references
  
      Footwear Science: "Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength"
    
      European Journal of Sport Science: "Longer-term effects of minimalist shoes on running performance, strength and bone density: A 20-week follow-up study"
    
      The American Journal of Sports Medicine: "Influence of the Heel-to-Toe Drop of Standard Cushioned Running Shoes on Injury Risk in Leisure-Time Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 6-Month Follow-up"
    
      Scientific Reports: "Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength"
    




The best minimalist running shoes factor in are comfortable, light and have the right toe-box size and terrain-specific features for your needs.

Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com

Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com

  • How We Chose
  • Best Value
  • Best for Multi-Tasking
  • Best for Track
  • Best for Road
  • Best for Trail
  • Best Lightweight
  • What to Look for
  • What Are They?
  • How to Use

We make deliberate choices about the language we use, but most manufacturers typically market shoes according to gender, so we have listed both women’s and men’s picks below. However, the main difference between most men’s and women’s shoes lies in the shoe width and size. In some cases, men’s shoes are built to support greater weights. So people with bigger bodies may want to opt for men’s versions, whereas people with smaller bodies may prefer women’s versions.

        Visit Page
        https://www.amazon.com

Image Credit: Merrell/LIVESTRONG.com

Image Credit: Merrell/LIVESTRONG.com

​Weight:​ 12 ounces (m), 10 ounces (w) ​Heel-to-Toe Drop: ​0 mm

        Visit Page
        https://go.skimresources.com

Image Credit: Altra/LIVESTRONG.com

Image Credit: Altra/LIVESTRONG.com

​Weight: ​10 ounces (m), 8.3 ounces (w) ​Heel-to-Toe Drop: ​0 mm

​Buy it: ​Altra.com (men), Altra.com (women); ​Price​: $130

Image Credit: Nike/LIVESTRONG.com

Image Credit: Nike/LIVESTRONG.com

​Weight:​ 4.6 ounces ​Heel-to-Toe Drop: ​0 mm

​Buy it: ​RoadrunnerSports.com; ​Price​: $64.95

​Weight: ​8.5 ounces (m), 6.9 ounces (w) ​Heel-to-Toe Drop: ​0 mm

        Visit Page
        https://www.merrell.com

​Weight: ​8 ounces (m), 7 ounces (w) ​Heel-to-Toe Drop: ​0 mm

​Buy it: ​Merrell.com (men), Merrell.com (women); ​Price​: $110

        Visit Page
        https://us.vibram.com

Image Credit: Vibram/LIVESTRONG.com

Image Credit: Vibram/LIVESTRONG.com

​Weight:​ 3.6 ounces (m), 2.6 ounces (w) ​Heel-to-Toe Drop: ​0 mm

​Buy it:​ Vibram.com (men), Vibram.com (women); ​Price​: $125

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      Footwear Science: "Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength"
    
      European Journal of Sport Science: "Longer-term effects of minimalist shoes on running performance, strength and bone density: A 20-week follow-up study"
    
      The American Journal of Sports Medicine: "Influence of the Heel-to-Toe Drop of Standard Cushioned Running Shoes on Injury Risk in Leisure-Time Runners: A Randomized Controlled Trial With 6-Month Follow-up"
    
      Scientific Reports: "Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength"