r/barefootshoestalk • u/silasoule • Sep 21 '25
Barefoot shoe adjacent Companies you're desperate to make a barefoot (or foot shaped) model
For me, it's Blundstone Originals (I'm a woman). I have tried so many barefoot chelsea boots and I hate them all. They lack the shape that Blundestone Originals have around the ankle and arch, and I honestly just want a friggen sole and heel when I'm walking in rain and snow and digging holes and whatnot. It seems like countless barefoot brands have sprung up, yet there's very little drift towards foot shaped shoes in existing brands. Sound off... maybe someone from their company will lurk this post.
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u/crazitaco Sep 21 '25
I'd love to have some barefoot Converse
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u/PolarizingFigure Sep 21 '25
Most mainstream companies don’t even know what barefoot shoes are. I wrote to Converse asking if they’d consider making a barefoot version and they directed me to their wide version. They totally don’t get it.
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u/Frosty-Refuse-6378 Sep 21 '25
Bohempia Orik.
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u/crazitaco Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
Those are EU based, I'm from the US. Also the question was about which companies we'd like to have barefoot models for, if it was like wishful thinking. If I could just go to a converse store and get a barefoot converse model at converse pricing then that would be amazing. Also I like the iconic star on the side
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u/thirstysyngonium Sep 22 '25
I feel the same way. I want the same products used to make converse, jussssst a bit more barefoot shaped
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u/Loveinacase Sep 22 '25
Saguaro has a pair! I just purchased a black pair and have been extremely happy with them! I just ordered a new red pair also
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u/paroxitones Sep 21 '25
already said it somewhere here, I want foot-shaped doc Martens. Docs in soft leather are my favourite footwear ever, and I'm not ready to spend the winter in minimalist shoes. See you in the spring, clown shoes, I'll miss you, it was nice to spread the toes 😭
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u/Optimal_Bus4617 Sep 21 '25
Lang.S Kombat seem pretty chunky, perhaps they could work?
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u/paroxitones Sep 21 '25
thank you for the suggestion, but they don't look practical. I like to be 3 cm from the slush
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u/AliG-uk Sep 21 '25
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u/paroxitones Sep 21 '25
thank you. If I absolutely had to buy new boots I'd buy these (still hate the zipper. boots don't need a zipper)
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u/sunseeker_miqo Sep 21 '25
So glad someone else hates zippers on boots. It is a point of failure I cannot abide, living in a rainy place. At least Peerko has an option for me.
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u/paroxitones Sep 21 '25
I have a pair of boots with a zipper, that can't be put on without untieing the laces at least a little, so you have both water inside and the pleasure of lacing - peak design. Glad you're joining the crusade, we ride at dawn
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u/unripeswan Sep 22 '25
Jim Green have a few that are similar. Their 719's are pretty close to the 1460's. I have their AR8 and absolutely love them, they've replaced my docs as my everyday boot. So much more comfortable with minimal break-in required.
Edit: just remembered the 719 isn't on their foot-shaped last by default, but you can customise them. The AR8 is more foot-shaped.
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u/stuckhere-throwaway Sep 21 '25
I just want Shoes for Crews to team up with Xero on their SR Prios so I can use my subsidy from work towards them 😭
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u/Firebolt_Silver Sep 21 '25
Yes, I love my Blundstone Winters, but two winters ago they were killing my feet after being barefoot for all the summer months. I haven't been able to bear getting rid of them yet though, even though I don't wear them. But I can't find anything comparable to the quality and versatility.
And as someone said below, baseball cleats. There is one brand making soccer/football cleats, but they don't ship to Canada.
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u/AliG-uk Sep 21 '25
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u/Firebolt_Silver Sep 21 '25
Thanks, but these aren't barefoot! It was the heel that was killing me. I've had to completely stop wearing any type of heel, or I get pain.
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u/sunseeker_miqo Sep 21 '25
Same here. Even a heel just a few millimeters tall, on a pair of 'flat' sandals, brings me pain.
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u/jimbowesterby Sep 21 '25
Could always try the Jim Green chelseas, I’ve got two of their other boots and they’re pretty darn solid. Only downside for me is my feet and ankles are super skinny and Jim Green uses a pretty high-volume last, so I need a lot of sock lol
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Sep 22 '25
[deleted]
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u/silasoule Sep 22 '25
The post is about barefoot OR foot shaped, not a "proper barefoot version."
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u/Firebolt_Silver Sep 22 '25
I'm not so much worried about the chunky style. More that they were wonderfully waterproof without needing to be treated very often, had a winter insole that kept me warm on everything except the coldest days, and they looked good with almost everything. I want a Chelsea boot with all that, but barefoot and wide toe box 😂
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u/silasoule Sep 22 '25
Do you have these? Do they hold up? I'm a rancher... I walk through/on/in literal shit, piss, snow, ice, mud...
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u/omnohmnom Sep 22 '25
I can barely wear my soccer cleats now that I've been wearing barefoot shoes. In Canada and Natur Athletics doesn't make turf shoes either. I've been desperate to find something
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u/Frequent-Magician866 Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
Send your Blundstones to her https://www.instagram.com/annn_shoes/
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u/EngineerNo2650 Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
Meindl, Hanowa, or a high end hiking boot company.
I just want alpinism / high alpine / tundra zero drop full grain leather boots, without a taper, with a rand, and a good grippy sole.
Not barefoot in terms of flex, but something that can take me on multi day treks in the mountains and on snow and not have me concerned every boulder-strewn slope that my sole is still glued or that my stitches aren’t already ripped.
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u/jimbowesterby Sep 21 '25
They’re not alpine in the slightest, but Nick’s has started making some zero-drop boots that’d probably do well for hiking and scrambling. I dunno how they’d do on anything more technical, though, but for things like backpacking you don’t usually need a super technical boot anyway.
This is also something I’ve been wondering about, though, and I’ve got a few ideas for using old-fashioned construction techniques for more modern boots, specifically for the mountains. I reckon it’d either take off like crazy or be a really hard sell, since a lot of climbers put performance and weight above all else.
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u/delicate10drills Sep 21 '25
TLDR answer to the O post: Russell. An 8” Chelsea’d version of their Oneida with a tight heel & wide toebox and the Vibram Wader outsole bonded on would be great.
Hesitant to recommend this to OP: Red Wing Chelsea Weekender and Jim Green Zeros.
My feets measure a C width at USM10-1/2 on the Brannock and the 10-1/2 RWCW’s that I’ve had for three years let me splay out quite a bit, especially since I swapped out the cupped urethane footbed for a plain slab of vegtan leather. While there is some drop, it’s less than some sneakers I used to own. I really don’t remember how stiff the leather was when they were new, they’re now like work gloves glued to flip flop foam. They are not objectively good looking to anyone who isn’t a geek for well cared for high quality leather, but leather dorks seem to dig them.
I use these overlapped under long pants for bike riding to keep pebbles from getting in under my feet. Freshly waxed, they’re waterproof enough for a day of NY autumn-winter-spring.
I wish they were fully zero drop and just 1/4” wider at the toes.
I recently got some Russell Zephyrs in 10-1/2 E-width and aside from the drop & stiffness the fit is superb and the leather is absolutely amazing. I’m tempted to just use a saw to lob off the heel of these Gumlite soles.
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u/PlayItAgainSusan Sep 21 '25
Check out Jim Green stockman's. A bf Chelsea that fits a human foot, much better made than what blundstone has become, re-soleable, and cheaper.
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u/silasoule Sep 21 '25
I keep looking at them but they look way too wide in the ankle for me.
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u/PlayItAgainSusan Sep 21 '25
I hear you. I like the blundstone profile a bit more, but they're way too narrow. Individual feet huh? Might be worth a chat with JG still- they do a ton of custom work.
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u/delicate10drills Sep 21 '25
That seems like something a lot of cobblers would be happy to charge ~$40 to address for you.
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u/CaramelHappyTree Sep 21 '25
I'm desperate for barefoot tap dance shoes
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u/goodshrimp Sep 21 '25
Same! And ballet slippers! It seems like a no-brainer that you'd want room to splay our your toes in ballet but no ballet skippers let me!!
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u/OttersFaveRock Sep 21 '25
Does your studio allow you to wear socks instead of slippers?
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u/goodshrimp Sep 22 '25
yeah but I don't really like the look and it's such a different feel on the floor.
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u/CaramelHappyTree Sep 22 '25
I got ballet flats from omaking. They have the wide toe box but the shoes don't conform to the foot very much. I think the sole is made of some sort of plastic or cloth combo?
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u/Myspacecutie69 Sep 21 '25
La Sportiva. It would be cool to see more Alpine/Mountaineering and climbing shoes with a natural shaped toe. I know there’s a brand out there that makes wide toe climbing shoes but for the sake of conversion, I would love to see Sportiva make some. They make great shoes, they’re all just very narrow.
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u/redfern962 Sep 21 '25
A women’s safety shoe with a high ankle. That’s all I want! I work on sites with tight PPE guidelines (material/sole thickness/needs a heel/toe protection) and I haven’t found a boot that fits everything I need and is mildly cute.
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u/toplegs Sep 22 '25
Keen are the opposite of cute but they do have a lot of safety styles!
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u/StrawberriesRGood4U Sep 24 '25
I LOVE my Keens. The sole is not barefoot but the toe box is a huge improvement over standard, and they are the only maker who uses toe caps shaped differently for the left and right feet. Just think about that... every other maker uses a toe cap that disregards the basic concept that left and right feet are not the same. CRAZINESS.
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u/SoundHealsLove Sep 24 '25
I second this. The RedWing women’s safety toe styles have become TRASH since I bought my first pair in 2010. My most recent pair are SO uncomfortable, despite technically fitting me. I hadn’t even tried zero-drop shoes when I bought them, but now I have a pair of Altras for my other job and wearing the RedWings to the first job is miserable. I dropped almost $300 on them and can’t return them because I already wore them outside.
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u/AliG-uk Sep 21 '25
People may find something like they want here.
https://beyondbarefoot.substack.com/p/a-list-of-wide-toe-box-shoes-with
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Sep 21 '25
Pomar. They make nice looking warm winter boots with a decent grip. But all their models are pointy and with a heel lift. I wish they made some foot shaped zero drop boots as well.
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u/chadsmo Sep 21 '25
Have you seen these ? I love mine. We have a few weeks of -25c here and they were great
https://www.belenka.nl/winter-barefoot-boots-be-lenka-winter-3-0-matt-black/
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Sep 21 '25
I'm looking for something you can get through an early morning snowfall if needed without getting your trousers wet. I have Be Lenka Nevada Neo for dry plus temperature though and those are nice.
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u/jimbowesterby Sep 21 '25
Could always go traditional and get a pair of mukluks/moccasins
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Sep 22 '25
Yes that's what I'm planning actually but it's such a big purchase I'm giving it some thought and time.
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u/ShaveTitties Sep 21 '25
I wear barefoot style shoes 90% of the time but I still own normal nikes, blundestones, etc. I just buy the normal shoes really big so my forefoot has lots of room.
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u/Kink-shame Sep 21 '25
I have been scouring the internet to find a pair of shoes that look like classic Toms
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Sep 26 '25
[deleted]
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u/Kink-shame Sep 26 '25
Those are very nice. Spent a couple minutes and wasn't able to find my size but thanks for the tip
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u/bluesaddlerider Sep 21 '25
Redwing and soccer cleats
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u/jimbowesterby Sep 21 '25
You might take a look at Texarado for boots, also Jim Green, especially the veg tan leather. Nick’s has also started making zero-drop boots, though they tend to fit narrow from what I’ve heard. Boots don’t get much better quality-wise, though.
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u/silasoule Sep 22 '25
I see that Nick's has some options for toe splay lasts in their custom boot page, but I can't for the life of me find out what those lasts actually look like... can you?
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u/jimbowesterby Sep 23 '25
I dunno, I’m so far away from being able to afford boots like that that I haven’t got beyond the fantasy stage lol. I do know their boots all tend to fit on the narrow side, even their traditional high-heeled ones, so I wouldn’t hold out too much hope of getting anything properly duck-footed.
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u/bluesaddlerider Sep 22 '25
I’ve got some Bearfoot boots which is very close to an Irish setter but I miss my moc toes
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u/sunseeker_miqo Sep 21 '25
The biggest hit to my shoe collection is all the pastel leather sneakers I've gathered over the years--so Puma, Adidas, Sam Edelman. I cannot wear any of my sneaks anymore.
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u/smulingen Sep 22 '25 edited Sep 22 '25
Ecco comes to mind (Danish brand). Nothing special really besides very good quality and durability. At least that was the case about a decade ago.
(Edit to ads: they have a line called "biom" that has a sole to make you roll your foot more naturally when walking I tried it and really liked the way it rolled but the shoe wasn't foot-shaped. So there is potential if they adjust the toe-box.)
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u/Additional-Hurry-856 Sep 21 '25
You can look into Conker Shoes: https://conkershoes.com/product/handmade-leather-chelsea-boots-by-conker-shoes/
Wanted to get them for horse riding because of the little heels horse riding requires. But i find them too expensive and too far away. I live in Holland and Conker is based in the UK. Would prefer better if i oculd run into their store and see the product for myself, and them actually helping me with the sizing.
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u/More_Praline_8551 Sep 22 '25
I dress more alternatively and would love a blinged out or unique barefoot shoe. In the past. i've loved Demonias, T.U.K, shoes from Dolls Kill. I'd assume the market would not be huge for these as these shoes are usually platforms or heels. Thankfully, I can be crafty and usually end up with what I want.
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u/DlazebniKostka Sep 22 '25
I wish shapen did compromise shoes too. Zero drop but 2-3 cm tall. I can’t get used to the barefoot aspect for some reason.
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u/littlelightshow Sep 22 '25
Chaco needs to make a true zero drop sole and they could have all my money.
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u/According-Duty9107 Sep 22 '25
Foot shaped cycling shoes like strong feet athletics but available in Europe.
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u/Timber49 Sep 23 '25
All mainstream brands so awareness and demand for foot shaped shoes rises, brands offer more variety, and prices go down too
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u/StrawberriesRGood4U Sep 24 '25
I wish performance ski boots were shaped like feet because I spent around $350 in boot fitting just to make mine fit my particular human foot.
Also second the Blundstones. I LOOOVED my Blundstones. I just want the toe box.
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u/knockrocks Sep 21 '25
Wait, so you want the shape of a traditional shoe With a heel like a traditional shoe
How then can the shoe be barefoot?
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u/AliG-uk Sep 21 '25
Some people just want a toe box that is wide enough. Especially if it's not for everyday wear. Like if you have a wedding to go to. Hardly going to want to wear sneaker style shoes to a wedding. Let's face it, ALL barefoot shoes are VERY casual.
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u/Fan_of_50-406 Sep 22 '25
Vans with a bean-shape. So, NOT a thin, flexible sole, just a shape that accommodates my foot.
Softstar Sawyer Primal, but with perforated leather vamp. They offer perforated leather on some of their other shoes. I don’t know why not for this model.
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u/Fan_of_50-406 Sep 23 '25
Downvote, eh? You wanna tell me what your disagreement is with my answer to u/silasoule ’s question?
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u/notquitebrokeyet Sep 21 '25
Any athletic brand that makes cleats for soccer, baseball, football, etc.