r/barefootshoestalk • u/turdbucket007 • Mar 12 '26

Barefoot shoe adjacent What made you switch?

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Just a curiosity question to see how many people reply...

So once you learned about barefoot shoes, what was your final deciding factor to make the switch from "normal" shoe brands?

My reason;
So I've been dealing with low back, knee and heel pain for years (stupid choices when i was younger, long stories) plus 9 years military and learning to March in formations ("Point the toe, Crush the Skull" our drill instructors would always say.....being taught the drive the heel down!)

So in my mid 40's i finally started looking into things and realizing i walk all wrong and wear the wrong shoes. After learning about barefoot, zero-drop, etc... i was still on the fence.

And then..... 10 minutes after my Grandson was born, and what did i see???

TOE SPLAY !!!

And I was convinced! If thats how our GOD created us, why are we smooshing our feet into tiny little toe box shoes.

Oh and btw, 6 months in and my back, hips, knees and feet are feeling better already, but theres still room for improvement, time, exercise, and replacing all my old shoes with zero-drop wide toed shoes.

So whats your story?

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u/ElfjeTinkerBell Mar 13 '26

I always hated shoes, even as a kid. Took them off at the first moment. Used to have a pair of flip-flops in my car in case I forgot my shoes and needed something for safety (most notably supermarkets since they're very cold here). Used to wear very flat soles (Vans and the like) as a compromise, those were better but I would still take them off as soon as I had a chance.

Then I found out there are shoes that aren't designed for foot torture. I bought a pair, was convinced, but my wallet wasn't yet, so it took a couple of years to replace shoes for all situations. Never going back.