One (small) study suggests six months of wearing barefoot shoes can increase toe-muscle strength by 57%. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/10/10/are-barefoot-shoes-good-for-runners?taid=69defa84d30a260001cd83d9&utm_campaign=editorial-social&utm_content=discovery.content&utm_medium=social-media.content.np&utm_source=twitter