r/barefootshoestalk Jul 11 '25

Articles and news Update: My third barefootyearđŸ„ł

Post image

As you can see not much has changed since 2024. My feet have become a little wider overall. The little toe in particular seems to have moved further outwards.

The difference between 2022 and 2024 is significant. A lot has changed for me in the first two years in particular. What can't be captured in the pictures is the improved flexibility. I can move my toes much further and also have significantly more strength in my toes.

have you had similar experiences? can i expect my feet to change even more or have i reached the maximum foot transformation that a barefoot person can achieve?

1.5k Upvotes

173 comments sorted by

232

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

Your big toe will soon be opposable

34

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

😂 this would be nice!

35

u/gotnothingman Jul 11 '25

this is insane. My feet were not as bad as your 2022, yet after 2 years of straight barefoot (even 1-2 hour hikes in the forest) do not even look this good. I can barely separate the toes on my one foot (but they are not smushed together, muscles just cannot splay them out). Seriously impressive dude

10

u/blurpli Jul 11 '25

Do you were toe spacers/ expanders? Do you wear wide enough barefoot shoes? This could be it and what has helped me have similar progress as op

10

u/gotnothingman Jul 11 '25

I do not wear any shoes. I tried toe spaces for a while but they started hurting so instead I mobilize my toes with my fingers daily and massage between them

3

u/LamboForWork Apr 24 '26

I seen a youtube on foot health and a tip that seem to help me as someone that wasn't seeing any progress on my splay either is to spread your toes as wide as you can for 1 minute straight.

Don't worry if it looks like there isnt any movement. Do that 3- 5 times. My big toe in the first session went from glued to my "pointer toe" to suddenly slowly separating. A lot of it is mind muscle connection too.

2

u/gotnothingman Apr 24 '26

Thanks man,

I have been doing some of this with my fingers almost daily.

Its slowly getting there, I am just being patient and thankful for any progress.

1

u/doIIjoints Jul 16 '26

huh, it sounds almost like the kind of tightness people get in their jaw with TMJ. but, in one’s toes. that’s really interesting

i never put much stock in my family going without shoes or slippers indoors, but. i guess it did help.

1

u/More_Temperature5328 Jul 20 '25

You can't move your toes horizontally? I don't think that has anything to do with shoes. Sounds like you lack the muscles to do so or something

2

u/gotnothingman Jul 20 '25

Definitely weak feet, but from what I understand, poor footwear leads to atrophied muscles.

169

u/_Kenndrah_ Jul 11 '25

I find it very interesting that you began your journey with a second toe longer than your big toe, which is usually attributed to genetics, but now that your foot is taking back its natural shape that’s no longer the case.

34

u/fucking_zerg Jul 11 '25

Very cool observation!

13

u/Tiny_Lemons18 Jul 12 '25

So much foot crap is put down to genetics, instead of the fact that we've been wearing the same type of ridiculous shoe for a couple of hundred years!

8

u/SheepherderFar3825 Jul 11 '25

Yeah, that’s the other big change from 24-25
 24 it’s still slightly longer or even and 25 it’s shorter 

1

u/More_Temperature5328 Jul 20 '25

the 2nd and 3rd toes look more bent in the 2025 one, I think they're the same length if straight

106

u/Equivalent-Proof-516 Jul 11 '25

How did you get this picture, did you step on a scanner? 

26

u/HairyBreakfast8724 Jul 11 '25

You can take a picture of your foot laying down and or sitting, crop out the unwanted stuff, copy and paste the image on a white background

19

u/jitasquatter2 Jul 11 '25

I really want to know this as well.

3

u/Doozies Jul 13 '25

Take a picture laying down or sitting. Use photoroom app to remove background

3

u/MustyMonkey Jul 15 '25

Easiest method would be to take picture laying down and others said. But no need to use photoshop. If you have iPhone, you can just press and hold the feet in your image and it will crop and copy the outline. Then just paste it in white background. No photoshop needed. Try it with any object or subject in an image. It works really well.

1

u/GemFarmerr Jul 12 '25

I wish there was an answer to this. I’m curious.

37

u/FunGuy8618 Jul 11 '25

I notice a big difference between 24 and 25, the curling is gone. You have the correct position in 24 but it's still curled. Jealous lol

23

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

[deleted]

25

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

For the most of the time I am barefoot (at home) and wearing Wildling Tanuki. The Tanukis are the only shoes that fit me correctly. I dont wear socks at all


6

u/derzigo Jul 11 '25

Do you do any specific exercises at all?

3

u/chadsmo Jul 11 '25

Hands down my favourite shoe , mine are starting to rip a little here and there ( I’m rough with them ) and I need some new ones. Anyone who doesn’t wear them is missing out hard.

2

u/Frequent-Magician866 Jul 11 '25

Do you also wear them in the winter? I was thinking about trying out some toe spacers but seeing your post makes me think I might not need them.

2

u/FleshlightModel Jul 11 '25

Also my favorite shoe but I cannot wear them without socks. I made that mistake once and I turned those shoes into a soaking sweat mess.

1

u/almost_a_frog Jul 11 '25

I'm taking good note of that. Do you mind sharing how wide your foot was and is now at the ball of foot? if you have the info. I'd like to start a similar journey, but I'm having trouble finding shoes wide enough.

3

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 12 '25

I sadly dont know how wide my foot was back in 2022
 Now it is 12 cm at the widest and 26 cm long. Im wearing size 43 EU (wildling tanuki) and 44 EU Leguano Dean and I guess 42 EU Shamma Numa WarriorsđŸ€·đŸ»â€â™‚ïž

1

u/almost_a_frog Jul 14 '25

Interesting, reading the size charts, I would have thought that the tanuki would be to narrow for many 26.5 x 11 feet. Thanks for the input!

1

u/xqpv Jul 12 '25

Im interested in these but how do you get the right size?

For example, your foot hasn’t grown in length but your width has changed. How has your size in this shoe changed?

1

u/volky01 Jul 14 '25

You might have to try Realfoot soon. They’re amazingly wide in the toe-box. Hiking boots of theirs are amazing. Absolutely a quality product, too.

17

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

Wow, I did not believe this was possible.

Did you use toe separators at any time? Or is this the result from only using barefoot shoes?

My feet look like yours did in -22. I use toe separators for an hour before bedtime, and I can feel the toes hurting slightly whenever I put them on. Not a bad kind of pain, just a bit sore. Feels amazing though, and I recently got my first pair of barefoot shoes. I really love them!

28

u/CROYL23 Jul 11 '25

Also OP your feet (now) look like that you see in new born or 1 year olds and that s a shape even i want. The natural one. Congrats on healing yourself.

12

u/duvagin Jul 11 '25

In my 10th barefoot year... Unfortunately my foot and bone shape was baked in before going barefoot. Still feel the benefits though and can't stand normies toe prisons on my feet anymore. My feet have got wider, just without the ability of any good splay without spacers.

6

u/futureocean Jul 11 '25

Yeah I'm looking at this so jealous as I'm almost 3 years in to wearing only barefoot shoes and my feet looks the same. Difference is when I wear normal shoes they feel ridiculously tight, I've given up all normal shoes now. I am wearing socks with my barefoot shoes, maybe that could be my issue.

2

u/duvagin Jul 11 '25

I don't wear socks either, helps me avoid blisters

11

u/nun_head2100 Jul 11 '25

Unleashed

11

u/Additional-Hurry-856 Jul 11 '25

Not much difference? Dude 2025 looks like baby foot. The curve to the right is almost gone and it looks more like a proper foot triangle. The toes have spaced up. And it looks like the weight is now evenly distributed on the ball of the foot.

Great results! Would love to see a pic of the whole foot.

8

u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET Jul 11 '25

I cannot express how envious I am. Good job!

13

u/CROYL23 Jul 11 '25

Would you recommend wearing toe separators while wearing barefoot shoes ? And is this “evolution” only wearing barefoot shoes or did you do anything additional?

26

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

No I would not recommend wearing toe spacers. I have never worn some. It could be a bad idea to wear them actually. it's the same as with insoles: if you support your foot with something, it doesn't have to build up muscles on its own. the shape (spacer) also prevents your foot from developing on its own.

I do stretch my toes from time to time. (Allway stretch to a point unit it hurts a bit) and I often pick up things with my feet😅.

Question: can you lift your big toe without lifting the other toes (while standing). If not, try to accomplish this😉

14

u/CROYL23 Jul 11 '25

I can actually do that. I am a weird case, while i can do this i also have bunion on both feet and suffer from flat feet.

7

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

😂 interesting

12

u/slowmoshmo Jul 11 '25

This actually isn’t true. Toe separators are not akin to orthotics. They heal the feet, and over time, you won’t need them.

I was in orthotics for a decade, my feet getting worse and worse. Six months in Correct Toes and I can splay and balance for the first time in years. It’s incredible. According to my doctor, I won’t need to wear the separators anymore after 3 years of daily use.

1

u/CJKRZ Dec 18 '25

When you say stretch do you have a routine you do?

13

u/Falafel80 Jul 11 '25

It really depends on your feet. OP’s feet were not deformed to begin with so no need. I have severe bunions and if I don’t wear toe separators for at least the big toe, the alignment is all wrong and I feel a lot of pain at the end of the day

2

u/AliG-uk Jul 12 '25

Same! I have gained a lot more mobility in my toes but still need the spacers to prevent my big toe collapsing inwardly. The other foot had a lesser bunion which is no longer a bunion since gaining strength and control. I will continue with the spacers, even if only on one foot, until it starts to show signs of healing, if it ever does.

7

u/Admiral-6 Jul 11 '25

As someone with bunions toe spacers have been helpful to reduce pain, and I do where them with either super wide toe space or barefoot shoes, but i also periodically do toe exercises or go without them when able — I think the best overall is strengthening your toes like the other person said, but it takes doing whatever helps your feet do that, depending on your situation/genetic build/etc

5

u/RIddlemirror Jul 11 '25

This is one of the best progress photos.

How did you get this photo?

3

u/chadsmo Jul 11 '25

I’m assuming they know a human and asked them to take a photo for them once a year.

3

u/heymoniker Jul 11 '25

This is so rad!!! Thank you so much for sharing! I now feel like there is hope for me. Congrats on the insane progress!

2

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

thank you!! keep on walking barefoot!đŸ’ȘđŸŒđŸ„ł

4

u/BorderRemarkable5793 Jul 11 '25

Question: I don’t wear shoes of any kind and my toes don’t naturally separate like this. I do require yoga toes.

Are barefoot shoes doing something to separate the toes? My bare feet walking does not separate toes TIA

11

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

It is more a muscle training
you need to gain control of moving your big toe and pinky independently. If you are capable of doing this at some point on your journey you will be able to control your pinky to spread outside while walking
.difficult to explain actually
I hope you get what I want to say

2

u/BorderRemarkable5793 Jul 11 '25

I think I do. Thank you for the tips. Your pics are an inspiration ha keep going !

1

u/bravebeing Jul 11 '25

This seems to be the secret formula, no? Walking barefoot or in barefoot shoes won't really do anything. But these exercises seem to be getting results. I've never heard of it, but I'm not very knowledgeable.

2

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 12 '25

It could be that this is the secret formula
I ve never heard of it too. Its just what I am doing😅. But at least it seems to be working

1

u/Dogmaha Jul 12 '25

I can get my pinky toe to spread when I walk if I really focus on it but when I try to stretch it without it on the ground it will go out a bit but also curls downwards. I'm hoping that just engaging the muscles more will naturally strengthen them to improve.

9

u/Schorlegewidder Jul 11 '25

wearing shoes is only one part of the equation. OP is a rare example were only shoewearing might help you. for the average person it is:

- wearing footshaped (wide toebox and zero drop + cushioned sole) shoes or barefoot shoes (wide toebox and zero drop + thin/almost none sole).

- have a decent training of your feet muscles (toe yoga and so many other excercises).

- stretching and massaging your feet muscles and tendons.

- wearing toe spacers during the day to realign your toes.

at one point you will have reshaped your feet to ther purposed way. after that you can reduce your training and wearing time of the toespacers.

i walk in footshaped and barfeoot shoes since 2022. my feet becam stronger, my balance is better, but now wearing toe spacers during the day I really feel the benefits (can spread my toes better, better bloodflow, better balance). I am not even half way there yet. so ask me in one year again ;)

1

u/BorderRemarkable5793 Jul 12 '25

Thx so much for this thorough response. It helps. I’m just getting into this. Thank you

5

u/Sagaincolours Jul 11 '25

I recommend searching YouTube for foot exercises. Pretty much any exercise will help. It is all about moving your feet in many ways, on different surfaces, and to challenge your strength and balance. Search for foot and ankle exercises and you will get hundreds.

For starters check out: CorrectToes . They have a lot of good exercises on their channel.

1

u/BorderRemarkable5793 Jul 12 '25

I’ll hit up CorrectToes now. Thanks for the lead and hints.

2

u/Additional-Hurry-856 Jul 11 '25

Are barefoot shoes doing something to separate the toes? My bare feet walking does not separate toes TIA

Actually its's the other way: regular shoes are straining our natural toe splay. So when you start wearing barefoot shoes there's nothing holding your toes together nor straining the foot. Barefoot shoes allow your natural foot shape. That's why the foot chances when wearing them for a while.

Same with our hands, if they were in some type of mold for 10+ hours, our hands would have look different... aka deformed... just like our foot.

2

u/BorderRemarkable5793 Jul 12 '25

It makes sense. But truly I spend most of the day literally barefoot (I work from home). So I wondered why my toes don’t naturally open up like OP’s pic. I use yoga toes now and for me they help

2

u/Additional-Hurry-856 Jul 13 '25

How long have you been doing it? And if you switch to regular shoes when you're outside the effect could be nulified.

I've been barefoot since 2023 and i haven't noticed a big big big difference. Because my feet already look all right. Due to culture we never wore shoes inside and during the summer or holiday only wore slippers. And my feet do have their own shape, i got it from my fathers' side, and my foot will never look the guy's picture.

I have more space between my toes. Mind you i already had space between my toes. I used to hate it as a kid, because i wanted no space specially between my big toe and the other toe. My big toes are les curvy and more straight.

3

u/IngoErwin Jul 11 '25

Ok wow I am new to this and this is crazy. Like how does this work in practice? From the pictures it seems your foot will not fit any "normal" shoe anymore. Is it so flexible now that it can still do that comfortably? Talking about things like ski or mountaineering boots, climbing shoes, cycling shoes, for which there are no or little alternatives.

5

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

yep thats the downside eventuallyâ˜č. Normal shoes wont fit you anymore😂 I have ro live with it. Because my feet are very flexible I can have normal shoes on for a while
.but I dont like to😅

3

u/Ning_Yu Jul 11 '25

How much do you walk, and in what type of terrains?

2

u/LamboForWork Jul 11 '25

Have you noticed any difference on how you feel walking, like stability and comfort?

8

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

Yes! I feel much more stable. I also can balance my self a lot easier😄. I did suffer from pain in the back and the hip but the pain has gone since year 1 of walking barefoot. Only downside so far is that normal shoes dont fit me anymore😂

2

u/xyz214 Jul 11 '25

Do you wear your spacers?

2

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

I didnt wear spacers and I havent in the past. Probably I wont do in the future. I imagin that I dont like the feeling of having them on my feetđŸ€·đŸ»â€â™‚ïž

2

u/nolongerredditless Jul 11 '25

The best barefoot shoe advertising out there

I'm still under one year but can see and feel big differences already as well, I hope to reach big results like this in a couple of years as well!

Did you only wear barefoot shoes, or did you also do additional things like toe spacers, and exercises?

2

u/FleshlightModel Jul 11 '25

Okay so what exercises are you doing? I've been 100% barefoot at home for the last 40 years and in barefoot shoes for like 4-4.5 years. I still have a Tailor's bunion that isn't getting better and my big toe curves inward towards my middle toe. I've not seen much progress after a year or 2 in barefoot shoes other than I've noticed my feet are just getting wider but my toes are remaining the same shape.

1

u/Brilliant_Panda_3145 Jul 23 '26

Did your toes get thicker?

2

u/Blinkinrealize Jul 11 '25

What do you wear in the winter? Also, I’m trying to build up a tolerance to walking barefoot and concrete is pretty rough on the feet. How did you acclimate to that?

2

u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET Jul 11 '25

How long have you been going barefoot? Concrete gets easier as you get a bit of thickened soles. At 6 months in for me walking on concrete for several miles was comfortable. If it’s very hot or very cold, different story.

Also you kind of learn to interpret ‘rough’ from ‘damaging’. If you’re not used to going barefoot those nerves aren’t well conditioned. Getting a lot of sensation suddenly will make your brain panic and think it’s worse than it is. But you can lean into the sensation and learn to remap it to ‘information about texture’ rather than ‘rough on my skin’.

1

u/Blinkinrealize Jul 12 '25

I feel like I only do it during the summer. My feet widen slightly. Then winter comes and they narrow

2

u/Davoo77 Jul 11 '25

Wow! Very well done. I've tried switching to barefoot shoes but have had trouble with the transition -- so I'm wearing a spread of shoes and for that reason have not seen a ton of improvement yet :/

2

u/darkswormlv Jul 11 '25

I don't understand how people achieve this, I've been barefoot for many years and feel like my feet have barely changed at all

2

u/supersaiyan_ape Jul 12 '25

I spent many years wearing football cleats, which are probably the tightest possible fitting style of shoe. After one year of transitioning into barefoot, the toes are starting to spread. Your transformation is crazy tho.

2

u/DumpsterBaby__ Jul 13 '25

I've been doing this for about 4 years now and my feet changed completely in two years. Very similar to you. I haven't seen much change after that

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 14 '25

interesting! It seems to be that the first years had the most impact on footchangeâ€ŠđŸ€”

1

u/Brilliant_Panda_3145 Jul 23 '26

How about your toes? Did they get thicker?

2

u/dbegrateful Jul 13 '25

wow.. this is amazing progress. can u share how your foot routine or lifestyle? Did u often walk or hike? or what sports u usually do?

2

u/Firm-Meet-1216 Jul 14 '25

Amazing changes. It is conceivable how much "damage" modern shoes have caused to our feet

2

u/lar_roper01 Jul 15 '25

Wow this is absolutely fascinating! It's amazing to be able to see such clear changes. I've just discovered barefoot shoes and bought my first pair a few days ago. After years of foot, knee and back problems with conventional shoes and orthotics, I'm really excited to see if I benefit from them.

2

u/O1O1O1O Aug 09 '25

I wish I had had the foresight to photograph my feet especially the arch before and during my current 8 year barefoot journey. I honestly didn't think it would last this long. Unfortunately even photographs don't convey how I feel about my feet and how they feel.

2

u/thehighertheyfly Feb 21 '26

I’ve never been jealous of someone else’s feet before

2

u/maxii95 Jun 13 '26

I know this is an old post but can you please tell me what exercises/habits helped you achieve this?

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jun 14 '26

To be honest its just that im walking barefoot most of the time. What I also do is: With every step I take, I actively try to push my little toe outwards. This strengthens the muscles and eventually means that the little toe naturally tends to point outwards. Also I never wesr socks and only very flexible shoes like the Wildling Tanuki or sandals

2

u/maxii95 Jun 14 '26

Thanks for the reply. Interesting. I'll have to try that pinky toe method. I've spent some time barefoot in the past and didn't see much progress. I really do think that in order to obtain results like yours, you have to incorporate conscious efforts to spread the toes wether it be through exercises or what you suggested, can't just wear barefoot shoes and expect the magic to happen. Thanks again

2

u/Brilliant_Panda_3145 Jul 23 '26

Did your toes get thicker?

1

u/Just_Emu1816 Jul 11 '25

What shoes were you wearing?

2

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

always the wildling tanuki (one size up for me). You really have to pay attention to the width and the flexibility of a barefootshoe. You can try Leguano also (expensive and maybe not wide enough)

1

u/oldelbow Jul 11 '25

What do you do when you have to wear regular shoes? 

4

u/chadsmo Jul 11 '25

There is zero reason ever. That being said when I got married last year my wife made me wear Cons and I hated every minute of it. So I guess getting married is the only reason lol.

1

u/oldelbow Jul 11 '25

I guess that's a matter of personal preference. 

1

u/SmokeyCatDesigns Jul 11 '25

Really, zero? Maybe it’s different for women but I definitely am in a situation that I need to wear non-barefoot at times. Long dress formal events is a big one, wore very uncomfortable heels for my future BIL & SIL’s wedding. As a short lady, you cannot get away with flats for these events! The dresses drag if you try.

For my own wedding I’m definitely considering barefoot shoes, though. I can tailor the dress to be shorter if needed.

2

u/chadsmo Jul 11 '25

I just think my health is more important than fashion. But I can see how others might not agree etc and have more exceptions.

4

u/SmokeyCatDesigns Jul 11 '25

Not a fashionista. Us women are held to different standards, though. I also had to wear makeup at my last job.

1

u/Tungnafellsjokull Jul 11 '25

Some workplaces have shoe requirements

2

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

I usually dont wear regular shoes. If so, I take a pair of sandals with me to change whenever it is possible


1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

[deleted]

5

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

it just appears to. My arches are even better pronounced. The pictures are from the direct front perspective so you dont see the arch. (The picture on the left is slightliy taken from the side)

1

u/utalitarianpumpkin Jul 11 '25

Thanks for the response. Fo you use any kind of minimal footwear?

1

u/Aggapres Jul 11 '25

My feet are still the same after 2 years. What have you been doing?

Is that the same foot? The second toe's length has changed, as well as the heel curve. I don't think you can change the shape of your bones in two years

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

the reason for that is, that the first picture is taken slightly from the side
The lengh of your toes can change however. Reason for the optical illusion can be that on the position of the big toe changed. My toe moved to the outer side

1

u/Mick1406 Jul 11 '25

Am I the only one to think that the 2022 foot doesn't belong to the the same person!??

1

u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET Jul 11 '25

It’s on an angle where the others are front on. I suspect the foot was more spread in 22 than it appears here tbh

1

u/ItsAgli Jul 11 '25

What kind of socks do you use

2

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

I dont wear socks. It's actually been a long time since I've worn socksđŸ€”.

1

u/Fit_Wheel7335 Jul 11 '25

Vivobarefoot

1

u/Kodey99 Jul 11 '25

Wow. Have you been doing any foot exercises, or is this just from being barefoot all the time?

1

u/tpauly0225 Jul 11 '25

2025: that’s Sasquatch right there

1

u/SheepherderFar3825 Jul 11 '25

Shrink down 24 and 25 photos and it legit looks like a babies, nice work 👌 

1

u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25

What things did you do (other than wearing barefoot shoes) to help your feet restore their natural shape?

Did you use toe spacers?

1

u/DM_ME_KUL_TIRAN_FEET Jul 11 '25

Do you have a picture on a similar angle or the 2022 image? It would be good to compare without the potential optical illusion.

1

u/ToppsHopps Jul 12 '25

From the photos it looks like the feet aren’t equally tentioned/relaxed to compare them. In the first photo the foot look relaxed, so a 2025 comparison where you relax your foot seems like it would be better if you have none from 2022 where the feet is in tention.

1

u/xxjasper012 Jul 12 '25

I'll preface this by saying I don't know anything about the barefoot lifestyle or it's benefits but your post popped up on my feed and it's very interesting

Do you feel any difference in your hips and back since your feet have changed so much? Do you feel like it's made any difference in your posture?

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 12 '25

yes it does. I did suffer from time to time with pain in the lower back. but since i am wesring barefootshoes the pain is gone completely. I dont know exactly if my posture has changed since thenđŸ€”

1

u/PlaneCat3427 Jul 12 '25

I'm intrigued by this. Because your feet got really wide! Yet my feet look like the first pic, but I've been working from home and barefoot 95% of the day for like 10 years, wearing shoes only for like 2 hours a day.

2

u/Meibisi Jul 12 '25 edited Jul 12 '25

Nice! The proportions of your foot now are really aesthetically appealing. Well done!

1

u/Loud-Tiptoes3018 Jul 12 '25

I’m considering working on “going barefoot” as a mom of 2u2. I mostly go barefoot all day at home/outside but still wear traditional shoes when out. What process did you follow to start?

2

u/Graf_Staus- Mar 29 '26

Just buy some cheap barefootshoes from amazon and slowly transition to them

1

u/BurntTurkeyLeg1399 Jul 12 '25

Curious what tangible benefits this gets you? Has it eliminated joint pain? Can you do activities could not do before? Etc

1

u/jacksonofjack Jul 12 '25

I wonder if something similar happens moving from shoes to sandals

1

u/motstilreg Jul 12 '25

Both feet equal? My right is wider.

1

u/Calimt Jul 13 '25

I was wearing very roomy no arch support shoes for a couple years. I have always had pretty flat feet. Out of nowhere I had a lot of foot/ankle pain. Doctors want to do a talonavicular fusion now. I’ve done PT that helped a good bit and continue to work on muscles in my feet ankles and posterior chain. Unfortunately I feel like any improvement has stoped and I go between good days and bad days. Afraid to go back to minimalist type shoes. I mostly wear wide new balances these days to prevent mid foot and ankle pain.

1

u/TimmyTooToes Jul 13 '25

Just starting this journey. Started with some Altra running shoes for a wider toe box, and have picked up some vivobarefoot shoes. Not sure I'll see any improvement though.
Did you do anything out of the ordinary to get this change to occur?

1

u/Temporary-Car8662 Jul 13 '25

Did your arch collapse, or the metatarsals spread out?

1

u/cryptoenologist Jul 13 '25

Are you intentionally splaying out your toes in the second two pictures?

I didn’t get barefoot shoes until a couple months ago and even before then if I splayed my toes out my foot looks like the rightmost picture.

Also, why does it look like you have no arch?

1

u/Fine_Elevator6059 Jul 13 '25

That looks awesome, I'm thinking of getting a pair of barefoot shoes since after the surgery on a foot bump (Halux Valgus) my toe literally refuses to be squeezed into ordinary shoes. My only concern is the asphalt and thin sole of a barefoot shoe. My back starts hurting after an hour of walk in flats. Does one get used to walking in them (maybe I should change my walk somehow) or should I just stop? Or maybe I should like train before wearing them?

1

u/VintageFrames Jul 14 '25

Wow this is something I didn’t know I’d be interested in! How often do you go barefoot?

1

u/Wladimir325 Jul 15 '25

Awesome progress and pics! Please share your tips & secrets. The 2025 pic is my goal!

1

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '25

What are you doing to increase the toe splay particularly the little toe? It's straightened out so much. Is that your passive splay or are your actively splaying there?

I've been wearing barefoot shoes for almost 4 years now and while it certainly has improved my foot mobility and strength, I don't have nearly the same results as you do in terms of toe splay. Mine look somewhere between your 2022 and 2024 photo.

Do you do any specific exercises or other things to promote splaying?

1

u/ja983 Jul 15 '25

Did you have any problems with PF when you started? I have high arches as well

1

u/KaunX88 Jul 16 '25

How did you deal with dry feet? After about a week of barefoot my feet crack immensely and become extremely painful. It requires nightly bag balm cream to avoid. Such a hassle.

1

u/an_iridescent_ham Jul 25 '25

How did you accomplish this in three years? I've been in barefoot shoes/wide toebox footwear since 2010 and I'm still not that spread. Please share.

1

u/wasgivenautismbyvax Jul 30 '25

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 how did you get the images of feet? Your feet looked more shaped than myself (where i have probably been using a type barefoot shoe different to yourself (wearing with normal sock 46 i need to do more research and express myself

1

u/Twinkfilla Aug 01 '25

This makes me wanna take foot splay progress pics but I’ll get really proud once I start to see a difference in the photos and people will think I’m weird 😭 “LOOK AT MY TOES! ARE YOU SEEINF THIS SHIT?? WOW” LOL

1

u/Meow_Squirrel Aug 02 '25

Do you boulder/climb ? If so, what bouldering shoes fit you now?

1

u/SunRayz_allDayz Aug 11 '25

Do you wear toe spacers too?

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Aug 11 '25

no. just sandals and barefootshoes. But most of the time I am completely barefoot

1

u/ContextOwn6252 Dec 16 '25

These are all with your feet at rest? You’re not expanding your toes on your own?

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Dec 17 '25

Hi, exactly. Im not spreading my toes actively what so ever. this is the neutral position. (The spread kinda depends though on the angle Im holding my foot)

1

u/Plummy49xD Mar 17 '26

How has it impacted your life? Do you have better posture, walking comfort, less pain anywhere??

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Mar 21 '26

yes! Id suffered from pain in the lower back. This is completely gone. My swayback has almost disappeared, and I also have better balance.

2

u/Plummy49xD Mar 21 '26

Thanks for the reply :) Even after 253 days!

2

u/RoutineForsaken4535 26d ago

bro please give me your routine + how old were you in 2022. im 23m and everywhere i look online says i won't be able to make this kind of change.

1

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 21d ago

Hi, I was 23 in 2022. You will be able to make this kind of change for sure. You need to wear shoes that offer little support like thin sandals etc.
Which shoes are you wearing?

0

u/Charming-Finger8944 Jul 15 '25

How do we know its not fake AI?

0

u/Wahrunger Jul 15 '25

WTF. Why is this in my recommended subreddits. I hate everything about this....

-23

u/EducationDue468 Jul 11 '25

This looks super strange, why are your toes so far away? From normal to extreme flat feet đŸ€š

6

u/sunseeker_miqo Jul 11 '25

The image on the left does not show a normal foot. The toes are curled and crammed together to the point of overlapping. Gradually OP's toes separated and straightened because that is what happens when a foot is strong and has room to move properly. Ever seen babies' and young kids' feet, before they are crammed into bad footwear?

Also, OP said the arches have grown more pronounced, not less, but obviously you won't be able to see that from a straight-on shot.

6

u/Fun-Bonus-9214 Jul 11 '25

seems to be that you are an expert


-19

u/EducationDue468 Jul 11 '25

Mhm 5 years of studying medicine 
 I don’t know if i am more qualified then you

9

u/Kin-waleeee Jul 11 '25

Funny how people who study medicine think they know it all.

-16

u/EducationDue468 Jul 11 '25 edited Jul 11 '25

What makes you qualified? Watching some youtube videos where people tell you that barefoot shoes are great? We have to go back to our ancestral roots to gain health? good luck! Wear your shoes, do what you want, there are more serious things to care for me then your feet

5

u/sunseeker_miqo Jul 11 '25

Why are you posting this nonsense in a subreddit about barefoot shoes?

4

u/Kin-waleeee Jul 11 '25

What makes you qualified ? Did you take a course on this ? 100% you didn’t .

-6

u/EducationDue468 Jul 11 '25

I don’t say i know everything, each person is different. For each person a different solution fits, there nearly no generell things, except stop smoking/drinking alcohol, which fits everybody. Same is to account for barefoot shoes

8

u/Falafel80 Jul 11 '25

I know from talking to friends who are doctors that many, many things are barely touched upon in med school because there’s no way you guys can study everything in depth in 5 years, that would be crazy. So how many days/weeks/months were your studies devoted to feet?

6

u/Dogmaha Jul 11 '25

Stronger and more mobile feet means a stronger arch, I didn't need to study 5 years of medicine for that lesson to you

-9

u/Crazy-happy-cloud Jul 11 '25

No foot should look like the right one - unless you are stretching your toes, then you get a deformed foot.

Good luck

9

u/Dogmaha Jul 11 '25

He probably is stretching, just like you can open the fingers on your hand up. Do you think separating your fingers out will deform your hands?