Barefoot Feature

Interviewing the Brand Going Barefoot

2025-01-30T00:00:00Z

Some traditional shoe companies dabble in barefoot shoes: there’s Nike Free Run and Merrell’s Glove series. A few barefoot shoe companies, including Groundies and Altra, have even done the reverse, offering narrower fits over time. No company has ever done a full send from traditional shoes to barefoot— until Dolfie Paradise.

The 17-year-old Spanish shoe company announced that it’s completely changing its offerings from traditional to exclusively barefoot shoes. Dolfie’s co-founder and creative director, Bárbara de Assis, kindly made time to talk to me about it. She shared her feelings surrounding the release and what it takes to make barefoot shoes cool.

The Inspiration

All barefoot shoe enthusiasts have that thing that put them onto barefoot shoes. For the Dolfie co-founder, it was the people in her life. Bárbara’s friends, once avid Dolfie supporters, started wearing Vivobarefoot and never looked back. The power of friendship was no match for the feeling of toe splay. They put barefoot shoes on her radar, but the shoes’ aesthetics kept her away.

Bárbara wouldn’t give barefoot shoes a chance until her son also stopped wearing Dolfie, as traditional shoes were starting to bother him. She got him some barefoot Merrells and the problem was solved. His love for barefoot shoes showed when we met. Kitted out in the Mc5 model from Dolfie’s new line, he zipped around to get a better look at Central Park’s exotic— to their Spanish island, that is— squirrels. Her son’s response to the Merrells started Bárbara down the barefoot shoe rabbit hole.

The impetus for Dolfie’s switch to barefoot was their near bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stores were trying to stay alive, so they stopped putting in purchase orders for Dolfie shoes. Challenges like material shortages, imported component delays, and production setbacks made it hard to continue production for Dolfie. The combination of Bárbara’s new belief in barefoot shoes and the difficulty of the old way of doing things made it “the right time for change,” and she feels that the change is a relief:

The [barefoot shoe] concept has given a true meaning to everything we’ve done. It’s not just about fashion or chasing the latest trend anymore; it’s about something that genuinely benefits foot and overall body health. This shift is incredibly motivating and fulfilling. After so many years, it feels like we’ve finally found a real purpose and meaning in what we do, which is a profoundly different and inspiring sensation.

The Concerns

Making a barefoot shoe line isn’t all relief and inspiration, though. Bárbara has a number of concerns about how barefoot shoe enthusiasts will receive Dolfie’s new line. She understands that most barefoot shoe wearers made the switch for health-related reasons, making them a highly detail-oriented customer base. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m one of the picky ones. I have opinions down to the millimeter on features like stack height and I’ve given a brand feedback on insole foam density. That makes it feel like people’s health is in Dolfie’s hands, but making a shoe for every foot is challenging.

Another group she worries about is vegans, who have a strong presence in the barefoot shoe community. Bárbara is a vegetarian herself, and she believes real leather is a superior material to plastic faux leather for its durability, biodegradability, and the fact that it’s a byproduct. To Dolfie, vegan shoes mean hemp and organic cotton textiles, not plastic. When Dolfie must use synthetics in their shoes such as in tongue tags, they’re made from recycled plastic.

As I lamented in my post about OHNE Project’s 176 USD shoes, Bárbara agrees that barefoot shoes are expensive. She doesn’t want cost to keep consumers from a healthy pair of shoes. Yet, she wants to honor Dolfie’s dedication to quality. Add providing a product that’s worth the money but not too much money to her list of concerns and challenges.

The Significance

Dolfie’s barefoot shoes look great for two reasons. The first is that they’re made by trained designers who treat shoemaking as an artistic medium. Both Bárbara and her co-founder and husband, Adolfo Lendoyro, studied fashion design at IADE Madrid. Following that, they received scholarships to attend the prestigious Central Saint Martins. They then completed shoe design master’s programs in Alicante, “a region of Spain known for its rich history in the footwear industry.” Bárbara says that she and Adolfo are “designers at heart.” She speaks with passion about shoe design as a specific art form:

[Shoes] involve a complex development process that includes designing soles, lasts, and patterns… In footwear, creativity manifests in how we innovate within these constraints. Designing a shoe is like solving a puzzle, balancing functionality with aesthetic appeal, experimenting with materials, and finding new ways to enhance comfort and style… With the barefoot concept, this challenge has become even more significant. We are tasked with creating a shoe that is not only aesthetically pleasing and functional but also incredibly comfortable and healthy. It’s a true test of our creativity and innovation.

The second reason Dolfie’s barefoot shoes look great is that their designs already existed as traditional shoes. Dolfie isn’t changing its design aesthetic with the release of the barefoot line, so the barefoot shoes need to uphold the look of their original counterparts. Most barefoot shoes are created primarily to provide a healthy footwear option, not to achieve the aesthetics of traditional shoes. As a result, they’re shoes only in the sense that they go on your feet instead of shoes as fashion and accessory.

Dolfie’s barefoot shoe line is a great opportunity to learn about what it takes to translate traditional shoe aesthetics onto foot-shaped shoes. Through it, we can think about what a future with more footwear options across the barefoot spectrum could look like. Look out for the next post, in which I’ll be taking a closer look at some of Dolfie’s barefoot offerings and sharing more of Bárbara’s insight about how they were able to make them stylish.

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Big thanks to Bárbara and Adolfo for giving me their time and sharing this insight. If you’re in the shoe business and also love to discuss the subject of barefoot shoes, anatomical footwear in general, and their aesthetics, let’s talk!

The Problem With Barefoot Boots

2024-10-18T00:00:00Z

With sneakers, I talk about visual interest in uppers via elements like mixed materials, paneling, and color. What happens when designers have none of that at their disposal? That’s the case with boots and shoes, whose parameters are quite rigid. They’re mostly heel, quarter, and vamp, each cut from the same leather. There’s even wholecut boots and shoes, for example, which are valued for being able to have no panels at all.

Additionally, footwear is more than just an upper. There’s so much character and silhouette in a sole. A boot’s heel stack and welt not only speak to the boot’s construction, but they also have decorative potential. Features like the heel shape, the instep length, and lugs or the lack thereof work together to create a shoe’s unique silhouette.

What can barefoot shoe brands do to make their boots compete with the styling that non-barefoot construction affords? I think there are three options: put effort into the upper, beef up the sole, and offer styles that work with the barefoot form factor. My forthcoming list of barefoot boot recs has boots that do each of these.

The uppers of barefoot boots and shoes need to do some heavy lifting. The Origo Adventurer Boot does a good job of this. It uses gorgeous pull-up leather, heavy brass eyelets and speed-hooks (in addition to looking high-quality, including both forms of lace hardware adds interest), and double stitching on panels with beautiful proportions (compare to the Shapen Maverick to see panel proportions that I find a bit “off”). However, the Origo Adventurer Boot ultimately doesn't make my list because I personally can’t get over the thin sole.

The Hanswood Derby is another example of a good upper. I love the minimal stitching— not only for the clean and unique look it creates. The shoe feels designed and intentional.

People wear boots in part because they’re more rugged than casual shoes, so why can’t barefoot boots be more rugged than barefoot casual shoes? Even ten millimeters of stack height is enough for a sole to have some character. Now’s a good time to shout out the Beyond Barefoot blog, which speaks to the need for thicker barefoot shoes from a functionality perspective.

The last option is for brands to make boots that lend well to barefoot features. For some styles, a thin and flat sole just makes sense. I’ve talked about this with slim shoes and various sandals. For other styles, barefoot features can live underneath a faked midsole. Shoes like the Groundies Starlite show us that clever construction and a generous sidewall can do wonders.

Barefoot Shoes for the Slim Shoe Trend

2024-08-29T00:00:00Z

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.

groundies.com

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.

koel.shoes

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.

nacktshoes.com

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.

bergfreunde.eu

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.

Which brand has the best barefoot Chuck Taylors?

2024-07-26T00:00:00Z

Here’s the whole list from best to worst executed:

Aintap Converse Style Wide Barefoot Shoes (lo)
Waldviertler Wirbelwind and Rückenwind (both)
Bohempia Orik 2.0 (both)
Vega Urban (both)
Groundies True Star (both)
Peerko Origin (lo)
Zaqq Chuqqs (both)

I have a Preferred Details checklist for assessing barefoot versions of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars:

Do they have a canvas upper?
Do they have contrast stitching?
Do they have a foxing stripe?
For high-tops, is there a curved silhouette formed by a heel counter and narrow shaft?

All-Stars have other iconic details that I consider nice-to-haves for barefoot versions:

Heel shaft logo patch
Midsole stripe
Midsole logo patch
Knurled toe bumper
Eyelet-clad ventilation holes

Aintap Converse Style Wide Barefoot Shoes

aintapbarefoot.com

Like the Waldviertler Wirbelwind below, these look high quality so I’m all for them, leather aside. They’re offered in nubuck, whose texture is more canvas-like than smooth leather.

Their construction is interesting. The “foxing” stripe is just for aesthetics. Foxing consists of elements that connect the sole to the upper. The bottom of the upper is nailed to the footbed and the outsole is stitched on, so the stripe you see technically isn’t foxing.

The textural and color difference between the upper and the outsole adds interest in this area like the midsole stripe on Chucks.

They’re not the closest to Converse on this list, but they have their own thing going on and that thing is very well executed.

Waldviertler Wirbelwind and Rückenwind

gea-waldviertler.at

Though the only thing going for the Wirbelwind (“Whirlwind” in English) is the silhouette according to my barefoot Chuck checklist, these look so well-crafted that I think they’re the best of the high-tops. The Rückenwind (Tailwind) is the low-top version.

Waldviertler also makes great-looking leather shoes and boots.

Bohempia Orik 2.0

bohempia.eu

Despite all the great details about the Orik 2.0— the foxing stripe, a knurled toe bumper, midsole patch, ventilation holes, and hemp canvas upper— they fall to this spot on the list because of the lack of contrast stitching.

Pound for pound, contrast stitching adds the most visual interest in Chuck-style sneakers in my opinion. Do you remember the Chuck IIs? Of course you don’t.

Vega Urban

vegabarefoot.com

The Vega Urban is canvas and has contrast stitching, which is enough for a low-top to be fairly passable as a Chuck Taylor. They also offer a high-top version, but I’m not rating that one because it has a zipper. Zippers are functionally great but don’t do the style any favors.

Groundies True Star

facebook.com

The Groundies True Star is discontinued, but I’m putting it on the list for archival purposes. They have contrast stitching and a heel counter to give the high-top that silhouette. Bonus points because if you squint you could confuse them for Rick Owens Ramones because of their lack of a foxing stripe. Is that a reach? Let me know.

Peerko Origin

peerko.cz

Like the Vega Urban, the Peerko Origin is canvas and has contrast stitching, which does the job. Notice how the toe cap is a bit short. It helps the shoe’s proportions a bit as barefoot Chucks have to put a toe cap on a big toe box.

Zaqq Chuqqs

zaqq.de

The Zaqq Chuqqs are last on my ranking. The only thing they have going for them is the contrast stitching. It’s got a logo patch on the outside like P.F. Flyers Center Hi, so I’ll give some bonus points for that. You can see the lack of silhouette in the picture. The back of the shoe is just straight up and down, giving them an amorphous look.

They come in a contrast stitching-less low-top version.

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I hope this list is exhaustive and helpful. Let me know if I missed any and share your thoughts on the order below!

Barefoot Shoes Hit the NBA and WNBA

2024-07-08T00:00:00Z

In late April, I started writing a post on barefoot shoes and basketball, inspired by the Uncivilized Sneaker being released in more sizes. The Uncivilized Sneaker is the only ready-to-wear barefoot shoe that’s marketed as a basketball shoe. More on them when mine arrive and I get to try them out.

Three weeks later, Xero Shoes announces that Denver Nuggets shooting guard Justin Holiday has partnered with them to develop a basketball shoe! Holiday wore them during the NBA Western Conference Semis. I missed this huge announcement by writing about the lack of barefoot basketball shoes, tabling the idea while I waited for the only barefoot basketball shoe out to get shipped to me, and writing about barefoot GATs instead.

Holiday isn’t the only pro hooping in Xeros either. Indiana Fever forward and long-time Xero Shoes fan Tèmi Fagbenle has been seen in an iteration of Xero’s basketball shoe.

kixstats.com

Both shoes look like they’re based on Xero’s Forza Trainer, but Holiday’s is a mid-top and Fagbenle wears lows. The Forza Trainer is a barefoot shoe with basketball potential that I mention in my in-progress post because the strapping system could provide good lockdown.

Aesthetically, the unnamed Xero basketball shoe fits in great on the court. I didn’t notice Holiday and Fagbenle were wearing barefoot shoes despite watching the NBA playoffs and the start of the WNBA season! The low stack height doesn't look abnormal, instead, it makes the shoe look low-to-the-ground, responsive, athletic. Also, basketball shoe design— past and present— can get experimental, making Xero's design relatively conservative. The shoes are clean and simple.

Popular shoe review site WearTesters had this to say about their performance:

It was reactive and surprisingly fun. It also included cushion and elite stability. Playing in high performance zero drop minimal footwear will soon be a possibility…a type of shoe you’ll find curiously absent from our current basketball shoe reviews.

It's extremely exciting to see another barefoot basketball shoe option, especially on a stage as big as the NBA playoffs. Basketball is the ideal sport for barefoot shoe adoption, and I’m not just saying that because I play basketball and want barefoot basketball shoes. Basketball is so entwined in streetwear and sneaker culture. I think barefoot shoes’ presence in the sport could lead to barefoot shoes becoming a part of sneaker culture.

On a podcast, Steven Sashen, founder and CEO of Xero Shoes, shares what he's learned about trends from his experience starting a shoe company and from reading about the topics. He explains that famous people often don’t get involved in a trend until it has at least a bit of credibility to avoid looking silly if the trend flops. That means Holiday and Fagbenle playing in Xeros is a great sign of the barefoot shoe times.

The concepts of barefoot shoes and barefoot training will begin to trickle down to college and high school, as athletes are always looking to model the pros. Sashen estimates that in about three athletic seasons, there will be a significant bump in barefoot shoe popularity. Time will tell!

Barefoot German Army Trainers are a no-brainer

2024-05-25T00:00:00Z

Back when Origo released the Retro Sneaker, I saw an opportunity and ordered them. As soon as they arrived, I took some 400 grit to the toe cap, quarter panel, and heel tab to make them look more like German Army Trainers (GATs).

I think they turned out pretty good, but you can get a pair of GAT-inspired sneakers without the extra steps from new German brand Blusun.

More casual-wear barefoot shoe brands should have a sneaker like this in their lineup. The minimalism of the GAT pairs perfectly with the minimalism of barefoot shoes. The GAT look comes from lines, materials, and contrast, not special construction, which can be hard to square with a wide toe box and flat, flexible sole.

The long, angled paneling. The subtle contrast of gray suede on white leather or black suede on black leather. The contrast from a gum sole. All these GAT details can be slapped onto a shoe with barefoot shoe construction without having to compromise on style or barefoot shoe qualities.

Blusun did it, and you can get the shoes on their site, shop.blusun.shoes.

Bang-on Barefoot Birkenstocks from Softstar

2024-04-27T00:00:00Z

Butterfly Your World had to temporarily close shop after Anya featured them in her post about barefoot Birkenstocks. As of April 27, 2024, Butterfly Your World’s site only displays a message explaining the delay in shipping:

In the last few months I have received such an overwhelming support and business that has driven me to increase processing time up to 8 weeks at first. And now I have had to completely freeze my website to make sure I can fulfill and make all your orders.

Butterfly Your World is only one person. The Florida-based cordwainer makes barefoot Birkenstock Boston and Arizona-inspired sandals, among many other sandals and shoes, for all ages from infant to adult, all by hand, and ships globally. Godspeed, Butterfly Your World.

But there’s another barefoot Arizona-inspired option on the way from Softstar called Camino. The upper looks identical to Birks, down to the slightly distressed, branded buckles. They seem to be using an oiled leather like Birkenstock does. The leather has that characteristic pull-up effect.

Props to Birkenstock for making footwear with wide toe boxes, but the shoes’ arch support and stiff soles keep them out of the barefoot category and make them uncomfortable for some people. If you’re one of those people, the Camino is the sandal for you. They have a completely flat and flexible 11mm sole— 5mm of which is PORON®— plus a 4mm suede insole. That’s 15mm of plush!

I’ve been saying “Arizona-inspired” because Arizona is Birkenstock’s most popular sandal (other than the Boston clog). Both Butterfly Your World and Softstar have actually made barefoot versions of the less popular Milano, which are just Arizonas with a heel strap.

There couldn’t be a barefoot Arizona because barefoot sandals must have a heel strap. When sandals aren't strapped around the heel, the toes have to curl to keep them from slipping off. Aside from being annoying to have to do, this toe curl is bad because it can cause foot fatigue, hammer toe, and gait issues.

The Softstar Camino will be available on May 7th at softstar.com.

Barefoot Shoes are Beating the Ugly Allegations

2024-03-26T00:00:00Z

New Spanish barefoot shoe brand OHNE Project shared this post on their Instagram last December. It’s a top-down, on-feet shot of a person wearing a Reebok Club C 85 on their left foot and OHNE Project’s PROJECT 080 on their right foot.

Since those kinds of pictures do a great job of showing how silly and pointy traditional shoes are and I’m always looking to spread barefoot shoe propaganda, I shared the post on my story. After seeing my story, some of my oomfs followed OHNE Project, and that’s how I know it's not just my barefoot shoe brain rot that’s making me think the PROJECT 080s are cool. These shoes look good, like, normalize-barefoot-shoes good.

They just got a restock in some of the original colorways and released in some new colorways, including black and models with colored, vegan suede (plant-based, not plastic!) toe caps and heel counters.

OHNE Project says they’re transition barefoot shoes, meaning they’re more cushioned than standard barefoot shoes. They come with two insoles, a 5mm one and a 3mm one, so you can choose your cushion level. You could even stack them to get 8mm of insole, though you might run into some volume issues depending on how much volume the PROJECT 080s have.

I’m a fan of OHNE Project because they didn’t just make a transition shoe by upping the cushion. The PROJECT 080s are also a transition shoe in the sense that people won’t have to make a big aesthetic transition to try barefoot shoes. Both are important in getting people to make the switch, and I’d argue that the aesthetics factor is the most important.

I’ve found that people are hesitant about barefoot shoes for two main reasons: (1) they want cushioned and supportive shoes, and (2) they think barefoot shoes are ugly. People are already ok with wearing low-cushion, low-support shoes. They wear dress shoes and sandals even if they’re uncomfortable because they look good.

Barefoot shoes are low-cushion, low-support shoes that are comfortable because of their wide toe box, flexibility, and zero-drop soles. When they look good too, there are no trade-offs or compromises. That’s what the PROJECT 080s offer and that’s why I’m so excited about them.

Unfortunately, barefoot shoes are not beating the “too expensive” allegations. These will run you 176 United States dollars. The aforementioned Reeboks in a comparable vintage white colorway are $90.

But OHNE Project isn’t Reebok. They’re a tiny company that started on Kickstarter. Their first batch of shoes just shipped last November, and they already have some of the best-looking barefoot shoes out. On top of that, they’re well-constructed with great materials.

If you have the money, why not support a small business making barefoot shoes that everyone can get behind? They’re now available for pre-order at ohneproject.com.

Origo x Anya Huaraches and 4 More Barefoot Sandals

2024-03-19T00:00:00Z

The Origo x Anya Huarache collaboration is back this spring, and they're selling out again. I've got info on them, plus recommendations for four more barefoot sandals to cover all the bases.

The titular sandals: Origo "The Huarache" by Anya
Another leather option: Duckfeet Ringkøbing
A vegan option: Earth Runners
A Teva alternative: Saltic Trek Light
For outdoor activity: LUNA Sandals Middle Bear Winged Edition

Origo "The Huarache" by Anya

origoshoes.com

Huaraches are such a good shoe. Everybody say thank you Anya for adding a specifically barefoot version of them to the barefoot shoe catalog. The intricate Mexican sandals are a versatile warm weather piece, suitable for outfits from very casual to smart casual.

I missed out on these last year when they first came out as a more limited run. They've already sold out in multiple sizes, but Origo said they're getting a restock soon on IG.

New for this year is a white color, a version that's 4mm wider and higher volume, and for the regular width, you can get them with an external leather strap to secure the shoes to your ankle or as a buckle strap version.

Check out Anya's post for a deep dive into the collab.

Duckfeet Ringkøbing

duckfeetusa.com

The fisherman sandal is a classic, and this one has a wide toe box and comes in a million colors, what's not to like? They have a little heel (not a dealbreaker for me, personally), but a cobbler can remove it for you.

Earth Runners

earthrunners.com

Woven cotton footbeds are something I didn't realize I needed until I had them. They feel great underfoot, wick sweat, and stay grippy when wet. Pictured is the Alpha model, which has a 10.5mm sole. Earth Runners also come in 7.5mm and 9mm models with 11 different laces to choose from.

Saltic Trek Light

barefootsaltic.cz

These are perfect if you love Tevas but don't love arch support. The funky patterned straps come in three colorways: gray/black, light blue/black, and fuchsia/black/white (sold out). In case someone out there was wondering, Saltic also makes barefoot climbing shoes.

LUNA Sandals Middle Bear Winged Edition

lunasandals.com

A 14mm stack height and mean lugs will have you climbing over and gripping all kinds of surfaces. Get them through the LUNAcycle program to save money and avoid buying new.

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Let me know which sandals you've been enjoying or wanting to complete your sandal rotation.

Osiris homage or trypophobia trigger?

2024-03-07T00:00:00Z

Barebarics announced a new model called "Fusion" in an IG post on February 14th. They're the last of three 90s-inspired sneakers that the brand released this spring. The first, Arise, was a retro basketball sneaker. This one is a skate shoe through and through with its chunky silhouette, suede toe cap, and gum bottom sole.

But the most noticeable element of the Fusion is the breathable design, or the oval cutouts all over the shoe's quarter. A mesh material is exposed by these holes in the leather. I'm not gonna lie, the first look at them triggered my trypophobia. The hole motif reminds me of the Osiris D3, which even skateboarders think are scary, so I don't feel like too much of a hater for being so turned off by them.

The Fusion's drop on March 7th came with some very necessary on-feet pics, which showed that the holes aren't as freaky as I thought they were at first. Because the holes are ovals, they convey a bit of motion to me, like flames on Old Skools.

The new shots also show that Barebarics continues to nail chunky silhouettes, which seems challenging for shoes that are minimal by design. Since I don't have a pair, I'm not sure how they fit, but they appear to have a lot of volume. If that's the case, the 90s skate shoe look functions as additional comfort for people with high-volume feet. The hockey skate laces, not visible in the earliest looks of the Fusion, are a nice touch and add even more chunk.

I was anti-hole at first, but I've come around. I respect Barebarics for trying something different and for being one of the few barefoot shoe brands that gets the chunky look right. You can find the Fusion at barebarics.com.

There's now a barefoot option for 550s

2024-02-18T00:00:00Z

Barebarics shared a video on their Instagram today announcing a new sneaker called “Arise,” and they're going on my list of barefoot dupes of popular shoes as a New Balance 550 option.

The Arise has similar L-shaped, quarter-to-eyestay panels to the 550's. I think these panels are a defining characteristic of 550s, it's the panel that has the model number embossed. Ventilation patches are in the "550" spot on the Arise. The Arise also has a number: the year "1995" embroidered on the counter. According to Barebarics footwear designer, Màrio Zafka, the year 1995 marks the peak of the style of sneakers that were produced at that time.

The Arise comes in three colorways: green, black, or “raspberry pink” to accent the mostly white shoe. The edge of the L-shaped panel, the lining, and the sole bottoms are this accent color.

550s are kind of like a low mid-top or a high low-top, and the Arise has a relatively high collar to match.

Looking at 550s side by side with the Arise, you can see these similarities, but you can also see that 550s stand out because of their everything else. They've got panels on panels of suede, smooth leather, perforated leather, and even rubber, an inset logo, both curves and angles, a luggy sole with exposed foam at the instep. There’s so much to them, but everything has its place.

Still, the Arise is a solid option, and you can get them at barebarics.com.

The Groundies Starlite almost have it all

2024-02-16T00:00:00Z

After a week of Instagram teasing, Groundies has released a new sneaker, Starlite, and they're almost worth the hype.

They look amazing, like a chilled out New Balance 327, with textural design elements that are often missing in barefoot shoes. The upper's made with a crinkly textile that's overlaid with smooth leather and suede panels. Though they boast one of Groundies's thinnest soles at 6 mm, construction trickery makes it look like the shoe has a midsole with cushion and a heel-to-toe drop. All that extra real estate is occupied by these sloping grooves that run down most of the sides of the faux sole. The eye stay is secured by a wide zig-zag stitch between each eyelet.

But the Starlite is only available in Groundies's regular fit, meaning it has a traditional, narrow toe box. For me and many others based on the comments on Groundies's Starlite-related Instagram posts, a wide toe box is the most valued feature of barefoot shoes, so that news is a bummer.

The description section of the Starlite product page claims, "Extended regular fit: wider than standard sneakers," but I can't trust that they'll be nearly as comfortable as Groundies's barefoot offerings on that statement alone. However, on her Instagram, @riga.montano says they fit like the Universe, which has a roomy barefoot toe box:

[The width of the Starlite] feels almost the same as in Universe! They are a bit longer, that's where this narrow point goes. The only thing is that [Starlite] is not as flexible as their other models.

Is it too much to ask Groundies to give their best-executed designs a barefoot toe box? Is the absence of a barefoot toe box part of why they look so good? We'll have to have a whole other discussion to get into that last question, it's a bit too philosophical. For now, check out the Starlite at groundies.com.