“Almost” Barefoot Shoe Brands (And What They Missed)

Introduction

With a rise in the demand for comfortable and natural footwear, a lot of brands have come up with products known for their sustainable and foot- centric design.

While a lot of brands have been able to incorporate some barefoot shoes design elements in their footwear, they almost always leave something out.

In this article we talk about these footwear brands, what we like about them, and what we don’t.

Some Famous Brands

1. Birkenstock: When we talk about natural footwear, one of the biggest brands that comes to mind - Birkenstock. The rise in popularity of their sandals in the last couple of years has set them up for huge success.

What we love about Birkenstock -

1. Foot shaped: The Birkenstocks are foot shaped providing a wide toe box for a more natural foot shape in their sandals.
2. Natural Materials: Birkenstocks pride themselves for using natural materials for production which is good for the environment.
3. Podiatrist approved: Their sandals make a great product for people overcoming injuries and foot ailments.

What we don’t like about Birkenstock -

1. Thick soles: Thick soles on the Birkenstock means no sensory feedback from the ground makes it to our brain, leaving us with underused nerves and compromised balance.
2. Inflexible sole: Our feet are designed to twist and turn in multiple directions. The hard and inflexible sole prevents the feet from flexing in different directions.
3. Arch and heel support: While arch and heel supports are great for people overcoming injury. Long term support means underutilization of our arch muscles, which lead to weaker muscles and loss of ability to use our feet to their fullest.

 

2. Onitsuka Tiger: Ontisukas have been a favorite for many celebrities and athletes over the years for their unique minimalistic design and barefoot- like features. While they check off a lot of boxes, they miss out on a few.

What we like about Onitsuka Tiger -

1. Flexible sole - Flexible soles on the Onitsuka  allow for complete freedom of movement.
2. Thin sole - Thin soles mean better feet- brain connection and higher quality of motion.
3. Zero toe to heel drop - Onitsuka have a flat sole that means the body stays upright in a more natural stance distributing load across the posterior chain - our knees, hips lower back more efficiently.

What we don’t like about Onitsuka Tiger -

1. Tight toe box - Ontisuka Tiger really compromise on their toe box. The shoes have a pointy toe box that jam our feet and lead to a compromised big toe position leading to long term stresses and a compromised gait cycle.
2. Arch support - Overly cushioned arch and heel support prevents us from exercising our arch muscles leaving us weak and compromised to injuries.

 

Crocs: Crocs have overtaken every single sandal and slipper brand over the last decade. Their high popularity comes from their ease of use and comfort. While some of these are attributed to their foot centric design, there are a couple of features that make them not-so-great for us in the long term.

What we love about Crocs -

1. Foot shaped toe box- Foot shaped toe box means our feet have room to breath, our toes have room to splay and stay healthy.
2. No additional arch support

What we don’t like about Crocs -

1. Thick soles - no sensory feedback from the ground. 
2. Highly cushioned soles - Crocs have highly cushioned soles which lead to an unstable ground for us to walk on continuously.

Why go with barefoot shoes instead-

Barefoot shoes are the best bet when it comes to keeping your feet healthy and making the most out of our muscles in our day to day lives.

This is what you should look for when picking up any shoe that markets itself as a health- first shoe- 

1. Thin soles - Let sensory feedback reach your brain to increase balance and stability, and keep your nervous system healthy.
2. Flexible soles - Have the ability to bend and twist with your natural foot movement.
3. Zero heel to toe drop - Flat shoes for a natural body posture.
4. Wide toe box - Toes should have enough room to splay wide so we can use them to our advantage.
5. No additional support - Support is great for when you are injured but long term support in our shoes means weak muscles and higher chances of injury.

If you are looking to get your hands on barefoot shoes. We at Zen Barefoot are manufacturing India’s very first barefoot shoes. Do drop your email and join the community to enjoy special launch discounts.