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Sole & Splay
Sole & Splay

Do barefoot shoes strengthen your feet?

Yes, and unusually for this category, there is measured evidence rather than testimonial.

By Brijon M. · Updated October 2026

Yes. A review of minimalist-footwear studies found significant increases in foot muscle strength, volume and cross-sectional area, with strength gains across studies spanning roughly 9 to 57 percent and size increases of about 7 to 11 percent, measured by ultrasound.

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A foot with toes splayed pressing into a bare floor

Quick picks

Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Selection is specification-led, not wear-tested — how we choose.

#ProductBest forPrice
1
A five-toe training shoe on a gym floor
Most direct stimulusVibram FiveFingers KSO EVOThe gym and foot-strengthening pick: individual toe pouches, minimal cushioning, and nothing between you and the floor during a lift.
Toe independence and gym work
2
A flexible zero-drop mesh sneaker rolled to show a thin, bendable sole
Best everyday optionXero Shoes PrioThe closest thing to a default first barefoot shoe: genuinely wide, genuinely flexible, and cheap enough that a failed experiment does not hurt.
Accumulating hours safely
3
Silicone toe spacers resting on a light surface
Best toe spacersCorrect Toes Toe SpacersMedical-grade silicone spacers designed by a podiatrist to be worn inside shoes - which is the whole difference from the gel spacers sold for pedicures.
Splay work inside a shoe

#ad Prices come from the retailer and change; we never publish a figure we have not verified live. Affiliate disclosure.

Of all the claims made for barefoot footwear, this is the one with real measurement behind it — and it is worth knowing exactly what was measured, because "strengthen your feet" is vague and the studies are not.

What the studies actually measured

The outcome measures across this literature are consistent: cross-sectional area of specific intrinsic foot muscles — most often the abductor hallucis and the flexor digitorum brevis — assessed by ultrasound imaging, alongside toe flexion strength measured with a dynamometer.

Those are objective. An ultrasound image of the abductor hallucis is not an opinion about how your feet feel. That is why this claim sits in a different evidential category from "improves posture."

The headline numbers

A review of minimalist-shoe studies reported significant increases in foot muscle strength, volume, cross-sectional area and thickness, with strength increasing between roughly 9 and 57 percent and size between about 7 and 11 percent across the included studies. The wide strength range reflects genuinely different protocols and populations rather than measurement noise — but the direction is consistent.

One study found the cross-sectional area of the abductor hallucis increased significantly in a minimalist-footwear group over a 10-week training protocol compared with a traditional-shoe control.

Shoes versus exercises

A randomized controlled trial addressed this directly: 57 healthy runners were assigned to a foot-strengthening group, a minimal-shoe walking group, or a control group, with intrinsic foot muscle cross-sectional area measured by ultrasound at baseline, 8 weeks, 16 weeks and one year.

The practical upshot of having both arms evidenced is useful: you do not have to choose. Exercises let you build foot capacity without the loading risk that comes from simply wearing minimal shoes more. That is exactly why our transition plan pairs them, and why foot strengthening exercises exists as its own page.

In children

The children's literature is some of the cleanest. A randomized trial of minimalist school shoes in primary-school students reported improved intrinsic foot muscle size, strength and arch integrity. A trial in children aged 9 to 12 found increased cross-sectional area of the abductor hallucis and flexor digitorum brevis and increased hallux and lesser-toe strength in the minimalist group versus control — though a separate trial in the same age range found increases that were moderate and not statistically significant.

Reporting that last disagreement matters. The picture is encouraging but not unanimous, and a site that only quoted the positive trial would be misleading you. Kids and barefoot shoes.

How to get the effect without the injury

The same loading that strengthens muscle also loads bone, and bone adapts more slowly. That is the entire tension in this category, and it is why the 2013 Ridge study found new bone-marrow edema in 10 of 19 runners transitioning over 10 weeks.

  1. Start with walking, not running. Walking in minimal shoes provides plenty of stimulus at a fraction of the peak load.
  2. Add hours gradually. An hour a day, growing weekly, with your normal shoes for the rest.
  3. Do the exercises. Short-foot holds, toe splays, calf raises and single-leg balance build capacity with almost no impact loading. Here they are.
  4. Judge by the next morning. Stiffness the following day means you went too far — hold, do not push.
  5. Give it months. The studies that measured change ran 8 to 16 weeks minimum. Nothing useful happens in a fortnight.

The picks in detail

If foot strength is specifically what you are after, these three target it: maximum toe independence, a practical everyday shoe, and the spacers that work inside a shoe.

1. Most direct stimulus

Vibram FiveFingers KSO EVO

The gym and foot-strengthening pick: individual toe pouches, minimal cushioning, and nothing between you and the floor during a lift.

What works

  • A stable, flat platform for squats and deadlifts
  • Lets each toe grip, which is the whole point for balance work
  • Machine washable

What does not

  • Not a running shoe for most people
  • Toe-pocket fit takes two or three attempts to get right

Skip these if: You want one shoe you can also wear to the shops. These are specialist equipment.

Specifications as published by the maker and reported by Outdoor Life, best barefoot shoes 2026. We have not measured them ourselves. Vibram FiveFingers fit profile

2. Best everyday option

Xero Shoes Prio

The closest thing to a default first barefoot shoe: genuinely wide, genuinely flexible, and cheap enough that a failed experiment does not hurt.

What works

  • Removable 2 mm insole, so you can go thinner as your feet adapt
  • Wide enough for most square and plateau foot shapes
  • Flexes and rolls flat, which is the quickest way to spot a fake minimalist shoe

What does not

  • The lacing panel can pressure a high instep
  • Thin heel padding is noticeable on hard floors for the first week

Skip these if: You have a high-volume foot and dislike lace pressure across the top, or you need any cushioning at all on day one.

Specifications as published by the maker and reported by Xero Shoes Prio listing specifications. We have not measured them ourselves. Xero Shoes fit profile

3. Best toe spacers

Correct Toes Toe Spacers

Medical-grade silicone spacers designed by a podiatrist to be worn inside shoes - which is the whole difference from the gel spacers sold for pedicures.

What works

  • Designed to be worn inside a shoe, not just at rest
  • Medical-grade silicone holds its shape through repeated washing
  • Adjustable - the spacing posts can be trimmed

What does not

  • They only work in a shoe with enough toe-box room, which means a barefoot shoe anyway
  • Expensive next to generic silicone spacers
  • Uncomfortable for the first few sessions

Skip these if: Your current shoes have a tapered toe box. Spacers plus a narrow shoe is worse than neither.

Specifications as published by the maker and reported by Correct Toes in-shoe toe spacers product page. We have not measured them ourselves. All brand fit profiles

Common questions

How much stronger do feet actually get?

Across the studies in one review, reported strength increases ranged from about 9 to 57 percent and muscle size increases from about 7 to 11 percent. The range is wide because protocols and populations differed; the direction was consistent.

How long does it take?

The studies that measured change used protocols of 8 to 16 weeks at minimum, with one randomized trial following participants to a year. Expect months, not weeks.

Are foot exercises as good as wearing the shoes?

A randomized trial compared both against a control group, so both routes are evidenced. The practical advantage of exercises is that they build capacity without the impact loading that creates stress-injury risk — which is why pairing them is the sensible plan.

Will stronger feet fix my flat feet?

Stronger intrinsic muscles and a changed arch are not the same outcome. One children's trial reported improved arch integrity, but extrapolating that to an adult structurally flat foot is not supported. See flat feet for the honest version.

Do toe spacers help?

They address toe position rather than strength, and they only work in a shoe with enough room — which means a wide toe box anyway. Toe spacers with barefoot shoes.

Sources

  1. Effects of Minimalist Shoes on Plantar Intrinsic Foot Muscle Size and Strength: A Review
  2. A Comparison of Foot Strengthening versus Minimal Footwear Use on Intrinsic Muscle Size and Strength
  3. Minimalist school shoes improve intrinsic foot muscle size, strength, and arch integrity among primary school students
  4. The long-term effects of wearing moderate minimalist shoes on a child's foot strength, muscle structure and balance (RCT)
  5. Ridge et al., foot bone marrow edema after 10-week transition to minimal footwear

Accessed October 2026. Where a source is a manufacturer, the specification is theirs as published — we have not measured it.

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