Love them or hate them, barefoot shoes are polarizing. But they are becoming big business, both for fashion (a subject in which I am, admittedly, not an expert) and for health and wellness. This is a relatively recent development. Before 2019, I did what most of us do and wore highly padded shoes because that’s what modern shoe companies sold us. But I did have a long history of going barefoot, from growing up at the beach.
Like most people who start looking into barefoot shoes, I started having foot pain. My heels began to hurt when I walked. Plantar fasciitis was the problem, and the conventional wisdom is to get shoes with even more padding. But I started reading about people who cured their various foot issues by going barefoot, or at least turning to “zero drop” shoes, where the bed of the shoe is flat from toe to heel. My wife also transitioned to barefoot shoes after foot surgery failed to fix her foot issues and she’s never had a problem since.
Sturdy Construction
It seems a lot of people are catching on to barefoot shoes—the sandals, at least. Some fashion brands, like Miu Miu, have recently released expensive versions of the Xero Genesis paracord sandals.
The idea behind barefoot shoes is to eliminate arch support, widen the front of the shoe so your toes can splay out, and let your foot move the way it evolved to move. In 2020, I wrote about my experience with Xero’s Z-Trails, and moved quickly on to the even more minimalist Z-Treks. I still wear the Z-Treks today.
Barefoot shoes—not sandals—are harder to find. The Vibram FiveFingers are the iconic barefoot shoe, but those look a little goofy. For a long time, my solution has been to spend as much time as I could in climates where the Z-Treks were suitable. Living in an RV allowed me to go where the weather suited my clothes, so I did. Eventually though, the weather catches up to you. Also, it’s just nice to have at least one pair of shoes you love.
Late last year, Vivobarefoot released the Sensus shoe. Vivobarefoot was founded in 2010 by Galahad and Asher Clark (yes, those Clarks), and it specializes in super-thin shoes that let you feel the ground. What immediately jumped out at me about the Sensus was the low, 3-mm sole. Vivobarefoot sent me a pair to test, and they quickly became my favorite shoes (the downside being the interesting, uh, style, which my daughter describes at “elfin”).
Luckily for me, I don’t care what they look like as much as I care what they feel like, and the Sensus fit my feet like a pair of gloves. There’s no insole, so there’s almost no cushioning, just enough outsole to save you from sharp objects on the ground.
Sturdy Construction
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson
These are very well-made, durable shoes. The construction is excellent, and the stitching on the bottom—something that worried me when I first saw it—has held up well for almost a year with no signs of wear (the soles are also replaceable).
This is where the curious look comes in. The side stitching that attaches the upper to the outsole isn’t just for that sweet elfin styling, it’s also to increase the range of motion your foot has when walking.
