r/BarefootRunning

Community Overview
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reddit.com/r/BarefootRunning/
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About r/BarefootRunning

A community of barefoot and minimalist runners.

The community at a glance

r/BarefootRunning is a Subreddit for Fitness Enthusiasts and Runners with roughly 81K members. It uses a forum format for communication.

Roughly 11K members have joined in the past year. Popular discussion topics include Barefoot, Shoes, and Running. Common discussion themes are Solution Requests and Advice Requests. Product recommendations often mention barefoot shoes, running shoes, and sandals.

On Reddit
81K Members

Community Topics

Community Features

Forum

This community has a forum

Subreddit Analysis

via GummySearch
Yearly: +11K members
Growth: +16.2% / year

Member growth over time

All time (yearly)

  • 2013: 2K members
  • 2014: 1K members
  • 2015: 232 members
  • 2016: 968 members
  • 2017: 2K members
  • 2018: 2K members
  • 2019: 4K members
  • 2020: 6K members
  • 2023: 24K members
  • 2024: 13K members
  • 2025: 13K members
  • 2026: 6K members

Past year (monthly)

  • Sep: 957 members
  • Oct: 871 members
  • Nov: 895 members
  • Dec: 1K members
  • Jan: 834 members
  • Feb: 841 members
  • Mar: 983 members
  • Apr: 955 members
  • May: 933 members
  • Jun: 805 members
  • Jul: 911 members
  • Aug: 42 members

Themes

  • Solution Requests
    2 posts in the past month
    1. ISO true foot shaped, zero-drop deck boots in men’s size 13.
    2. Looking for everyday shoes that are actually healthy for my feet
    #1
    Solution Requests
    ISO true foot shaped, zero-drop deck boots in men’s size 13. · Looking for everyday shoes that are actually healthy for my feet
    2
  • Advice Requests
    1 post in the past month
    1. Achilles tendinosis advice needed
    #2
    Advice Requests
    Achilles tendinosis advice needed
    1

Topics

  • Barefoot
    100 posts in the past month
    1. What are the best affordable barefoots for hiking?
    2. Barefoot/Zero-drop for walking, traditional shoes for running: Any downsides?
    3. Barefoot child heel strikes when running
    #1
    Barefoot
    What are the best affordable barefoots for hiking? · Barefoot/Zero-drop for walking, traditional shoes for running: Any downsides? · Barefoot child heel strikes when running
    100
  • Shoes
    98 posts in the past month
    1. Barefoot/Zero-drop for walking, traditional shoes for running: Any downsides?
    2. Looking for everyday shoes that are actually healthy for my feet
    #2
    Shoes
    Barefoot/Zero-drop for walking, traditional shoes for running: Any downsides? · Looking for everyday shoes that are actually healthy for my feet
    98
  • Running
    79 posts in the past month
    1. Barefoot/Zero-drop for walking, traditional shoes for running: Any downsides?
    #3
    Running
    Barefoot/Zero-drop for walking, traditional shoes for running: Any downsides?
    79
  • Shoe
    41 posts in the past month
    #4
    Shoe
    41
  • Barefoot Shoes
    35 posts in the past month
    #5
    Barefoot Shoes
    35

Flair

  • question
    44 posts in the past month
    1. Bedrock Cairn Evo Pro fit check
    2. Bedrock Sizing
    3. Vibram Fivefingers buying help
    #1
    question
    Bedrock Cairn Evo Pro fit check · Bedrock Sizing · Vibram Fivefingers buying help
    44
  • unshod
    17 posts in the past month
    1. Nothing hits like early morning runs when whole city is deserted. Anyone else enjoy doing this?
    2. A man on the train told me I was okay biking in flipflops because I had "real flintstone feet"
    3. Doing things in your life without shoes is one thing. Running without shoes is a very different thing.
    #2
    unshod
    Nothing hits like early morning runs when whole city is deserted. Anyone else enjoy doing this? · A man on the train told me I was okay biking in flipflops because I had "real flintstone feet" · Doing things in your life without shoes is one thing. Running without shoes is a very different thing.
    17
  • discussion
    12 posts in the past month
    1. Footshape change
    2. Zapatos de seguridad tipo barefoot
    3. Bedrock Sandals Running
    #3
    discussion
    Footshape change · Zapatos de seguridad tipo barefoot · Bedrock Sandals Running
    12
  • minimalist shoes
    11 posts in the past month
    1. XeroShoes Genesis sandals, closest to barefoot I’ve felt wearing anything
    2. 8 months of barefoot fitness, and walking/lifting/running so much better! Rewarding myself with some Tanuki’s for the summer
    3. First vibram fivefingers
    #4
    minimalist shoes
    XeroShoes Genesis sandals, closest to barefoot I’ve felt wearing anything · 8 months of barefoot fitness, and walking/lifting/running so much better! Rewarding myself with some Tanuki’s for the summer · First vibram fivefingers
    11
  • VFF
    7 posts in the past month
    1. Completed a marathon in shoes that look like feet
    2. I didn't think this through 😅
    3. Why does it look like his foot is leaning to the inside in Vibram V-Run? (repost with more pictures)
    #5
    VFF
    Completed a marathon in shoes that look like feet · I didn't think this through 😅 · Why does it look like his foot is leaning to the inside in Vibram V-Run? (repost with more pictures)
    7

Product recommendations

  • barefoot shoes
    14 posts in the past month
    1. Best barefoot shoes for hiking?
    2. My dads (65) is suffering from knee joint pain in his old age, I suggested barefoot shoes as a possible 'remedy', but he has shown me his orthopaedic has explicitly stated barefoot shoes are bad for him. What's best for my dad?
    3. Best Minimalist Running Shoes – Which Ones Feel the Most Natural?
    #1
    barefoot shoes
    Best barefoot shoes for hiking? · My dads (65) is suffering from knee joint pain in his old age, I suggested barefoot shoes as a possible 'remedy', but he has shown me his orthopaedic has explicitly stated barefoot shoes are bad for him. What's best for my dad? · Best Minimalist Running Shoes – Which Ones Feel the Most Natural?
    14
  • running shoes
    8 posts in the past month
    1. best running shoe with zero arch support and enough room for toes to fully spread freely, but not 5 finger shoes as they dont fit my feet, and not sandals.
    2. Which Altra running shoes are best for daily use? I just bought the Olympus 2.
    3. Best shoes for running/weight lifting
    #2
    running shoes
    best running shoe with zero arch support and enough room for toes to fully spread freely, but not 5 finger shoes as they dont fit my feet, and not sandals. · Which Altra running shoes are best for daily use? I just bought the Olympus 2. · Best shoes for running/weight lifting
    8
  • sandals
    8 posts in the past month
    1. Best Sandal for Long Distance Train Running & Road Running?
    2. What’s the best barefoot sandals brand to you, based on performance and looks?
    3. I recommend @Earthrunners for sandals
    #3
    sandals
    Best Sandal for Long Distance Train Running & Road Running? · What’s the best barefoot sandals brand to you, based on performance and looks? · I recommend @Earthrunners for sandals
    8
  • toe socks
    5 posts in the past month
    1. Best size 15 (uk 48) toe socks?
    2. Best socks for five finger shoes for more cushion and more of an hermetic grip of the shoe over the foot
    3. Best toe socks?
    #4
    toe socks
    Best size 15 (uk 48) toe socks? · Best socks for five finger shoes for more cushion and more of an hermetic grip of the shoe over the foot · Best toe socks?
    5
  • minimalist shoes
    4 posts in the past month
    1. Can anyone recommend me a pair of minimalist shoes for OCR/trail running/muddy conditions in general?
    2. Looking to get Some recs for different occasions (uk)
    3. Looking for recs on minimalist shoes
    #5
    minimalist shoes
    Can anyone recommend me a pair of minimalist shoes for OCR/trail running/muddy conditions in general? · Looking to get Some recs for different occasions (uk) · Looking for recs on minimalist shoes
    4
View full analysis on GummySearchSynced 7/29/2026

Frequently asked questions

Who is r/BarefootRunning for?
Best for Fitness Enthusiasts and Runners enthusiasts looking for a Reddit-based community with forum discussion.
Is r/BarefootRunning free to join?
This listing is not marked as paid-only. Access rules and any fees are decided by the community.
How many members does r/BarefootRunning have?
Roughly 81K members, based on figures reported by the community or its host. Member counts are approximate and change over time.
What platform is r/BarefootRunning on?
r/BarefootRunning runs on Reddit. Reddit communities (or "subreddits") are forum-based groups on the popular social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website Reddit. Reddit is commonly known as "the front page of the internet". Users submit content to the site such as links, text posts, and images, which are then voted up or down and discussed by other members. From investing Reddit communities, to professional ones, to ones just for laughs, you're likely to find a community for you on Reddit.
What topics does r/BarefootRunning cover?
On the Hive Index, r/BarefootRunning is organized under Fitness Enthusiasts, Runners.
How do I join r/BarefootRunning?
You can join r/BarefootRunning by clicking this link, or pressing the "Go to community" button above.
What are the Fitness communities like?
One of the larger topic areas on the site, covering lifting, running, yoga, calisthenics, and pretty much every other form of exercise. Reddit has massive communities for general fitness and specific disciplines, with Discord servers for accountability and program sharing. Good for program recommendations, form checks, and finding training partners.
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Added 4/23/2026

Monthly Stats

11
Views /mo
(+83%)
10
Visitors /mo
(+67%)
0
Referrals /mo

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