I will use this thread as an excuse to info dump on my latest hyperfixation: transitioning from very cushioned shoes with heel-toe drop, to full on minimalist barefoot shoes.
I've heard numerous benefits from doing so, like regaining foot strength, saving unused muscles in your feet from dying, healing bunions, hammertoes and similar conditions, walking "correctly" and running with a more light footed approach, using your calf muscles more thus them growing properly, being more aware of the ground you step on and being more connected to the Earth, and so many more that I can't remember right now.
I'm too scared to actually just go off training being fully barefoot and would prefer to have some level of protection at the very least, so something like a minimalist "barefoot" type shoe would really aid me. Ticks all the boxes: it's super light and flexible, so it adjusts to your feet instead of your feet adjusting to it, it has a very wide foot-shaped toe box so your toes can splay properly and not be restricted, and lastly it's incredibly thin, so there's very little separating your feet from the ground, thus you can feel what you're stepping on more and connect better with the Earth, like our ancestors did for thousands of years. Less is more.
It just sucks though that I can't buy them anywhere in my country, so I'll have to order online (something I hate with shoes bcs I would really prefer to fit them first before finalizing a purchase). And even then, I'm turned off by just how ludicrously expensive they are! I get that Nike and Adidas charge that much because they put all sorts of technology into the shoe cushion + R&D and all that, but a minimalist shoe literally has zero cushioning; it's a 5mm piece of flexible material separating your feet from the ground! On top of that, because of how thin and light it is, for sure it has a much shorter longevity compared to bulkier standard shoes. You expect me to pay $160 and above for that? I think I'll just stick with the shoes I have in the meantime and practice better walking and running form.3
Rant over. The bottom line is, to answer the original question, when I'm rich enough, I would love to buy barefoot shoes and get started learning the "proper" way to move as a human.
