Barefoot Shoes is a common reference to shoes that have zero drop (flat between heel and forefoot), a wide toe box (there are a variety of benefits here) and re

Barefoot Shoes is a common reference to shoes that have zero drop (flat between heel and forefoot), a wide toe box (there are a variety of benefits here) and relatively thin soles to enhance proprioception. So yes, while it sounds like an oxymoron, it is actually just an industry term of art (you’ll see major companies advertise certain of their shoes as barefoot - Merrell comes to mind with their VaporGlove and Trail Glove, both of which are fantastic shoes). The other nice thing about barefoot shoes (since I find myself in full on sales mode) is that due to the lack of padding, they last significantly longer than traditional mass market shoes. My trail runners (the Merrell’s) are in season 5 now, when my old trail shoes by Saucony lasted one season Max, and my mileage has increased substantially from when I used to wear the Saucony’s.