Feelgrounds Barefoot Shoes Review

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As a family that is always on the go whether that is dashing off on the school run, going on a long dog walk or exploring a forest one of the most important parts for us is being comfortable and having suitable footwear. Having worked in the shoe retail industry for a number of years I am big on foot health and in the last few years, I’ve been learning a lot more about the benefits of being barefoot (which I love to do) and wearing barefoot shoes. In fact, I tried out one brand for myself last year and was really impressed so when Feelgrounds contacted me about reviewing some of their adult’s and children’s barefoot shoes I was really excited. Here is how we’ve been getting on…

Who Are Feelgrounds?

Feelgrounds is a brand that has taken the barefoot shoe concept to the next level. Founded with the aim of creating stylish and sustainable shoes that promote natural foot movement, all of their products are 100% vegan, breathable and lightweight. They pride themselves on offering shoes that help restore your feet to their natural state – free from the restrictions of tight, rigid footwear that many of us have become accustomed to over the years. They achieve this by incorporating several factors including:

• a zero-drop meaning that they are flat from heel to toe, which helps with posture and alignment.
• a wide toe box that allows toes the space to spread naturally, providing better overall balance and comfort.
• a super thin, flexible sole which is what gives that barefoot feeling whilst allowing your foot to move, bend and balance as it naturally wants/needs to.

Sustainability and Ethics

As you know, we love a company that cares about people and the planet and Feelgrounds is one that does just that. All of Feelgrounds’ shoes are completely vegan and made with sustainability in mind. They use recycled and recyclable materials wherever they can, including recycled PET, which is cleverly sourced from post-consumer plastic bottles. It’s a great way to give waste a new lease on life and reduce the environmental impact of their footwear.

They are also dedicated to ensuring that their products are made under fair working conditions by working closely with their manufacturing partners to provide safe, healthy and good environments for all staff involved in the production process.

“Sustainability, fairness, and transparency are essential values for us. Our highly skilled manufacturing team is located in Vietnam. Treating everyone involved in Feelgrounds well is important for us. All workers are of age and benefit from social, medical, and accident insurance and receive a salary above the regional average” 

Feelgrounds Website

Feelgrounds Review

First Impressions

I chose the Feelgrounds Original Knit in Black & White because I needed a shoe that would go with lots of my clothing items (hello jeans!) and would be ideal for being the busy mum on the go that I am. As soon as I pulled them out of the box I knew they were going to work for me. They are incredibly lightweight, flexible and wide – as someone with a wide foot, finding shoes to fit since I was a small child, has been a challenge. Barefoot shoes are a lifesaver.

My children (aged 6 and 10, both boys) chose the Original Mesh Kids in Galaxy and Original Mesh Kids in Scuba Blue. The vibrant colours were an immediate draw for both of them mostly because boy’s shoes are so very often very boring and unappealing. My eldest, Jake, even said to me the other day “Why do all these shops (high street) think boys only want dark, plain colours? Some of us love to be bright!” And he certainly got that with his scuba blue option. They were both over the moon with the way their shoes looked and really surprised at how bendy and lightweight they felt.

Comfort and Fit

Adult shoes:

As soon as I slipped my feet inside my Original Knit they felt amazing. The shoes are basically the shape of my feet and it’s such a relief for them to be able to take that natural position rather than be squeezed into a tapered style.

In terms of fit, because barefoot shoes are wider, I get to wear my actual real shoe size which is a 5. In most other shoes I need to opt for a size 6 to get that extra room for my width. This does work perfectly ok a lot of the time but to be able to wear the size I measure and have comfort across the toe joints just feels so much better and it is of course better for my overall foot health.

Kids shoes:

When choosing the sizes for the children I had to take two different approaches. Jake has the opposite problem to me, he has extremely narrow feet so fitting shoes for him is often fairly tricky and usually leads to going for whatever style works whilst adding an insole. Due to this, I opted for half a size down in his Feelgrounds as I knew going for a size 5 would swamp his feet and slip straight off. I was hoping that choosing a size 4.5 would mean he would still have some room for growing whilst ensuring that his foot was supported. And my theory worked, much to his delight! (And my relief) His Scuba Blue Original Mesh fitted really well with no slipping, no need for an insole, the width felt fine and he had ample growing room. Oh, and with 2 velcro straps he can adjust the shoes as needed (please note that I do have 8 years of shoe-fitting experience behind me so I have a lot of fit check and foot shape/health knowledge in case you were wondering).

My other child, William, is a bit like his brother and narrow in some areas of his feet, however, where he is so often barefoot I have started to notice a change in the shape from his widest points (small toe joint across to the large toe joint). Because of this, I followed the measuring guidelines on the Feelgrounds website which involved drawing around his feet and measuring from the wall to the longest toe. I then used their chart to check which size he would need. I could instantly see that the shoes were going to fit him beautifully and as soon as he put them on he was in love!

Wear Test

We’ve tested these shoes on everything from school runs (me) to weekend walks and bike rides, as well as running errands to the shops and here’s what we all thought…

My Thoughts:

I have found the Original Knit to be incredibly comfy, so much so that I keep forgetting to take them off when I come into the house! Barefoot shoes really do suit me.

I love that they are water-repellent especially since the weather has turned – I was in desperate need of a decent shoe for the school run dash – and it’s great that they can be easily wiped clean. The style of these means they go with all of my casual wear and the innovative design means I’m not experiencing any aches or pains.

The water droplets roll just off the shoe

Jake’s Thoughts:

If this was just down to Jake the whole review would be about the amazing colour of his Feelgrounds shoes – this kid really loves to be bright at the moment – and yes, if you are looking for something different, then this is the style and colour for you.

He was blown away by how soft and flexible they are and he couldn’t believe he could do this with them:

In terms of his wear test, he has found them to be extremely comfortable on our bike rides and dog walks on grass but he still needs to get used to the barefoot feel on harder surfaces like pavements. He can’t quite get his head around being able to feel through every step but it’s only been a couple of weeks and he’s never worn anything like this before and at age 10, it’s all very different. I’m sure it will come with time and more wear.

William’s Thoughts:

Well, for starters he is wearing his at every opportunity going and he cannot wait for his school’s mufti-day so he can show his classmates! William really suits barefoot shoes, they allow his feet to flex as he requires them to as a very active, sporty child who loves to climb. He is perfectly ok with feeling every step and it’s a relief for me to find shoes like this as it means I’m allowing him to feel as though he is barefoot whilst protecting his feet. In his own words, he did in fact say to me: “Mummy this really feels like I’m barefoot but I’m not!” I can see I will be buying many more Feelgrounds for him in the future.

Durability

After a few weeks of use, all three pairs are holding up well. The Original Knit looks as good as new, and the soles show very little sign of wear. The kids’ shoes have stood up to their busy activities such as climbing, jumping, riding and general chaos with no noticeable scuffs – just some mud! It’s clear that Feelgrounds has invested in high-quality materials, which is reassuring for a parent who doesn’t want to be replacing kids’ shoes every few months!

Are Feelgrounds Shoes Worth the Price?

Whenever sustainable brands come to market, price is always a key talking point but, for me, if their products are delivering by using good quality materials, are eco-friendly and ethical, and provide good working conditions/pay for their staff, all of my boxes are ticked which makes me happy to pay that given price point – I say given price because implying that it’s high isn’t quite right here, is it? By paying what a product is worth, you are ensuring all of the above can happen, if you are paying a low price somewhere for an item you really have to question what is going on behind the scenes. I would much rather invest my money into a durable, sustainable, responsible product that is also good for you, over a low-quality one that is damaging the environment and poorly made. The latter will definitely cost you more in the long term.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, we’ve been incredibly impressed with the Feelgrounds range. The Original Knit Black & White has become my go-to for everyday wear – style, comfort and practicality, what more could I ask for?! Meanwhile, the Original Mesh Kids shoes have been a huge hit with my children, providing them with the freedom to run, jump and play without restriction.

If you’re looking for barefoot shoes that are stylish, eco-friendly and suitable for the whole family, I’d highly recommend giving Feelgrounds a try and you can check out their full range here.

*We received these items in exchange for an honest review. As always all opinions are our own. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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