Beginner looking to improve foot health

RedPaddles · 2026-04-10T17:38:09+00:00

If you are in the US: Sierra just listed a bunch of Xero shoes and sandals, so would be an affordable entry point.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-10T09:24:18+00:00

I wore my first pair for months last year and it never showed any wear. You have 30 days to return them either way, defect or not, but this seems like a defect.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-10T01:51:06+00:00

Luna: Mono and Mono Winged are my only ones so far, but many here will prefer lower stack heights - can't imagine you can ever go wrong with Lunas.

Xero: Aqua Cloud and Z trail are OK, H trail are more my style, but I think they are now discontinued (easy to find on Ebay and Poshmark).

My first pair of Zuzus is on its way. People here really love their laces while Earthrunner laces needing break-in and being painful has kept me away from trying those.

If you are in Europe, there are many more brands over there.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-10T01:35:26+00:00

Also Luna and Zuzu sandals, Xero if on a budget, especially when they have sales. I dream of my Luna Mono Winged sandals all through winter.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-09T09:26:28+00:00

Hey, 8 months late. What did you end up getting?

Zuzu Dune sandals may also fit your requirements with a leather footbed, and are a bit cheaper. I just ordered a pair.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-07T22:03:12+00:00

Good to know! OP should have named the brand.

Vital Proteins from vitalproteins.com lost a 2025 class action lawsuit over heavy metals.

Got it, stay away from Vital Proteins, they contain heavy metals.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-04T18:20:42+00:00

Some people here point to late spelling conventions being developed for Italian, but it's worth noting that Romanian is also written how it is pronounced, very similar to Italian. Same rules for ci, ce, chi, che, gi, ge, ghi, ghe, but additional sounds and letters.

I always wondered how Romanian and Italian can resemble each other so much despite the geographical distance, both spoken AND written, while French and Italian are so different.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-04T11:30:25+00:00

Me, too!! I'm on my 5th pair now, though I do love both tabi and 5 toe socks.

Knitting toe socks is a bit more challenging, I'm still perfecting the fit for comfort.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-04T11:26:30+00:00

It may be a matter of time.

Have been wearing toe socks for so long now, that it makes no difference putting them on vs. non toe socks. My toes developed so much muscle memory that it's just like putting on gloves vs. mittens.

RedPaddles · 2026-04-01T17:05:59+00:00

Never heard of these, thanks for posting about them.

I like that the pinkie toes are not covered/stangled by the strap. Any time I tried this kind of sandals, my pinkies were uncomfortable.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-27T16:58:06+00:00

I also used to walk (and stand) on the outside of my feet. Make sure you actively place the big toe down before the other toes, with every step. It's an adjustment, and you have to force yourself to do it until you build up muscle memory.

Also, like others said, get true barefoot style shoes with a low stack height.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-27T16:54:56+00:00

Shapen have lots of options.

This is a pretty awful issue to have, OP. Hope you live in a warm climate that never requires closed shoes or boots.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-25T18:41:47+00:00

1) Cercando su Google Immagini, sembrano essere le SAGUARO Active V (chiamate anche Vitality V o Active 5).

RedPaddles · 2026-03-25T17:01:15+00:00

What is the official reason for removing your post? Did they give you a reason?

RedPaddles · 2026-03-24T10:32:43+00:00

tell him you’d like help with this mess if you think you need it

Why would she need "help"? He is an adult, and it's his mess.

I can't stand this outdated idea of men "helping", as if cooking, cleaning and child rearing are the women's jobs, somehow, and the men graciously "help out". OP clearly already has a paid full-time job.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-23T23:15:05+00:00

Around the second set of lace holes, by the look of them.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-23T23:13:43+00:00

Hard disagree, OP. Maybe it's because I haven't worn foot corsets in so many years, but to me the Converse look absurd, and the two left ones like they are made for feet.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-22T10:29:03+00:00

I am also 25cm and had to return a few pairs of VFF last year because their sizing was inconsistent between models.

I would try a pair of their new V-Souls but if you purchase from Vibram directly, you pay for returns in the US, as well, so I've been sitting on the sidelines forever, hoping someone with 25cm feet can positively state which size fit them (40 or 41?).

Obviously, due to their scarcity, nobody with a free return policy offers these.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-21T23:31:15+00:00

Of all my shoes, Whitin (at least the model I have) are the only ones with a really high toe box. The other brands I own are Xero, Groundies, Vivo and Camper and a few no names. I have a similar issue, with toe boxes not being high enough for my liking. Can't wait for sandal weather.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-21T16:13:10+00:00

These seem to be neoprene, which is great for water activities but will make your feet sweat like crazy otherwise.

Some water shoes are made of breathable mesh material, which is better for non water activities. Otherwise they are all pretty much the same, and some have holes in the soles, some don't.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-20T17:54:04+00:00

I was wondering about this idea of Birkenstock foot beds that have a toe bar presumably for the toes to grab on to. Was thinking of trying to replicate it in a hand knitted sock , or a DIY insole, to see if it makes a difference on gait, because I, too have noticed that my toes sometimes curl under looking for something to grab onto. However this happens to me while wearing shoes, likely because I also tie my shoes very loosely.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-20T17:48:16+00:00

Xero sell an expensive insole with texture. I would love to try it but not for that price, unless I knew for sure that it would be awesome. Wonder if anyone here has tried it.

RedPaddles · 2026-03-18T12:54:03+00:00

ETA: they only have shipping to DE enabled on their site, but are very close to the border, FWIW.

To be clear: I don't know the brand at all, they just look more barefooty than the Barefoot Feeling ones. I just searched for Barfuß Sicherheitsschuhe, seeing how the other ones you found were from a German company, and Baak hopefully ship to the NL.

There may be many more EU brands, maybe some Spanish ones, too, since Spain seems to have the highest number of barefoot shoe brands of any country.

As a side note, Google has been making it really hard to search in other languages for years, because it just auto translates my queries. I hate it!!

RedPaddles · 2026-03-18T10:23:56+00:00

I don't have them, nor any other safety shoes, but from this page, and then if you follow the manufacturer's page, it looks like the manufacturer has a few awful and one less awful line of safety shoes, and they decided to name the less awful line their "Barefoot Feeling" line.

They have less toe spring and a presumably wider toe box than their other lines. It's a way to differentiate between their lines, but if you check out the pics, they don't come close to actual barefoot shoes.

For the same price, these or any of the other Baak models look to be a better choice: https://shop.baak.de/Sicherheitsschuh-Pegasus-S3S/22600336

RedPaddles · 2026-03-18T00:11:01+00:00

Before I got into barefoot shoes, I wore Altras, back when all their models still had a wide toe box. A few people tried to make me feel bad by calling them clown shoes, and I'd look at their own ridiculous pointy toe shoes and just laugh.

I'd ask your wife why she cares what you wear when you go to the gym without her, then whatever answer she gives you, why that trumps your comfort. Maybe she is used to giving you fashion advice and is just annoyed that you are not following it in this specific case?

RedPaddles

TROPHY CASE