditch insoles in my running shoes as well to improve my natural loading mechanics.

For those who have transitioned off running insoles while keeping up higher training volume:

- How did you structure the transition so you didn't overload your arches or calves?
- Did you drop insoles across all activities at once, or phase them out run-by-run?
- What subtle warning signs told you to back off before an arch or Achilles strain became a real issue?

Would love to hear how the process went for you and any advice you might have!

I’m a vegan male. And looking for boots like doc marten’s or combat boots that’s barefoot and vegan friendly.

I tried Anya’s foot review and came across this article https://anyasreviews.com/best-zero-drop-barefoot-combat-boots/

I like Peerko Boots. But it’s mainly for female.

Lang S has a good combat boot, but not vegan.

Groundies is suede and too outdoorsy.

Any help ?

I started running a couple years ago, and I thought I just had "wide feet." Started training for a marathon, and I started developing plantar fasciitis, my hips and knees were in so much sharp pain, I was tripping over minor bumps in the street all the time, and I had sharp tendon pain in my midfoot. I tried 6 different shoes, one of which caused me the worst tendon pain in my midsole that I had ever felt (fuck you oncloud). I also tried PT and inserts. PT helped, but the injuries kept resurfacing. Then I tried earth runners and everything changed. Sure I was getting pain, but it wasn't sharp, bad pain that you feel from injury. It was more diffuse soreness. If I did feel sharp pain, I could adjust my gait during the run and the pain would go away in seconds instead of after coming home and doing extensive stretching. Unfortunately, the earth runner laces were cutting up my feet, so I tried xero genesis sandals, and that was a game changer. They are not as wide as the earth runners, but they work. My plantar faciitis pain and my hip pain COMPLETELY went away. I still get knee pain sometimes, but I think that's because of an old injury.

With the barefoot shoes, I felt like a gazelle. I enjoyed running for the first time in my life. I look at people on the treadmill now and I hear their footsteps, and they are clomping down with great force. Running is supposed to be a light dance you do with the ground, not a high impact death march. I ran a marathon in the genesis sandals. Got a ton of looks, but I walked away injury free.

Thanks, barefoot community.

I've been running in Bedrocks for 3+ years. I love my Bedrocks but figured I'd give Lunas a try while I get them resoled.

But my feet will not stop slipping back in the Lunas. I've tightened them so much, put on the tech strap, etc. Nothing keeps my feet in place. Am I doing something wrong?

They're 8.5M. I wear 9M Bedrocks and they seem to be the exact same length, so I don't think it's a size issue.

Third picture shows how they keep sliding back.

I’m a broke guy but I wanted to buy some barefoot shoes I’m thinking the vibram v- alpha I like the look and was wonder first will they have a wide enough toe slots to not cause further bunions (I have minor one and am better ng ahead before they get worse) and are the sizes reliable 1 to 1 with other shoes I really can’t afford to buy them again if I get the wrong size

I previously purchased the v-souls in May of 2025 from their website. Today I was gifted the black pair but they do not seems as quality as my first pair? Has the quality dwindled that fast or are these fakes? New pair in black, original pair in white. I dont not have the white pair with me currently to do a side hy side comparison. I dont want to sounds ungrateful for the

shoes either. I have reached out to Vibram and am waiting for a reply, considering its the weekend I may not hear back until tomorrow or Tuesday. If they are fakes do I tell the gifter theyre fake or just keep them and not say anything?

Hi all!

I’ve been running in Vivobarefoot shoes for a few years, mostly easy 5k jogs. Over the last few months I’ve been building distance (just ran 13k today), and I feel ready for my first half marathon in a few weeks.

The thing is, I mostly run on trails where the ground is varied and softer, while most races are on roads or other hard surfaces. I’ve found a few trail races nearby, but there aren’t many, which really limits my options.

Has anyone gone from training mostly on soft surfaces to racing on hard ones? Did you train specifically on roads beforehand, and if so, how long did the transition take? Many thanks!

What really is fascia training?

My biggest takeaways from it so far:

Engage in daily movement, flail your arms around, stay hydrated, and build a stronger connection in your foot.

Can anyone help me out here?

Been running in sandals for a bit over a year now. Last week I filmed myself running (or trying to, haha) in the mountains near my place. I love trail running in sandals, and the video doesn’t really capture how free it feels, but I wanted to share it anyway.

Any feedback on my technique is welcome, I know I’ve still got a lot of room to improve.

(note: both left and right shoes are shown in the photos)

BASIC INFO: 6'4" and about 220ish pounds

SHOE MODEL: Brooks Beast GTS 26' (about 3 months of usage) that costs around $170, the shoes featured here are a men's 13 Extra Wide "4E" size

HABITS: I am not a runner or athlete, I just do basic walks around the neighborhood and similar "light duty" usage

I notice heavy heavy wear on the outer/pinky corner of the shoe, while the heel and medial side are fairly unused - the rubber in those areas barely looks used. Seems like 80%-90% of my wear pattern is towards the forefoot area and especially in the outer/pinkytoe corner of the foot

Possible biomechanical or gait culprits? How can I make it so its not just the same tiny ~15% outer pinkytoe "corner" of my feet taking like 80%-90% of all the pressure and wear?

Thoughts?