How to PROPERLY Walk in Barefoot Shoes | 3 Tips from a PT

Walking in barefoot shoes is actually different from walking in regular shoes. In this video I'll explain how to correctly walk in barefoot minimalist shoes so you can avoid ankle, knee, and hip pain.
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Timecodes:
0:00 Intro
0:44 Tip #1
1:20 Tip #2
2:22 Tip #3
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#TheDurableBody #GoodRehabits #barefootshoes #minimalistshoes
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About this video: Keith Nunez from the Durable Body shares tips on how to properly walk in barefoot shoes to avoid foot, ankle, knee, and hip pain.

[@larrywaltman3916]

I have been checking out many different TY videos. It started with a search on the internet because of something I saw recommending walking backwards and it’s benefits. After starting this and finding most of the benefits listed were for me beneficial. Back issues gone being the biggest benefit. From there I watched videos from Knee over toes guy. I am 70 so not doing anything radical. And now feet. Best thing about starting with the retro walking is the reverse engineering of stepping. First strike is bent toes to the ball and outward edge of the foot and then flat. Now take that forward. Be sure your foot is always pointed forward. Your foot rolls off the pinky side first then the big toe. Finally pushing off the toes. Getting rid of duck feet is I think my final fix. So far it seems to be stopping my ankles from rolling to to the in side of my feet.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Larry! That's a pretty neat strategy. I haven't thought about that as a way to correct toe-out walking. Glad it's helping!

[@afreespirit5444]

They need to make more barefoot stylish shows

[@thedurablebody]

There’s starting to be more brands and styles out there. Xero, vivo barefoot, groundies, lems are a few

[@liammandrick4909]

Check out splay shoes they’re like vans

[@cone7073]

Vivobarefoot had a lot of styles. I love mine.

[@ShoeBoyReview]

Origo has some nice ones

[@austinstephens8123]

I just got my Tolos archetype 1. Really good looking shoes

[@thezephyrspirit]

Thanks man, that helped! Just got my first pair of vivo barefoot and I although I feel like ditching my other shoes completely, I think I'll go slowly. I'm also doing rolling daily.

[@thedurablebody]

Glad it helped! Yeah better safe than sorry. Rolling the calf and foot is a good idea. It’ll help with the mobility needed

[@thezephyrspirit]

@@thedurablebody Right on thanks... luckily I started with the toe separators, barefoot walking and rolling about 2 years back as I'm a body transformation coach and really love health and wellness, and just got the shoes recently. So I'm kind of prepared. Kind of. Lol, we walked about the airport yesterday for 2 hours and I haven't felt my calves slightly sore like this in ages. Thanks again!

[@gracehc9356]

Hey Keith! Really appreciate all your videos!

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Grace! I appreciate the support! It’s nice knowing that they’re helpful for you

[@booyaah9284]

Excellent. I loved the walking "silently"

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Booyah! Thanks for watching! It was the best way I could describe it

[@cpphool]

I switched to walking in barefoot shoes many months ago. As long as I land on midfoot/forefoot everything is fine. But if I heel strike, it's very bad for my back. So I would recommend trying that out for everyone who has any issues with heel striking when walking. As for running, I would always recommend midfoot/forefoot approach.

[@BazzGamez]

You might want to read up some more on 'toe walking' of forefoot walking. It's not advised. Because it feels better now, doesnt mesn it's healthy in the long run

[@stefan1924]

@@BazzGamez So landing on the midfoot is the better option in the long run?

[@ShoeBoyReview]

@@stefan1924 did you find out?

[@Yo_Ima_Goat]

@Bas wdym? It is highly advised not to use your heels when walking/running.

[@bringtheideas460]

Its unnatural to land on heels. Heels are for standing only. No other animal than human lands on heels while walking.

[@FiliusFidelis]

I've noticed that I do walk very differently both barefoot, in barefoot shoes and normal shoes. But even in normal shoes I walk more silently than most. My biggest problem is that most 'off-the-shelf' shoes makes my left foot ah 'creak' somewhere around the third metatarsal joint I think, a bit hard to tell. Doesn't hurt persay, but it IS very loud and is a bit uncomfortable.

[@thedurablebody]

Hmm that’s interesting! Oftentimes occasional joint noise without pain is nothing to worry about. But if it starts hurting in that area, then it might be good to get it looked at

[@booyaah9284]

I was doing a heel raise routine for Plantar fasciitis. My feet 'cracked" with every rep. I could feel and hear it ,which was more than concerning. But it didn't make PF symptoms worse. Overtime cracking minimised a lot as foot structures adjusted to the new movement.

[@bigaz72]

I moved to Xero & Vibram shoe for office, flight ramp, gym, around the house, etc. My heels are sore so #1 is big for me. I never realized I slammed by heel so much.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey! Yeah little changes can go a long way. Even just gradually increasing your use will prevent excessive soreness. Hope your heels are feeling better!

[@joshjohnson2956]

I saw in another video where they recommended walking in barefoot shoes like you would run in barefoot shoes, not heel striking first but coming down nearly flat but letting the ball come down first then the heel since there is better shock absorption that way. It makes sense to me since your foot isn't really designed to rock like modern shoes force you to. I notice when my two year old walks barefoot he walks like that.

[@friheten9081]

Thank god I already walk pretty similar to this I’m about to buy some barefoot shoes I’m just getting prepared

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Friheten, that’s great! Hopefully you have a smooth transition

[@yaronkl]

thank you.

[@evanlyniris9374]

I tried to walk silently as you suggested (only partially successful so far). But now I have sore calf muscles even though I didn't walk that much. Is this a good sign, or am I doing something wrong?

[@tishguerrero]

Do you know of any rehab, or research studies/articles related to heel striking with barefoot shoes. Symptoms of SI joint pain?

[@ouchpaw3518]

Do you have any tips for someone who is walking in barefoot shoes and has hip dysplasia? Am I at more risk or less risk to make the symptoms worse? Do you think it matters much at all? My lower back pain got so much worse the last few weeks. I’ve been walking barefoot shoes for months now and I can’t tell how it contributed. I can’t tell if it got worse now because I’ve been walking in them for so long (with natural transition) Or because I haven’t walked in them much lately due to the cold and not having warm alternatives. Sorry, big question! Probably hard to answer from afar. Appreciate your videos :^)

[@thedurablebody]

Hey ouchpaw! I think I’ve heard a research article referenced that said extra cushion doesn’t reduce forces in the joints above the foot and ankle. So it’s possible it doesn’t matter that much. What I would focus on if I had hip dysplasia is a lot of hip strengthening which will provide some stability that is missing. As far as back pain goes, it could come from a number of things. What I would do is focus on building up core strength and gluteus medius strength which will help your hip as well. Here are a couple of videos that may help! Try These Side Plank Variations to Build a Strong Core 💪 kzbin.infoa6EwcWw7spw?feature=share STANDING FIRE HYDRANT EXERCISE | How to Get Stronger Hips kzbin.info/www/bejne/ml6qgHyXbKt6mMU

[@thomaslevy2333]

Will this not make a person more limited in movement?

[@childcrone]

Isn't it the case that the long-stride, heel-striking way of walking or running sends more stresses up the joints and leg even in cushiony shoes?

[@thedurablebody]

Hey! Longer strides do increase stresses. Heel striking would put more stress to the knees and hips than forefoot striking. But forefoot striking would increase the stresses to the calves/ankles. When it comes to running in barefoot shoes, forefoot/midfoot striking makes sense since the forces are greater and you don't have much cushion in the heels. When it comes to walking, the forces are much lower but can be even further reduced with the tips I mentioned in the video. Hope it helps!

[@childcrone]

@@thedurablebody Thank you for the thoughtful response.

[@LotarNS90]

Nunez clan assemble!

[@thedurablebody]

Assemble! ✊

[@commentingisawasteoftime7195]

I actually switched to some xero zellens because I'm duck footed with high arches and oversupinate. Zero drop prevents me from twisting my ankles.

[@thedurablebody]

The name of your account 😆 yeah I could see how barefoot shoes would help your situation. Adding in some calf stretching too may help!

[@commentingisawasteoftime7195]

@@thedurablebody I used to do a static stretch by loading the seated calf raise machine with more weight than I could rep. that was part of my squat warm up.

[@markj.a351]

I have the same characteristics. I’ve just made the switch to zero drop. How do you strike with zero drop?

[@commentingisawasteoftime7195]

@@markj.a351 I still strike with almost the blade of my foot and also standard heel to toe, but I don't roll my ankles like I do wearing boots because there's no heel to amplify the torque.

[@MrX-vk1jl]

I think about getting Xero Mesa trail shoes, but I have flat feet and had them since I was a baby... Over the time, I unexpectedly developed oversupination. This occurred when I walked in Hoka Speedgoat 4 shoes and I didn't pay much attention, but things worsened quickly and not only do my feet supinate now, but I also have problem with my left foot pointing slightly outwards. So what do you think... is it a good idea to buy these minimalistic "barefoot" shoes and wear them when going for a walk. I plan to progress gradually, but also continue wearing orthotics since my feet muscles certainly will hurt a lot if I walk in these on hard surfaces.

[@nicoleso7777]

I’ve seen other guidance that says it’s incorrect to walk heel-to-toe in barefoot shoes or barefoot. Thoughts?

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Nicole! I know a lot of barefoot shoe creators say heel-to-toe is wrong, but honestly... I disagree lol. I think it's the natural default human way to walk. And for the vast majority of people, I think walking heel to toe, even in barefoot shoes is safe and won't cause any problems. I think the main concern people have about it is the impact on the heel, but if you don't overstride and try to control the impact like I mention in the video, that shouldn't be a problem. I’m not aware of any scientific article about walking with heel vs forefoot striking, but here's a video of people from an African village walking heel-to toe while barefoot or in very minimal sandals. My assumption is that they would be walking the “right way” since they haven’t been “tainted” by ultra-cushioned shoes that make us heel strike. kzbin.infoUgkxnp3MB0and5mCA225K_Huh6jhifg7Z-8N?si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE Running barefoot is different though. People tend to shift to a forefoot strike when running barefoot. Probably because of the higher forces that need to be absorbed and the need to move quicker. Long-winded lol but just some of my thoughts on the topic. Hope this was helpful!

[@thecount1001]

i have every type of footwear, from mountaineering boots, to barefoot shoes, you name it. the best way to walk in any of them is naturally. as in, your body will tell you, due to proprioception, exactly what to do. barefoot shoes naturally encourage you to be more gentle in your footfall and adjust your gait to a more compact stride. it's natural eh.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey James! Yeah I noticed I wanted to do exactly that when I was first trying it out

[@Rglezy]

I have plantar fasciitis which flares up from time to time. I have just been walking to school and back. Is there anything I could to help with that while wearing my barefoot shoes. (I have had these shoes for about 10 days now). I have been stretching alot but when it flares up it's really unpleasant.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Trap.CSGO! While barefoot shoes are good for strengthening your feet, if your feet are already are irritated with something like plantar fasciitis, it could be too much for it to handle during a long walk. It’s a good idea to rehab the plantar fasciitis first, get your feet strong and have enough mobility. Then start gradually transitioning into barefoot shoes. Hope this helps!

[@Rglezy]

@@thedurablebody yeah I learned the hard way. I started getting flare ups but I have been doing exercises to rehab my feet and have been wearing the shoes only to the gym .

[@copypaste3526]

Go walk on cobblestone with barefootshoes. It's sooo goood!

[@-jack-6801]

Can barefoot shoes benefit to martial arts? Just got a pair of wildlings and heard about the balance factor

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Jack! It definitely can. Improved balance when you can feel the floor better. But also you need those foot and ankle muscles to stiffen up your foot in order to push off of it effectively whenever you throw a punch or kick or advance forward quickly. Otherwise if those stabilizing foot muscles don't do their job, you could be missing out on some power. It could be a weak link in the chain. Hope that helps!

[@-jack-6801]

@@thedurablebody It does, thank you for the information, I’ll make sure to keep wearing these to get that improvement 👍.

[@markj.a351]

I’m so confused. I’m just making the switch and a bunch of videos say your supposed to stoke on the outside of your foot in the small toe area.

[@obertop74]

I swapped a few years ago and it took me almost a year to incorporate the new gait and for it to feel natural. Every time I went outside it took me at least 10 minutes to "find" my new gait. What helps me a lot is to try this: shorter steps; more arm swing which automatically leads to more hip rotation; mind my core and use my abs a bit; try to always keep my knees slightly bent instead of swinging my leg forward with the knee fully stretched; make my foot land UNDER my body instead of IN FRONT OF it. Sometimes it also helps me to softly press my toes to the ground with the back foot. This way my foot landing is sort of soft heel - soft middle foot (but no outer edge or 100% middle foot). The way I started learning this new gait was even more basic and learned from another video: by standing with two feet together, then tightening the glutes of one ass-cheek (sorry to be so blunt), this automatically makes you fall forward and use the other foot to keep you from falling. That foot will probably land UNDER your body. And this should also prevent that leg from stretching forward and landing in front of your body. So in the beginning I used to walk very rationally, alternating contracting my glutes all the time and really focussing on that. I found that video on the Xero Shoes website but it's no longer on there.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Mark! The foot is supposed to go from a supinated (arch raised) to pronated (flattened) naturally as a way to absorb shock and share the pressure across a bigger area. I don't think I would say to necessarily strike and land with most of the pressure on the outside of the foot all the time. You will want to get the pressure to even out across your foot/toes. Otherwise the outer side of your foot takes more pressure than it should and it could end getting sore over there. Hope this helps!

[@BouncySlim1]

@@thedurablebody I believe Mark is referring to forefoot walking as spoken about on the "Grown and Healthy" channel. I tried forefoot walking and it only makes sense when moving over rocky/varied terrain when heel striking doesn't make sense. Maybe you can watch his videos and educate us some more. Thanks!

[@jonastiljander6217]

@@BouncySlim1 I would also really like to see someone response to that guys theories of forefoot striking.

[@ToddMartinMD]

@@jonastiljander6217 This video is a point by point rebuttal of all the points on the Grown and Healthy Video and somewhat Bob and Brad, although Bob and Brad didn't really make a serious case. I also have a direct head to head debate with Grown and Healthy on my channel. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5WxcnuVl7GVd80

[@farciarz5000]

I think your heels should touch the ground as little as possible Use your toes and the front of your foot most of the time. It may not look normal but probably it is the correct way of moving around.

[@joshjohnson2956]

This is how toddlers naturally walk, I think you're onto something. Trying to train walking like this, seems unnatural after rocking for the last 30 years but I've only been trying it for 2 days now lol.

[@truffeltroll6668]

Walking like dancers and actors

[@lopresti4559]

Are these shoes going to help my lower back pain?

[@thedurablebody]

I’ve heard people say it helps and other people say it doesn’t help. So I don’t know for certain. But i think if you follow these tips, even if it wasn’t barefoot shoes, you would reduce the forces going up to your back with each step

[@Masacci0]

At least it's not one of those video suggesting to walk by striking with the ball of your foot, the most unnatural and forced way of walking. Running and walking are different beasts and those "influencers" just show how little they know about body functioning. Good suggestions in the videos which basically are what the body tries to do by itself after some times in barefoot shoes to avoid shocks.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Mash V, thanks for watching and for the feedback! I appreciate it!

[@spanishpeaches2930]

Agree. I'm trying to transition at the moment.Running off the midsole/balls of your feet with barefoot shoes is quite natural...but walking using a similar method, as you stated is really difficult. Trying to get a rhythm going that way I'm finding an absolute pain. This guys approach seems far more sensible.

[@ganste8310]

Clearly you never landed with Ryanair.....it's like landing on an carrier with an F18. In my opinion, the best way of walking would be socially weird, it would involve more glutes and almost like wearing high hills.

[@thedurablebody]

Hey GANSTE! Haha I have not tried that airline but I’ll be sure to stay away! Your glutes and calves will be nice toned at least lol

[@_el.guapo_]

Landing on your heel with barefoot shoes ? 🤔 In my experience the benefits of wearing barefoot shoes (on top of having more room to spread your toes) is to compel you to land on the forefoot. Although it does take time to build thicker skin at the ball of your feet and stronger calves (particularly bottom calves and ankles) but then your calves can take the impact.

[@jafethsalas6561]

I thought it was better stepping with the forefoot side

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Jafeth! There’s some differing opinions/hypotheses out there. Running with a forefoot/mid foot landing makes sense to absorb the higher loads. But I don’t think it’s necessary for walking.

[@DibakarMondal-ou9xp]

Please help me l am boy but wolking like a girl

[@johnq.public553]

The second advice is incorrect, never do heel landing, instead do soft fore foot landing. Never stomp your feet, if you do you will receive immediate pain signals.

[@220volt74]

Wrong! Every MD, PT, evolutionary biologist, or biomechanic will tell you that humans HAVE to land on the heel when 'walking'. Running is a different story. Heel has big strong bones and much more fat cushion than forefoot which has brittle and small bones. It has literally evolved for this purpose.

[@2centsbear638]

I'm not an airplane though, my toes and forefoot have tonnes of joints and muscles that go through the ankle. My heel, doesnt have that suspension system. Again, we are airplanes, at least im not

[@thedurablebody]

Hey 2CentsBear! The airplane thing was just a metaphor not to be taken literally lol. I think for most people the loads we encounter while walking are small enough to not always require the extra shock absorption. But if I were running, that’s a lot more load and I would probably go forefoot first for that

[@JohnMoseley]

Every video I've seen on YT about this sounds like desperate guesswork pretending to authority and I'm afraid this is no different. It's almost the worst thing about conventional footwear that it's left us all so perplexed about how to do this utterly basic thing. For what it's worth, what's worked for me is to pay attention to my feet and kind of play around with different approaches to walking. Going for fully barefoot walks taught me a lot about what felt good for my toes, especially. Very different from walking in even very minimalist shoes. In my case, it's come to seem as if both my toes and my feet needed to splay more to correct the patterns and habits that overly narrow and inflexible shoes instilled, but I doubt this is a blanket prescription for all. As I say, you can go along way with trying to figure it out for yourself. That said, probably of some help to some: I was trying to forefoot walk for a while and got into a conversation with someone on YT who said there was a study showing that people who'd always walked barefoot walked heel to toe. I think this is right. Forefoot walking never felt good to me and my walking's at it's most comfortable now and is heel to toe. It's just that it's not as linear as that sounds. I feel as if I'm walking kind of duck-footed, now, sort of rolling my feet diagonally, out to in, but when I look down, the feet are straighter than they feel. I guess that's an indicator of how conventional shoes screwed up my sense of my feet. One other point, while barefoot walking is certainly a puzzle, it's been better for me from day one than walking in regular shoes. I was getting chronic foot pains and they all went away really quickly in barefoot shoes just because I had more toe space. The idea that one is giving up comfort in any way by quitting conventional shoes seems to me a total fallacy. I used to walk around the city in supposedly comfortable sneakers and my feet would feel awful. Some of the supposedly simple cushioned trainers like Converse or Vans actually have a really hard and heavy sole and even in sneakers where the cushioning was good at first, it would break down really quickly. The wide, flexible soles on barefoot shoes are already better than this, but for those who want a bit of cushioning, they also often come with removable insoles, most of which are far more comfortable than the cushioning in regular sneakers. When I got my Freet Connects, which at that time came with a shock absorbing ortholite insole (which you can still buy separately from Freet), my first thought was, 'These were the simple comfortable sneakers I was always looking for and never got from Adidas, New Balance, Onitsuka and all those others.'

[@thedurablebody]

Hey John! Thanks for sharing your experience! Seems like we agree about walking heel to toe. I’m interested in that article you mentioned about barefooted people walking heel to toe. Do you happen to know where to find it?

[@JohnMoseley]

@@thedurablebody I"m afraid I don't have that article,, no. Several times I've looked for the KZbin conversation in which it was referenced and never been able to find it. However, since posting here, I've found Emily Splichal's book Barefoot Strong and that's really helped me both walk better and strengthen the muscles weakened by walking in standard footwear. Wish I'd had it eight years ago when I first switched to barefoot shoes and can't recommend it enough. Splichal's walking advice still has me walking heel to toe, especially since she offers targeted advice depending on whether you tend more towards flat-footedness or a high instep. For the latter, which applies to me, she recommends strong dorsiflection when walking.

[@thedurablebody]

@@JohnMoseley thanks for the recommendations!

[@JohnMoseley]

@@thedurablebody A pleasure. Hope you find it as useful as I do.

[@franksea39]

barefoot shoes? am i on planet earth?

[@thedurablebody]

Lol it is kind of an oxymoron

[@carlosjosejimenezbermudez9255]

Walking on your forefoot is mandatory if you actually want to benefit from it. I have never seen anyone land on their heels when barefoot, you instinctively avoid it. Landing on your heels while going down the stairs is incredibly painful as well, why would landing on your heels be recommended at all?

[@thedurablebody]

Hey Carlos! I don’t recommend going downstairs heel first either lol. As for running barefoot, I think most people’s natural tendency is to go forefoot first. As for walking barefoot, I think I’ve only ever seen people walk barefoot heel to toe like when they’re in their house. That’s my experience at least. But I could see people walking forefoot first if they came across hazards like rocks or legos that they want to avoid stepping on

[@Natecoxy]

I think you should not land on your heels at all.

[@mrsirman2177]

Forefoot right?

[@esoekidjo]

I walk barefooted from heel to toe. Take smaller steps, bent your knee a little and walk with a smooth rhythm where you guide your heel for a soft landing. It doesn’t hurt or shock your legs if done correctly. I don’t experience sore calves compared to forefoot/ midsole walking.

[@pompom9561]

Man naturally Walk … wat hapend that he is not able … while walk from birth !? Wat a world !

[@mbogucki1]

Best advice I have for barefoot shoes: Don't wear them on concrete or asphalt. Use them for hiking on dirt paths or grass where your feet where meant to be.

[@sergeant_salty]

you don't even need to wear zero drop shoes to benefit from this video. people suck at walking.

[@Holly-ql4ox]

I thought with barefoot shoes you are supposed to land on the balls of your feet first?

[@chezero404]

So... just walk slower

[@thedurablebody]

Hey chezero404! Not necessarily. Shorter and more controlled steps are what creates less impact. But you could walk the same speed if you increase the step rate.

[@davidrosenthal5795]

First don’t wear barefoot shoes. Then walk like normal……. Y’all are welcome :-)

[@HyzerFlip]

Wow I never thought of that. You're so fucking helpful.

[@TechHouse949]

Is someone stealing all the food at ur house.? Wtf happened to u.