The shoe insole helps with the transition to barefoot shoes.
When you purchase your first minimalist shoe, we often recommend getting a special type of shoe insole that helps your feet adjust to the new situation. The sole of barefoot shoes is thin, providing you with proper ground contact, but if you are used to wearing traditional thick-soled shoes, your feet need some training to adapt to the new footwear.
In our blog, we introduce shoe insoles and help you with your selection.
How do barefoot shoes differ from traditional shoes?
We must say, they differ in almost everything! That's why customers suffering from various pains come to us, having tried almost everything to alleviate their musculoskeletal issues. Only a few people consider replacing their shoes instead of taking painkillers, but it sounds so simple, right?
Barefoot shoes can achieve what traditional shoes cannot, such as pain relief and improvement of various orthopedic problems. They were designed by physiotherapists with the aim of bringing our bodies as close as possible to their natural state during daily walking.
While regular shoe soles are thick, hard, and rigid, the soles of barefoot shoes are thin and flexible. While regular shoes are almost always raised at the heel, the soles of these shoes are completely flat.
Moreover, barefoot shoes are extra lightweight, flexible, and designed with a wide toe box, allowing your toes to assume their natural positions.
With the help of the shoe insole, you can easily transition to your new shoes.
When you put on a barefoot shoe after wearing thick-soled shoes, you will feel the unevenness of the ground through its thin sole. This may feel quite unusual at the beginning, and if your foot arch is weak, we highly recommend using an insole, which you can find among our accessories.
We offer these insoles in various thicknesses. You can start with the thicker one and then switch to the thinner one, and eventually, you can stop using them altogether. If you are going on a very long journey or walking on hard surfaces, it's still worth using them as they provide excellent ground contact with their shock-absorbing properties.
What types of insoles are available?
The Freet ConnectComfort OrthoLite 6 mm insole can be used in any barefoot shoe, providing better shock absorption. Its antimicrobial material is breathable, allowing moisture to escape. It's an excellent choice for transition, so it's definitely worth purchasing and wearing until your foot arch gets stronger. This is entirely individual for each person, depending on how problematic their feet are and the condition of their foot arch.
The Freet Flexile 2.5 mm insole is thinner, also antimicrobial and breathable. It's thin and light, allowing you to have a better connection to the ground.
We haven't forgotten about the winter, so for winter shoes or winterizing your shoes, we recommend the bLIFESTYLE Fluffy barefoot winter insole, which is covered with wool felt, breathable, and protects your feet from getting cold. This product is handmade in Portugal, using wool from animals raised in responsible conditions.
The shoe insole makes it easier to transition to barefoot shoes. Use it until you feel your feet are ready to experience the true barefoot feeling. You can try our shoes and insoles in our store in Székesfehérvár. Come visit us or if you have any questions, feel free to contact us!
