Xero Shoes HFS Women's Barefoot Running Shoes - Minimalist Zero Drop Trail Runners with Wide Toe Box | Lightweight & Flexible for Natural Movement | Perfect for Trail Running, Gym Workouts & Everyday Wear

I have spent a few thousand dollars over the past 10 years trying to find a comfortable sneaker. Until now, every shoe I have purchased has caused pain in some part of my body. Depending on the shoe the pain is in my arches, my heel, behind my ankle, my knee, my lower back, etc. I have spent countless hours reading and researching what is causing my pain. I kept thinking it had to be the shoes since the pain moved around. My husband kept saying it was just my aging body. But I refused to believe that. So I kept trying.I went to all kinds of speciality stores and listened to all kinds of exclamations as to why I was in pain and why their speciality shoe would be the miracle. I talked to my doctor who just shrugged. I tried a few different zero heel drop brands, orthopedic brands, lots of cushioning, no cushioning, cross trainers, hiking shoes, running shoes....I really tried everything. I bought from brick and mortar stores and from Amazon. I just looked up my past orders on Amazon and typed in shoes in the search function. It brought up 54 different orders on my account. I am not kidding when I say I have searched high and low for a pair of sneakers. I thought my days of enjoying a nice walk outside were over. I was so discouraged.Then I ran across a comment on a blog where someone mentioned the brand Xero shoes. I figured what do I have to lose?I ordered from Amazon because the return policy for the Xero company is not good from their website. I have more shoes in my garage than most shoes stores have in their current stock. So I wanted to be able to return these shoes if they did not work for me.Well I have finally found the miracle shoe I have been searching for!! I have an exercise tracker app on my phone. I have had these shoes for 100 days and have logged 720 miles on them. I have not had one bit of pain. Not a single ache. My husband was wrong! It was not my aging body.It was the shoes!!!I have even tried to take a walk a couple of times in some of my other shoes just to compare and see if maybe it was a coincidence that my pain went away at exactly the same time as I discovered these shoes. But nope! The pain comes back after I walk 100 yards or so in other shoes. But as soon as I change to my Xero shoes the pain disappears.The biggest reason I believe these shoes are so great is because they are so flexible. Never have my feet ever had so much freedom. I tried Altra shoes, which are also a minimal drop shoe, and I liked them a bit more than most other sneaker brands. So I examined my Xero shoes against my Altra shoes to try and see what it was about the Xeros that made my body feel so much better. The huge difference is the sole of the Xero shoes is so completely flexible. It doesn't force my foot to conform to the shoe. It allows my foot to bend exactly where it wants to bend. This has been a complete game changer for me.I will say there is the smallest issue which was simple to resolve. The insoles are really thin. You can really feel the road. Every little pebble. I assume Xero did that to add to the flexibility of the shoe. I just bought a pair of Dr. Scholl's Athletic Series Fitness Walking Insoles and cut them to fit my sneakers. They add the right amount of cushion to my foot but they do not have any support features so I still get all the flexibility I love about the Xero shoes. I mostly walk on concrete sidewalks and asphalt roads and my feet, legs and back feel amazing. I have also hiked many many miles in the woods and over rocks. The combination of the Xero shoe with the Dr Scholl's Athletic Series Fitness Insoles has been perfection for me.I now own almost every style of shoe Xero makes. I recommended the shoes to my adult son, my husband, and a few friends. Everyone who has tried them has ordered several pairs also. I would give these 100 stars if I could. This is the absolute best purchase I have made on Amazon.If you have been searching for a pain-free shoe Xero maybe for you. Look at all their styles. The style from this review is my least favorite of all the Xeros I now own, but it is still the better than any other shoe I had before discovering Xero. My favorite Xero shoe is actually Oswego - High Performance Casual Comfort. I love every single Xero shoe I own.