[My son]'s autistic and hypermobile and I was debating going barefoot shoes for him for ages as his preferred state is barefoot anyway but he struggles with dirt. You doing the barefoot page pushed me to make the jump and I just wanted to say a huge thank you. He's gotten his climbing bravery back, his proprioception needs are being hit and after a lot of walking and climbing over the weekend, he still needed some rest and said his joints ached but he isn't crying and saying he's in too much pain to move. We have trainers and a more high top style as his ankles are very hyper mobile so he gets some needed stability whilst also having the flexibility to strengthen the ankles 🙌🏼

Very random but after ten years of not driving I had a two hour refresher lesson this week. I wore my barefoot shoes and it made the clutch control so much easier! I didn’t stall once in two hours which I was chuffed after so many years of not driving, and my instructor commented on how smooth my driving was. Wearing barefoot shoes improves my life in so many little ways.

Since discovering Barefoot Brit’s social media, I have learned all about foot health, barefoot shoes and the multitude of benefits that my family were missing out on! My daughter is autistic and hypermobile, we always assumed (and were led to believe) she needed rigid, supportive shoes to stop her ankles rolling, however since changing to barefoot shoes, she has not rolled once! She is steadier, falls less often and faster! (Unsure if this is a positive yet!🤭)I have also transitioned to barefoot shoes myself and find my leg pain as almost entirely disappeared, my legs are not as tired anymore and I can feel a difference in my balance, gait and comfort.Entirely opened my eyes and I am so thankful to you for sharing all of this information so far and wide and helping us all to change our footwear choices for the better.Thank you and keep up the good work! 🤩👏

After only finding out about barefoot shoes a couple of months ago, our shoe collection has completely transformed for 2/3 of us. I suffer from hEDS, fibromyalgia and plantar fasciitis and have chronic pain. I was anxious about transitioning to barefoot but the difference in my pain has been unreal. I am taking less pain medication and although I am only at the start of my journey, I can really see how going barefoot can have positive impacts. My son has just started school and often complained of leg cramps, waking in the night for a massage. Since fully moving over to barefoot shoes this is no longer a issue and he loves wearing his "slippers". Thank you Brit for inspiring change and providing so much information and knowledge 💖

Barefoot shoes have positively impacted my life. I started wearing them at the beginning of my second pregnancy and I found my balance improved as my pregnancy progressed! My feet did ache at the end of the day, it was hard going, I switched to my running trainers come my third trimester if I was doing long walks but day to day I wore barefoot shoes. My baby is now 14 months and I wear barefoot all the time even to the gym. My feet were considered flat but I now have a noticeable arch and just so much better balance. The disclaimer is, all other shoes will feel so uncomfortable you will only want to wear barefoot/ wide toe box shoes.

I noticed my toddler had callouses forming between their toes in professionally fitted shoes from a major high street chain store, so decided to take matters into my own hands. A friend is a paediatric physio so she did an assessment and confirmed it wasn’t a foot/gait issue, so I concluded it was a shoe issue. We’ve not looked back, and now my other child and I are both in barefoot shoes day to day. My big toe joint doesn’t burn anymore, I have less hard skin, I’ve no longer got sore little toes with corns on … and best of all my physio friend commented how strong and flexible our feet all are. I didn’t realise how uncomfortable “normal” shoes are until I tried barefoot shoes. My other child is a gymnast, and I can see how much more balanced they can be in the park in play equipment now they’re not in solid heavy footwear.

Thank you for all your advice. My daughter is hyper mobile and was constantly coming home with cut knees from falling over at school. She complained that her shoes were too heavy. Well, she's now been back at school a month and wearing new barefoot shoes. She loves them and has had no trips, falls, cuts or bruises. She runs and climbs with much more confidence. Time to replace the rest of the family's shoes now, foot freedom for all of us!

I've suffered with leg pain from knee to hit due to gait issues since I was teen. I was given orthotics to ease symptoms which never truly helped as they didn't fit all my shoes and felt uncomfortable just in socks or slippers. I took the plunge to try barefoot shoes almost 8months ago after watching a few of Brit's TikToks and I'm astounded at the almost immediate difference! Following Brit has taught me so much about foot health, and now I'm doing exercises specifically for my feet to help strengthen them! I work in childcare and I'm keen to pass this learning on and educate parents on the benefits of children being barefoot, or wearing barefoot shoes!

I started wearing barefoot shoes as I had bunions starting, was sick of blisters and generally feeling uncomfortable. I bought some from Naturcontact and have been wearing their black canvas pumps for work. I was hoping and expecting for better foot health, but what I did not expect was a huge reduction in my chronic back and hip pain, improved posture and general comfort. They have honestly made such a difference to my life, and cannot recommend barefoot shoes enough. They are more expensive, granted, however when you wear them all the time, they save a significant amount of money in the long run (as I was able to reduce the amount of visits to my osteopath, due to reduced pain).

I am autistic and all my life I have really struggled with shoes, my mum used to hate taking me shoe shopping and I hated it just as much too. I used to look for shoes with a high instep arch support as my feet would hurt after a couple of hours. This year I discovered barefoot shoes via tiktok and they have been an absolute game changer! I soon realised that my favourite pair of trainers, prior to barefoot shoes, were wide in the toes and thats why I preferred them. I have also switched my children to them. My daughter (7) was constantly tripping and falling and I was sure she was dyspraxic but all the assessments were fine - it was in fact her shoes! Since she's been wearing barefoot shoes her balance and coordination has improved drastically. My son (9) is also autistic and these are the ONLY shoes he tolerates wearing and it's a great sensory input for him to be able to feel the ground - especially because he loves to climb everything. I should add that since wearing barefoot shoes I have had no pain whatsoever in my feet or ankles and I can wear them all day and sometimes forget I'm actually wearing them too.

So my barefoot journey started around a year ago, I’ve suffered with bunions since being in my teens, and they gradually got more painful and causing more issues. I searched for an answer, and saw people mentioning barefoot shoes. I ordered a pair, and I’ve not looked back since. My pain disappeared within a few weeks, and I noticed a change in my foot shape within a few months. The reality of my foot shape change hit when I tried to wear a pair of ‘regular’ shoes, and I was immediately in pain, I had to take them straight off again. The last few months I’ve had to size up in my barefoot shoes due to the shape change, which feels so great, and is proof of my journey to healing. I’ve also switched my son over to barefoot shoes, and the difference in his stability and strength in his feet is very noticeable compared to others his age. If you’re thinking about trying out barefoot shoes, just go for it, you won’t regret it!

Hi!I was extremely careful with my daughter’s feet, making sure I did my research and have been extremely careful with her footwear, letting her feet grow as naturally as possible. One day after seeing one of Barefoot Brit’s videos I had a lightbulb moment and decided to buy myself some sandals too, since that day I haven’t worn anything else! My ankles used to be quite sore and I’d need to ‘click’ them regularly throughout the day. I also have varicose veins on my calves, which are normally extremely painful during the summer months when I don’t wear support tights, but since changing my footwear I have been pain free and much more comfortable! Wish I’d found them sooner! 😍

I suffered from extremely painful plantar fasciitis for over a year and tried many different treatments recommended by health professionals which only masked the pain short term. Since transitioning to barefoot shoes my condition has healed completely and I am now pain free. This has truly changed my life and my whole body is stronger and healthier than ever. The root cause of my condition has now finally been addressed and I will never wear conventional footwear again.

This isn’t about me but more my children! I switched my children to wide toe box shoes around 4 months ago and the difference has been very positive. My eldest who is notoriously clumsy, hates walking and not “sporty” gets faster and more stable every week, he enjoys sports that require running and falls over probably 70% less! My nephew hates school shoes and has always moaned! One month in wide toe box shoes and no complaints - only comfortability. It’s crazy that shoes are actually designed to harm our children’s feet and cause them pain! All in the name of fashion…

Out of the blue I developed severe knee pain after walking 2 miles into town and back. I'm a keen hiker and only a month before I was hiking 20+ miles so this distance shouldn't have been an issue for me. But my left foot felt really wobbly, like I was walking on a stiletto heel, which caused problems for my knee.I knew something wasn't right - at the time I thought I had a collapsed arch - so I went to a local podiatrist for advice. He told me it was fine and I "just" needed to wear orthotics for the rest of my life. This wasn't satisfactory as it felt like my situation should have been reversible, and I was worried I might not be able to go hiking again.Cue much research about foot mechanics and I stumbled across barefoot shoes and Katy Bowman's book Whole Body Barefoot. To my shock I found my foot muscles were completely non-existent; I struggled to stand on one leg for more than a wobbly 20 seconds; and my body was essentially wasting away - despite thinking I was a fit 30-something year old...

...Barefoot shoes quickly enabled me to adopt a better gait that used my muscles properly. Unbeknownst to me at the time, they were strengthening my glutes and enabling improved leg alignment. My left foot started feeling more stable again. Working with an osteopath identified further weaknesses and imbalances to refine and improve my gait further, assisted also by Correct Toes.Almost two years into my barefoot journey and I now feel so much better: My gait feels healthy now; my knee doesn't hurt; and my stability is much improved. Not only am I back to mountain hiking but I'm now hoping to get back to running too.