The Best Barefoot Shoes

It's spring, who needs shoes? It's time to shed the winter boots and put on some sandals. The Xero Z-Trail sandals are some of my favorite barefoot shoes. Think of these as the barefoot answer to Chacos. Except where Chacos are like putting tractors on your feet, the Z-Trails still flex and bend as you walk, giving your feet the freedom of movement you expect from a barefoot shoe. Despite being sandals, these have 10 mm of cushion, which is more padding than most of the shoes you see here. That makes the Z-Trail a good option for barefoot newcomers.

Having worn barefoot shoes for seven years now, I don't wear these as much as I once did. I prefer the even more minimalist Xero Z-Trek sandals ($60), which eliminate the soft padding in favor of an extra-minimal 5.5-mm sole (the same sole as our top pick Xero Prio). I don't recommend the Z-Trek if you're just starting out with barefoot shoes, but if you're looking for something more minimal they're ideal.

Vivobarefoot's Primus Trail shoes have been in this guide in various guises since they launched years ago, but this latest version is their best. While I have picked the Merrell Vapor Glove over these for most people, these are my favorite running shoes. If I lived in Southern California or the desert, I'd probably stick with the Merrells, since they're cheaper. But I don't. I live in a climate that turns to a complete muddy mess for four months of the year and a frozen world of snow for another four.

That's where Vivobarefoot's all-weather Primus Trail come in. They are not kidding about the all-weather. These really do keep my feet dry in anything I've thrown at them. Except like, running through a river, but no shoe stays dry when you submerge it. Despite this, my feet don't feel overly suffocated, nor do they end up a soaked sweaty mess. (Pro tip: Get these Minus33 Merino Trail Running running socks ($23); they will change your life.) Originally I disliked the outer material of these, which makes noise at first, but that went away as they broke in and they’re now my go-to running shoes.

I live in this shoe all winter. The sole is just about the same as what you'll find in the Vivobarefoot Primus Trail FG, a former top pick in this guide, but these are leather and look nicer and have lasted considerably longer (going on two years for me). These have by far the stiffest soles of any shoe in this guide, but they're still pretty minimal. With tread lugs of 4 mm, a base of 2.5 mm, and an optional insole of 2 mm, the total stack height is 8.5 mm. But there is definitely less flex than the rest of our top picks.

I will happily trade some stack height for the traction these soles provide, especially on snow and ice in the winter. Yes we have a winter boot below, but I prefer this shoe most of the time, especially when hiking. The Tracker Leather has the same level of traction as the boots, and it frees up my ankle. It's not as warm, but it's plenty for around-town wear. When conditions are too much for my top “around-town” pick below, this is the shoe I turn to. My only gripe is the price, but considering how long they've lasted, I consider it money well spent.

The Gobi IV is Vivobarefoot's take on a barefoot chukka-boot-style casual dress shoe. The wild hide leather is sourced from independent African cattle farmers. If you're looking for a shoe to wear around town, this is one of the best-looking barefoot shoes you'll find. The leather is soft, and I had no issues with chafing. I didn't mind wearing them without socks; my feet did not get sweaty in the leather, as I'd feared. That said, they're definitely the warmest shoes on this page, so keep that in mind if you live someplace hot.

The sole is a 4-mm outer, with a cork inner that ends up at about 6 mm overall, giving them good ground feel and plenty of movement. They do run wide—especially in the toe box (a good thing, really)—so I recommend trying these on in person if you can. Unfortunately these appear to be discontinued, though Amazon still has a few in stock. I'm leaving them in this guide for now in hopes that there will eventually be a Gobi V.

Want to get as close to the ground as possible? The 3-mm stack height in these Vivobarefoot Sensus shoes is the smallest I've been able to find, making them the best shoes for barefoot minimalists. The leather uppers are soft and comfortable, molding to your feet like a pair of gloves. They have tiny vent slats cut in the leather, but these are on the warmer side and would not be my top pick for hot summer days (see the Xero sandals above for summer). The rest of the time, though, these are the shoes I wear.

The side stitching that attaches the upper to the outsole gives these shoes an “elfin” look, according to my daughter, but that stitching also makes the Sensus extremely flexible, increasing the range of motion your foot has when walking. Your foot can easily roll as you walk on the ground. I do occasionally hit a piece of gravel that I feel (not in a good way), but otherwise there's enough padding that you don't have to think about where you step, but plenty of barefoot feel to make them an enjoyable shoe to walk and run in.

I've tried almost a dozen barefoot boots for snowy conditions, and Vivobarefoot’s Magna Forest ESC are my favorite for most people. The 7-mm lug height offers impressive traction in snow and ice, though there is a corresponding loss of ground feel. Still, I haven't tried anything with better traction, and in snow and ice I prioritize traction over ground feel. The tops of these have a neoprene collar that doesn't make them entirely waterproof but does a good job of keeping snow and ice out in most scenarios (pair them with some gaiters if you're headed into deeper snow). Unlike most boots, these aren't too heavy, either.

All that said, if you have to survive a real winter—New England, northern Midwest, etc.—I prefer the heavier-duty Tracker Forest Esc ($280). They have the same excellent sole but feature an all-leather upper that's waterproof (as much as shoes can be) and a beefier construction that feels more durable. I've worn these down to –25 F, and with some good, heavy wool socks my feet were toasty warm.

There is not a ton of scientific research to back the concept of grounding, or being in direct contact with the earth (you can read about it here if you're new to the idea), but my personal experience has been interesting enough that I continue to do it everyday. Unfortunately, while barefoot shoes are wonderful for foot health, biomechanics, balance, ground feel, and dozens of other reasons, they're still usually made with synthetic soles, so you don't get the benefits of grounding. Vivobarefoot's new Pilgrim boots change that, allowing you to ground without taking off your shoes.

I've been testing these extensively for almost a year now. Comfort-wise, I love these as boots. They're the most minimally soled boot on this page, so if you want great ground feel, a wide toe box, and minimal padding in a boot, they're worth it for that alone. The one downside to this is that walking in the snow, my feet did get colder, but that's true of any thin-soled shoe. The grounding aspect is more difficult to show in words other than to say that I have tested it with a continuity tester and it does indeed keep you grounded. For more on how I tested, check out this video from Vivobarefoot trainer and grounding expert Joshua Holland. I used the same methods with nearly identical results. If you're interested in earthing but can't go barefoot as much as you'd like, these boots offer a way to ground without getting your soles dirty.

WIRED readers are big Freet fans. I got quite a few emails suggesting I try these, and I'm glad I did because the Tangas are my new favorite around-the-house shoes. The single-piece mesh upper is made of recycled coffee grounds, so they lean on the positive side of the sliding scale that is environmental friendliness. They're also very comfortable, and the mesh fabric is nicely breathable for warm days.

The Tangas sport a thicker 6.5-mm sole out of the box, but it's easy to pull out the insole and reduce that down to 4 mm if you want a thinner feel. This makes them a good way to start your barefoot journey, since you can reduce the amount of padding as you go.

WIRED readers emailed me asking about barefoot leather boots so I tested quite a few, and these Lems rose to the top of the stack for two reasons: They're incredibly well made, and they have that rugged leather boot look that's otherwise missing in the barefoot shoe world.

Barefoot purists will decry the 13-mm sole; just call it a zero-drop boot if you get hung up on technical terms. That said, I found these somewhat jarring after years in 6-mm sandals. There is very little ground feel, but they're reasonably wide, especially in the toe box, which helps give them a different feel than your typical leather boots. When the snow has been dumping and the thermometer is just a puddle of red well below 0 degrees, these are nice to have.

Whenever I tell someone I'm testing barefoot shoes, if they have any response at all it's usually, “Oh, like those five-finger things?” Yes, these are the classic, perhaps original barefoot shoe (if you're willing to disregard millennia of sandal-making around the world).

Barefoot shoes aren't for everyone, and these FiveFingers are especially not for everyone, but I really like them. The foot-shaped sole and separate toes make them very minimal. I am especially fond of the KSO model ($115), which is lighter and more flexible than the traditional FiveFingers. I've come to appreciate the separation of toes—it does actually help with balance and it allows your toes to naturally splay wider. It also leads to things like walking through undergrowth and ending up with a bouquet of dandelions stuck between your toes.