Barefoot shoes vs. normal sneakers: which is actually better for your feet?

I remember buying my first pair of barefoot running shoes — Inov-8 Bare-X 180s — and taking them for a run along the Charles River in Boston. I felt fast and grounded. However, I made a big mistake: I quit my tried-and-true Asics cold turkey in favor of the new minimalist kicks. The result was an inflamed IT band and several months of physical therapy — an outcome Shilpi Shah, a physical therapist who has treated her share of injured runners, says isn’t uncommon if you don’t take the time to transition slowly.

Injuries aside, there’s a reason people are drawn to barefoot running shoes. In fact, barefoot and other minimalist shoes regularly land on “best running shoe” lists alongside their more cushioned and stabilizing counterparts. Clearly, there are fans in both camps, but is one type of shoe — barefoot vs. regular shoes — actually better for your feet?

To find out, I spoke with a podiatrist and three physical therapists, all of whom have experience working with clients who wear barefoot shoes — including Shah, who wears Vibrams on her own runs. Spoiler: the answer is it depends on your feet. Here’s what that means.

What are barefoot shoes, and why are they popular? 

Barefoot shoes are a type of minimalist footwear. While they’re often used interchangeably with the term “zero-drop” (I’m personally guilty of doing this), they’re not the same thing.

Zero-drop simply refers to shoes where the heel isn’t elevated above the toes. Instead, the shoe is designed to keep your foot flat, mimicking its position when barefoot. While all barefoot shoes are zero-drop, not all zero-drop shoes contain the features that make a shoe distinctly “barefoot.”

A true barefoot shoe is designed to allow your foot to move, flex and land as it would if you weren’t wearing shoes. Key features include:

• Wide toe box or individual toes

American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine fellow and co-podiatry medical coordinator of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Dr. Jeffrey Baker, DPM, explains that these shoes have become popular with runners because the thinner, more flexible construction allows them to “feel the ground,” creating “positive biofeedback while strengthening the internal muscles of the foot.”

[With barefoot shoes], many runners take shorter strides, land more softly and use their feet and ankles more effectively to absorb force.

Shah, who transitioned to Vibram FiveFingers, agrees. She says zero-drop shoes “bring us, as humans, closer to a more natural state.” As she put it: “The ankle and foot are miraculously adaptive body parts that are capable of so much … Most of us ‘ruin’ it by overly supporting it and by getting shoes that are too narrow, particularly in the toe box.”

Some of that appeal is rooted in the idea that barefoot running is simply more “natural.” But Dr. Zaki Afzal, DPT, owner of Optimize Physical Therapy and Performance in Las Vegas, pushes back on that framing a bit. “A lot of people use the argument that barefoot running is what our ancestors did,” he says. “Our ancestors never ran for sport. They ran to hunt, to get away, to survive. Running for sport and fitness is different, and you have to manage the forces you’re putting on your body.”

There are some legitimate benefits

The benefits aren’t just psychological. Makenzie Mazin, PT, DScPT, a physical therapist with the American Physical Therapy Association, says that transitioning to barefoot- or minimalist-style shoes can change the way a person moves. “Many runners take shorter strides, land more softly and use their feet and ankles more effectively to absorb force,” she says. This change often encourages a forefoot or midfoot strike, rather than a heel strike, a shift supported by a small 2019 study in long-distance runners. This change, Baker explains, can disperse force more evenly across the foot and leg.

“The increased awareness of the ground beneath them may also help strengthen the muscles that support the foot,” adds Mazin. Because barefoot shoes are thin and flexible, they force the foot to do more of the work that a cushioned shoe would otherwise absorb. Over time, this may help strengthen small stabilizing muscles in the foot.

In fact, a 2025 review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine found that barefoot and minimalist footwear may lead to meaningful improvements:

• Stronger, larger foot muscles

• Better coordination in the foot

That said, the study’s authors note that research on the benefits of barefoot footwear is still limited and has some major gaps, including small sample sizes, inconsistent study designs and no long-term follow-up.

It’s also worth noting that these benefits generally apply to people with a fairly typical, healthy foot structure to begin with. If you already have flat feet, high arches or an existing foot condition, going straight into a barefoot shoe may do more harm than good.

Anecdotally, Shah says she’s noticed increased calf flexibility, ankle dorsiflexion and general lower-leg strength since switching to barefoot-style running shoes. However, she emphasizes that the transition was gradual, taking about a year before her Vibrams were her primary running shoe. And there’s a very important reason for that.

Transitioning too quickly could land you in PT

As I found out firsthand, going from wearing regular sneakers to barefoot or even other minimalist shoes too quickly may result in some not-so-fun consequences.

“How an athlete transitions from traditional shoes to minimalist footwear is extremely important,” says Mazin. “Many traditional athletic shoes provide features that support the foot’s stability and function. Minimalist shoes remove some of that support, which means the muscles of the foot and lower leg must work harder to control movement and absorb forces. Without a gradual transition, the body may not be prepared for those increased demands.”

Transitioning to less bracing of the foot requires effort on the part of the transitioner. If a person is not willing to put in the work, my advice is do not attempt it.

Part of the issue is simple physics. Walking puts roughly one times your body weight through your body with each step, says Afzal. Running can put around five to eight times your body weight through specific areas — which is exactly why easing into any new running shoe, barefoot or not, matters so much, he adds.

Potential consequences of not transitioning slowly, according to Mazin, Shah and Afzal, include:

• Achilles tendonitis, tendinosis or ruptures

• Shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome)

• Stress fractures, particularly in the midfoot, navicular, fifth metatarsal or heel bone

• Patellofemoral pain syndrome

Expect the adjustment period to take up to 6 months (or longer)

How long this adjustment period takes depends on the individual. That said, Baker says a general rule is to gradually make the change over three to six months. Here’s an example of what this might look like, according to Baker:

• 1-2 months: wear the barefoot shoes during your cool down after your run

• 2-3 months: progress to wearing them on short runs (3-5 miles)

• 3-5 months: increase to wearing them on moderate runs (5-10 miles)

• 5-6 months: transition to your long runs

Afzal takes a similar, if slightly more structured, approach with his patients. He starts by having people simply walk in barefoot shoes during everyday activities — building from 20 minutes up to 60 minutes over a couple of weeks. Only once someone can comfortably walk 40 to 60 minutes in the shoes does he introduce a walk-jog progression: 30 seconds of jogging, a minute of walking, gradually increasing from there. “It’s basically how I bring someone back to running after an injury,” he says. “Same idea: don’t do too much too soon.”

Mazin shared similar recommendations, adding that as you increase your mileage in barefoot shoes, you may want to alternate with your usual shoes if you run daily.

Keep in mind that this may take longer for some. As Shah noted, it took her a full year to get adjusted. Or, you may adjust more quickly, especially if you’re already a midfoot or forefoot striker, or have a more mobile, flexible foot to begin with, according to Baker and Afzal.

If at any point you start noticing pain in your Achilles tendon, Baker says this is a sign that you’re progressing too quickly and should pull back.

Don’t throw away your regular sneakers just yet

While barefoot and other minimalist shoes have their benefits, that doesn’t mean normal sneakers don’t have their own.

“Traditional running shoes offer a different set of advantages. Their cushioning and support can reduce the demands placed on the feet and lower legs and may provide greater comfort, particularly during higher mileage training or for runners who are not accustomed to minimalist footwear,” says Mazin.

These benefits also assume a fairly typical, healthy foot to begin with. Afzal notes that stiffer, less mobile feet tend to do better in a traditional heel-to-toe shoe: “The heel strike rolls to the midfoot and off the toe, and that rocker actually helps the foot get through pronation and supination. If you’re always landing straight on your midfoot, you lose that rocker.”

Minimalist footwear generally requires the foot and lower leg to do more work, whereas traditional footwear can provide some relief from those demands.

Shah adds ankle or foot deformities and habitual heel-striking (without a willingness to change your gait) to the list of reasons to be cautious. But her biggest caveat isn’t about foot type at all: it’s about effort. “Transitioning to less bracing of the foot requires effort on the part of the transitioner,” she says. “If a person is not willing to put in the work, my advice is do not attempt it.”

Given the limited research overall on barefoot shoes, the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine recommends working with a podiatrist to determine whether barefoot or traditional sneakers are the better fit for you — and even if you do transition, it’s worth keeping a pair of supportive sneakers on hand for long days on your feet.

Barefoot shoes vs. regular shoes: it doesn’t have to be either or

“Ultimately, neither barefoot running nor traditional running shoes is inherently better,” says Mazin. “Each places different demands on the body. The best choice depends on the runner’s anatomy, training history, injury history and whether their body is prepared for the demands of that footwear.”

Afzal puts it even more simply: “It doesn’t remove stress, it just moves it around.” Whether you heel-strike in a cushioned shoe or midfoot-strike in a barefoot shoe, you’re not eliminating the forces of running — you’re just deciding where in your body those forces land.”

“Minimalist footwear generally requires the foot and lower leg to do more work, whereas traditional footwear can provide some relief from those demands. For many active individuals, thoughtfully rotating between shoe types may help balance challenge and recovery,” Mazin adds. Here are her general recommendations of which one to use when:

Afzal frames the decision around goals rather than injury risk alone: if you’re trying to build foot, calf and Achilles strength, and you’re not planning to drastically increase your mileage, minimalist shoes can be a useful tool.

Get help from an expert before making a decision

With countless articles online and now AI chatbots, it might feel like you can make an informed decision without having to set foot in an actual shoe store. But all of our experts agree that doing so could land you with the wrong shoe — and potentially injuries down the road.

Mazin explains that footwear can affect how your foot functions, but how it does so depends on your unique foot posture, whether you have a neutral or flat foot or high arches, how your foot moves and your overall strength and stability. “Wearing a shoe that provides too much or too little support for a person’s unique foot function can alter movement patterns and potentially contribute to soreness or injury over time,” she adds.

For example, when doing injury screenings at local running stores, Mazin says, “I frequently met runners who thought they were making a healthy choice by purchasing motion-control shoes. In some cases, their feet already functioned well without that level of support. The additional motion-control features limited their natural pronation, made their feet function more rigidly and may have contributed to soreness or discomfort over time.”

The best way to set yourself up for success? Get a proper fit evaluation at your local running store.

Ready to go minimal? Start here

If you’ve determined that minimalist shoes are a good fit for your feet, these options offer a few ways to ease into them.

Sticking with traditional support? Start here

If you prefer more cushioning and support, these tested and expert-backed options are solid places to start.

Meet our experts

• Zaki Afzal, DPT, owner of Optimize Physical Therapy and Performance

Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.