Elevate your fitness game – try barefoot shoes for sports

Discover the amazing benefits of working out in barefoot shoes and learn how to choose the perfect pair for you. Once you've read this article, you'll never go back to your old sports shoes again! With barefoot shoes, you'll experience a whole new level of comfort, flexibility, and performance. Take advantage of this incredible opportunity to elevate your workout game. 

How to choose the right pair of barefoot shoes for sport?

With the rise of the popularity of barefoot shoes, one should become cautious when buying shoes, especially when they are new to the whole barefoot game. Often, shoes are marketed as barefoot when, in fact, they fall short of the true characteristics of barefoot shoes. While these shoes may feature a thin sole that provides a barefoot-like sensation, they often do not meet all the necessary criteria that proper barefoot shoes must have. However, differentiating between poor-quality "barefoot" shoes and excellent ones does not require expertise. Simply performing a touch-and-see test can help reveal the differences. So, what specific criteria should proper barefoot sports shoes meet? 

The shape of the shoe respects the natural anatomy of a human foot and offers ample space for toes

Your feet are an incredibly complex and vital part of your body. They support your weight, help you balance, and allow you to move around. To function correctly, your feet require freedom of movement. Just like wearing a tight corset during exercise would hinder your ability to perform at your best, wearing shoes restricting your foot's natural movement can negatively impact your foot health and overall performance. When you step, your toes should spread fan-like, allowing your foot to absorb shock and maintain stability. However, many shoes on the market today are designed with narrow toe boxes that squeeze your toes together, restricting their natural movement. Barefoot shoes have ample space for your toes to move freely, allowing your feet to function as intended. 

Lightweight footwear

When you are involved in sports activities, you know that every extra gram on your feet can significantly affect your performance. After a long and intense workout or a run of several miles, you can feel the weight on your feet, making you feel sluggish and exhausted. That's why it is crucial to choose proper footwear that is lightweight and comfortable. Barefoot shoes are designed to be as light as possible, allowing you to move freely and naturally without any extra weight holding you back. By wearing barefoot shoes, you can improve your training and avoid wearing any unnecessary weight that might slow you down. 

Flexible and ultra-thin sole

Barefoot shoes are specifically designed to mimic the natural movement of our feet. These shoes feature ultra-thin and flexible soles that create a barely-there barrier between our feet and the ground. This unique design allows our nerve endings to be perfectly stimulated, giving us a heightened sensation of the ground beneath us. This, in turn, enables our brain to effectively adjust our bodily reactions to any sudden changes in our surroundings, from the tonus in our muscles to the movement in our joints. 

Flexible, breathable and durable material, removable insole

When looking for the perfect barefoot shoes for sports, it's important to find a pair that adapts to the shape of your feet and supports them in their natural function. The shoes should be made of highly flexible materials that offer durability and longevity. In addition, the materials must withstand the challenges of intense training while providing adequate breathability to keep your feet fresh and dry. It's crucial to have removable insoles in shoes designed for sports activities. During physical activity, our feet sweat more than usual. The insoles absorb the sweat and lock it in. To maintain the hygienic standard of the shoes and prolong their lifespan, it's important to remove the insoles after each training session and let them dry properly. This will not only prevent odours from developing but also prevent the buildup of bacteria that can lead to infections. 

No arch-support and cloud-like padding

Did you know that the pads of our toes are the most effective shock absorbers in our bodies? These natural dampers do a great job of protecting our feet from the impact of walking, running, and jumping. However, they must make perfect contact with the ground without interference to work correctly. Unfortunately, many sports shoes come with thick, ultra-soft insoles or memory foam that dull the sensory feedback from our feet. This can cause poor shock absorption and reduced communication with the brain, leading to fatigue and an increased risk of injury. In addition, insoles with artificial arch support can make our feet passive during movement. To keep our legs functioning optimally, we need insoles that allow our feet to be active and provide natural support without artificial interference. 

Zero-drop

Sports shoes are an essential part of any athlete's equipment, but did you know that the design of most sports shoes (conventional) can have a negative impact on your body's alignment? Standard sports shoes come with an elevated heel that causes your body to tilt slightly forward, disrupting its natural axis. This creates a domino effect of problems: an unbalanced body, a shift in the centre of gravity, and an overloaded skeletal-muscular system. A zero-degree angle between the heel and toes is essential for maintaining good posture. When the body is in a perfect natural axis, the centre of gravity is correctly aligned, weight is evenly distributed, and joints are proportionally loaded. Switching to zero-drop sports shoes allows you to avoid joint and back pain and maintain optimal posture. 

Top reasons why to exercise and do sports in barefoot shoes

If you're looking for a shoe that can offer you a range of benefits during physical activity, barefoot shoes are the way to go. For starters, barefoot shoes can enhance your stability and balance, improving performance. Additionally, barefoot shoes can help you burn more calories, improve your mood, and give your feet unparalleled freedom. As your feet can move more naturally in these shoes, you'll enjoy healthier joints, better posture, and relief from foot-related pains. Why not switch to barefoot shoes for your next physical activity? Let’s delve deeper into the world of benefits only barefoot shoes can offer: 

Healthier and stronger feet

Did you know that conventional sports shoes are designed to tilt the body forward, making it easier to start and move forward (especially when running)? However, this also means that the shoes do not offer the required stability, and the body has to put in extra effort to maintain the right axis and centre of gravity. This kind of footwear doesn't allow the foot to work efficiently; some parts may weaken, and some get overloaded, leading to pain in the toes or heels after a prolonged exercise or run. It's important to note that the whole body functions as a chain, and a poorly functioning foot and a bent body axis can disrupt the entire organism. Tight calf muscles, back pain, and bad posture are common issues that can arise from using the wrong shoes. The muscles and joints of the lower limb are the most affected. On the other hand, barefoot shoes with zero drop allow the body to maintain the correct axis and centre of gravity, enabling the foot to work correctly and become stronger. As the foot strengthens, it strengthens the entire lower limb, which offers protection against uneven loading of the joints. Exercising in barefoot shoes is an excellent way to engage the entire foot in the workout, strengthening its muscles. 

Better body posture

As we have already emphasised, the type of shoes we wear can significantly impact our body posture. Incorrect posture can cause a chain reaction of issues that can negatively affect our entire body. This effect is multiplied during physical activities, leading to muscle and joint overload, tendon shortening, ligament weakening, fatigue, and injuries. Barefoot shoes with zero drop can help keep the body naturally aligned, ultimately leading to improved body posture. The zero drop feature means that the heel and the ball of the foot are at the same level, ensuring that the foot remains flat on the ground. This alignment helps to distribute the body weight more evenly, and the feet can maintain their natural shape. 

Prevention against fatigue, pains and aches

When exercising, our legs undergo more stress than during normal daily activities. However, conventional shoes can sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help. They don't allow our feet to move freely, oppress our toes, and put pressure on the front of our feet. The inflexible sole also keeps our feet rigid and in one position, which can be especially problematic during sports when our strained legs need more space and flexibility. All these factors may lead to foot fatigue, deformations such as pressed toes, or foot and ankle injuries. But there is a better way. Exercising in barefoot shoes provides ample space and absolute flexibility to our feet. This means that we can exercise without worrying about foot pain or discomfort. Barefoot shoes can even help relieve foot pain caused by inappropriate footwear. Our feet experience freedom, get rid of pain, and never feel as good in any other type of footwear than barefoot. 

Sharper sensory perception

Our entire body operates with the environment through sensory perception. Our senses alert us to the world around us. In school, we were taught that humans have five senses: smell, sight, hearing, touch, and taste. However, this is only partially true. In reality, we have eight senses that include the vestibular system (balance and spatial orientation), proprioception (awareness of the body in space and movements of the skeletal-muscular system), and perception (signals about internal organs such as the need to urinate, hunger, stomach pain, etc.). Our feet are closely related to two senses - touch and proprioception (we will get to this one in a moment). The nerve endings in our feet provide our brain with direct information about the surface we're walking on, allowing it to evaluate the situation, adapt the tension in our muscles and the work of our joints, or even react promptly with the earth's centre of gravity to prevent losing our balance on uneven surfaces. However, these nerve endings cannot work properly in shoes with thick and rigid soles. The more significant the obstacle between our feet and the ground, the slower and less accurate the transmission of information. Therefore, it's ideal to exercise barefoot or in barefoot shoes to get the most out of our sensory apparatus during sports. To maintain stability during exercise and avoid losing balance, our feet must inform our brain perfectly, which will take care of the rest. 

Improved proprioception and coordination

It is a fact that humans are naturally meant to have bare feet. The human body is a complex system where every part works together, influencing each other. The foot is designed to function without any restrictions imposed by footwear. Only a healthy and functional foot can perform its role correctly in the entire body system. Walking barefoot, or in barefoot shoes, activates proprioception, one of the senses we have already mentioned. Proprioception is the awareness of one's spatial perception. Need help imagining where you use proprioception in everyday life? Being able to climb the stairs, for instance, without a need to watch your feet to "find the step" is thanks to proprioception. Therefore, you are less likely to trip in barefoot shoes, as they help activate this much-needed sense. Active and unrestricted proprioception greatly improves the coordination of movements, stability, and balance. 

Better ankle and foot mobility and flexibility

Exercising with barefoot shoes is a highly effective way to improve the mobility and flexibility of the foot and ankle. Traditional footwear can negatively affect the foot's function, leading to long-term weakness that can compromise the strength and stability of the ankle. On the other hand, barefoot shoes promote natural foot movement, allowing the entire foot to engage during exercise, which leads to significant strengthening. The flexible sole of barefoot shoes also enhances foot flexibility, positively affecting the ankle. As a result, the foot becomes stronger and healthier, leading to a stronger, more stable, and more mobile ankle. Barefoot shoes can even increase the range of motion in the ankle. 

Better balance and stability

Barefoot shoes have a unique design that allows the toes to move and spread apart naturally, which is impossible with conventional shoes. This natural movement encourages a wider support surface for the body, leading to improved balance and stability. The toes can fan out, which helps to improve blood circulation and strengthen the muscles in the feet. Along with providing a more natural and comfortable walking experience, barefoot shoes also help to reduce the risk of common foot injuries such as plantar fasciitis and metatarsalgia. 

Prevention against injuries and muscle fatigue

When our foot is free to move, it can communicate more effectively with the brain about the condition of the terrain it is crossing. Consequently, the body can react faster, allowing it to better adjust to changing conditions, thus preventing possible injuries. Moreover, wearing ultra-light BF shoes during sports can prevent injuries and significantly reduce fatigue. This is particularly crucial in endurance sports, where every gram of weight makes a difference. 

Better weight-distribution

The feet play a crucial role in supporting the entire body weight. In a healthy foot, the weight is distributed effectively between three support points - the heel and two points under the balls of the feet. But, when shoes with heels, sloped soles, arches or foam insoles are worn, it can affect the foot's natural position, causing instability and uneven pressure. Therefore, the three support points cannot distribute the weight as they should. For example, when wearing high-heeled shoes, most of the body weight is held by the forefront of our feet. Hence the halluxes and bone deformities. That's why barefoot shoes are the best option, as they allow the foot to move freely, distribute weight evenly, and improve stability during sports. 

Improved performance

Performing well in sports is about more than having a high level of fitness and strength. It's also about feeling comfortable in your gear. Wearing tight clothes or conventional footwear that restricts your movements can limit your performance. However, having healthy and functional feet can reduce joint stress and improve overall sports performance. It's important to understand that our feet play a vital role in our body's chain reaction, contributing to our overall performance. So, prioritise your foot health to take your sports performance to the next level. 

Improved breathing during physical activities

It's fascinating to know that our shoes can directly impact our breathing. Barefoot shoes are designed to align the body's axis at right angles to the ground, promoting good posture. This leads to stretching, opening up the chest, and straightening the spine, which expands the lungs, allowing us to utilise their total capacity and breathe easily. In sports, breathing is crucial, and selecting the right shoes can make all the difference. 

Healthier joints

As we mentioned earlier, the human body works as a synchronous chain reaction, where the movement of one part of the body affects the entire system in a wave or chain effect. It is a well-known fact that wearing poor-quality footwear not only hinders the foot's functionality but also has a detrimental impact on the joints, spine, and overall body posture. On the other hand, wearing barefoot shoes can significantly improve foot functionality, positively impacting the entire body. This is because evenly loaded joints result in a reduced rate of wear and tear, thereby promoting overall body health and well-being. 

More calories burnt during a run

Did you know that running in barefoot shoes is a proven way to burn more calories? Experts suggest that conventional sports shoes are designed to provide support by having an elevated heel against the front of the foot, making it easier for us to start running. On the other hand, barefoot shoes lack such support and require more energy to gain momentum for movement. This means more energy is expended in each step, resulting in more calories burned. It's a simple equation - more energy expended equals more calories burned during exercise. So, to maximise your calorie burn during running, consider switching to barefoot shoes. 

Better mood

Barefoot shoes enhance sensory awareness and encourage mindfulness by allowing us to feel the surface we are walking on. This practice stimulates the nerve endings on the foot, promoting a sense of calm and reducing stress levels. It also helps us be present, aware of our surroundings, and in the moment, improving our mood and mental health. Moreover, exercise positively affects the release of the happiness hormone, which is why we often feel good after a workout. When we exercise in barefoot shoes, we reap the benefits of both the physical exercise and the mental benefits of mindfulness. Therefore, it is a double-win for those who exercise in barefoot shoes. 

Be Lenka for your active lifestyle

Our range of barefoot shoes includes models specifically designed to cater to an active lifestyle. Our Be Lenka Dash, Be Lenka Whiz, Be Lenka Stride and Be Lenka Velocity models are designed to offer you the benefits of barefoot shoes during physical activities as well as your everyday life. Our models are versatile and can be used for leisure time, work, hitting the gym, or going for a run. Our Be Lenka models for an active lifestyle will meet all your expectations and provide you with the comfort and support you need. Equipped with the unique ActiveGrip sole and removable insoles (which can be purchased separately if you need to change them), these three models are all you need to elevate your workout game. 

Be Lenka Dash

Are you looking for the perfect shoes for active movement during the summer months? Our ultra-light shoes are specifically designed for sports, even on the hottest days, thanks to their breathable textile upper. With the ActiveGrip sole, you can count on excellent stability, and the stitching ensures durability and long lifespan of the shoes. The ActiveGrip sole maintains fantastic flexibility, ensuring that your foot is always in contact with the surface, making it perfect for demanding training like CrossFit. This model is suitable for people with normal to lower insteps. Available in Wine Red, Dark Blue, All Black and Grey, these unisex shoes are an excellent choice for all who love to move. 

Be Lenka Whiz

This model is the ultimate all-rounder, ideal for fitness, outdoor sports, leisure, or sporty outfits for work or free time, making it versatile and practical. The textile upper is perfect for warmer weather; you can use it as comfortable footwear year-round. The ActivGrip sole provides excellent balance, making it an ideal fit for all sports activities. The sole's stitching enhances durability without sacrificing flexibility, and the new TR compound used to make the sole has excellent abrasion resistance. The insole combines recycled PU and fleece, ensuring your feet remain dry and comfortable, even during hot summer days. Be Lenka Whiz is available in Grey, Light Blue, All Black and Beige. 

Be Lenka Stride

Be Lenka Stride barefoot sock sneakers are an absolute must-have for anyone who values minimalist design and optimal comfort. Their knitted fabric upper provides a perfect fit and maximum breathability even on the hottest days. These ultra-light and ultra-flexible shoes are of exceptional quality, with a stitched ActiveGrip sole that guarantees a longer lifespan. The insole is made of natural cellulose fibre, ensuring excellent absorption. Plus, with the practical loop, you can easily attach them to your backpack for easy transport. Be Lenka Stride comes in two practical colour variations – All White and Black & White, underlining their timeless and minimalistic design and making them a perfect addition to anyone’s capsule wardrobe. 

Be Lenka Velocity

Be Lenka Velocity model – a unique blend of sporty, minimalist design and elegant aesthetics. Crafted for those with a passion for an active lifestyle, these sneakers are not only timelessly trendy but also uncompromisingly comfortable and reliably functional. The perfect fusion of high-quality textile, durable TPU, and stylish metallic foils results in a standout model that sets new standards in the world of sports footwear. Available in Blue, All White, Light Pink and Black, Be Lenka Velocity suits everyone. Whether you're heading to the gym or to the office, these sneakers are designed to make a statement. With their versatile appeal, the Be Lenka Velocity model is a wardrobe essential for any sports enthusiast who values both style and performance in their everyday footwear. 

ActiveGrip sole

Be Lenka offers a variety of soles, among which the ActiveGrip sole is the most flexible. Its detailed grip ensures complete and unwavering contact with the surface, providing unparalleled control over every move, making it the perfect choice for sports models. In sports, where stability and control over movements are paramount, the ActiveGrip sole is unmatched. It helps to train the proprioception and respects the foot's natural biomechanics. The pattern is designed to drain water efficiently, making it suitable for indoor and outdoor activities. 

What should you be cautious of when wearing barefoot shoes during sports?

Wearing barefoot shoes during sports offers numerous benefits. To make the switch from conventional sports shoes, it's essential to take some precautions: 

• Selecting the right shoes is crucial, and it's essential to consider all the attributes mentioned in this article. It's worth noting that some brands merely pretend to offer barefoot shoes, so be careful. However, authentic barefoot shoes will undoubtedly provide the necessary support for gym workouts, hiking on mountain paths, walking on wet surfaces, and other challenging activities. 
• If you're a beginner looking to try working out or doing sports in barefoot shoes, it's important to take things slow. Remember that your feet have been restricted in shoes for years, so it may take some time for them to adjust to the new freedom. Give your feet the time to adapt and restore their natural functionality.

Unleash the full potential of your workout game and revel in the liberating feeling of going barefoot, no matter what activity you're engaged in. Embrace the countless benefits of being (almost) barefoot while participating in sports or exercising, and witness how it transforms your health, body, posture, mood, movement and your overall well-being.