Growing up, I always heard that I shouldn’t wear my sister’s hand-me-down shoes…. Conventional shoe are designed with “fantastic” cushioning and comfort features., but this also reduces their lifespan. On conventional shoes, you can find obvious wear indicators, such as outsole wear and tears or rips in the upper portion of the shoe, but what is more important, is the degree of sole compression, internal shoe wear and deteriorating interior cushioning.
Barefoot shoes are different. There is no cushioning that is formed to the wearer’s feet. The sole is so thin and flexible, there is really no way that the barefoot shoes show the compression as conventional shoes. Barefoot shoes are low tech shoes, which means, it is the foot that does the work. There is no support on heels, arches, or the ball of the foot. Zero. Na da. Niente.
There are also some benefits to using used barefoot shoes. The fact that they have been used, makes the sole even softer than when they were new. The cost is significantly lower and a lot of the time, they have been barely worn, as barefoot people seem to be more aware of fit and what works and what does not. I usually end up with almost new shoes for much better price (and no duties and taxes surprises!). Most barefoot shoes brands are slow fashion, so they are already better for the environment than conventional shoes, but going the used avenue helps even more to reduce waste.
One thing to consider is the bacteria – the risk is actually pretty low, but I use disinfecting sprays and my good friend magic eraser makes any white shoes look almost new again. Rubber boots have been one of the things that I find harder to wash as harsh chemicals actually destroy the rubber. For gumboots, I use toothpaste. Yup, you read that right. And then i condition them with Joules Buffer Up (buffs and restores rubber boots).