Mukishoes Brand Review – Sustainable and Barefoot

**Mukishoes has created a code for my readers! ANYASREVIEWS will give you 10% off and has no expiration**

Mukishoes has been one of my most requested barefoot shoe reviews. Their casual minimalist sneakers have garnered quite a following for being both ethical and extremely lightweight and flexible. Mukishoes kindly let me choose a style from their new spring line, and I surprised myself by falling in love with this bright sunshine yellow sneaker.

Table of Contents

1. Mukishoes Brand
2. The Sol
3. Barefoot Qualities
4. Sizing
5. Ordering
6. Style
7. Video
8. Conclusion

1. Mukishoes Brand

Muki’s crowdfunding campaign landed early 2019, to the excitement of many in the barefoot crowd. A women-owned business with an ethically-made, sustainable product is not exactly common in shoe manufacturing, let alone barefoot shoe manufacturing. Friends Madlen and Marta place as much emphasis on the sustainability aspect as the barefoot qualities, making this the perfect brand for the most socially conscious among us.

Mukishoes are casual barefoot sneakers with a simple unisex design for every day wear. Their stock changes seasonally and they release a few new models at a time. They have leather, cotton, hemp, and cork sneakers, some high top, some low top. Their winter models this last season were lined with wool, but there are always several vegan options.

To promote sustainable manufacturing, Muki uses surplus from the textile industry in several of their models. They are always completely transparent about their sourcing and every step of the way is socially conscious.

2. The Sol

For someone who normally wears black or every shade of brown imaginable, the Sol is a welcome change for me. The color grabbed my eye immediately and I’ve found them really easy to wear, even in my neutral wardrobe (because of my neutral wardrobe?). It is both bright and deep, golden and slightly mustard.

The upper, lining, and laces are all 100% cotton (dyed with GOTS certified pigment). The interior features a beautiful hand drawn design by Marta (one of the founders), and the outsole is recycled rubber.

The shoe upper material is thin but sturdy and I have hopes that it will wear well. Mukishoes recommends spot cleaning their shoes and not machine-washing them, but I’ve been reluctant to wear these in dirty conditions. Personally, I would spray them with a protectant first because I love the color so much.

The long lacing pattern and toe guard detail help to disguise the width, making these look similar to a Converse.

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3. Barefoot Qualities

Mukishoes are 3.5 mm thick and extremely flexible. They are very lightweight and secure to the foot because of the lacing. And the ground feel is excellent.

Widthwise, I’ve found these pretty comparable to Vivobarefoot, except that Vivobarefoot shoes are structured and usually stiffer (so toe rubbing on those will be more uncomfortable). Vivobarefoot also slopes after the big toe, while Mukis have a more rounded toe. So Mukis will be good for someone who has long 2nd and 3rd toes, or who likes Vivobarefoot but wants something more flexible.

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Vivobarefoot Court size 37 compared to Mukishoes size 37. They are almost identical in toe box width.

Some other width comparisons:

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Feelgrounds size 37 next to Mukis size 37. The Feelgrounds are a touch wider.

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4. Sizing

I got a size 37, which is the size I normally get in lace up shoes and boots. I wear a 37 in Vivobarefoot, Groundies, Feelgrounds, and Wildling. I wear a women’s size 6 in Softstar shoes and most flats and sandals.

The 37 is plenty long and the width is just enough. The sizing is comparable to that of other popular brands such as Vivobarefoot and Groundies. I wear an insole in the Mukis because the shoe is a little deep for my feet (I wear an insole in almost all of my shoes for this reason), but I don’t wear socks because they would feel too narrow if I did.

5. Ordering

Because Mukishoes are ethically produced in small batches, things go out of stock sometimes. And it might be a while before it comes back, if at all. This season two models (Aqua and Storm) are made using cotton surpluses from the textile industry, so restock will depend on availability. The models Cloud, Sand, Onyx, and Raw Leather Black are part of the regular inventory and will continue to be restocked over the years.

The cost of the Sol model is 95 Euros. Shipping is 16 Euros to the US (3.50 within Portugal, 9.50 within EU). After my discount code ANYASREVIEWS the total comes to 101 euros or $110 to the US.

They ship using DHL, which can make it to the US within a few days and is a pretty reliable service (you can designate No Signature Required to avoid contact with the carrier). Returns are possible on unworn shoes within 14 days of receipt, but the customer pays return shipping (Use Paypal to purchase so you can get return shipping costs refunded!!).

6. Style

Mukis are casual and simple, making them easy to wear with a lot of outfits. The yellow I love to pair with soft neutrals, like grey, blue, denim, and white. They bright color is definitely casual, but can still look put together with a good outfit.

If you’re looking for something that can go with everything, they also have classic black, tan, and white canvas, as well as a new white leather sneaker. I love white leather sneakers and think they’re a fabulous spring shoe (you can read more about why I prefer white shoes to be made of leather here).

7. Video

See the Mukishoes Sol in action.

8. Conclusion

All my interactions with Mukishoes have been heartfelt and positive. They are two dedicated women trying to help people move and live better with their quality shoes. The simple, unisex design and barefoot features make these a perfect everyday shoe, and you can feel good knowing that you are supporting a company out to make the world a better place.