My Feet Feel Funny
How shoes never fit me — until now
For me, finding the right shoes has always been a frustrating experience of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole — or should I say a brick foot in a narrow shoe? Some have a great toe box but the midfoot is too narrow. Others have the perfect midfoot but the toe box is too tight. And, most frustrating of all, sometimes the fit is perfect except that my heel keeps slipping out. The list goes on for my funky feet. And it’s been going on for decades.
One of my earliest memories of buying shoes goes back to my childhood in a Kohl’s department store. Among all the clothes and crappy music being blasted overhead was me and my dad, who was helping me pick out the right size for some black Converse Chuck Taylor’s. I wanted to wear them because I thought they were cool (are they still cool? I really don’t keep up with trends these days.)
After struggling to find the right size, we decided on a snug fit, The logic being that they’d loosen up once I’d broken them in. A couple days later, I ended up getting a blister that bled through my socks and into the shoe instead. My mom told my dad to get me a new pair of Converse, this time a size up, and even then they STILL DIDN’T FIT QUITE RIGHT.
Over the next couple years, I’d continue to have the same problem, wearing various boots and shoes for only a couple months or a year at most before giving up on them, frustrated that they never really fit quite right.
Then, in 2023, after feeling fed up with buying shoes, I finally tried a style of shoe I had been poking fun at.
I tried barefoot shoes.
The big benefit of barefoot shoes is that they’re supposed to be more naturally contoured to the shape of our foot and have little to no padding to encourage the muscles in the feet to grow strong and no longer have need for the padding. It all seemed a little hippy-dippy to me, but at this point I was frustrated with the whole shoe-buying experience that I’d try almost anything.
When you think of barefoot shoes, you probably think of the weird five-finger shoes everyone makes fun of. Those are barefoot shoes too and I’ll admit they DO look weird. But there are also a variety of barefoot shoes that look way less strange.
My first pair were from Xero, a brand that kept getting recommended to me for those looking to get into barefoot shoes. With their affordable price and some fun colors, I decided to order a pair of Xero Prios and nervously waited.
When I first got them, I wasn’t sure if I liked them. The fit was overall looser, with a little less than a thumbs’ width of room left between my toes and the front edge of the shoe. The toe box was extremely roomy and I felt like I was drowning in them. I couldn’t help but think I might have made a mistake.
But, fortunately, I didn’t!
After a few days, I LOVED THEM.
My feet got used to the extra room and I found myself appreciating the fact that my whole foot was involved in the process of walking. Normally, It was just the heel and midfoot working, my toes too scrunched together to do anything. But now the whole foot was all working together in one motion. I also found that I didn’t feel my feet getting pinched ever and having none of the issues I had in more traditional shoes.
And since then I’ve been hooked on barefoot shoes.
As of this year, I’ve pretty much replaced all of my traditional shoes with barefoot ones, including for half-marathons. As of writing, I’ve run 3 half-marathons in the Freet Paces! Gone are the days of finishing a half and ending up with a black toenail and really sore feet.
I could keep gushing more on the subject of these shoes, but I think you get the point. I’m hooked on these style of shoes. They’re not necessarily for everyone, but if you think your feet just don’t ever seem to fit in any traditional shoe, then it might be a good option to try!
P.S. Here are some tips I’ve learned that have helped me along the way:
Do Your Research Before You Buy
It’s important to understand what you’re getting into before you buy barefoot shoes, especially since they’re a very different style of shoe. I’d recommend checking out a site like Anya’s Reviews to get a better idea of how to find the right fit, the brands out there, and how to ease into wearing them. She’s done and continues to do great reviews of all sorts of brands, while also educating people about the joys and how-tos of wearing barefoot shoes.
Start Slow
As I mentioned before, barefoot shoes are quite different from traditional shoes. Because of this, you’ll want to make sure you transition to them slowly. Don’t decide to go for a 10-mile hike in these the very first time you get a pair. Instead, I’d recommend wearing them a little bit at a time and slowly increasing the time you wear them. I can’t give an exact range as this part can vary wildly from person to person. Some people can start wearing barefoot shoes with little to no issues right from the get-go. Others may have to wear them once or twice a week while rotating between their more traditional shoes while their feet get used to them. It really depends and you should go with your gut on how your feet are feeling.
Be Patient
Again, barefoot shoes are quite different from traditional shoes. It’s going to take time for your feet to get used to how this style of shoe fits. Depending on where you’re at, it could be anywhere from a couple of weeks to even a year. But if you like how they feel and think they’re going to be more comfortable than the traditional option, I think it will be worth it!
Now, if you don’t think barefoot shoes are for you, that’s OK too and all I can say is thank you for reading this much of my yapping about these shoes! They’re not for everyone, but for people with silly-shaped feet like mine, they can be a blessing. And if they’re not for you, I hope you at least learned something interesting!
I’m so into barefoot shoes and own none!
You've convinced me.