How We Tested Barefoot Shoes for Women

Thursday November 7, 2024

To test women's barefoot shoes, we assembled five metrics, aiming for them to be mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive in their assessments. This gave us a more clear picture of the strengths, weaknesses, and versatility of each product in a very interesting and competitive niche market.

barefoot shoes womens - we have tested lots of barefoot shoes along the way to find out... — We have tested lots of barefoot shoes along the way to find out which are the best on the market.
Credit: Rebecca Glades

Ground Feedback

To assess natural feel, we first spent a lot of time “feeling” in each shoe. We ran, walked, jumped, biked, skipped, climbed, hiked, and sought out rough and rocky terrain.

Then we got more objective and started measuring, researching, and assessing each shoe according to these criteria:

soft and supple sole

wide toe box

thin sole (under 15mm, typically)

no arch support

zero drop from heel to toe

no toe spring

lightweight

breathable

barefoot shoes womens - our lineup only features zero-drop shoes, though the stack height... — Our lineup only features zero-drop shoes, though the stack height, flexibility, breathability, etc., will vary depending on the model.
Credit: Rebecca Glades

Weight

This test was quite simple. We tied the shoes together and hung them on a scale. The weight reported is for the whole pair of two shoes together. A few scores got tweaked from there depending on how they felt on foot. Sometimes even slightly heavier shoes would feel lighter due to a better, more balanced design. This mostly showed up in regards to the sole weight and upper weight: if one was heavier than the other, the shoe felt clunky. If they were similar, the shoe more easily became an extension of our anatomy.

barefoot shoes womens - boots are the heaviest in the lineup, but they are often more... — Boots are the heaviest in the lineup, but they are often more durable and winter-ready.
Credit: Rebecca Glades

Traction

To assess traction, we first established what surfaces each shoe was meant for. We did not penalize any road running shoes for poor performance on trails. We then spent time running, walking, hiking, and parkour-ing around various environments and assessed how sticky the soles were and how well the lugs gripped the ground and shed loose dirt or allowed water to drain.

Another element of traction with minimalist footwear has to do with the soft, supple, thin soles. We often found that smooth soles performed surprisingly well in this category because they allowed our feet to grab the ground easier, thus relying less on lugs for traction. Very cool.

barefoot shoes womens - most shoes have a smooth outsole, but sometimes you will find a... — Most shoes have a smooth outsole, but sometimes you will find a barefoot shoe with an exposed lug pattern for better off-road traction.
Credit: Rebecca Glades

Versatility

We examined the design of each shoe, giving it points for any versatility it offered, but also assessing how well it breathed (for warm weather models) and how well it kept out water or dirt for those meant for cooler seasons or more rugged terrain. We considered the types and range of terrain each shoe was equipped to handle as well.

barefoot shoes womens - we don't necessarily want to switch shoes for every outing we have... — We don't necessarily want to switch shoes for every outing we have, that is why we love a versatile pair that can tackle the day-to-day.
Credit: Rebecca Glades

Durability

We spent many months testing these shoes and took them on a wide variety of terrain types. Our testing is inherently limited in its ability to determine how well the shoes will hold up a year or two from now, but our expert testers know a few things about materials and design, so we researched the specifications of each shoe and examined them for any manufacturing flaws or shortcuts.