Hiking in Tennis Shoes - Zero Drop Barefoot Shoes for Hiking Review

Best Hiking Tennis Shoes For Women - Should I hike in Tennis Shoes? Zero Drop Barefoot Shoes for Hiking Review by Bessie Roaming

Alright, so if you want the short story and want a review in one word…… AMAZING or AWESOME or OBSESSED!

So, now that that is over with, lets talk about barefoot shoes for hiking.

My Journey with Hiking Boots

My journey with trying to figure out what shoe to wear while hiking was a long one. I always thought that you were supposed wear high top boots. That was what everyone wore, that is what everyone said, and that was really the only thing sold in the store.

When I wore my boots I got blisters constantly, I didn’t have very good balance at all, I would roll my ankle on a regular basis, and my feet would sweat like crazy. It was such a bummer. I tried various brands of boots trying to figure out what worked best.

Eventually, I started to wear my running shoes hiking. I realized how much more I liked hiking in my tennis than I did in my boots. I started to realize how I didn’t get blisters as often, my balance seemed much better, and I wasn’t constantly rolling my ankle. It was awesome, but I still wasn’t sure that this whole hiking in tennis shoes was a good idea. So, I started researching it.

What I found out was everyone is different so what works for me might not work for you. The other thing I found out was that everyone has a different opinion and of course their opinion was right. I thought about it for a bit and started to realize that during the day, I actually never ever wear shoes. I walk around barefoot constantly. If I do wear shoes I am wearing something flat, something without ankle support, and for the most part it is some sort of sandal.

After coming to this realization, I started to wonder why a boot would work for me when I never wore shoes. Why would it be a good idea to walk miles upon miles in a boot when my feet aren’t used to that.

My First Barefoot Shoe for Hiking

So…. I went extreme and bought myself a pair of toe shoes. Yep … toe shoes. No they weren’t the best looking as far as fashion is concerned. I felt incredibly silly in them. Most people had to stop me and make some sort of comment when I was out hiking, but you know what? They worked! They worked amazingly actually.

The first time I wore them was the first time I didn’t get blisters while hiking! For Realz! It was amazing. It was also the first time that my feet didn’t sweat and I didn’t roll my ankle a single time! I was sold! I went and bought another pair the day after that hike.

I wore these shoes for a couple of years, but was always on the look out for a normal looking barefoot shoe. I wasn’t stoked with the toe shoes and their appearance.

My Hiking Tennis Shoes That I Wear Today - Zero Drop Barefoot Shoes

I went to REI quite often and tried on different barefoot tennis shoes. It came down to a pair of New Balance shoes and a pair of Merrel’s. The shoe I ended up settling on is the New Balance Minimus V 1 Trail Running Shoe

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I seriously cannot say enough about this shoe! I wear it for running, hiking, backpacking, and just every day activities. It is so incredibly comfortable and durable. I am OBSESSED! Like really obsessed!

Honestly, I will never ever go back to wearing a hiking boot unless I need something waterproof.

Cons of Zero Drop Barefoot Shoes for Hiking

You can’t just start wearing them and hike for miles. You have to get your feet to adjust, your calves to adjust, and basically all your muscles to get used to not having a heal anymore.
They are not water proof. When you are walking through a damp meadow, you have to be very careful on where you step in order to not get your feet wet.
You feel everything! Every branch, ever stone, ever pine cone. All of it. If you have tender feet, this will be hard to get used to .
They are very thin soled so your feet tend to get hotter easier.

Benefits of Zero Drop Barefoot Shoes for Hiking

They help you walk the way you are supposed to walk. Our feet aren’t meant to walk at an angle. They are meant to be flat, so when you use a boot with a heal it doesn’t put your foot in a natural angle.
For me the helped with:
- No blisters
- Confidence and Balance
- No sweating
- P.S. this is what the barefoot shoes did for me, but they might not work for you.
They are incredibly light weight. This is huge when it comes to backpacking. They say that one pound of weight on your foot is like 5 pounds in your backpack.

Other amazing tennis shoes to consider for hiking:

I also have some other barefoot hiking shoes that I like quite a bit. These are the Altra’s and the Merrel’s. Both of these shoes are super comfy and I would highly recommend:

Have you tried hiking in tennis shoes? What are your thoughts? Comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts! Let’s help each other out :)

Wishing you nothing but amazing adventures and comfy shoes!

Bess