FAQ - frequently asked questions

1) What are barefoot shoes?

ANSWER: A barefoot shoe is a light, flexible, thin-soled and roomy shoe that enables the feet to function naturally. No heel rise. Read more about the homepage article "Traditional shoe vs. barefoot shoe"

2) What are minimalist shoes?

ANSWER: They are "thick-soled barefoot shoes". Read more about the homepage article "Traditional shoe vs. barefoot shoe"

3) Who is responsible for the operations of PETRI'S BAREFOOT?

ANSWER: PETRI'S BAREFOOT Oy (Ltd), whose entrepreneurs are Petri Hirvimäki and Marika Ala-Korpi.

4) What are the benefits of using barefoot shoes?

ANSWER: The muscles, tendons, bones, joints and fascia of your feet get stronger when they are allowed to function naturally when you move around in barefoot shoes. This has many health effects. It effectively prevents many stress injuries and wrong positions in your legs or heals them together with the right leg training - Achilles problems, plantar fasciitis, bunions, flat feet, etc. Also positive effects in other parts of the body, all the way to the neck.

Walking on barefoot shoes opens up new things even in terms of mental health, because feeling with our feet enriches our senses! Read more about the homepage articles: "Traditional shoe vs. barefoot shoe" and "Petri's tips for barefoot beginners"

5) How are barefoot shoes worn?

ANSWER: in the beginning, gradually getting used to them, and then as much as feels good, even all the time. Many people never want to put on tight traditional shoes again, once they've had the taste of going with barefoot shoes! Read the homepage article in more detail: "Petri's tips for barefoot beginners"

6) Can everyone wear barefoot shoes?

ANSWER: Adults and children who do not have serious chronic diseases that affect the health of the feet, such as diabetes, osteoarthritis of the feet or the inflammatory phase of rheumatism (consult a health care specialist if necessary), can use barefoot shoes as long as the adaptation is done correctly. Also it makes sense, especially at the beginning, to use more thick-based so called "minimalist shoes" that are more forgiving, especially when walking on hard surfaces. 

What comes to real barefoot shoes with thin soles, it's best to get used to them little by little according to your own feelings. In more detail, read the article on the homepage: "Petri's tips for barefoot beginners"

7) Can overweight people wear barefoot shoes?

ANSWER: of course! Being overweight in itself is not an obstacle to walking barefoot. However, it is worth noting that excess weight also increases the stress on the feet, and therefore at the beginning of the transition you have to be little more careful and also give more time. Everything is also individual - especially overweight people should get minimalist shoes, i.e. thick-soled barefoot shoes, as their first shoes. This way the risks of sore feet and even stress injuries at the beginning are substantially reduced. 

In more detail, read the article on the homepage: "Petri's tips for barefoot beginners"

8) Can children wear barefoot shoes?

ANSWER: Absolutely! Children's very first shoes have always been "barefoot shoes" before the whole concept even existed! Children's feet are not yet "spoiled" by traditional shoes to the extent that adults are, and therefore the transition (back) to barefoot shoes is often very natural. Using barefoot shoes helps the feet to develop properly. The shoes are also light, so it is pleasant for children to wear them, walk and run.

Of course, there can be individual differences in the ease of the transition. For children, it is also worth noting that playing sports on a hard field in thin-soled barefoot shoes is not necessarily recommended. So it's worth getting thicker-soled barefoot shoes for children at the beginning also or alone as the first pair of barefoot shoes. 

In more detail see the article on homepage: "Petri's tips for choosing children's barefoot shoes."