HOBIBEARUnisex Wide Barefoot Shoes for Men Women Outdoor Trail Running Minimalist Walking Shoes Lightweight and Breathable

This is my first purchase of barefoot shoes and I'm impressed to say the least. Straight out they felt like slippers. I (female) have very wide feet. One foot is 24cm long 10cm wide and the other 23.5cm long 10.5cm wide due to bunion so I ordered a size 5. I would say the length is true to size as I have about 1cm space at end of toe. Just the perfect amount for me. I have not found any other barefoot shoes with this width for my size. Most are 9.5cm wide at most. The width on these is perfect for me. No tightness on the width at all. I agree with others on the ground feel. There's a removable insole which is great to start off with rather than diving in the deep end and stressing my feet too much too quickly. The first couple of days I could feel my feet and calves were a little shocked and this was confirmed by massive cramping in my feet and calves those first two nights but on the third day of wearing them I had a noticeable change in feeling. My feet felt like they had adjusted to the new position (mainly I no longer felt like I was stomping down on my heels) and the ground feel was welcome rather than ee ah ooh when walking over stones. No cramping since. I've not tried wearing them without the insole yet as that's something I want to work up to. I'm really shocked at how quickly the feet adapt. The build quality is excellent too so I'm hoping they last me well. I'm not heavy on shoes so mine usually last years but at this price I'd be happy to 12 months out of them. I'm sure they will last much longer. I will definitely be buying another colour. I wish they would make some other styles and colours too. Some boots would be great. If you can't afford the big brands in barefoot or are just starting out in barefoot shoes or just want some natural foot shaped shoes then these are a no brainer. P.s. sooo many people have commented on how cute my shoes are!P.p.s. for anyone criticising these for having no support: these are not meant to support your feet. They are meant to encourage your feet to strengthen and support themselves as nature intended. If you want more support I'm sure you could remove the supplied insoles and replace with ones that support the feet. But isn't it worth trying to rehabilitate your feet rather than encouraging lazy muscles which lead to bunions?!Update: I bought another colour in the next size up so that I can wear thick socks. This has worked out perfectly.Generally, I'm loving these shoes. I no longer suffer aching feet when I am on them for a whole day.

So, pondering for a long time over barefoot shoes I finally took the plunge and purchased.Not wanting to opt for a ridiculously expensive brand (you know the one I mean) because I'm not sure if I would like a barefoot shoe.A little insight behind the purchase - Having lost 7+ stone in weight and having problems with the arches in my feet for many years I'm on the path to trying to rebuild and improve my body.Barefoot shoes? Yeah, it's a gimmick? It's just shoes with less material and a gimmick price tag to match yes? or is it?Well.....yes AND no!Let me explain. Now I've lost weight, without realising until a short while ago, I've been walking about in the house in just my socks without problems and no pain. 3 years ago, this was not possible, I needed arch support in all my shoes and slippers otherwise the pain to walk was too painful.Now, this improvement is obviously because my feet are carrying less weight above, yes, but, my feet are obviously getting stronger and starting to support themselves again.This is where the barefoot shoe comes in.I purchased the all black version. I'm a size 11 shoe, (I was a size 12 with fallen arches) and I purchased the 11.5. I do recommend you measure the length of your foot before you purchase.On first inspection compared to your normal shoe of choice these things are really flimsy. But that is the purpose of 'barefoot' shoes. So if you're used to wearing your air force 1's on a daily basis, it's a world apart compared to wearing these! You should not compare these to your normal shoes and they're completely different.I purchased no tie shoe laces at the same time and put these on the Hobibears.The Hobibears are too soft and flimsy to be stepped into as a slip on but pull on very easy with the no tie laces.I've worn them 4 days out of 7 to work which has involved 2 days of keeping them on all day and 2 days where they on for the journey to and from work.They take some getting used to! You've got to change your mindset when wearing them as your feet do not feel like they're protected. That's because we are used to wearing normal clumpier shoes so it's a natural feeling to think that. If you were not to look down, it would feel like you're walking in public in just your socks. That's the best way to describe it.The first things I've noticed:Heel strike - I never realised how hard I strike my heel when walking. This is corrected with the shoes and you create a more gentle walk.Ground feel - You can feel everything. Not just a little bit more, a lot more. You can feel the uneven ground level, the tactile pavement, the ridges on steps when you walk up or down, everything that you never noticed before. Even driving the car, you feel the peddles more.Foot tiredness - Your feet will get tired quicker until you've got used to a barefoot shoe. My feet I could tell were tired, but they weren't hurting and I'm starting to feel them get a little stronger in the arches already.When you put these on and wear them in public, to be fair, not one person noticed or commented. In my mind though, I was very conscious! Lets face it, these are never going to win an aware in the fashion stakes but I'd rather improve my health than my fashion.You will need to be more careful about protecting your feet too. Normal hoes feel like a tank around your foot compared to these barefoot shoes. Just be mindful about heavily populated areas and people stepping on your foot. They also have a decent grip on the sole.Toe box - It's a very welcome wide toe box. Obviously toe spread is still restricted by wearing socks but you get a lot more spread than normal shoes, which, should improve balance as your feet get stronger.Conclusion:Do I regret the purchase? - NoWould I buy again? - Yes definitelyWould I recommend to others? - Yes definitely but keep an open mindDo I still think the barefoot shoe thing is a gimmick? - No, I wish I tried years ago. It serves a purpose I think and lets face it, a decent arch support insole is just as much as the price of these shoes so I'd recommend trying these first.Will these be durable? - I don't think they will be as durable as my Rockports or Nikes but, I can foresee 6-12 months out of these depending on usage.Oh, one last thing, these will not be waterproof, but, if you need that, a quick spray with a waterproofing can would sort that out.