Hi! I’m Anya! I am a barefoot shoe wearer who loves personal style.
I first discovered barefoot shoes after a long bout of foot issues. They were a lifeline thrown to me when everything else I tried was a dead end. Thanks to this new way of thinking I could finally see a clear path toward pain free movement. You can read more about my journey to healthy feet here.
But I lamented my amazing shoe wardrobe and felt like I would never be chic again. Healthy shoes are ugly, right? I’ve always been a shoe person (and always had foot problems), so it was a pretty mixed bag of emotions.
But it wasn’t long before I realized that with some extra research – and a whole new set of standards – I could curate shoes that made me feel amazing and didn’t require any compromises.
When I realized a lot of you were out looking for the same answers, I decided to use my hours of research to create something that didn’t exist yet. This blog is my effort to show you you’re not alone in your foot & shoe struggles – and that there is a practical way forward.
If you’re like me and want to find comfortable shoes that work with your life and body, you’re in the right place! Simply head to my homepage to begin your journey.
And don’t forget to subscribe to The Barefoot Shoe Digest for weekly emails that answer the questions you are asking. I’m so happy you’re here!
If you have additional questions please feel free to email me at info@anyasreviews.com
81 thoughts on “About Me”
Hi Anya – I just wanted to say ‘Thank you!’ for all of the information that you have collated and shared through your website and social media feeds. I’ve been transitioning to barefoot over the last couple of years and your reviews are really helping to support that process – I no longer feel like my choices are limited to some pretty weird looking options!! I can see a point at which I will be able to wear barefoot shoes to any occasion that I might have to attend which can only make me a healthier and happier person. Thanks for all of the great work and I hope you can keep it going in 2021! Best wishes.
Thanks so much for the kind words! I am glad my content has been helpful to you as you transition, that is my main goal! All the best to you and yours.
Hi,
What do you think about earthing?
Can we walk barefoot at home or there’s any danger?
What are the best minimalist shoes for gym?
What to do to grow nice toenails?
Thank you.
Hello Anya – just a quick note to say a HUGE thank you. I just bought my first barefoot shoes and I chose the Mukishoes Igneous boots. Oh boy! What a treat. I’m wearing them with Injinji socks and CorrectToes, and it feels like heaven. At 68 years old, I decided that something has to change, as I have developed quite bad hip pain in the last year (lockdowns and stress!).
Before buying them, I did a massive amount of research, and my first resource has always been your reviews. They are so good, and I’m glad I decided to trust them. You didn’t let me down! I’m awaiting my first order of Wildling shoes, which should arrive in the next few days, and I’m excited to gradually replace ALL my old shoes with barefoot (barefeet? – shades of Lord Of The Rings!).
Thank you Anya. You are a blessing.
Love and blessings
Somerset
Somerset, thanks so much for the kind words! And good for you for making a change, change is hard! Sounds like you got a winner with the Mukishoes boots. Hope your Wildlings are just as successful!!
Hi Anya!
This is fantastic! Thank you so much.
Do you have any recommendations for gardening/yardwork shoes? Thanks!
Hi! I guess it depends on what you’re looking for in them. I have a few pairs of older barefoot shoes I don’t mind getting dirty, and as soon as it’s warm enough I’m either barefoot or in some kind of athletic sandal. Lems Boulders are popular muck shoes, but I don’t need that much protection myself. So something like the Unshoes Terra Vida or Zeazoo Cheetah is what I usually go for.
Hi Anya! I have a question to you about purchasing my first barefoot shoe. My feet is the slope type rather low volume – 24 cm long and 9 cm wide. I’m going back and forth between feelgrounds originals navy, droptop all white and wilding tanuki umi, niji. I love the navy and off-white colors in wilding and think they’ll suit my wardrobe better than more sporty feelgrounds, but not sure about the look – I want for the shoe to look nice not only feel nice (and I’m used to narrow look of ordinary shoes as it matches my slim body type). Could you please provide your thoughts about both brands for the daily life? Huge thx
The Wildling Tanuki shoes are just fabulous. They’re very minimal, so if you’re used to supportive shoes it’ll be a big change. It’s true they don’t look very mainstream, but they are slimmer than Feelgrounds and have a low profile. You can see them styled in this Instragram post:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQglYOkh0V4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
But I also love Feelgrounds. They are definitely mainstream looking and also very comfortable. They work well with my wardrobe, but I like to wear sneakers a lot. Hope that helps a little bit!
Thank you so much Anya for a quick reply, I decided to give both brands a try and see how I like them, out of all barefoot companies I found those two to look quite slim and pretty, especially, as I focus on vegan shoes only 😉 have a wonderful day
Hi Anja been following you for a while, any tips on insoles for vivobarefoot just bought my first pair of Geo shell they are comfortable underfoot but they really knock and rub on my ankles, 🙂
Oh yes, they can do that! They break in, but if you don’t want to wait around for it you can bend and flex the shoe in your hands, massaging the ankle opening. You can also use moleskin on the area. Hope that helps!
Hi Anya! Which brands/shoes were you first ones when you transitioned to barefoot? And how did it feel?
I love this page, I’m on it for hours 🙂 Thank you so much for the content!
Hi Cynthia! I think I just answered your question on a different post!
Hello! I’m loving your reviews so far, but I’m not seeing quite the kind of boot I’m looking for. I live and work on a farm so I’m looking for a chore boot that can take a lot of wear and tear and mud and snow. Something like this except barefoot style would be perfect. https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/506697?page=llbean-boots
Have you seen anything like this? I have been looking all over and all the manufacturers who sell waterproof boots tell me that their boots are made for casual wear and they don’t recommend my use case. Thank you!
Hi Nathan! I think brands are always careful to hedge and not promise, but I have many readers who work on a farm and use boots like the Be Lenka Ranger or Lems Boulder. Did you see this article yet? https://anyasreviews.com/complete-list-waterproof-barefoot-shoes-rain/
Hi Anya!
I really love your website. I’ve learned so much, found resources to help me with my hammer toes and ingrown toenails, as well as shoes that fit properly. I’m excited to see some changes in my toes! Footcare is more difficult when the toes don’t line up nicely with enough space between them. On YouTube The Meticulous Manicurist, Lori Halloway, provides tutorials for home pedicures. She films an entire pedicure, often on challenging feet, and explains what she’s doing, how any damage may have happened, and how to resolve it. The two of you are doing so much to help folks have healthier feet!
Hi Laura, I appreciate that! Thank you for the kind words and the recommendation of Lori Halloway, I will check it out.
Hi Anya!
I know you recommend a certain toe spacer and I saw that was really pricey so I was wondering what you thought about the Toe Spacer 2.0? That one is in my budget, but I remember you saying about cost and quality so I have not bought it yet and would love your opinion. Thanks!
Hey! I haven’t tried the Toe Spacer 2.0 yet, my guess is it would be better than the super cheap ones from Amazon that squish all over the place. While I still love my Correct Toes, I think it’s totally ok to start with something in your budget, especially if you have a midsized foot. Just be mindful of how they feel.