Every time I teach another introductory kettlebell class, one of the first questions I get asked is about shoes. It used to be what kind of shoes – but since the minimalist / barefoot shoe trend, it’s now usually about whether I think my clients should wear shoes at all.

My preference is to not wear shoes at all.

Why Barefoot?

Z-Health Master Trainer mc schraefel has written a great article about the biomechanical and neurological reasons why you should go barefoot: Kick off your Shoes, free your feet, show your nervous system you care

On a much more practical level, I like my kettlebell clients to be shoeless because we have better balance when we are barefoot (particularly with a few minutes of coaching about rooting and gripping the ground). And, when you are swinging around a heavy weight and moving what can be tons of weight during the course of a kettlebell training session, I think that being firmly rooted to the ground with a good sense of balance is a good thing.

An Alternative to Barefoot

I know, sometimes it’s not practical to go barefoot. You are outside (and squeamish about being outside barefoot) or you are doing kettlebell training as part of a circuit where you need shoes. I get it.

In those cases I ask my clients to wear a shoe with an uber-flexible sole. Ideally the thinner the better, but you have to balance that with the other activities during your training session. Onitsuka Tai Chis are great (my personal favorite), Jengas, most martial arts shoes, Feelmax, Vibrams, and any of the other new barefoot style shoes that are coming out. Everyone has their favorite, so find yours.

Shoes vs Barefoot Video

Nothing demonstrates the difference better than being able to see it with your own eyes. Here is a great video of the impact of running with shoes on vs barefoot.