The Best Barefoot Shoes & Brands for Your Foot Type

*Disclosure – Anya’s Reviews is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

When you switch to healthy footwear, you’re deciding your feet are important. And that means no longer wearing shoes that don’t fit. But with so many variations in foot shape and size, it can be really hard to find a shoe that actually fits YOUR foot. In this post we’re discussing how to measure your feet, the basic foot types, and the barefoot shoes and brands that work well for your foot type.

Keep in mind that this is a general guide. There are tons of other barefoot shoe brands that fall somewhere in the middle and aren’t listed out here. To find barefoot shoes by category and lots more brands make sure you check out my other shoe lists, and the Barefoot Shoe Finder. But no matter what type of shoe you are looking for, getting to know your feet first will make shopping that much easier!

I have first hand experience with nearly every single brand on this list. Be sure to check out the barefoot shoe reviews section and make use of the search bar if you have any questions about a particular brand!

*If you have more specialized questions about whether barefoot shoes are right for you, please check out the Barefoot Shoes FAQ!*

Measuring Your Feet

First things first. Having a handle on your foot measurements is pretty important, BUT it is not foolproof. After helping many customers measure and use a size chart via Anya’s Shop we’ve learned that fit is highly personal and this advice should be taken with a grain of salt. You will need to get to know how YOU want your shoes to fit first and foremost. So take this measuring and size chart advice with a grain of salt. With that in mind, here are some measuring best practices.

Foot Measuring Best Practices

  • If you plan to wear socks you should have them on.
  • Measure at the end of the day when your feet are biggest.
  • If you are new to barefoot shoes, keep in mind that they may feel too big the first time you put them on. If they stay securely on your foot when you walk and don’t slosh around, that space around your toes is good and you probably picked the correct size!
  • The general recommendation is to wear shoes that are 1 – 1.2cm longer than your foot, but it can vary significantly depending on your preference and the style of shoe. In slip on shoes I sometimes have only .5cm extra length so that they fit close and securely on my foot. In lace up boots that are highly adjustable, I am comfortable with as much as 2cm extra length. If the shoe matches your foot shape perfectly, less extra length is required (they’re foot gloves!). And all of this can be impacted by the design of the upper, the materials used, and your particular foot type and preferences.

Despite the inevitable variations, getting an accurate measurement and understanding a size chart can reduce the chance of sizing mistakes. There are two main ways to measure: A foot tracing and the wall method. For expensive/risky shoe purchases I always measure both ways TWICE in the evening. It’s ok if your measurements are slightly different every time, just use the average.

Foot Tracing

A foot tracing is the most common way to measure. You simply trace an outline of your foot and measure. But it’s important to know that it adds about .5 cm to your actual foot size.

So if you use a foot tracing to figure out what size shoe you need, take your measurement and add only .5 – 1cm (so the total shoe length you are looking for would then be 1 – 1.2cm longer than your actual foot size), and find the nearest corresponding size on the size chart. My feet measure 23.2 from a foot tracing, so I look for shoes with an internal length of 23.7-24.2.

Some people get confused about their foot width when they use a tracing, because they aren’t taking into account the extra mm the tracing added. My foot measures 9.2cm wide from a tracing but I can comfortably wear shoes that have an internal measurement of 8.8cm (without socks). This is because my actual foot width is .5cm less than the 9.2 I get from a tracing.

Watch the vid below for how to do a foot tracing. Make sure you keep your pencil straight up and down!

Wall Method

The wall method yields the most accurate length and width of your foot. You measure foot length by placing your heel lightly against the wall (don’t push it in) and putting a heavy book where your longest toe ends. Then mark where the book is and measure that distance. You get your foot width by lining up the outside edge of your foot against the wall and placing the book on the other side. Then mark with a pencil and measure.

If you are ordering custom barefoot shoes, you might have additional measurements to take! Follow each brand’s instructions carefully and don’t be afraid to measure multiple times!

Understanding A Size Chart

To understand a size chart you need to read the instructions listed on the brands’ web page, because different brands create their size charts differently. It might show the length/width of the insole, the dimensions of the “last” used to mold the shoe, or the length of the foot that fits in each size.

If there are no instructions for how to use the size chart, contact the brand for clarification. But in my experience, when it’s not stated, the size chart shows the internal dimensions of the shoe and not the foot that fits inside. In that case, you would use the above instructions to find your foot length and add 1cm to find your size.

For more a more detailed explanation of interpreting a size chart, including the width measurement, read this FAQ!

Understanding Foot Type

Slope, Mountain, Plateau, Square

There are a dizzying amount of foot types and most people fall somewhere on a spectrum (metaphor for life). So let’s illustrate the main ones.

  • Slope feet have a prominent big toe and all toes are shorter than the previous one.
  • Mountain feet have their 2nd toe longest.
  • Plateau feet have the first 3 toes all the same length and then it tapers (or for some it might be 2 or 4 that are the same length).
  • Square feet are straight across.

Identifying the shape of your foot can make it a lot easier to select a shoe!

You can see above that barefoot shoe brands all have a different shape to them, while having in common that they are wide at the toe box where we need to the most space. So let’s discuss brands that work well for each foot type.

Barefoot Shoe Brands for Slope Feet

Not many brands cater to Slope only feet, but the good news is they don’t need to. When all your toes are shorter than your big toe you’re not likely to have issues with them running into the front of the shoe. So people with Slope feet can often fit into every shoe shape (provided they work for your width and volume – keep reading for more info). Here are a few barefoot shoe brands that follow an Slope foot shape.

  • Be Lenka – Be Lenka is also a very wide brand, so they will fit a wider range of people than narrower Slope shaped shoes. Use code ANYASREVIEWS 5% off directly from Be Lenka (returns are only accepted from within the EU and USA). They are also available at Anya’s Shop in the USA with worldwide shipping available.
  • VivobarefootANYA20 for 20% off gets you 10% off
  • Groundz – Code ANYASREVIEWS gets you 5% off
  • Aylla

Barefoot Shoe Brands for Mountain Feet

People with Mountain feet have to be careful about shoes that slope after the big toe. The following brands have a more rounded toe box shape, but also check out the brands for Plateau & Square feet, as many of them will work too.

Barefoot Shoe Brands for Plateau & Square Feet

Plateau and Square feet also need to watch for sloping toe boxes. That doesn’t mean you can never try other options, but you might need to size up for enough space for your outside toes. People with this foot type may want to focus on brands that also have an extra wide fit.

Below are some of the brands that cater to feet that are more square.

What is Foot Volume?

On to the next foot feature! Foot volume describes how much vertical space your foot takes up. This can be at any point along the foot, including at the arch or instep, the ball of the foot, or the toes. And it is independent of your length, width, and foot type.

  • High volume feet are “tall” or “deep” and take up space in the top of the shoe. If you have this type of foot you may find that shoes feel extra snug over the arch of your foot and you have to keep your laces loose.
  • Low volume feet are shallow, or in other words they don’t come very high up from the ground and don’t take up much vertical space. People with this type of foot may find that there is extra space in the top of their shoes. This can result in a lot of sloshing around and toe gripping, but don’t worry it’s an easy fix.

In my experience, foot volume has a very high impact on whether your shoes will fit. Recognizing what kind of foot volume you have can really help you make better shoe purchases.

Barefoot Shoes Brands for Low Volume Feet

Vivobarefoot Opanka

There aren’t many barefoot shoe brands that cater specifically to low volume feet, BUT that shouldn’t prevent you from trying them all. It is very easy to fix a low volume problem either with barefoot insoles or my favorite felt inserts.

You can learn more ways to make shoes fit your feet better in this Fit Hacks for Low Volume Feet FAQ. But if you don’t want to have to make adjustments, these are brands that work best for lower volume feet.

Barefoot Shoe Brands for High Volume Feet

Lisbeth Joe London

If you have high volume feet it’s unlikely you’ll be able to make a low volume shoe fit. Your best bet is to choose a high volume shoe to begin with and get good at stretching techniques (Here you can see some more High Volume Fit Hacks). Below are a few high volume barefoot brands and shoes.

And if you are someone with a Medium Volume Foot, you are in luck. Because nearly everything else should work for your volume. And you can also make many high volume shoes work with the laces cinched a bit, and low volume shoes with the insoles removed.

Narrow Vs Wide

In the barefoot shoe world width usually refers to toebox width, not width the entire length of the shoe. Some people might have narrow heels but wide toes, while others are wide the entire length of the foot.

A collage of 4 different types of feet matched up with a barefoot shoe that mirrors their actual width and shape

You can see that some of the above brands have narrow heels, and others tend to be wider through the shoe. For the purposes of this post, we will keep it focused on toe box width, but the better you know your feet the easier it will be to find the right shoe.

If you want to dig deeper into this, check out my post on the shoes best for extra wide feet!!

How Do I Know My Foot Width?

Narrow and wide are subjective terms, but most barefoot shoe brands fall into what we’ll call “average” width. Of course they are not average compared to conventional shoes, but conventional shoes are often too narrow for standard feet, so for our purposes “average” is appropriate.

So if you find that your feet are sloshing around in all your shoes (including barefoot shoes) then you may have narrow feet. If your foot is always rolling off the edges of the soles of your barefoot shoes, then you might have wide feet. If you have no idea, I recommend trying one of the average width brands listed below (maybe one with free shipping/returns to be safe!) and going from there – because if you’ve only worn conventional shoes thus far you likely have a distorted view of your foot width.

Now let’s list the best options in different toe box widths.

Barefoot Shoe Brands for Narrow Feet

Barefoot Shoe Brands for Extra Wide Feet

A top down view of 3 right shoes with the text "Barefoot Shoes for Wide Feet" at the top. Shown are the Vivobarefoot Addis, the Softstar shoes primal merry jane, and the lems waterproof boulder boot
1. Vivobarefoot Addis, 2. Primal Merry Jane, 3. Lems Boulder Boot

All barefoot shoe brands should be wide compared to conventional shoes. But this is a list of extra wide options, for people who don’t fit into other barefoot shoe brands, starting with the widest. Keep in mind that custom may be a good option if you have trouble finding shoes that fit (see the next section).

And here is an article that goes into more detail on these shoes and separates them out into Fan Shaped and Straight – Where Do You Need Your Width?

Major Barefoot Shoe Brands for Average Width Feet

If you don’t even know where to begin, the brands listed here are a good place to start. They have an anatomical shape and tend to fit an average width foot well. If you find they are too wide or narrow, that can help you determine where to go next.

38 Barefoot Shoe Brands from Narrow To Wide

In the photo below I ordered 38 different barefoot shoe brands that carry everyday barefoot sneakers and lifestyle shoes from narrowest to widest. This is looking specifically at width across the ball of the foot – you can see that there are variations in overall shape between them which may make some shoes feel narrow on your foot, even if they measure wide at the ball of the foot (that’s why the above information on foot shape is useful!). Also, keep in mind that some brands have different width options available, and variations between models. This is my best attempt at generalizing the information to help orient you!

Barefoot Shoe Brands from Narrow to Wide

A couple notes: Some of these brands that show up as a narrower option sometimes work for even extra wide feet. Most notably, Wildling Shoes and Mukishoes. Both of these barefoot shoe brands have extra flexible soles that flatten out and tend to accommodate a variety of shapes. Wildling also often has wide-fitting options even with the same sole shape (more material up top). While it’s true that the actual sole width on those two brands are in the correct order in this photo, you may find that they still fit wide. Ultimately we’ll all experience shoes differently, so take everything here with a grain of salt.

Custom Barefoot Shoe Brands

While custom shoes can be a scary investment, if you have tricky feet it can make all the difference. My custom shoes are some of my all time favorites because they fit like a glove. Check out this list of shoemakers that will customize your purchase to your personal foot measurements. For more info on the ones that I have worked with, read this article on Custom Barefoot Shoe Brands.

A photos showing 3 right shoes: the Gea Soles Custom Barefoot Yrsa, the Drifter Leather buckle boot, and the handmade Gaucho Ninja Desert Blaster
1. Gea Soles, 2. The Drifter Leather, 3. Gaucho Ninja

Sandals

Looking for more categories of shoes? Here are a few more lists

Still have barefoot shoe questions? Check out the Ultimate Barefoot Shoes FAQ

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Comments

179 thoughts on “The Best Barefoot Shoes & Brands for Your Foot Type”

  1. The hardest thing for me is I have a very narrow heel and even narrower ankle, but my toes are wide. I have to wear shoes I can cinch around the ankle (and only the ankle). For example, I can only wear Saguaros with the Velcro. The laces alone don’t hold the shoes on my feet. My feet are also very tall, so anything tight across the top (forward of the ankle) gets very sore or even numb. More and more of the shoes are being made without the Velcro, and I can’t wear them. Even when I wore regular sneakers, I had to use the extra holes way up at the top and do fancy lacing to make it all fit and not hurt. I don’t dare spend decent money on anything I can’t try on!

    1. Have you had a look at Realfoot? The narrow heel/wide toe shape might work for you, and the boots could be tightened around the ankles to leave more space for your feet. It took me a lot of digging to stumble across this brand but so far they’re great!

  2. I don’t see measurements or a method to determine your foot volume (Maybe I’m overlooking it?)
    I see the photos (and thank you for those) but I’m really just guessing when I use them as a comparison to my feet.
    Thanks!

    1. There is no measurement to define it, but you can often infer based on how you experience shoes. If they often fit snug over the top of your foot then you likely have high volume foot. If you are the opposite and have too much space above your foot in many shoes (and are walking out of your slip ons) then you likely have low volume feet. If you’ve never noticed then you probably are medium volume.

  3. I have wide/extra wide feet – in general, I feel most comfortable in belenkas and the softstar primals… I’m curious if you’ve tested the TYR x Squat University lifting shoes, and where those soles fall in terms of the width of the shoe?

    1. I’ve actually just happened to get a pair of those. They are not as wide as Be Lenka or Softstar Primals, but wider than Vivobarefoot and other medium width brands. So definitely wide, but not extra wide.

  4. Hello. Thank You for all these suggestions. Could You also recommend brands which are footshaped but not barefoot? I like footshaped shoes for me and my children but find the typically thin soles of barefeet shoes uncomfortable…

  5. Hi Anya, thanks for the helpful website!

    I have very wide feet and currently own a SoftStar Primal Sawyer (Wide) which is *just* wide enough. I’m looking at RealFoot boots, but am wondering, would they be narrower or wider than SoftStar? Maybe Samantha can weigh in on this as well?

  6. Hi Anya,

    I am needing to buy some ‘Barefoot’- casual shoes, walking boots, and trainers (sneakers) to avoid bunion formation.
    I have read your page (last updated 8th Feb 2024) on measuring your foot (‘trace’, and ‘wall’ methods) for the length and width of my foot in centimeters as you advise. I appear to have a foot type between ‘Sloped’ and ‘Plateau’.
    How does the measurement in ‘centimeters’ then correspond to shoe/boot sizes e.g. size EU 43, 44, 45 or UK size 10, 11, 12 etc when looking for and choosing the most suitable shoe, boot or trainer (sneaker) amongst all the various brands out there?
    I would really appreciate your help on this. Thanks, Will

    1. There is no standardized length for each shoe size, so you would need to take your measurement and then compare it with the size chart for the brand you are considering. Usually it shows the insole length for each size, so you would match which size has an internal length that is at least 10mm longer than your foot.

  7. Hi Anya,
    I really enjoyed the workshop that you did with Petra-so informative and reassuring. I have worn minimal shoes for about 6 years. Almost two years ago, I developed plantar fasciitis . I tried many shoes but have settled on Altras or Lems and they work for me.
    I’m looking for minimal sandals with extra padding and even a bit of arch support. I have checked out the ones you suggested but am unable to wear sandals that go between my big toe.
    thank you for all you do!
    Marjie

  8. Hi, thank you for all the information.
    I have a narrow feet, with a very narrow heel and ankle, with a slope foot form.
    i have no experiance with barefoot shoes, but i have so much problems with regular shoes and i really want to try it ( i love to walk barefoots)
    Could You recommend brands for really small feets?
    thanks!

    1. Hi! It sounds like Vivobarefoot might be a good brand for you! If you don’t fit into their adult women’s sizes you can even look at their kids models.

  9. I’m having a hard time pinning down a brand and style for my wide-extra wide, medium-volume feet that would work for gym/Crossfit-style workouts. Be Lenka looks like a good brand for me, but the description of their Champ 3.0 says only for everyday wear, not sports. I currently wear Xero Prios and Forza Trainers, but they’re too narrow to include my Correct Toes toe spacers. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi. I'm Anya.

Hi. I'm Anya.

I first discovered barefoot shoes after a long history of foot issues. By changing my footwear and strengthening my body I was able to completely transform my life. Anya’s Reviews is my way of sharing with the world that healthy feet are happy feet!

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