Ever since barefoot shoes and stronger feet kicked my chronic pain to the curb, I’ve been on a mission to spread the word. Why can’t more shoes reflect the natural shape and function of the foot? That mission led me to develop a new version of a shoe close to my heart – the traditional Mexican huarache!
Origo Shoes and I have been working together the past year to bring you a new take on an old tradition. We are thrilled to announce that the Huarache by Anya is now available – same classic style but they won’t pinch your toes!
Use code ANYA for 10% off your purchase.
The huaraches will be restocked frequently in small batches! That means if your size is sold out all you need to do is register for restock notifications and wait for the next batch.
I Couldn’t Find Comfortable Huaraches
Huarache sandals are one of my favorite styles, but the pointy narrow shape always hurt my feet! My half-Mexican mom also loves traditional huaraches, but with bunions they were uncomfortable for her too. We used to blame our feet, but then I thought “why not change the shoe?”
Since then I’ve made it my life’s work to find comfortable alternatives to shoes that hurt. So for the past few years I’ve been on the hunt for craftspeople who would be interested in reimagining this traditional shoe with a natural foot shape. I wanted huaraches that actually fit wide feet!
That search led me to Diego and Cristina, a Colombian husband and wife duo who founded Origo shoes – a brand built on the same ideals as Anya’s Reviews!
We combined forces and began the process of prototypes and planning so that we all can enjoy this beautiful style without our toes being squished. After a year of working with local Mexican artisans and weavers we now have beautiful foot-shaped huarache sandals for you!
A Little Huarache History – The woven huarache (wa-ra-chay) design is indigenous to Mexico and born from Aztec culture. Hundred of years ago they were worn as a work shoe by farmers because they can be repaired repeatedly and are breathable for long hot days!
The Huarache by Anya
$114 | Available in two widths in sizes US women’s 6- men’s 13 | Leather | 8mm Stack Height
Use code ANYA for 10% off your purchase.
Our huaraches are made in the traditional way in Michoacán, Mexico – but with a few upgrades! Instead of a pointy, narrow toe they have a natural shape to them with space for the feet to spread out. Plus, a lighter and more flexible sole than is typically used.
The shoes are entirely made of leather with a flexible rubber outsole on the bottom. All the leather is vegetable tanned and chrome free so you can safely wear them on bare feet. The flexible 3mm outsole is made of natural rubber with texture for grip. Elegant simplicity.
Sandal Version With Buckle
The sandal variation of these huaraches has a buckle strap that keeps the foot securely in place, making them adjustable for a variety of foot types – these ones fit my low volume feet and narrow heels best! The Huarache Sandals comes in black, cinnamon, tan and white in sizes US women’s 6-11.5.
I wear mine on the tightest buckle and gave them many miles of testing all over European cobble stones. They are incredibly comfortable! If you also have low volume feet and/or narrow heels, this might be be a more secure fit than the slip-on.
Slip-On Version
The most traditional version of the huarache – the slip-on – comes in two widths and the full range of sizes for both men and women! This shoe can be worn during spring, summer, & fall with everything from shorts & jeans to dresses.
Because slip-ons can be a little harder to fit, and we believe a good fit is important for healthy walking, we have provided an optional ankle tie in both widths. You can wear it with the tie for extra security so the huaraches don’t slip off your heel, or you can remove the tie and wear them as a true slip-on. You can also add a heel grip to the back for a more tailored fit (this is what I do!).
Huaraches in Wide
The wide version of the Huaraches has an overall roomier fit than the regular version and comes in larger sizes, so is better suited for wider, higher volume and larger feet. This model also has a few extra leather pieces woven in so it covers a little more of the foot on the top and the sides than the regular, and the slip-on version comes with the optional ankle strap. You can find the wide huaraches in both slip-on and buckle sandal style! Let’s dig a little deeper into the sizing and fit for each of these models.
Huarache Sizing & Fit
The two Huaraches widths each have a unique fit.
Regular Huaraches
The regular Huarache by Anya is available in the Huarache Sandal and Slip-on in sizes US women’s 6-11.5, and fits as follows:
- True to size
- Medium to wide width
- Medium volume
That means these shoes should fit both average and some wide feet well.
Wide Huaraches
The wide version of the Huaraches by Anya is available in slip-on and sandal style in sizes US women’s 6.5 – men’s 13 and fits as follows:
- Mostly true to size, but slightly big overall
- Wide to extra wide
- Medium to high volume
The Huaraches in wide are wider in the toe box, slightly longer and higher volume compared to the regular width. This means that this version is best for thick, wide, and high volume feet.
See below a size chart for exact dimensions of both versions!
Why are they so snug?
Like in traditional huaraches, the leather will mold to your feet as you wear them so it’s ok if they feel snug when brand new. Because of this stretching and molding of the leather many people with extra wide feet will able to get a good fit as well! If you have low volume feet and narrow heels the sandal variation with the buckle will likely be the best option.
I am able to wear a size 6.5 regular width in these, which is my usual US shoe size for this style of shoe. If you have low volume feet and/or narrow heels I would consider erring on the smaller side so they feel secure, particularly in the slip-on variation.
Ordering
The Huarache by Anya is available to purchase from Origo Shoes and ships from the US to North America, Europe, UK, and Australia. Or if you live in Mexico you can shop Origo Shoes here and enjoy shipping from within Mexico.
You can use code ANYA for 10% off your purchase at any time, and on any of the models that Origo sells.
Retailers Around the World
- Gotardo (Spain)
- Barefoot You (Spain)
- Happy Little Soles (UK)
- Roam Barefoot (New Zealand)
- Barefoot Shoes AU (Australia)
- Tread Barefoot (UK) – Shop closes for summer, will reopen in fall.
These huaraches are made in small batches by artisan shoemakers – we will be restocking them frequently but there is a high chance that popular colors and sizes will sell out. Just make sure to register to be notified when your preferred color and size comes back in stock!
We can’t wait for you to try these barefoot huaraches that are so dear to our hearts.
196 thoughts on “The Most Comfortable Huaraches That Don’t Squish Your Toes – Now Available!”
Hi Anya! As someone who also has low-volume feet and narrow heels, I’m curious about your personal experience with sizing vs foot measurement. By the size chart, my foot length + 0.6-1.5 cm puts me in either a half or full size larger than the size of my current huaraches. I’m used to needing larger sizes in barefoot style shoes, but worry that would be too big given the expected stretch. (My current huaraches are 8.5, but on the size chart the 8.5 inside length is equal to my actual foot length.)
I would think that the 8.5 would be too small if it matches your foot length exactly. Size 7 is 1.3 cm longer than my foot and a size 6.5 is 8.5 cm longer than my foot. If I went smaller than that they would be too small for me.
I love mine so much! I got the black and the darker brown. I’ve been wearing them every single day for 14-16 hours some days and zero complaints. The opening of the shoe seems a bit snug at first but being it’s leather that’s perfect because it should never over stretch to the point they feel too big.
Any ETA on the slip ons? I NEED those in my life 😀
I’m so glad you love them! We are a couple weeks out on the slip-ons still, but coming soon!
I’m so excited to see this! I’ve been looking for huaraches and never found any that look wide enough in the toe box.
My foot lengths are 24.1 and 24.2 cm and my feet are narrow, low volume, with a narrow heel. What size would you recommend? And how soft is the leather? I’d like to purchase the slip on when available, but I’m definitely concerned with sizing. I’m typically a size 7 or 7.5.
For narrow, low volume feet I would guess that the sandal will be a better fit than the slip (or at least plan to use the tie for the slip on). For sizing it would be best to consult the measurements on the size chart, but I would err on the side of the smaller size given your foot type.
Ugghhh!! I’m so mad, I just now saw these released and they are gone. I never got an email from here or there and had no idea this blog post was going to be the only update- I’d even been checking the blog for a new post. I’m sooo sad. Can you email us with the date in advance like time before last for the next batch?
I did actually send an email out last week with the launch date and time in it, and I posted it ahead of time in my stories so people could save the date/time. I’m sorry you missed it! But we do have more being made and will continually be restocking so that everyone who wants a pair can get them!
Thank you. Yeah it seems there was a good handful of us that didn’t get that email. My last email from this site was 8/2 and then today. I have you marked as super important VIP :). Is there another place to sign up?
I followed up with Origo about this and found out a useful tidbit – the restock notifications from them go out in timed batches based on the order people subscribed. When the restocked shoe you signed up for becomes sold out again then the rest of the notices don’t go out. So that means that you actually probably did not get a restock notification. I’m sorry about the confusion! BUT the good news is that we will be doing a preorder of all sizes and colors in approximately 1 week so everyone who has been waiting can order – and then we will produce what is ordered! I will be sharing the exact date and times of the preorder in my next newsletter and Origo will also be emailing their subscribers when it is open. So now that you’ve got our emails marked as safe you should be good this time!! Thanks for your patience and support.
My new favorite shoes. True to size and so comfortable straight out of the box. I can’t wait for the other colors to restock.
As a Mexican this makes my heart so happy! I’ve been looking for slip on shoes that I can wear with a variety of clothing, and this are perfect! I have high volume feet though. How likely are these to stretch to accommodate volume without causing too much pain?
The slip-on version is more likely to fit a high volume foot than the buckle variation. They do stretch quite a bit over time, but for our high volume testers they were pretty snug at first (but not painful). Some people are nervous to go through the stretching period if they feel tight when new (because you can’t return them once they’re worn) but we’ve seen good results.
Thanks. In what part of Michoacan are the artisans located? My mom is from there and would get a kick out of knowing where in the state these were made.
Hi Anya, I too love Huaraches and the whole barefoot show movement. However, I do have narrow, low volume feet and a narrow heel. I just measured my foot length and width and it appeared that my right foot is 3.5 inches wide at it’s widest part so maybe this might work for me. My left foot is just a little bit narrower than 3.5 inches. Because of my foot shape (slope) I’ve usually worn an 8.5 even though I measure as an 8, and I think I’d probably need to go down to an 8 in your Huaraches. I’d be thrilled if these actually would work for me.
Hi Anya, I received my slip on version yesterday and they look great, but they reek of rubber. My whole apartment smells even after leaving them by an open window overnight. Is there anything I can do to make the rubber smell go away? I don’t want to return them, but not sure I can keep them if they are going to smell this strongly.
I am sorry to hear that! This is the first I’ve heard of that happening, my pairs don’t smell at all of glue or rubber. I am not sure what could have happened. Letting them air out is the only thing I can think of. Origo customer service is there for you if you want to pursue a return.
Will any EU retailers carry them soon? I’d love to get a pair but shipping and taxes alone cost more than the shoe itself!
We are considering it for the future! Currently we can barely meet the demand locally, so haven’t been able to get the inventory to send to a retailer. But we are hearing our international customers and hope to come up with a solution!
Looks like there was no reason to have to waited up to make an order at 8am. They opened the preorders who knows… hours ago. And it lists a lead time for 4 weeks plus. 🙁 🙁 waited all week with my alarm set and still managed to miss getting in early.
We gave people who had subscribed for restock notifications and already tried to purchase early access to the preorder. If you ordered this morning then you did get in early, because it only just went public.
Oh no! I missed the window! 😭 is there still any chance for order?
Hi Aga, Once we fill all the preorders that were placed last week we will restock! But it might be another month before we open up for in-stock ordering. Or goal is to get to a place where it’s not difficult to get the shoes you’re looking for. Bear with us!
Aw man! I just found this! Sounds a lot of people are subscribed and waiting to get these. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait too long. I’d love to buy myself and my big bunioned Mexican grandma a pair! She hasn’t been able to wear huaraches for years, and these would make her so happy!
Hi Nikaya! We are currently filling preorders from the beginning of the month and then will begin restocking the shop hopefully around mid October.