Barefoot Shoe reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 290 Reddit reviews across 13 subreddits and 60 posts to rank the best Barefoot Shoe brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/BarefootRunning, r/barefootshoestalk, r/BuyFromEU, r/onebag, r/malefashionadvice. Top-rated brands include Lems (4.3/5), Xero (4.2/5), Altra (4.4/5).
Stats
Reviews290
Subreddits13
Posts60
Brands58
Products52
290 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Lems
4.3
(28)
"I wear Lems everyday and love them"
"I love my Lems. Had them for years."
"Lems Primal Zen are great on concrete and super breathable too."
"I love the lems primal 2. I wear a pair for working long 12 hour shifts."
"I have a pair of Lems Outlander boots, waterproof and look good."
"Lems primal 2 or primal zen."
"Another vote for Lems. I spend my days moving around hard floor too and I haven't had any issues at all."
"Super roomy toe box! It also have a bit more cushion than most barefoot shoes."
"Check out Lems Primal 2. They're my favorite shoes."
"Lems are great. Not zero drop, and the sole is a little thicker than xero, but they're super comfy and hold up well to a lot of hiking"
#2
Xero
4.2
(25)
"I love the Xero Scrambler Low. Just used them in Sedona and Grand Canyon with a kid on my back."
"I really like the Xero Scrambler models for hiking."
"Getting Xeros at their annual sale is the best mile/$ you can get for true minimalist footwear"
"Love my xero, and they don’t look like “barefoot” shoes."
"I’ve tried several barefoot brand and feel that the Xeros are a solid option if you’re concerned about the aesthetics."
"I'm very fond of my Xero shoes. Super thin soles and the perfect amount of grip."
"If you don't mind about price, the Xero Mesa trail might be a better option since those shoes are build with even better grip."
"I’ve used xero HFS II to train on hard surface such as concrete/asphalt."
"Just got these and imo they are really nice"
"I’ve play pickleball in the Xero nexus knit for the past for the past 5-6 months with total around 90 hours on them, majority outdoor courts. I like them ok, the soles have hold up well."
#3
Altra
4.4
(20)
"Sad to hear the Lems are kinda narrow. Altra Lone Peaks are awesome"
"Altra were a stepping stone (i still use them for running) and I wear barefoot shoes at work and outside. Best thing ever."
"I trail run in zero drop and definitely wear some zero drops to work these days. Recommend Altra running shoes all day!"
"I love them as well, get no back pain on rounds with them."
"I use them and love them! As long as you recognize you will have to alter your gait pattern slightly."
"They’re super comfortable and supportive for all-day wear."
"I think Altras is the way to go"
"I agree with the recommendation for Altras to start with."
"I have extra wide Altra Lone Peak (wider toe box, they’re like a trail running barefoot shoe)"
"Nurse here and I wear the altra superiors"
#4
Vibram
4.4
(19)
"My go to is Vibram Five Fingers. I also have Xero shoes, Vivobarefoot, Lems, and Altra Lone Peak for hiking."
"I‘d personally advocate for VFF all day."
"Vibram vtrek for big days in the hills/technical/scrambling."
"One of my favorite things about Vibram Five fingers is that the separate toes make it feel like they're glued on."
"Vibram fivefingers if you’re looking for the most barefoot like."
"Go with the Vibram Fivefingers yeah, they rock so much, go slow at first, like 10 mins max on concrete and adjust."
"Vibrams are the best for minimalist running."
"The shoes I've found the best for me are Xero HFS and Virbram Five Fingers."
"I like my Vibram Five Fingers."
"I also hate toe socks but love my Vibrams. I’m not sure that I can explain exactly why… toe socks feel thicker and more constricting, maybe?"
#5
Vivobarefoot
4.1
(20)
"I personally use the Vivobarefoot Primus Trail with the laces swapped and the Vivobarefoot Tempest ESC - nice and agile and lightweight shoes."
"They're both great."
"+1 for Vivobarefoot, and especially the Gobi III and Ra III."
"I swear by Vivobarefoot boots/shoes and Earthrunner sandals."
"Otherwise, as others mentioned, Vivobarefoot have really nice walking shoes."
"I have Vivobarfoot shoes and a few Whittin shoes and genuinely impressed by the Whittins. Solid shoes. Vivo are nice, too."
"I believe the vivo geo court shoes are meant for this."
"Xero, Lems, Vivo, Splay, BeLenka are brands that come to my mind."
"The two largest brands are Vivibarefoot and Xero. Normally that means they’re doing something right."
"Vivobarefoot is good quality for sure, but they run a bit on the narrow side."
#6
Whitin
4.0
(15)
"Love my whitins. I have one for lifestyle/gym that I've used almost every day for 15 months, still in perfect condition."
"Love my whitins :)"
"If these are your first pair of barefoot shoes I would go with these by Whitin. I bought them last May and have put over a million steps in them (literally) and they're still holding strong."
"My wide Whitins feel like I’m not wearing anything, and very affordable."
"Check out Whitins. I especially love the wide canvas ones."
"I have Vivobarfoot shoes and a few Whittin shoes and genuinely impressed by the Whittins. Solid shoes."
"The ground feel on Whitins are better than some of the Xero, Groundies, Lems, Feel Grounds."
"I’m here to second Whitin. I used to buy Vivobarefoot but haven’t been able to justify the cost. The Whitins last longer."
"My whitins off Amazon were 40 bucks and have become my daily drivers."
"I bought a cheap pair of Withins (still use them now!) to get used to it and I wore them initially just to walk my dog."
#7
Wildlings
4.4
(12)
"For me, Wildlings are the best."
"I love my Widlings."
"Wildlings (germany), vivobarefoot is UK based, both are B corp certified."
"Wildlings are the one we prefer"
"My favourite brands are Wildlings, Muki, Freet and Groundies."
"Wildlinge are pretty good, i wear them for e few years now"
"I personally use Saltic, Leguano and Wildling."
"Wildings...made in Portugal, I had a little issue with one of my pairs emailed them and got it sorted straight away, very accommodating and seem better made compared to Five Finger ones I had previously used"
"I can recommend wildling ( https://www.wildling.shoes )"
"Wildlinge. German Brand, produced in Portugal."
#8
Vivo
4.4
(10)
"Make sure to chk out revivo too"
"I love my Vivo Geo Courts. Highly recommend them."
"Vivos Win"
"Go with Vivo Geo Courts. They’re are the absolute best."
"I'm a longtime barefoot runner who prefers to walk barefoot as much as possible. I often wear Vivos."
"Primus trail all weather from vivo and freet howgill are both water resistant hiking shoes."
"Primus trail all weather beg to differ. 10x more expensive than your current shoes though."
"I've been wearing ONLY true barefoot shoes for years."
"Vivo I think it is are very good... just keep in mind toddlers boys and barefoot closed shoes = very sweaty stinky little feet."
"I had been wearing zero drop very low rise barefoot style shoes for like six years (Vivo, Xero, Camper Peu)."
#9
Wildling
4.4
(9)
"I wear Wildlings (I have several different pairs) in the summers as my go to work shoe, always without socks, and they’re holding up beautifully."
"Your best bet is probably Wildling. Their whole approach is about sustainability."
"I‘m obese and mostly wear Wildlings."
"I'm really enjoying my Wildling Nebula shoes."
"I've had my Nebula's for a about 11 months and well they certainly look dirty in places they're still in good shape."
"The Wildling Nebula, now called the Nittugo, is pretty comfortable without socks and has a polly-wool blend upper to help with thermal regulation and breathability."
"In the summer, I seem to prefer Wildling."
"Wildling are good and also feel very breathable."
"Wildling and Vivo are also good but a bit expensive, given that they only last 1 season at that age."
#10
Merrell
4.4
(9)
"I’ve spent the last decade running in the Merrell barefoot line. They are incredibly durable, excellent groundfeel, decent grip and adequate toe protection."
"MERRELL Trail Guide 5s are a mix of a good barefoot shoe while offering solid arch support."
"It's about as close to barefoot as you're going to get while wearing shoes."
"Love my trail gloves (5)!"
"Something from Merrell Barefoot? Maybe wildlings?"
"Merrell trail glove...some of the editions have arch support."
"Merrill and Keen are kind of what OP is looking for? Both have wide toe boxes (mostly) and they do have arch support; mostly pretty flat too."
"What do you guys think of the merrel vapor glove?"
"If you like those Merrell VGs, go with Trail Gloves."
#11
Hobibear
4.0
(9)
"Hobibear. Same shoe, but better laces. And half the price on AliExpress."
"Just bought my second pair of hobibear sneakers. From amazon, Real plain and comfortable."
"Protip: Aliexpress Hobibear for the pricing."
"Go Hobibear from AliExpress instead. "Same" show, but actually has better laces, and is often half the price."
"Hobibear have been decent "cheap" barefoot shoes for me. I think theyre basically the same thing as the Whitins."
"Hobibear from ali are also good cheap shoes"
"Hobibear - I have them myself as my casual/everyday and I'm liking it."
"Probably Hobibear. I’ve also heard good things about Tipsietoes"
"Hobibear/whitins"
#12
Splay
4.6
(7)
"Personally I will always throw out Splay as my personal favorite."
"Splay 101 is arguably the best shoe for there price"
"My favorites lately are ... Splay (skate style)."
"Splay 101"
"He's looking at Splay for his next pair."
"Splay for New Balance and Vans clones, as well as some leather sneaker options in the vein of vejas/etc"
"Splay Rev has a high volume toebox and its canvas + rubber."
#13
Hykes
4.8
(6)
"Been 3 months now and wow what a difference."
"I have been wearing Hykes barefoot shoes for 3 months and bought the Hykes Escapes."
"Hykes are my favorite, I wear Hykes Escapes"
"High quality and good looking shoes."
"I will never go back to regular shoes."
"Try the Hykes Escapes or Hykes Urban Trek"
#14
Feelgrounds
4.2
(5)
"My favorites lately are Feelgrounds (more simple/classic style)"
"I like my Feelgrounds winter boot!"
"Feelgrounds, BeLenka, Wildlings are options."
"All of these make 'casual' minimal shoes."
"I wear feelgrounds, they look pretty good and they feel great."
#15
Be Lenka
4.0
(5)
"Have you looked at Be Lenka Trailwalkers 2.0? They are lightweight but with good treads."
"I was happy with their other products, so I believe their barefoot shoes would also be a good choice."
"Belenka and Barebarics are great! Not sure how Vasky fits, but i saw a few close friends wear it :)"
"Belenka from Czechia. Great quality, very nice style."
"The most stylish and "normal" looking barefoot shoe brand. Also high quality, I have a bunch of Belenka shoes.I had vivo barefoot before but they look weird and would also fall apart quicker."
#16
Jim Green
4.8
(4)
"Jim greens are awesome leather barefoot boots."
"Came here to say Jim Green as well"
"Jim Greens. Take a look at their shows and boots- may be something that appeals to you."
"Jim Green barefoot african ranger boots are great."
#17
Softstar
4.8
(4)
"My softstars are super wide and super minimal. They're also the most comfortable shoes I have."
"I am excited lol they look like the widest shoe."
"Softstar Primal or Realfoot worn with Correct Toes toe spacers."
"Softstar and Wildlings, probably."
#18
Freet
4.5
(4)
"I can vouch for the fact that they’re *very* waterproof."
"My feet have stayed absolutely bone dry even on super wet grass."
"Freet are very good, paid about £50 on Sports #pursuit recently, they also have Xeros"
"I use Freet or Vivo for hiking and the Superiors or Lone Peaks for trail running."
#19
Ohne Project
4.0
(4)
"Ohne Project make the best looking trainers imo."
"Ohne project is also one of the best looking sneaker."
"Ohne Project"
"Ohne Project"
#20
Birchbury
3.5
(4)
"Birchbury. Look like nice plain leather sneakers or dress shoes."
"Birchbury"
"I have a pair of white Birchburys. They’re very soft and comfortable and they look good."
"I really wanted to like both the Origos and the Birchbury, but both looked like they weren’t well-constructed."
#21
Groundies
4.3
(3)
"Groundies are my fav."
"I wear my Groundies every day and I love them! German brand based in Freiburg, shoes made in Portugal"
"Check out groundies - they have a bunch of waterproof options now…"
#22
BeLenka
4.3
(3)
"Belenka is my current favorite. Barebarics is their subsidiary and they have a lot of cool sneakers."
"I think Be Lenka are the most stylish."
"Xero, Lems, Vivo, Splay, BeLenka are brands that come to my mind."
#23
Astral
4.3
(3)
"I still much prefer no socks. And find with the astrals I don’t get any blisters. Temperature issues. Etc."
"I love astral shoes. Have multiple pairs. Coincidentally i also run terry cloth insoles in my brewers and they are suuuuuper comfy barefoot."
"The techyak in at the store I work at, it feels good from a fit perspective, but the texture of the footbed and material of the upper was not to my liking. The loyal ac has a much better texture on my barefoot."
#24
Gaucho Ninja
4.0
(3)
"Gaucho Ninja: https://gaucho.ninja/collections/goodyear-welted-barefoot-shoes"
"I can vouch for Gaucho Ninja."
"Gaucho Ninja look good and so do some Vivobarefoots."
#25
Treks
4.0
(3)
"The Treks Airo in all black look like normal sneakers but have a wide toe box and zero drop sole."
"I use Treks Airo. They're ultra-thin and flexible but still shield your feet from rocks."
"For hiking on rough terrain, I use Treks Airo, they're not five-toe but have an extra wide toe box for natural spread."
#26
Vivos
4.0
(3)
"That's fine then. Vivos are the best looking imo."
"I’ve had my vivos for daily year over the last 1.5 years and have no issues - still plenty of life"
"Vivos are currently 25% off with code LYKKA25."
#27
Topo
4.0
(3)
"Topo that have a very similar build to Xero shoes (my personal favorite), but they have a slightly more cushioned sole and it has allowed her to bridge the gap."
"I think you're better off getting a pair of topos or altras."
"You could check out Topo"
#28
Leguano
4.0
(3)
"I personally use Saltic, Leguano and Wildling."
"Leguano. made in germany"
"I'm currently very happy with Leguano - but in the summer, I seem to prefer Wildling."
#29
Topo Athletic
4.0
(3)
"Look into Topo Athletic."
"I also forgot to mention Topo shoes! They have some wide-ish running shoes with a more traditional style/cushion."
"Check out topo athletics too, a decent place to start with zero drop, they are not barefoot, or even minimalist except for perhaps their ST-5 model, but have a reasonably wide toe box."
#30
Muki Shoes
4.0
(3)
"I’m looking at grabbing a pair of these: https://mukishoes.com/product/soca/ They are brand new, I think just went on sale yesterday."
"Muki Shoes- some models may have a bit of plastic- like Im pretty sure my sandal buckles are but most seem to be free of plastic."
"MukiShoes and Bohempia."
#31
VivoBarefoot
4.0
(3)
"Been playing in some ESC Tempest and they are amazing!"
"I’ve played good games in some old Vivobarefoot trail sg model."
"I also have a pair of Vivobarefoot Primus Lites that I only use at the gym. They have very thin soles so I don't feel super comfortable wearing them all day but they're closer to barefoot than the Xeros are."
#32
Revivo
3.7
(3)
"I have a pair from Revivo and love them."
"Buy from revivo"
"Also, check out Revivo if you haven‘t. They‘re basically selling refurbished Vivos."
#33
Barebarics
3.7
(3)
"Belenka and Barebarics are great! Not sure how Vasky fits, but i saw a few close friends wear it :)"
"I got a pair of barebarics. They are cool!!?"
"Barebarics"
#34
Vibram Five Fingers
4.5
(2)
"Get some five fingers. Wear them at home after work for a week."
"People like VFFs because they’re supposedly closest to feeling barefoot while still being a shoe."
#35
Splay Athletics
4.5
(2)
"My daughter uses splay athletics and we are super happy with them."
"Two brands that are intentionally minimalist and on the somewhat cheaper end are Splay Athletics and Ten Little."
#36
Brant Footwear
4.5
(2)
"I’ve been using Brant Footwear, very happy with the shoe so far."
"I use a trail shoe from Brant Footwear."
#37
Bohempia
4.0
(2)
"Bohempia! To add to your comment for OP, try looking at barefoot shoes from the side profile--the angle most people will observe them on your from."
"Bohempia has a few models with microfiber, but most of them are made from hemp, with vulcanised rubber soles."
#38
PullTop
4.0
(2)
"I also found I like the PullTop brand on Amazon too. I’m not super picky but both get the job done."
"Pulltops on amazon has some good casual summer shoes. I have a couple pair."
#39
Saltic
4.0
(2)
"Saltic - they offer a nice wide platform and claim to sell winter ready hiking boots."
"I personally use Saltic, Leguano and Wildling."
#40
Aylla
3.0
(2)
"Aylla, blusun, groundies (latter is pretty low quality)"
"Aylla Shoes"
#41
Shapen Barefoot
4.0
(1)
"Shapen barefoot has really cool shoes!"
#42
Lems, BeLenka, Xero
4.0
(1)
"I must know about the toast shoes lol. Lems or BeLenka. I do wear Xero slip ons all the time."
#43
Groundies, Xero, Altras
4.0
(1)
"I like Groundies for casual/workwear, and Xero for running, hiking, gym, etc. Altras are another good option too since these basically just look like any other sneakers IMO."
#44
Whitin and Earth Runners
4.0
(1)
"I wear whitin and earth runners. Whitins look like vans and are cheap. I get compliments on my earthrunner sandals often."
#45
Merrells, Lems
4.0
(1)
"Also had some Merrels that were great, but Lems are more boot than shoe so leather holds up better."
#46
Lems, Jim Green, Xeros, Vivos, Whitin/Hobibear, Softstar
4.0
(1)
"Lems and Jim Green are my two favorites. Xeros and Vivos are fine. Whitin/Hobibear is decent if you're just looking for a cheap trainer. Softstar has one or two shoes that look pretty good."
#47
Peerko Smart, Birchbury, Carets, Feelgrounds, Groundies, Origo, Barebarics
4.0
(1)
"Formal shoes: Peerko Smart, Birchbury, Carets Casual sneakers: Feelgrounds, Groundies, Origo, Barebarics."
#48
Splay and Vivobarefoot
4.0
(1)
"Splay and vivo."
#49
Minnemals and Feelgrounds
4.0
(1)
"Minnemals and Feelgrounds are my go to."
#50
Bohempia and Barebarics
4.0
(1)
"Worth checking out Bohempia and Barebarics for different skate shoe options."
#51
Skechers
4.0
(1)
"Buy a pair of skechers because they weigh the same or less than the vivo's and realize it's the weight of the shoes you deem important, more than the thickness of the soles."
#52
Anta Kai
4.0
(1)
"I have found the Anta Kai 1 Speed, Serious Player Only Player 1 Plus, and NB Two Wxy v4 and v5 have the widest toe boxes for toe splay."
#53
Sabrina
4.0
(1)
"Sabrina 2 has a wide toe box I was able to half size down for a perfect fit."
#54
Ohne
4.0
(1)
"The Ohne 80. I am considering this specific pair too"
#55
Joa
4.0
(1)
"Joa barefoot"
#56
Birkenstock
4.0
(1)
"I appreciate wide toe box so I have Birkenstock bend or altra as I can take their insole out and replace it with mine."
#57
Jordan
4.0
(1)
"Jordan Heir are pretty wide (I felt in them like in slippers)."
#58
Geniale
4.0
(1)
"Geniale Sandale & fullsoul runningpads for sandals."
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