The Best Barefoot Gym Shoes

Megan & Anya

Whether it’s for weightlifting, Crossfit, or HIIT, barefoot shoes can help stabilize you in the gym for maximum output. Personally, I’ve found the gym setting to be the most natural place to use wide toe box shoes with a flat sole – they’ve really helped me with my form!

So I’ve compiled here, along with the help of my physical therapist friend Megain, our tried-and-true best barefoot gym trainers on the market. They allow your feet spread out and can withstand the rigor of your strength training workouts.

Why We Love Barefoot Shoes for Training

Feet are a highly underrated part of our body, and they become especially important when you are physically active. Good form in the gym starts with the feet!

But unfortunately most of the gym shoes available on the market don’t let your feet do their job, and consequently throw off the rest of your body. A tapered pointy toe box and an unnecessarily cushioned & heeled sole do not make for natural positioning of the feet.

I come from a history of joint pain and injuries because of hypermobility, so being physically active has been a challenge for me for a long time. Good form has been critical as I build up my joint stability. I wear barefoot shoes with thin flexible soles and plenty of toe space when working out, so I can be fully connected to the ground.

The Best Barefoot Gym Shoes

I’ve joined forces with my friend Megan, who is a physical therapist and gym enthusiast. Together we tested all the barefoot gym shoes on the market to determine which ones have the best grip, functionality, durability, and of course a good fit for healthy feet.

There are our favorite options that are as close to the barefoot experience as possible while giving your foot the protection it needs, for whatever your preferred form of exercise is.

This article is about gym trainers, not lifters, which are especially made for a specific type of weightlifting – Olympic lifting. If you would like a wide toe box alternative to your standard Olympic lifter, TYR has some.

Now on to the best barefoot training shoes!

Lono

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Best for: All gym workouts, depending on model

Lono has two amazing gym shoes that cover all your needs. This is my current favorite brand of trainers, because they have an amazing fit and feel (lots of toe space while still locking in your heel), great grip, and a light flexible upper.

The Flow 2 is an all-arounder with a soft knit upper, toe and heel reinforcements, and the perfect balance between ground feel and a touch of cushion. I also love that they pull on. This is a seriously good shoe that also happens to be a lower price point than many of the big brands in the space (not to mention IMO a better fit).

The Lono Hype is a cross trainer with more padding and more reinforcements. They are designed for higher impact and torsion, so if you are doing HIIT or Crossfit, you may want this more robust option.

Cons: The upper on Flow 2 is so soft and stretchy that it doesn’t offer a ton of protection and may not hold you in for dynamic exercise.

Sizing & Fit:

• True to size
• Wide fit
• Medium to low volume – might be tight on high volume feet, but you can remove the insole
• Removable insole

Vibram Five Fingers

Sizes EU 34-50 | Available from:

Best for: All gym exercise

Vibram Five Fingers offer full toe articulation and awareness in the feet. They got famous as a running shoes, but IMO they are much better suited for the gym. I love that I can fully plant my foot in them for a stable lift. For me (someone who does mostly static lifting) responsiveness is key, and five finger shoes are the only ones that truly do not inhibit my feet.

Vibram changes their lineup a lot and annoyingly tends to make their best shoes exclusively available in select stores. I love the V-Soul (shown above right), but they aren’t always in the official Vibram store. I’ve gotten some on eBay, but you want to avoid the knockoffs (poor quality). Oh, and if you go for toe shoes, you’ll want some toe socks to go with them.

Cons: The toe pockets don’t work well for some foot shapes (like sloped, with short outer toes).

Sizing & Fit Type:

• True to size
• wide to extra fit – best suited for squarer foot shapes
• Low to medium volume

The Men’s versions are wider than Women’s, so we recommend choosing based on your foot type.

Tolos

Sizes US M5/W6.5 – M14/W15.5 | Available from:

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Best for: Weightlifting

The Tolos Archetype 3.0 is an excellent gym shoe with good toe space and security. When it comes to lifting I want my shoe to be locked in and secure, but not at all restrictive of my toes and Tolos does exactly that.

We found them to be best for weightlifting when you are mostly static and not pounding the concrete, because they have very minimal cushioning. However, if you’re concerned about the Lono Flow not holding your foot in, the non-stretchy Tolos is a good alternative.

And because they aren’t over-designed with a bunch of fancy doo dads, you are able to easily take them from the gym to just about anywhere. They are a good balance of function with minimalism.

Cons: Not a lot of cushion for high impact exercise and sports.

Sizing & Fit:

• True to size
• Wide fitting
• Medium to high volume – no insole

Vivobarefoot

Sizes Women’s EU 35-43 & Men’s EU 40-49 | Vegan | Available from:

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If you are in the UK, shop this link. If you are in the EU or the rest of the world, shop Vivobarefoot here.

Best for: All gym workouts

Vivobarefoot has a dedicated cross training shoe – the Motus Strength that is especially designed with a grippy, flat outsole for stability on the gym floor. They are a little more cushioned than other Vivobarefoot models for a bit of extra protection in high impact workouts. They also have lateral reinforcements for things like rope climbs and changing directions quickly.

In addition to the Motus Strength, you can find a variety of trainers from Vivobarefoot that with different upper materials. The Motus Flex is extremely soft and flexible, best for static workouts. The Primus Lite is a great all-arounder, but very minimal without cushioning. Those two models are my favorites from the Vivo line up.

Cons: Vivobarefoot shoes in general need to be broken in. They are durable, which is great, but not buttery soft right out of the box. And on some models the material folds up when I tighten the laces on my low volume feet.

Sizing & Fit Type:

• Run slightly long
• Medium to wide fit – better big toe space than Xero, but overall not an extra wide fit
• Medium to high volume in Motus Strength. Medium to low volume in Primus Lite.
• Removable insoles in most models

Like Xero Shoes, Vivobarefoot men’s are wider than women’s otherwise no different. So order based on your foot type.

Xero Shoes

Sizes US Women’s 5 – Men’s 15 | Available from:

Best for: All gym & court workouts

Xero has a wide variety of training options that you can choose from, based on your activity. The Prio Neo and HFS II are the best all-arounders that can handle most everything. Buy you can also choose the XT Maxx if you are looking for something that is more geared toward Crossfit/HIIT intensity levels.

Xero training shoes are very flexible and soft, while still being grippy They have that perfect balance of being soft and flexible while still providing the right amount of grip and protection. The XT Maxx is the most secure with lateral supports and lock laces that don’t stretch. It’s also the most durable, but not as soft as the rest of Xero’s training shoe line.

Because of the removable insoles on Xero shoes we found that they work both on my really low volume foot and Megan’s high volume foot.

Cons: I wish they had a slightly more fan-shaped toe box for more splay room.

Sizing & Fit Type:

• True to size
• Medium to slightly wide width – best suited for those with slimmer toes
• Works for any foot volume with removable insole

Men’s Xero shoes are wider than women’s, so I recommend ordering based on your foot width (since otherwise the shoe is the same).

If you need basketball shoes, Xero also has a dedicated line of basketball shoes.

TYR DropZero

Sizes US M4.5/W6 – M16/W175 | Available from:

Best for: Lifting & static exercise

If you need a shoe for lifting only, the TYR DropZero trainer is the best of the bunch. The quality is excellent, they are durable with reinforcements at high pressure points, have a grippy sole, and are breathable thanks to a soft knitted upper.

The two velcro adjustments make for an ultra secure fit without any pinch points or rubbing. We also found the toe box to be a good width, wider than both Vivo and Xero. I consider this shoe to be one of the best made of all in this list! And the one we recommend for serious lifters who want a shoe that lasts.

Cons: There is just one thing we would change to make them more versatile as a gym trainer, and that is a bit more flexibility in the sole for quick movements. The outsole is bendy, but not as flexible as we would like in all directions, so they don’t move as dynamically with the foot for full body cardio exercise like HIIT & CrossFit.

But they have gotten more flexible over time and certainly can be used as an all purpose gym trainer. It’s just that they’re not our top pick for those exercise modalities!

Sizing & Fit Type:

• True to size
• Wide to extra wide fit
• Low to high volume with removable insole

Inov8

Sizes EU 35.5-50 | Available from:

Best for: Weightlifting and Crossfit

This is a brand that seldom gets talked about in the barefoot circles, but these are solid shoes. They have a good wide forefoot and locked in heel, with a really soft comfortable fit. The Bare-XF Pro (above left) is designed for more intense workouts with a sock-like construction and lateral reinforcements. The more robust sole does make them feel narrower to me, and I want just a smidge more pinkie space. But I love the grippiness of them paired with responsiveness.

The Bare-XF (above right) is better suited to lifting and general gym workouts. But the fit is a dream. They are plenty wide in the toe box, and easy to cinch up securely around my ankles. The sole is thin and grippy, and I really feel like I can grip the ground in them for a stable life.

Cons: While the specs on the Bare-XF Pro are great, they are very thin and might not have enough impact protection for high impact workouts.

Sizing & Fit Type:

• Low to medium volume.
• Removable insole in Bare-XF models
• Runs true to size
• Wide toe box, fitted heel

The website indicates that the Pro line can run big and lots of customers go down a half size. This was not the case for me, I got my usual W6.5 and they were perfect.

Notorious Lift

Sizes EU 35-47 | Available from:

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Best for: All gym exercise

Notorious Lift shoes are like a classic gym shoe but with more grip for stability while lifting (and of course a wide toe box and flat sole). These shoes cross over well to the more dynamic exercise modalities because they are very soft, flexible, and move with the foot. I like that they have a but more cushion to them, making them easier to transition from lifting to cardio.

I also loved the toe box. It’s wide enough for me to get a full splay. And the laces cinch easily.

Cons: Could be more fitted through the heel for that locked-in feel. But for those that are wide throughout the entire foot, it’ll be nice.

Sizing & Fit Type:

• Runs small
• Wide fit throughout the shoe
• Medium to high volume with removable insole

I found these a little roomy on my low volume feet, but I was able to cinch them up easily.

Aion Shoes

Sizes US 4M/6W – 13M/14W | Available from:

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Best for: Weightlifting and HIIT

The Aion sneakers are beautiful, I love the frost blue color. They are also very soft with a padded upper and a good amount of cushion in the sole, making them good for higher intensity workouts.

Cons: I wish they had a wider toe box. They also run long, so ultimately weren’t a good fit for me. If you are in the “long, thin feet” crowd they will be a good option. Less so if you have a fan-shaped foot.

Sizing & Fit Type:

• Runs long. I needed a size down
• Slim, straight fit
• Medium volume

Bearfoot Shoes

Sizes US M4/W3.5 – M16 | Available from:

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Best For: Lifting & Casual use

The Bearfoot Ursus is a really soft comfortable shoe with no pinch points anywhere. We hardly notice we’re wearing them, which is the goal of a barefoot shoe! These are especially good for Megan, who has a wide high volume foot -they offer a whole lot of room in the toe box.

Despite the fact that the Bearfoot Ursus is soft, it still is durable and abrasion resistant. And the high top version can be useful to bring awareness to the ankle if you are in need of that.

Cons: We found them better for lifting or casual wear than for dynamic sports – because they aren’t as responsive to quick movements. The toe box is also shallow over the toes, so if you are someone with “tall toes” or upward pointing nails they might feel tight.

In addition to shoes, Bearfoot Shoes has a grip toe sock that you can use in the gym too. It doesn’t offer any protection against equipment (and I personally want a shoe between me and the hard ground), but are a nice alternative if you want to lift barefoot but aren’t allowed to.

Sizing & Fit Type:

• Runs slightly short (mostly because the very front of the shoe doesn’t have a lot of clearance)
• Wide to extra wide fit
• Medium to high volume fit in the arch (insole not removable)
• Low volume over the toes

Affordable Barefoot Gym Trainers

If you are looking for an affordable barefoot gym shoe to test the waters in, I recommend the following brands.

Whitin Shoes

Whitin has a variety of sneakers and trainers with a wide toe box and flexible sole. They’re basic, but do the job! And I like that they have mainstream looking styles if you want a classic sneaker look in the gym.

I recommend choosing shoes either from the “Wide Barefoot” section of their shop, or the style with the 5 nubs (like toes). And they run on the smaller side, so many people size up.

This brand ships from Amazon, which can be convenient if you are unsure about your size and want to be able to easily return.

Saguaro Smart

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The Saguaro Smart has a mesh upper that is soft and breathable. They run a little bit small, so many people size up a half or whole size. The width is generous, and they’re a pretty solid shoe! Not as durable as the others we’ve reviewed here, but that is to be expected at this price. And they are genuinely very comfortable.

Saguaro has other barefoot shoes that can be used as gym shoes, but this one if my favorite.

The most important thing to note is that Saguaro ships from Asia, so can take a little while to arrive depending on where you are ordering from.