A new year means new resolutions and for many of us a new exercise routine. This year I have agreed to train with my 21-year-old daughter who is on a mission to get fit.

As ever when you are starting a new exercise routine it is important to ensure you are taking things slowly and carefully, matching your plans to your abilities and fitness levels. For me the correct footwear is also key and to start us off on the right track I thought it worthwhile reviewing our footwear to ensure we are wearing the right shoes for our new training programme.

Up until now for general gym use I have relied on a combination of my Vivobarefoot Primus Trainers and Xero Prio Trainers. Both great all-rounders designed for general fitness as well as all day everyday wear. They have proved ideal for my circuits classes and cardio-based work-outs.

However, one area we're starting to focus on more is building strength through weight training and we've booked into a specialist class at our local gym. Strength training helps improve muscle strength , endurance and overall resilience and can include everything from bodyweight movements to lifting weights, exercises like squats, lunges and deadlifts.

Feet play a huge role in any athletic activity and, even though it is often more static, strength training is no different. Your feet provide the stability and support that allows you to generate power and transfer energy through the rest of your body.

Key to the performance is the grip which gives stability in the lifts and in the more dynamic exercises such as lunges. A low stack height is essential to give better ground connection which helps to engage all of the small muscles in the feet and ankle, allowing for a solid foundation to develop strength and power. This in turn improves proprioception which translates into better form, more skilful technique, increased stability and improved overall performance when strength training.

Given this, we felt that something more specialist was needed and with the recent increase in type and number of barefoot exercise shoes on the market we wanted to try all the options. Happy Little Soles now have a great Sports footwear section on the website so you can find many of these styles there. A great range of performance shoes dedicated to specific activities as well as general fitness use.

The Options In Order of Width

Merrell Vapour Glove

^{Merrell Women's Shoes Vapor Glove 6 - Burlwood}

The Merrell Vapour Glove 6 is a lovely narrower fitting barefoot shoe that is designed for trail running, training, and everyday wear. It combines a sleek design with barefoot functionality and is on the Vibram EcoStep outsole that wraps the foot for maximum grip and ground connection.

With a 4mm sole thickness, 2mm lugs, and an overall stack height of just 6mm, this zero-drop sole provides superior ground feel and connection, ideal for weight training. The colour options and design appealed to my more fashion-conscious daughter who luckily has very narrow feet and these worked well for her fit wise. They were too narrow for my medium width feet.

Vivobarefoot Motus Studio

^{Vivobarefoot Women's Motus Studio Leather Sneaker Bright White}

The Vivobarefoot Motus range is their performance trainer range and encompasses the Motus Flex for maximum flexibility, the Motus Strength for weight training with maximum traction and stability, and the Motus Studio for all round performance and everyday wear.

I tried the Motus Studio which is designed for ultimate barefoot performance with a 2.5mm base and a 2.5mm tread. It has a waved profile with all-over rock-effect grip texture for maximum stability and offers complete flexibility of movement. It is a medium width with a sleek, stylish look that appealed to my daughter and these were her second choice. They were a perfect fit for me.

Xero Nexus

^{Xero Women's Shoes Nexus Knit - Black}

We both liked the Xero Nexus Knit, a multi-purpose barefoot trainer designed for the gym and fitness activities. It is built on a super-thin 3mm zero-drop sole to maintain maximum flexibility and ground feel.

The cup sole design gives the illusion of a thicker sole while keeping it lightweight and flexible. A nice medium to wide fit my daughter liked the look of these but found them a little wide. They were perfect for me though and definitely an option to consider.

Xero HFS II

The Xero HFS trainers are designed as a road running shoe, offering enhanced traction, comfort, and a sleek design. The zero drop 5mm outsole has a unique tyre inspired tread to give enhanced traction whilst running A thin BareFoam™ layer has been added for extra protection and comfort, and the overall stack height is therefore a little more than the Prio at 9mm.

Despite this the HFS trainers still has excellent ground feel and is even lighter in weight than the Prio for enhanced performance. HFS might be built for road running, but it is also perfect for fitness, and everyday wear with a wrapped cup-like design to give the shoe a mainstream aesthetic.

I really liked the feel of the HFS and for running and cardio activities it would be perfect, especially if you are looking for some cushioning on harder surfaces. However for weight training I found the stack height a little too much and it didn’t give me the stability of the other styles we tried.

Freet Milo Black

^{Freet Milo Barefoot Training Shoes}

I was keen to try the new Freet Milo, a training shoe designed in collaboration with gym owners and fitness enthusiasts. It aims to deliver peak performance for strength and fitness training. Milo's innovations include an enhanced lateral heel support for improved power transfer, and a protective forefoot overlay for durability. It is built on Freet’s UrbanGrip outsole with a 3mm wide-area tread for optimum grip and stability. It is extra-wide, zero-drop and flexible for natural foot movement.

A removable 2.5 mm insole provides minimal shock absorption and maximum surface feel and you can choose between a stack height of 9.5mm with the insole or a more minimal 7mm without for enhanced ground connection. Whilst we loved the feel of the shoe we both found them a little wide and therefore not stable enough for us. However our Personal Trainer who has very wide feet loved them and is currently test-driving a pair for us.

We were both delighted with our new shoes at our first strength training class and tackled our deadlifts with confidence.

We definitely appreciated the enhanced grip of the sports shoes and the lower stack heights. More and more brands are now bringing out specialist options for different sporting activities and we are looking forward to introducing more in the Spring ranges. We love that there are now plenty of options available in all widths and specifications and it is easier than ever to compare what works best for each of us.