What are barefoot shoes?
Why wear barefoot shoes?
Our feet are the foundation of our body. Strengthening your feet by exercising and wearing minimalist shoes (or going completely barefoot wherever possible) can improve your posture and prevent pain and injuries.
For many people, barefoot shoes also provide relief and improvement for existing problems like knee pain, back pain, bunions, and more.
Wide toe box with enough space for your toes to spread
Ordinary footwear can restrict the foot in its natural posture and function and can result in pain and malalignment.
A naturally shaped toe box allows your toes enough room to splay. This way, your toes are not forced to point inwards and can act in their natural function to stabilize your whole body.
Zero drop for a natural and upright posture
When we are wearing shoes with a heel-to-toe drop, our whole body shifts out of alignment. Wearing shoes with a raised heel can chronically shorten your calf structures and may result in a reduced range of motion of your ankles and pain in your Achilles tendon.
A zero-drop shoe provides the best base for a natural and upright posture. Many people also improve their knee, hip, or back pain after transitioning to zero-drop footwear.
Thin sole for instant ground feedback
One foot alone contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles, and thousands of nerve endings. Those nerves provide your brain with the necessary sensory feedback from the ground. Imagine taking all that input away by wearing thick and cushioned soles. Would you blindfold yourself every time you leave the house? Probably not. By choosing footwear with thick and stiff soles, you are basically blindfolding your skillful feet.
Wearing shoes with thinner soles enables you to feel the ground and adapt accordingly. This sensory feedback plays an essential role in postural stability and dynamic gait patterns. It does, for example, reduce the risk of twisting your ankle. Many people find wearing barefoot shoes to be super relaxing as it’s basically like receiving a foot massage. Sounds nice, right?
Flexible sole to allow the feet’s natural range of motion
Have you ever paid attention to your foot movement while walking barefoot? It’s fascinating how much our feet bend, twist, and balance. If you’re wearing a shoe with a stiff and rigid sole, your foot is restricted in its natural range of movement. Therefore, the flexibility of a shoe is crucial for a natural walking pattern.
Lightweight, so you don’t even notice you’re wearing shoes
If you’ve ever worn a great barefoot shoe, you never want to go back to regular footwear. It’s crazy how we notice the weight we are carrying on our feet day by day only when we switch to more lightweight footwear. Switch to barefoot shoes and say goodbye to heavy feet.
Why decide on Feelgrounds?
Feelgrounds are super comfortable
At Feelgrounds, we believe that form should follow function. Therefore we make sure that our shoes are shaped anatomically correct and don’t restrict the feet in their natural movement. We only chose soft and lightweight materials for maximum comfort. Feelgrounds are so comfortable that you forget that you’re even wearing shoes at all.
Feelgrounds look amazing
Feelgrounds combine the health benefits of barefoot shoes with timeless and modern footwear design. Nobody will notice that you’re wearing barefoot shoes. Take care of your body while still looking smart, sleek, and fashionable.
Feelgrounds are animal-free (vegan) & eco-friendly
We believe that footwear manufacturing can be done responsibly. All of our shoes are 100% animal-free, and we are using recycled and natural materials wherever possible. Our goal is to create shoes that are better for your feet and better for the environment than traditional shoes.
Feelgrounds are produced under fair conditions
Our shoes are manufactured under fair conditions in Vietnam. Our factory is part of the European BSCI and Better Work Vietnam, and we were on-site to make sure that everybody involved in Feelgrounds is treated well. Sustainability, fairness, and transparency are important values to us.
We listen to your opinion & feedback
We are proud to have such a great community behind us. That’s why we make sure to take your feedback seriously and continually improve our shoes and our service with your help. Thank you for your support!
Are you new to barefoot shoes?
If you’re new to barefoot shoes, make sure to listen to your body and transition to functional footwear slowly. Consider wearing your new barefoot shoes for short periods at first and then gradually increase wear-time as your feet and body adapt to the changes. It’s normal for some to feel sore muscles in the beginning.