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Feel the ground beneath your feet. Orthopedic Shoes For Men
The closest you can get to walking around actually barefoot is walking around in barefoot shoes. Barefoot shoes are, well, pretty much exactly what they sound like—shoes that let you feel as if you're barefoot. Unlike your typical sneakers, with cushioning, a heel drop, and chunky soles, barefoot shoes (sometimes called minimalist shoes) are designed with a zero-drop heel and a flat sole.
This is meant to allow your feet to move as they do naturally, without shoes. Barefoot shoes offer flexibility, balance, and grip—some are even tough enough for trail running or climbing in. In recent years, experts have come to love barefoot shoes for the strength they build in your feet (although they dissuade people with preexisting injuries or other foot conditions from wearing them). Our editors have tested a variety of options and found eight of the very best barefoot shoes for almost every kind of activity.
The Primus Lite is all about keeping your feet feeling as natural as possible, despite having shoes on. Our editors are obsessed with how thin, flexible, and versatile these are. They feel as if they're molded specifically to your feet. The vegan knit upper keeps 'em breathable and lightweight, and Vivobarefoot's Active Sole is designed to imbue your underfoot with stability and grip.
If you have wider feet, you'll love these barefoot trail-running shoes. Whitin designed them with a wide toe box, so your feet don't feel scrunched up and uncomfortable but instead like you're going, well, barefoot. There's even a removable sock liner if you want to go even more barefoot, and the rubber sole is designed to be protective, but not so thick that you can't feel the ground.
For an even more shoeless experience, barefoot sandals are the way to go. They aren't as functional or protective for running and trails, but they do provide a more grounded experience for walking and casual wear. And in this case, water activities, too. Luna Sandals has a waterproof design that's incredibly lightweight, with adjustable straps that, to our editors, make all the difference in offering a truly barefoot-like experience.
Our editors know, love, and wear Tevas for their outdoorsy adventures, and the Original Universal Urban Sandals are definitely staple pieces in many of their rotations. Not only are these great casual, day-to-day shoes, but they have a barefoot feel with a super-thin sole, adjustable straps, and a rubber outsole. Plus, this style comes treated with anti-odor technology.
The best barefoot shoes are the ones that let you move your feet as freely as you would if you weren't wearing anything. TYR's DropZero passes the test, with an ultra-flexible 3D knit upper, a laceless design, and ergonomic construction intended to let them contour perfectly to your feet.
These minimalist sandals might not look tough enough to take it all on, but trust us—they are. Whether you're hiking or biking, on a trail or the sidewalk, the flexible, lightweight design works like magic. These shoes also have footbeds that mold to your feet, adjustable straps, and outsoles designed to have enough traction for any terrain.
These barefoot shoes look damn cool—and feel damn great. They're designed to maximize performance and speed, so you can walk, run, work out, climb, and more with absolute ease. A wide toe box lets your feet stretch out, and the zero-drop heel is all about offering balance and stability on any terrain.
With a zero-millimeter heel drop, these barefoot shoes are lightweight, flexible, and comfortable. Our editors love how versatile they are—they're especially great for running, thanks to bendy, breathable uppers, tongues meant to keep out debris, and a design that allows your feet to be in as natural a position as possible.
Are barefoot shoes good for your feet?
They sure are! In recent years, barefoot shoes have come to be appreciated by podiatrists and other experts for their many benefits. One of those is that they allow your feet to move as they would if you were truly barefoot. Traditional sneakers don't quite let your toes spread out and your feet move as they naturally would, but barefoot shoes do.
Barefoot shoes have also been found to increase your foot strength because you aren't relying on a thick shoe for things like balance, traction, and stability.
With that being said, however...
Who should not wear barefoot shoes?
Unfortunately, barefoot shoes aren't ideal for everybody. Allowing your feet to use their own strength to support themselves—and your entire bodyweight—takes some getting used to. Doctors recommend that anyone with current or past foot strain (meaning a pulled muscle or other injury), foot surgery, or plantar fasciitis not wear barefoot shoes. This is because your foot has already been hurt, and barefoot shoes can lead to overuse of your muscles.
How do I start wearing barefoot shoes?
Experts do not recommend just putting on your first pair of barefoot shoes and wearing them all the time. As I've said, they take some getting used to. Your foot is accustomed to having arch support, a heel drop, and way more shock absorption than barefoot shoes provide, so after you buy your first pair, ease into them. Wear them for about an hour a day the first week, then a few hours a day the next week, and so on, until you're ready to wear them all the time.
You've seen our picks for the best barefoot shoes, but what do you need to know before actually purchasing a pair? Well, there are a couple of things to consider.
Features: Design features like adjustable straps, waterproof outers, contoured insoles, and a breathable, flexible design can make all the difference between a pair that's perfect for you and a pair you stop wearing after a few days. Depending on where you'll be wearing them, some features are a must. Trail runners should look for protective uppers and traction, while those aiming to take their shoes into the water need to have waterproofing. If you prefer sandals, adjustable straps will ensure they fit your feet like a glove.
Fit: Ideally, barefoot shoes really should fit like gloves on your feet, so you can feel as close to barefoot as possible. If you have wide feet, opt for a pair designed with a wider toe box or a pair in a wide size.
We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great.
Every product in Esquire’s roundups is carefully chosen by our fashion and e-commerce teams. When it comes to barefoot shoes, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting styles that we’ve personally tried, tested, and loved, along with options that the rest of our stylish and sporty colleagues here at Esquire endorse for their own wear.
We’ve had to go through a lot of trial and error, and these barefoot shoes are the ones that are simply the best. Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of wearing different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.
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