HYPE: Barefoot shoes strengthen your feet and stop injuries.
But what does the evidence actually show?
Minimalist shoes may improve some measures of foot strength. Evidence that they reliably prevent running injuries is much less convincing, and changing footwear alters the loads your tissues must tolerate.
What is the hype?
Flexible soles and less support may require foot muscles to work differently. That makes a strengthening effect plausible. It does not follow that every person needs minimalist footwear or that stronger measured muscles guarantee fewer injuries.
Strength findings are promising but qualified
A 2025 systematic review examined 28 trials of foot exercises or minimalist footwear. Its synthesis supported possible foot-strength gains, but the certainty of many pooled findings was low or very low because of bias and limited studies. The review also found inconsistent muscle-size results. A strength test and a larger muscle are related but distinct outcomes. [1]
Earlier research points in a similar direction
A 2022 review of nine studies found increases in selected foot-muscle strength or size after minimalist-shoe interventions. Participants were generally healthy, and the authors called for improved assessment methods and research in clinical populations. Its findings cannot establish that a person with pain or a specific foot disorder will benefit from the same change. [2]
Injury prevention needs direct injury trials
A Cochrane review compared several running-shoe types, including minimalist designs. Much of the evidence was low or very low certainty, with difficulty blinding participants, varied injury definitions and limited studies for individual comparisons. It does not establish a universal injury-prevention advantage for minimalist shoes. [3]
Transition is part of the intervention
A newer review specifically examined people changing to minimalist footwear and reported concern about injury during transition, including forefoot and Achilles-region problems. Its small and varied evidence base does not supply one safe transition schedule for everyone. It reinforces that moving load from one structure to another is different from eliminating load. [4]
The catch: limitations and uncertainty
Walking, running and all-day wear are different exposures. Shoes vary in cushioning, flexibility and heel-to-toe drop, while foot-strength tests are not standardised. A positive average finding does not identify the best shoe for a person with a prior injury, neuropathy or another clinical condition.
What this means for you
Choose footwear around comfort, activity and your needs rather than assuming less shoe must be healthier. If changing to a substantially different design, allow adaptation and respond to persistent pain rather than pushing through it. People with an existing foot problem or altered sensation should obtain suitable professional advice before a major change.
A possible way to train foot muscles, without a demonstrated injury-proofing effect.
Research & Sources
1. The effects of foot core exercises and minimalist footwear on foot muscle sizes, foot strength, and biomechanics: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2025).
Published abstract; low-to-very-low certainty for many outcomes.
Read the original source ↗2. The Effects of Minimalist Shoes on Plantar Intrinsic Foot Muscle Size and Strength: A Systematic Review (2022).
Published abstract; nine studies.
Read the original source ↗3. Relph et al. (2022). Running shoes for preventing lower limb running injuries in adults.
Cochrane systematic review.
Read the original source ↗4. Injury risk associated with the transition to minimalist footwear in runners: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2026).
Published abstract; transition-specific findings.
Read the original source ↗Evidence reviewed: October 2026
This targeted editorial review considered sources available in October 2026. It is not an exhaustive systematic review. Source access and indirect evidence are identified above. Evidence vs Hype provides education, not individual diagnosis or treatment. Original AI-generated featured artwork is conceptual and does not demonstrate a study result. No commercial product was selected or endorsed.