1HUND Aerolux Barefoot Review | Great for Lifting On a Budget?

The 1HUND Aerolux Barefoot has been one of those shoes that came onto my radar, I didn’t think too much of them and have since become one of my favorite barefoot shoes for lifting and cross-training.

To be honest, I love it when shoes subtly surprise me or at least exceed my expectations — especially when they have a budget-friendly price like the Aerolux Barefoot. This shoe 1HUND’s first crack at a more formal barefoot shoe as they typically build shoes that are a lot more slipper-esque in nature.

I’m not the biggest fan of deadlift slippers myself so I’ve only had some exposure to 1HUND’s brand in the past, but with the Aerolux Barefoot release, I was instantly drawn to buying a pair. Here’s everything you should know about this shoe before buying them.

1HUND Aerolux Barefoot Summary

The 1HUND Aerolux Barefoot reminds me of a blend of two popular barefoot shoes that I regularly use for training: the AVANCUS Apex Power 1.5 and the Vivobarefoot Primus Lite III. I like both of these shoes for different reasons, and the Aerolux Barefoot has features from each of these models.

For lifting, the Aerolux Barefoot’s grippy outsole and minimalist sole have been great for promoting my performance. I’ve deadlifted 505 lbs in this shoe with little to no grip issues and for leg days I’ve liked the flexibility of this model. The outsole reminds me of the AVANCUS and the upper and flexibility remind me of the Primus Lite III, for context.

In the context of cross-training, the Aerolux Barefoot has also done a good job. It’s not as versatile as models like the Xero Shoes Zelen and the Archetype 2.0 from Tolos, but I think if you’re the lifter that primarily wants a shoe for strength training and you’re only blending in plyometrics, HIIT, and versatile workout here and there then you’ll like this shoe’s range in the gym.

• Heel-to-Toe Drop: 0mm
• Weight: 9.55 oz (for my size 10 model)
• Stack Height: N/A
• Removable Insole: Yes
• Width: Medium/Wide
• Sizing: True to size, wide feet size up a half to full-size.
• Comparable To Apex Power 1.5: Read My Review
• How I Wear Mine: Strength Workouts and Some Cross-Training

1HUND Aerolux Barefoot

$79.99

4.7

Stability

4.9

Versatility

4.6

Durability

4.6

Quality

4.5

Pros

• Good outsole grip and tread for lifting on different surfaces and for cross-training on surfaces like turf.
• Removable insole with finished internal construction is great for giving you additional ground feel when walking and lifitng.
• Great toe box and midfoot width for flatter feet and promoting toe splay when walking and training.

Cons

• Not the best barefoot shoe for running-focused workouts. This model will have some limitations there, in my opinion.
• There are subtle imperfections with some of the stitching around the midfoot on both my left and right shoes.
• This shoe can run a little short for wide feet. Size up to play it safe if you have EE-width feet or wider.

Best For

• Strength Training
• Casual Cross-Training
• Budget Shoppers
• Powerlifting
• Walking and Daily Wear

Falls Short

• For Running
• For CrossFit and HIIT

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1HUND Aerolux Barefoot Sizing

• 1HUND Aerolux Barefoot Sizing Recommendations: True to size for most, size up for wide feet.

For the 1HUND Aerolux Barefoot, you’ll want to size them based on your foot anatomy and width. I think for the majority of lifters, true to size will be a pretty safe call in this model.

I have an E-width foot and wear a size 10 in all of my barefoot shoes and found this model to fit true. It does run a smidge short but I don’t think it’s enough for me personally to go up a half-size or full-size. That said, this model fits best when I go barefoot or wear super thin no-show socks and I don’t love them when rocking thicker socks.

On 1HUND’s site, they point out that this model runs a little small, and that’s why I think wide feet will want to size up. I don’t think width will be the issue for this foot anatomy; instead, the length will be the problem. If you have EE-width feet or find that you normally have less room at the end of your toe box, size up.

My Advice: For wide feet that have little to no room go up a full size. For wide feet that typically have plenty of length in their TTS shoes, go up a half-size.

Performance Assessment

To test the Aerolux Barefoot, I wanted to see how this shoe would perform in different training contexts. For this review, I focused on lifting, versatile training, short runs, and daily wear tests.

Testing the Aerolux Barefoot for Lifting

If I had to wrap this shoe’s performance up in a sentence it would be, “This model definitely has a bias towards strength training.” I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Aerolux for all of my strength training needs and there are three features specifically that I like.

First, the outsole grip on this model should work well in most lifting settings. When deadlifting and tackling leg days, this shoe’s outsole gave me a nice bite and tread on the ground and I was never concerned with slip issues with this model.

I also appreciate that the outsole tread wraps the entirety of this shoe’s sole so you get an additional bite if you’re pushing into the sides of this shoe doing sumo deadlifts. On rubber gym floors, machines, turf, and wooden platforms, these shoes have been solid and they should also work for powerlifting competitions.

Second, the articulation and ground feel in this shoe are solid. When trap bar deadlifting high-volume sets with 405 lbs I picked up on how easy it was to grip and feel the floor especially as I started to get more fatigued when I tend to notice things like this more.

When doing lunges and split squats, this model moved well with my feet and they break in relatively fast. It took about 2-3 sessions to fully break this model in. It’s also worth mentioning that the removable insole and finished internal construction are great for giving additional “closeness” to the floor when squatting and deadlifting.

Third and lastly, the width of this shoe’s toe box is great for toe splay. The midfoot is also nice because it’s not super aggressive which is great for letting the arches collapse and do their thing when training.

For context, if you already wear barefoot shoes for lifting, I’d compare this shoe’s toe box width to models from Vivobarefoot and Tolos. It’s a little wider than some of the Xero Shoes models like the Speed Force and HFS 2, in my opinion.

Testing the Aerolux Barefoot for Versatile Training

When it comes to workouts where you’re doing things like plyometrics, HIIT, and multi-directional exercises, I’ve enjoyed this shoe for the most part. To give you a lay of the land, I routinely blend strength work with “athletic-style” training and regularly use full-body circuits for conditioning.

The good with this shoe in this training context is that it’s flexible, breathable, lightweight, and has a good grip. I use sled pushes and pulls on turf regularly for warm-up purposes and conditioning and this shoe’s outsole bit well for the various weights I used (5 plates was my max test for this review).

The breathable chainlink mesh also makes this shoe easy to wear for longer sessions where you’ll be sweating a bunch. Some days I’ll go sockless when training and I appreciate this construction feature because it helps prevent any form of stink with this shoe.

My only concern with the Aerolux Barefoot for versatile training is that its flatter sole may not “feel” the most athletic for some users. For example, the rounded sole used on models like the Tolos Archetype 2.0 feels better for sessions where you’re primarily cross-training.

Overall, though, the Aerolux Barefoot should work for most athletes who have a bias towards lifting but like to sprinkle in cross-training and versatile training in their workouts like myself.

Testing the Aerolux Barefoot for Short Runs and Daily Wear

For short runs, the Aerolux Barefoot is okay if you plan to use them for intervals or runs that are about 1 mile in length or shorter. While you can most certainly run in these shoes they weren’t designed for that activity and I don’t necessarily love them for running.

I’ve run up to a mile in my pair and I stopped because I didn’t love their feel. The flatter sole somewhat gives them a “slappy” type of feel if you’re heel striking whatsoever and I think you’ll get more out of them if you save their use for primarily lifting.

For my running-focused friends, I always suggest going more specific with your shoe choice, and if you use these for long runs, let me know how they work for you.

When it comes to daily wear, I’ve been pleasantly pleased with these shoes. They’re comfortable, breathable, and have minimalist branding which makes them easy to pair with different outfits — low-key, that white colorway is awesome.

I also like that these shoes cost $79.99 which is pretty much half of what most performance-focused Vivobarefoot shoes cost. They’re a good model to wear out and about and beat up without feeling super guilty, in my opinion.

Construction Details

Outsole

The outsole is built with a low-profile waved tread pattern that wraps the entirety of the shoe’s sole. This tread wraps the entirety of the sole which is nice for things like sumo deadlifts where you’re pressing into the sides of this shoe.

I was initially nervous that this tread wouldn’t bite as well because it’s not the most aggressive, but I’ve been pleasantly happy with the outsole of this shoe. The fact that it also extends over the sole is nice for lateral security and support.

Upper, Tongue, and Laces

The upper on this shoe reminds me of the Primus Lite III in many ways. There’s a chainlink mesh that wraps from the forefoot to the midfoot in this shoe and there are synthetic overlays throughout.

More specifically there’s an overlay to protect the toe box and overlays around the boot to give this shoe a little more structure. I like the upper and find that it has a nice balance of weight, breathability, and flexibility.

This shoe has a traditional lacing system and a wider non-gussetted padded mesh tongue. There are loops going up the tongue across every lace section to promote tongue security and I haven’t had issues with tongue security yet with this model. There are external tabs on the tongue and boot as well.

Final Verdict

If you’ve been on the fence about the 1HUND Aerolux Barefoot and you primarily want them for working out with some casual wear, I’d send it and grab a pair. They’ve been stellar for all of my training asks and I like their simplicity.

This is a barefoot shoe that definitely has a lifting bias to its performance so keep that in mind before buying, especially if you’re after a barefoot shoe for something like CrossFit, HIIT, and running.

All that said, for $79.99 I’m impressed with 1HUND’s debut barefoot shoe and I’m stoked to see how they continue to evolve this shoe line. If you have additional questions on this model, drop a comment below, hit me on my YouTube channel, or on Instagram (@jake_boly or @that_fit_friend).