Barefoot Shoes for the Slim Shoe Trend
If you’ve been barefoot-shoe-curious but turned off by their low profiles, now is your time
The trend cycle moves so quickly that it feels fake at this point. We’re in a time of “wear what you want.” For that reason, I can’t say that chunky shoes are out, but slim shoes are definitely in.
Adidas Sambas kicked off the popularity of the slim silhouette, but shoes are getting even slimmer. Classics, like Onitsuka Tigers and Puma Speedcats, are making a return, and designers are coming out with new styles, like the Miu Miu New Balance 530 SL and Noah’s Wrestling Shoe.
These are the barefoot shoes that are achieving the look.
Adidas Sambas are similar to German army trainers (GATs) in silhouette and upper patterning and because they both have gum soles. I put the Groundies Panama, Blusun BLSN-200s, and the Bohempia Felix in the barefoot Samba/GAT category.
The Koel Ila sits somewhere between a Samba and the next category— retro runners à la Onitsuka Tiger. Other barefoot retro runners include the Nackt Manon, Saguaro Dash, and Senmotic Sportivo.
Retro runners and GATs can have fairly similar uppers, so the biggest difference between the two styles is the sole. Retro runners (non-barefoot versions, that is) don’t have cup soles. Their uppers are tucked under exposed foam midsoles. I’d love to see some barefoot retro runners with this construction.
The last category and perhaps the most trendy right now are auto racing shoes, specifically, the Puma Speedcat. They’re characterized by an ultra-low profile silhouette for fitting between pedals, outsole rubber that extends up the heel for pivoting between pedals, and a durable upper, often made of suede.
The best I got for you right now is the discontinued Merrell Move Glove (especially the suede ones). The Move Glove is a little too GORPy for the slick racing shoe aesthetic though. They’re also discontinued… You might be able to find a pair on eBay or another marketplace, though. Remind me to write about my favorite barefoot and barefoot-adjacent eBay finds.
I started this post two months before publishing and the barefoot slim shoe list was about half as long as it is now. This paragraph was in the initial version:
One thing I noticed while making this list is that barefoot shoes are never giving you logo or trademark or any kind of brand DNA on the quarter the way that Puma or Onitsuka Tiger do. The best you’ll get is their brand name in a websafe font printed small somewhere parallel to the eyestay.
Since writing that, the Groundies Panama, Nackt Manon, and Saguaro Dash came out with some visual interest on their quarters. I think that speaks to how much more barefoot shoe brands are trying to be on trend nowadays.
I’d still like to see some more interesting construction and details on barefoot slim shoes, like the aforementioned sole construction of retro runners, the cape-like heel tab on the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66, or the metal D-ring eyelets of the Diadora Heritage Equipe.
With the shoes I see coming out now, I think the barefoot shoe industry is definitely getting there.