You will reconsider a barefoot transition after this...

I'm not wrong - you'll definitely change your mind after this video...
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To be clear, I made my transition to barefoot about 4 years ago. I did it both with barefoot shoes and walking around barefoot. It changed my life. My shin splints of 6 years went away and I wish I found out earlier
No more wasting time and your health - it's one of the best things you can do!
Resources to switch to barefoot and minimalist shoes:
How to start barefoot running intro - • How to start barefoot ...
How to start barefoot running exercises - • How to start barefoot ...
How to start barefoot routine - • 5 Beginners barefoot e...
Born to Run free with Audible Free trial ;D - amzn.to/3Jnvvjc
My favourite barefoot shoes: • Vivobarefoot Primus Tr...
Studies on barefoot:
1 - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
2 - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18202...
3 - scholar.harvard.edu/files/dli...
Audio credit:
RomanSenykMusic - www.romansenykmusic.com/
My survey on transitioning to barefoot:

[@JamesFromCanada]

Honestly, it did change my posture life... also my guide to the best shoes here - no BS or crap! bit.ly/BestBarefootShoes

[@TheNinjaFam]

Doctors told us that there was nothing we could do about our daughter’s crossed toes. Being a martial artists, I developed exceptional toe control. I challenged my daughter to practice toe exercises every chance she had. She excepted the challenge. Within one year her toes were no longer crossed and remain straight to this day.

[@justanothermountainbiker6958]

some doctors are just stupid even most PT's i hate it.. they will tell you something won't work without much evidence..

[@putrid2529]

Doctors are trained in the art of prescribing medication from big pharma. Not healing us. Great job.

[@peterspa2252]

I think your daughter was still in an age where her feet were not finally developed yet. So she had much better chances. But if you're old and the bone or the joint are the problem, then your foot won't change (much) anymore?!

[@Stephen85]

@@peterspa2252 definitely more room for improvement with a growing child's foot.

[@minutemanmedic4143]

Medical school hasn’t changed in 50 years

[@gordie4059]

I agree. The one thing I hate is the price gouging by ‘barefoot companies’. $300+ for basic shoes with half the materials of modern athletic shoes. They need to be priced competitively in order for more people to make the switch in my opinion.

[@mRxmodule]

This!

[@lukas1to249]

Agree completely

[@owg952]

Greed stifles the progress of Mankind, my friend

[@arnold2011]

It is also easier to sell cheap shoes to many people than to just a few.

[@adolfhipsteryolocaust3443]

There definitely are $80 or less barefoot shoes

[@valerydesaintambroise]

My trainer in high school always made us train bare foot. Entire years. I can’t thank him enough today, it helps with the balance and I love it, every time I train I do it barefoot.

[@joshvigranmusic]

Training for what sport?

[@CitsVariants]

@@Aneaxlll ice hockey

[@caden2109]

Same I’m in middle school

[@2k7u]

@@CitsVariants lmao

[@Adrienne557]

I came to barefoot on my own. I just realized that the more "support" I had, the more pain I had. So I started running in elite marathon shoes despite not being an elite athlete. Then I read born to run and realized that I wasn't the only crazy person going into a running store and asking for less.

[@HoldYourBreat4]

Same

[@LarryNgetich]

This explains why my feet are the way they are. I have worn sandals/thongs all my life, and my feet have a very wide foresole with no bunions. I always thought that was odd, but they did give me quite the advantage when it came to treeclimbing as a kid. Thanks for making this video.

[@michaf6397]

Maybe it's warm or hot everytime in your country, here i can only walk barefoot for 4 good months, and 2-3 are warm/ chill months, so there is still half a year that i have to wear shoes. I wish i lived somewhere where it's warmer.

[@LarryNgetich]

@@michaf6397 yes, that is a valid argument. I'm from the tropics, the Equator to be specific. Even the coldest weather here is bearable enough to walk barefoot. If it was colder, then we'd need more protection.

[@MuffHam]

Find shoes that say wide. Very comfortable.

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

Same lol. I mostly walked barefoot as a kid because I have really flat feet and shoes are mostly really uncomfortable. They either press where the arch is supposed to be or there's just nothing there and part of my foot kinda hangs off the sole.

[@mamotalemankoe3775]

My flatfoot was a blessing in disguise for me since I struggled to for by broad foot in most fashionable shoes so I needed super wide shoes for most things and wore sandals at home or just walked barefoot.

[@josuemontero2675]

You should also mention the Roman sandal. Those sandals are barefoot style too and the improvements in their design allowed the Roman army to travel further, and resist wear and tear.

[@JamesFromCanada]

shoot I really should've!! I have my own DIIY leather roman sandals and they're excellent. Great point I'll have to pull up in another vid! edit: Link because asked: canadianomad.com/diy-barefoot-sandals-guide/

[@Tribuneoftheplebs]

Tarahumara Huarache sandals are simpler. Roman sandals look complicated and probably don't work with a lot of outfits

[@heavybolter6396]

​@@JamesFromCanada would love to see the guide on how to make them

[@bidoof22]

​@@JamesFromCanada Please make a video on them specifically showing the history, benefits, how you made it and so on.

[@Savage_to_Sage]

​@@JamesFromCanada Roman sandals had metal stubs and spikes on the bottom for better traction

[@JdJeshaiah]

Interesting fact, in Southeast Asia, we're barefoot a decent amount of time. Lots of our sports/training are done barefoot. I grew up with my mates playing football on hard concrete courts completely barefoot, best time of my life! I moved over to barefoot shoes about 4 years ago and i've definitely felt the change. I have an urge to go places barefoot most of the time now, i just miss feeling the earth under my feet *wink*

[@gannonerrintaputra]

As a fellow SEA person, I can confirm this. Used to play football and basketball barefooted at 12 noon. The feeling of burn on my feet soles is so nostalgic 😛

[@Pbcvl]

I hate that feeling and that's why I prefer colder environments. You wear shoes and thick socks

[@razrafz]

thing is, the effect of shoes is less prevalent in SEA because it is not our culture to wear shoes indoors. shoes are seen as special occasion or work wear only so most of the time we only wear flipflops or barefoot. my dad tends to buy hard heeled narrow shoes so i hated when i had to borrow his for occassions. always felt foot fatigue after a day in them so when i buy my own i get ones that are wider with soft soles. dont have to buy specific barefoot shoes just choose ones that dont constrict ur toes

[@luceinbattaglia9425]

This is one of the reasons I love Thai culture💙🇹🇭no shoes no chairs=my back thanks and I appreciate the best form of running ever!

[@markokuningas9408]

A fantastic video James! Your story explains so well what is the effect on our health with today's fashionable footwear. I had my first foot symptoms in various sport activities when I turned 20 years old. Unfortunately I had quite a similar and long path with various inner soles and physiotherapy/doctors. It took me 25 years to find and realize studies and material that the footwear might be one of the important ways to get more balanced physical health. Now after three years of slowly getting into barefoot shoes, especially my feet and my back have started to feel much better and healthier. When you have travelled a long journey to a wrong direction it will take time to recover, but like you said, we need to do the transition today. It will not be easy or painless, but it will make us happier and healthier. Keep up your good work!

[@jztouch]

You're the first person I've heard that's compared our obsession with pointy shoes with Chinese foot binding and it's very apt. I transitioned to barefoot shoes several months ago and once I got used to them my feet are so much happier. I started doing feet strengthening exercises and realized my outer toes were just dead. They're slowly waking up. I'm a bedside nurse and I even work in barefoot shoes and I may get tired, but my feet don't like they used to. I also get to see what happens to people's feet after a lifetime in conventional shoes. It's not pretty.

[@matriaxpunk]

Literally one of the most used arguments by any barefoot specialist.

[@JohnMoseley]

Well said. It's shocking how common foot deformity is. Even in the otherwise idealised world of Hollywood movies, when someone takes their shoes off, especially but not only women, you see these misshapen travesties. We look back on the physically harmful conventions of earlier eras as if we've achieved perfect rationality in this respect, while subjecting ourselves to these harms as the norm. And it's not just the feet, it has effects on alignment all the way up the body, which very likely increase the instances of severe knee and hip damage among other things. My stepmother had toes that had all but atrophied - limp, completely bent out of shape - and she required multiple knee surgeries and found walking severely painful for the last decade of her life at least.

[@vmafarah9473]

I dont know what is the point of this video to the non western world who uses non shoe type chappals. I rarely use shoes , only for marriage functions. I have disc herniation though. Are you wearing shoes due to cold?my question to all shoe users .

[@zzodysseuszz]

You waste money. Barefoot shoes are a scam. Even tribal people who have had no outside contact for their entire history will have feet that are either deformed or look like someone who wears shoes like a normal person

[@HashbrownGokusan]

DDAAAaaaaaAAAAAMMMMNNNNNNNN @jztouch. That shit blows my mind. Thabks for emphasizing this from the vid.

[@-The-Golden-God-]

We don't even necessarily need barefoot shoes; a simple compromise would be widening the toe box on footwear. The way most footwear is designed seems utterly backwards.

[@wealthbuildingrockstar]

This!!!!

[@rikardlundgren]

You have my subscription! Barefoot running changed my running game forever. When starting out I also worked as an airline captain flying all over Europe and thus gained the great advantage of bringing "shoes" that was neatly packed in my carry-on luggage, instead of the previously bulky standard running-shoes. Great work your doing there buddy.

[@basicnpcc]

I'm only 26, and I used to have a ton of foot cramping issues just from daily walks. Tried a ton of different shoe styles, and barefoot was the one that fixed it. I think my big issue was that I'd walk heel first (rather than ball of my foot) most of the time since normal shoes allow for that, but barefoot style punish that behavior heavily. So it fixed how I walked, and thus my feet don't get random cramps anymore.

[@MintzRBLX]

Isn't the heel supposed to touch first? It seems veri of the other way around.

[@basicnpcc]

@@MintzRBLX It isn't about what touches first, I guess it ends up that most of the foot touches at the same time. What matters is where your weight is positioned taking the impact. I suppose it just feels more like your heel isn't touching first because you barely put any weight on it. It's just there to stabilize you.

[@suppertimesims]

@@MintzRBLX I have done physical therapy for my broken leg and they'd always tell me to walk from heel to toe

[@mp1758]

@@basicnpcc as far as I know heel striking is still fine especially for walking as long as its not a hard heel strike

[@isaiahsoucy]

​@@suppertimesims heel first is ok for a leisurely and short stride. But increase your pace past a meander and your feet should begin striking with the ball of your foot first more and more.

[@tulayogashala358]

I love your open and honest way of sharing your own story as well as clearly sharing your thoughts on bare foot shoes. More power to you.

[@PowerStallionGym]

I just straight up started wearing barefoot shoes after watching Barefoot Strength (formally Exercise Health) and Squat University and quickly adapted to it in 2 weeks. 6 months later I noticed that my feet were expanding and it has been almost 5 years since I started. Best decision I ever made

[@sarayuchaverah8630]

Thank you so much!!! I have plantar fasciitis but I consider it blessing in disguise because I am lead to these way of life that is barefoot walking. I am planning on buying my first barefoot shoes!!

[@JamesFromCanada]

pls sub to my lil channel to make it grow! :) also here's my Ultimate guide to help find the perfect shoe: canadianomad.com/vivobarefoot-buyers-guide/

[@saulsainz1806]

Ive been 6 months barefoot and im starting to feel the POWER!!!!

[@diego432hz]

One of the best barefoot videos I've seen, convincing and conclusive. Thank you

[@BIGMANLOGJAM]

I totally agree and thank you for spreading the word! I’ve been wearing Belleville combat boots 8-14 hours a day for the last 15 1/2 years and any kind of flats in my off-time for the last 20. When I’m running, I wear Asics designed for over-pronate runners. I always replace the insoles of all my shoes with heavy-duty inserts and ensure that my feet have room to spread out in all directions, which is very important for being on my feet all day and lifting weights…This is usually accomplished by wearing everything 1/2 to 1 size up. The replacement insoles do just enough to reduce excessive slippage. I’m 35 and my feet look and work “as advertised.” Forget fashion-It’s just always been common sense that keeping my feet enclosed and in something shaped like…A foot…Was the right answer. Do what feels right for your body and you can’t go wrong. I’m assuming competitive runners can’t always follow that advice, but you don’t have to train in your pro-gear for every session-just enough to be familiar with it.

[@goforbroke2]

I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes for 6 years now religiously everyday. I went on a 40 mile thru hike with a 60lb pack. I didn’t wear the correct boots and paid for it. I had to walk 20 miles with my Xero Sandals on, my buddies thought I was going to break bones in my feet😂 wearing these wafer thin sandals. It all worked out in the end, and they had so many questions after watching me do that.

[@TheMcShay]

Thank you for your videos and the effort you put into them! I've been postponing the purchase of my first pair of barefoot shoes for some time now but it's definitely going to happen. I'm grateful for that little reminder of yours!

[@JamesFromCanada]

yay very glad to help inspire! Remember to take it slowly - making such a transformation takes time!

[@cantthinkofnameyeah7249]

Your information is life changing, thank you for a a whole feild of health that I didn't even consider.

[@1malikalik]

Am American and Canadians are super humble people. Hey Bro, you earned you another Subscriber and a Like. Thanks a lot for enlightening us about the benefits of walking barefoot. Cheers.

[@xavierg2950]

This one was pretty fucking good, good to see the dedication to healthy movement. Its warm enough here that we are starting to climb outside again, even did some barefoot climbing. I have this feeling its gonna be a strong barefoot season for me. You've inspired me to climb Eisenhower Tower barefoot this year.

[@JamesFromCanada]

[@watchluver]

I switched to "barefoot life" over a year ago...its a top 3 of the best things health wise i've ever did... my feet have never been better!! And FYI i'm 62 years old!! it's never too late.

[@sfkeepay]

Your video was the final push my partner needed to join me in getting rid of our pointy shoes forever. Thank you!

[@JamesFromCanada]

❤ happy to help!

[@levilevi9621]

Is it ok to transition if I’m still recovering from plantar fasciitis? 32 yo m that exercised regularly, did yoga and never had foot problems before this.

[@Dijon118]

Hey you came through very positive. Thanks for spreading your perspective and experience. Personally I think that the big companies and most of us people are just stuck and going along with old traditions but also the big companies may fear to take the first step in the market as pure designer brands and change the form of the tip of the shoes. Though with people like you we can really make a wave and let them know what it‘s about and what we actually want spent our money on. OUR HEALTH!! All the best

[@deborahd2936]

It’s fitted socks too! I used to wear socks 24/7 and after I started wearing slippers with no socks in the evening, I had way worse pointy feet with less mobility, but now I can tell I get more movement and it’s improving! That and getting bigger boots!

[@chenanigans]

Yes I never had any issues with my toes growing up in the South wearing flip flops and running barefoot and what not but once I started my career where pantyhose were mandatory for women all of a sudden I have ingrown toenails that hurt like no tomorrow! I was so confused because I never wear the pointy heels other girls wear, I always stick to fitting flats but then I realized one day that my panty hose are constantly squeezing my toes and crunching them in together and that's what was causing my pain! And there is no way around it cuz as a tall girl there's no set of hosiery that doesn't squeeze my feet if I want to get them fully over my bum! Ugh.

[@welwellwell71]

Great video thanks. I was getting lower back and knee pain running about 8 years ago. I transitioned to zero drop shoes and after a brief transition period I've never had any more problems.

[@nikolamartinovic7933]

Thanks dude! You helped. I would love to hear your story of scoliosis and how you managed to make it better. You look good! Keep it up. Salute from Slovenia.

[@helloicouldntthinkofagoodn9083]

man, ive been thinking about this for a while, but i couldnt find any barefoot shoes. now that you've presented me these half decent-looking shoes, i think ill finally make the change!

[@freespeech7747]

100% correct, at 47 I went barefoot, it’s gradually helped every msk issue I had from head to toes

[@jwmj2897]

Dude yes. Thanks for communicating this, epic need to return back to how we were designed, in such a clear and concise way!! Been proclaiming this for over a decade since my own year long experiment/transition from the disgusting high-end running shoe trap to home-made huraches.

[@PinkiesBrain]

just bought the vivaro from your suggestion list. thanx a lot for that. Was looking for barefoot shoes for quite a while now but had no idea where to start. That list really helped me out. Thanks a lot.

[@JamesFromCanada]

glad 2 help!

[@mladenjovanovic2218]

You earn sub,we need more people like you in such times . Got a great idea ... to present people that old toilets was much better for human health than todays(where u sit instead of old when u duck)

[@SixthQuarter]

Great video. Definitely going to look at barefoot running. I love trail running but I’m fairly new to it and don’t get out as often as I’d like. But I might try barefoot running (with barefoot style trainers). Subscribed and looking forward to more videos. 👊🏼

[@balbibou]

Hi, also remember that concrete/"machine" ground has never been created designed to fit human anatomy (obviously) but for transportation of goods. Over the years I've noticed the absolute best results (at least for me) come from running on sand barefoot (the wet one close to water - right amount of bounce and support) .

[@cosmicreef5858]

It is not an opinion. It is a fact. In nature there is no concrete. It is ground(dirt, sand, mud, ect.) THOSE are the ones that your feet is made for

[@yourscody]

I have been slowly getting into the barefoot setting and my feet actually feel again, so that’s good. I also have found walking and not falling over quite invigorating! ❤

[@bigbattenberg]

I hear you man. Going barefoot/ minimalist is a very profound choice if one is ready to see it through. For me it has been a complete game changer ever since I put on Merrell Vapor Gloves back in 2018. At 50 I now run in the top tier of my age group and usually in the best 5-10 percent overall. Also loving every minute of it. I have found that (barefoot) running and calisthenics go together super well. Never felt better.

[@Morgue12free]

Thanks so much for posting this. I never realised how much shoes had been messing with my feet. I've worn mostly sandals since the lockdown and usually when I'm abroad. It feels great to walk barefoot or in very good sandals.

[@yansun-qk4gz]

Would love to see a video about how you corrected your scoliosis and knee issues! Would help me and I'm sure many others heaps as I am struggling with the same issue.

[@mouadtaha]

your voice is calming sir, thanks for the video

[@KeepitcleanOC]

Excellent video! Great for sharing and waking others up. Thank you

[@FromTheTreadmillUp]

I’ve always struggled with shin splints. There are probably countless reasons (weight, bad stride form, inactivity, etc), but I’m nearly certain that “proper” shoes have been the main culprit. As I’m finally trying to get healthy (vids on my channel), I’m realizing I really need to treat my feet better. I think I’m going to pick up a pair of Xero Forzas and start the transition!

[@luceinbattaglia9425]

Good choice, good luck man!🦾🍀👍

[@frankmueller25]

I agree with you. Back in the 70's, while in high school, I asked my track coach how should I run, heel down first? And he said yeah. 20 years later, as I was trying to gain milage to run my first marathon, I kept having to take longer and longer periods of inactivity to try to prevent plantar fasciitis from limiting my performance. Finally after a nearly 6 year hiatus, while in the early stages of plantar fasciitis, I heard about the benefits of barefoot running. Well, before spending $75 on a pair of Vibram 5 finger shoes, I decided to see if it would really resolve my plantar fasciitis problem by running in my zero drop slippers. Well it did, although I have had a few pulled calf muscle issues. I have run 7 marathons, one as a qualified runner at the Boston Marathon at age 55.

[@JamesFromCanada]

yeah none of my trainers never knew about barefoot. We trained sprint technique for ages ( on balls of the feet, weight forward etc), but my footwear prevented me from naturally doing that. Crazy how backwards things are with footwear

[@migmagingenieria]

Great vid!! Thanks for sharing. This will help thousands of people!! Cheers from Alberta,..

[@oiljug23]

I switched to barefoot shoes about a year ago, And i’ve had the best balance i’ve ever had in my life, i’ve always been clumsy and non athletic due to my balance in sports specifically. Not anymore, it definitely has helped a ton

[@ganymede...]

Interesting subject. I've recently transitioned to barefoot shoes and couldn't imagine wearing my former shoes again. Yesterday, I was wondering when and where the curious shape of modern shoes came, and now I've got the answer (maybe there's other reasons but that's an interesting fact).

[@TheBlueRoan316]

I went to the barefoot shoe camp a few years back and am happy that I did.

[@80Filthy]

Thanks for the great video, it was much needed!

[@mesterulmanole6837]

love your style of explaining great to watch i have to get in on this

[@JamesFromCanada]

thanks!

[@nicklong7442]

Been wearing primarily barefoot shoes the last year and a half to two years, and I will never go back. I just hiked a mountain filming a TV show for PBS, and we hiked for 10 hours straight, 19,000 steps, 8 miles, 3,000 foot of elevation, on extremely rough hard rocky route, all with a 40lb pack and camera in my hand. I did it all with barefoot shoes and was amazing at how well my feet and legs held up and how much stronger and smoother I felt from last year shooting episode one. Never going back.

[@Vinlarin]

May I ask what barefoot shoes you have? That sounds amazing and I'm really trying to get into the barefoot community, but I have no idea where to start so as to get actual good shoes that last

[@Acenis]

@@Vinlarin Vibram KSO evo, xero shoes z trek and belenka 3.0. All shoes for all occasions. Can't go wrong with vivobarefoot, but they are more pricey.

[@Vinlarin]

@@Acenis thank you for the recommendations I'll look into them asap!

[@jamesnesran2348]

have your feet gotten bigger?

[@AlexPletcherPhoto]

What's cool about mountains is they're melted buildings

[@spothra8862]

Went to barefoot shoes about eight minths ago. One of the best decision I've ever made...

[@feelgrounds]

Great video James! 👏👏

[@NaturalMobility]

Great post! Thanks for sharing 🙏

[@SteRumbelow]

When I read the title, I thought you were suggesting people reconsider NOT going barefoot! Pleased that wasn’t the case? Completely agree with everything you said. Foot health is key to a lot of things and I’d recommend barefoot footwear to anyone.

[@JamesFromCanada]

shoot good catch! Edited - will take time to change now :|

[@2040every1willbmixd]

Wouldn’t doubt that there will eventually be campaigns to discredit going barefoot and even discouragement of zero drop/flat shoes. 6 years ago I transitioned to zero drops shoes when on the trail , and flat style canvas shoes like vans for work , never going back to those wack ass chunky sole shoes that are marketed as comfortable. Feel so much more grounded.

[@cognitivedissonancecamp6326]

When I left the corporate world for good, I began wearing crocs almost all the time, and it has helped my feet. I know they aren't en Vogue, but they are actually nice and wide for your foot to expand and be in a non-binding position when in stride.

[@Fuzzira]

I work as a pool lifeguard and crocs are the best honestly, only downside is you wear out the bottom sole really quickly turning them into slip n slides.

[@cognitivedissonancecamp6326]

@@Fuzzira The tread is more aggressive on the "off road" version of the croc - and is better in that regard. I the sole isn't too warn thin, you can always glue some new treads on your slip and slide crocs.

[@Popsplace42]

I agree. All I want to wear are my Crocs. Shaped like a foot.

[@_johnnys_life]

Thank you! You have made me look into this more :)

[@x-rayofmyhand8875]

It's a good thing I always go for wider toed shoes ever since I was a kid. I just never understood the appeal of having your toes squished uncomfortably. I also never use shoes unless I have to, like going to work, or formal gatherings. I often wear open slippers when meeting up with friends or barefoot when at home.

[@foolfunk]

My fav shoes as a kid were these foot shaped ones

[@UnsettledSoldier]

Whoever isn’t barefoot at home is a psychopath

[@ajgumpper]

@@UnsettledSoldierI wear my Nike's all around the house I just dont wanna be cold

[@ElBoyoElectronico]

I had a very sturdy case of CRPS in my right foot due a climbing injury. I had to walk on crutches for three years and to this day I have to be very careful with my right foot as it stays very sensitive. What definitely helped me was slowly building up the mobility, strength and endurance of my feet. I had the goal of being able to climb again (just easy short routes) and now I can finally spend about 5min on the wall. But I only can endure this since my feet are now so strong and muscular as well as flexible. I do a lot of exercises, wear toe spacers and only buy shoes that are foot shaped (Birkenstocks as well as Meindl Comfort and now Splays). People really need to watch out for their feet more!

[@saifulazrinfoto9993]

I work for myself. I never wore a shoes. I only wore sandal and in my work place I bare footed and so are my customer has to be, barefooted in my bisnes premis. Your video made me feel normal and not alone in this barefoot thing. Let's make barefoot great again.

[@ewilde1968]

I had a club foot for about 2 years. My PT convinced me to go barefoot and it changed my life. I'm much more mobile now. Never going back.

[@kh-wg9bt]

I went barefoot about 15 years ago. It took work along side it, mobility and stability exercises were instrumental. But having that feedback from the floor makes my feet, hips,pelvis, back even shoulder girdles feel more stable. I'm 35 next week and my body never hurts. Ever! And I'm frequently deadlifting 200-250kg

[@firstlast2386]

The big issue is most barefoot shoes are still extremely narrow for people who have duck feet. I got the Ahinsa extra wide boots which were 12.7 cm in toe width, still slightly snug but no more blisters.

[@AnSturbin]

I went half a size up on my vivos, and my feet are still too wide! They split on the sides after 8 months. Still, I can't go back to my old shoes, and I just live with my hobo barefoot shoes until I can justify shelling out $260 CAD again for a new pair.

[@LykeArgy]

nah the real big issue is they're EXPENSIVE as fck, and those that are not on amazon/ebay come with freaking 40+ $ delivery where i live ...

[@elihazleton488]

Try the hydra esc, they are more expensive but are super durable and you can do almost anything in

[@MrMurphdog96]

great vid mate, good vibe and very professional :)

[@yikes1960]

Thanks for the video, I work out in the gym with barefoot shoes, I would actually work out barefoot if it was allowed. Back in the late 70's I absolutely loved "earth shoes", yes not barefoot, but definitely better and more comfortable for my feet. Grew up running barefoot everywhere in summer ! :) In spring it hurt running across the gravel driveway after wearing shoes/boots all winter, by the end of summer it was nothing!

[@robertalexander6271]

Never to late. Im 72 years young and started using barefoot shoes. My feet and legs feel great.

[@ClickToPreview]

I switched over to Xero Shoes a couple of years ago and now I have like 5 different pairs of 'em. I'll never go back. I'm pretty sure the reason seniors lose their balance and fall is that they have been wearing padded, cushioned shoes for so long that all the stabilizer tendons in and around their feet have atrophied. The first time I put on barefoot shoes, I almost broke a sweat just standing in one place! It was a wild, eye-opening experience. Now that I'm 50, I won't wear anything else unless I'm just putting around the house in some Crocs.

[@JamesFromCanada]

100% agree!

[@PeterKiMusic]

Had a major ankle trauma in mountains in 2022, after long rehabilitation decided to try barefoot shoes. Walking in barefoots since then, loving them! There are inexpensive and high quality shoes on the market. Had no ankle twists, blisters or other foot problems since then.

[@johnwillis7674]

I have been wearing barefoot shoes about a year now. My calves are extremely solid now and my balance is spot on. I do not regret transitioning and I will never go back.

[@hannesh234]

I've been barefoot nearly my whole life, and always hated wearing shoes, and even socks when I was smaller. The only problem now is that my feet are a bit too wide for my shoe size, so I have to go for larger sizes, but then usually the tips where the toes are supposed to be have a small amount of room left.

[@badart3204]

I have the same issue and I found wide ASICS are a shoe brand that runs extra wide for sneakers so I recommend checking it out. It’s the only shoe brand I can wear without squishing my feet

[@LacerdaIsAWeeb]

I always preferred using shoes and sneakers larger than the "appropriate" size for my feet, even as a kid I never like the idea of a shoe pushing my toes together and being unable to move then. Whenever I am not using sneakers or shoes, I am barefoot, I walk around my house exclusively barefoot, and it helps a lot with ingrown nails I think.

[@j-tay9284]

I love this man you passion for this is great.!

[@Dbarr311]

I subbed and liked your video, hope your channel goes viral!

[@JamesFromCanada]

thanks! :-)

[@TInyK12]

Barefoot shoes allow proprioception of the ground beneath you. You will adjust your posture into the most comfortable for your body. Me, I found that I was able to correct my posterior pelvic tilt which caused my foot to flatten. But, it took a lot of active self-assessments and paying attention to my posture.

[@MrScoobydoo12]

Been running barefoot for years now, It's like physio therapy for my Feet

[@simenabeau611]

Thanks for sharing!

[@barbora0299]

Great video! 🙏

[@maxafc4695]

I generally agree with your points, I will say, a lot of the issues from wearing shoes is people wearing shoes that are too small for them! I am also presuming that the basketball players must have issues from their toes being smashed against the end of their shoes with the constant changes of direction

[@JamesFromCanada]

I'd say it's less about change of direction than it is the shape of the shoes - in futsal I do infinite change of direction as well and it certainly helps to have a fight, form-fitting shoe, but I get exactly with the vivobarefoot primus trail fg

[@viCoN24]

You are talking about extremely high people with enormous feet during professional sports. It's difficult to find properly sized shoes that are big enough and if you are poor it becomes even harder to do so with changing to new size when people grow up. Athletes also get injured much more frequently so it's difficult to tell if only the shoes are the problem. They use shoes that help them in their disciplines and there is a good reason why even the best marathon runner runs in modern shoes and not barefoot. You mentioned some soccer players but most of them are within average height/shoe size so they most likely avoided this problem growing up. I still believe that barefoot is beneficial for most people who are healthy enough but reaching to extremes makes it a weak argument.

[@JamesFromCanada]

@@viCoN24 It's not the NBA athletes fault they use the shoes - they have no other option. It's Nike, Adidas, Puma, Under Armour, etc who are to fault, not LeBron or Bolt!

[@viCoN24]

They have all the options in the world. They just choose to wear one of the shoes that a sponsor got them. I understand that it gets shady when contracts are involved, but if the athletes wanted a different shoe, the company would make it as some sort of limited version and it would sell out even if it was a barefoot shoe. I'm not a basketball player but I can see that they are playing on a hard surface and they jump really high so cushioning/springiness with stability from high boot is critical. Barefoot shoes don't help with either problem. Running shoes combine foam and carbon plates for better energy recovery during typical stride. Additionally some use spikes to provide as much traction as possible. Some shoes that sprinters use have little cushioning but they still aren't barefoot ones. I wonder if these shoes will eventually be created and if they will even be accepted as barefoot after playing around with limited cushioning but still more naturalna toebox.

[@Will-kt5jk]

My main sport is bouldering (nothing serious, but it’s so much fun) so I end up switching between a (relatively flat, but still tight & stiff) climbing shoe & mainly barefoot/minimalist outside of that. The bouldering shoes do give support to try more things on the wall, so I feel like they’ve helped my toe strength. But the barefoot-style shoes (particularly on natural terrain) help me with form and overall strength. I might need some more cushioning for urban surfaces though - the thin soled barefoot I have are a bit jarring/work joints pretty hard on pavements.

[@dancan6622]

Sorry but you have not changed my mind, I am never going back to shoes. Thanks for this video, I will definatly check out your channel and subscribe. years ago at age 60 I stopped wearing shoes. At first it was just from laziness after retirering but soon realized that my back stopped hurting and canceled my chiropractor appointment. Going barefoot has changed my life , I am now hiking barefoot anywhere and even started trail running (never ran before in my life). I only wish I had known haw bad shoes were years ago.

[@JamesFromCanada]

awesome! No matter the age it's still possible!

[@aviewerman]

This is super cool!! Have a beautiful one James ❤ (Adrián and Cordelia)

[@m.rebel-lion4648]

being a skateboarder having tight shoes was better for doing my sport and now I have claw toes and squeezed little toes and I cant even lift my big toe seperatly my toes are like dead. I really need to give this a try despite of the price

[@m.rebel-lion4648]

​@Jamel CarpenterI could blame both

[@therealforestelf]

Low Tier Hobby Weightlifter here, I got the urge to walk around barefoot and suddenly after just half a year or so, I was able to move my little toes and everything, which greatly increases balance with micro adjustments even when wearing rather stiff weightlifting shoes. move like a human before you worry about moving like an athlete

[@user-ih2wf6nc2m]

Good stuff! Thanks!

[@lenartvolk]

I subscribed and like, keep up the good work

[@TheHorreK2]

i transitioned like 3 years ago gradually to barefoot shoes and i dont regret a thing, sure it was quite a pain, it was uncomfortable, it pretty much always hurt but there came a time i finally adapted to it and jeez and i cant fit into "normal" shoes anymore as most Toe-Boxes are simply to small. I gained more Footcontroll, my Knee pain disappeared and for anyone that struggles with not growing Calves.... well mine became very defined without really training it, simply by striking with the front of my foot instead of the heel. I am not gonna sugarcoat it though, anyone that wants to transition to barefoot shoes: Its going to be really uncomfortable, you basically have to re-learn how to walk pain/wobble free and your calves/feet are going to be sore for weeks

[@Glace1221]

As long as I can remember, I've always had wide, paddle-like feet. I don't know if it's because of weight, genetics, or the fact that I spent most of my childhood and teenhood inside the house out in the country, so I spent most of my early years barefoot, and if I were ever given a pair of shoes that hurt my feet or restricted my toes, I just didn't wear them. I remember I used to hate shoe shopping with my family, and I still do because my natural shoe size is about a 10 1/2 wide or extra wide, but 99.9% of shoe companies seem to not believe in making wide shoes, so I often end up wearing a size 11 1/2 or 12. Often with an inch of gap either in front of my toes or behind my heel, which gets awkward when your shoe has a raised arch or heel but your foot isn't perfectly aligned with it and likes to slide around because of all the extra space. For that reason, I've always preferred boots because at least I can lace them up tight to minimize foot sliding, but running in boots can be a pain due to a little thing called shin splints. My big sister once bought me a pair of size 12 $200 basketball shoes. I returned them and traded them in for a pair of trail running shoes and a backpack. When the lady at the shoe store asked why, I told her it felt like I was squeezing my feet into a plastic mold. The most comfortable and coolest footwear I've ever worn were a pair of sandals I made myself using a Xero Shoes sandals do-it-yourself kit. So as long as I didn't run on hard pavement with them, they were the most comfortable, fun, breathable, and easy to clean things ever, I wore them everywhere I could, and it became a fashion statement for me. I once made a pair where I just said, "Screw it", and instead of trying to neatly cut them in a curve to be shaped like my feet, I just cut the front parts straight so they had these jagged points to them. Called them my "Orc Sandals".

[@Glace1221]

And by sandals I mean sandals, not those lame foam flip flops with no ankle strap or support, fuck those things.

[@normanquednau]

subbed, mate😊 really good content!

[@miguelgonzalezvaz5552]

Congratulations James, the algorithm has made you viral! (And your content deserves ir ;)

[@goodvibekidd696]

It is so crazy that I’m seeing somebody make this video because I sent LeBron James a tweet probably six months ago suggesting he trains with barefoot shoes, to strengthen his feet! I’m hopeful that this video gets seen by a lot of people, man.

[@ckobo84]

Better help out Usain Bolt as well, his feet look like that of a 117 year old guy. Or a decomposed corpse.

[@coolbluelights]

idk why more people haven't figured this out. I figured this out as a teenager. I end up buying shoes too big so my toes sit in the widest part rather than the end. i've always done it this way because you can literally see what poor fitting shoes do to people's feet.

[@symptomofsouls]

Yup. I always buy 1/2 size bigger than I should. Big sneakerhead but I need to do that or else my feet hurt, thought this was normal and that everyone did this

[@Healingisfree]

Great video!

[@mrlloyd149]

yep! he's right. I'm definitely reconsidering it now

[@lynnes11]

Messages like this are quite dangerous. I spent about 10+ years barefoot/minimalist/foot-shaped shoes and it destroyed my feet. When I started having foot problems, my podiatrist told me that it was because I spend too much time barefoot.

[@JamesFromCanada]

interesting - can you share more about your experience? This is one of the few times I've heard about a case like this thanks!

[@noobatredstone3001]

What kinds of foot problems?

[@rodintremboy6459]

this seems very illogical. would you mind elaborating on exactly the issues and suspected causes?

[@greenergrassgames]

No response. Surprise, surprise.

[@silkygoldbutter1676]

What’s frustrating is that for athletes, there are no barefoot-inspired sneakers that can compete with the technology in Nike, adidas, etc. I play volleyball, and have played in basketball/volleyball shoes, but I have been returning to my barefoot xero shoes. My teammates are always so shocked when I show them how my shoes can bend in half and often think I’m crazy. 😂

[@JamesFromCanada]

Yep I play in our futsal league with barefoot shoes 0 have even better control and movement since I transitioned!

[@silkygoldbutter1676]

@@JamesFromCanada that's awesome!

[@silkygoldbutter1676]

@@JamesFromCanada I think barefoot shoes probably work better for a sport like futsal than volleyball

[@tomaurelius9553]

Be careful with the volume You get more stress using barefoot

[@HairyJuan]

I don't know what exactly constitutes a barefoot shoe, but I feel a lot of shoes for soccer could be classified as such due to many being designed to have lots of surface area on the upper inside part of the foot for better kicking. I know many of them are also super flexible and can bend in half like you describe. I've played soccer all year round for 20+ years, never paying any heed to this barefoot stuff and my feet are still perfectly normal without any issues at all. I even wore indoor soccer shoes just as an everyday thing for much of my childhood as where I grew up it was normal in middle and elementary school to wear them, I remember the Nike Mercurials indoor shoes were the coolest ones that everyone wanted.

[@fenrirgg]

When I think about the nature of our feet it reminds me about this (then 11 years old) kid: Angel Tzakum, who won a race running barefoot, all the other kids where wearing the usual running shoes. He was used to play barefoot and he just took off his Sunday shoes to participate in the race, and won. He was given new running shoes but his technique is running barefoot! 😂

[@lMoonKnightl]

Pretty good video. Very informative!

[@kodreaming]

One thing is, I always feel my knees are kind of sensitive, when I wear barefoot shoes for walking extended period of time, especially with elevation changes, I always feel my keens would take more impact than wearing a traditional sneaker.

[@istrala]

Sounds weird, but you actually have to relearn how to walk. The other types of shoes have trained you for heel strike, and that's not the best way to walk in a barefoot shoe.

[@user-p6-3561]

​@@istrala if you're barefoot like if you're just walking you're still supposed to heel-strike