No one likes painful feet! I’m on a mission to show the world that you can feel better and still enjoy dressing up. Here are the newest barefoot shoe replacements to this season’s trendiest styles -but with more toe space and a natural feel. If you are someone who struggles finding cute shoes that fit and don’t cause you pain, this one is for you.
And you can check out Part 1 of this spring’s Fashion, But Make it Barefoot series for even more stylish barefoot shoes! And don’t forget that you can make use of insoles with any of these if you don’t want a barefoot sole.
Now let’s get to it. Five stylish barefoot shoes, new for spring 2024.
Origo Mary Jane
Leather | Sizes US Women’s 6-11 | Ships from US or MX
Use code ANYA for 10% off (also works on the Mexico site!)
This brand new style from Origo is a statement flat, capturing Parisian style but with plenty of toe space. The straps are not only trendy, they also help you get a tailored fit without any heel slippage! Though they do take a while to buckle and unbuckle – I can leave the front two buckled, but have to do the back two every time.
They come in black, beige, burgundy, and red. Shown here is red. Burgundy is even deeper, like Oxblood.
These have a wide fit, even for a barefoot shoe. They work both for my wide, low volume, narrow heeled feet and are nearly perfect for Samantha, who has an extra wide high volume foot. But she had to break in the patent leather and wishes for a few more millimeters of space on the big toe side (she has a bean-shaped foot). Extra wide might want to size up for more width, and straight or mountain shaped feet feet will do better than bean or slope shaped feet.
I make use of the optional insole they come and Samantha wears them without it. And the buckles make them adjustable for both our foot volumes! I also appreciate that they don’t squish the tops of my toes.
If you are familiar with the Origo Derby, these are a few millimeters wider than those. Overall, a really fun shoe that fits well! See them in action here.
Shapen Orchid
Suede | 2 Widths | Sizes EU 35-44 | Ships from US or EU
You can also shop them directly with Shapen (use code ANYA5 for 5% off), but they do not accept returns outside the EU.
These gorgeous flats bring a new level of elegance to barefoot shoes! They come in two widths, so can work for both average/slim feet and extra wide feet. I haven’t been this excited about a new barefoot shoe in a long time!! They are truly beautiful and I will wear mine both with fancy dresses and jeans.
They do run big, the same way the Shapen Poppy does, so I expect that most people will want a size down. I am wearing size 36 regular, but could wear a size 35 wide as well. Samantha is wearing a size 37 wide. The strap fits my low volume feet on the tightest setting, and Samantha has hers on the loosest setting for her high volume feet.
I recommend treating the suede with a spray before wearing them out, especially the beige color, so that they stay nice. Shoes do go on the ground after all! Dirt is inevitable.
Also new from Shapen this spring is the Petal sandal. This sandal comes in regular and wide, and is high volume. They also run on the big side and many people will want to size down, especially if you have a low volume foot like I do. The regular width shown above is a little loose for me, but much better for Samantha (though she needs the Wide width for the best fit). These are also available at Anya’s Shop in both widths!
Groundies Ruby
Leather | Sizes EU 36-43 | Ships from EU or US
Use code ANYA15 for 15% off until May 2. These will also be coming to Anya’s Shop in the US this spring! In both beige and beige with black toe cap. We expect them at the end of April.
I love an understated neutral flat. These light beige colored ballet flats are light and flexible, stay on my narrow heels well, and have a comfortably wide toe box for no pinching. I’ve always found Groundies flats to be one of the best for my narrow heels, and they are so flexible and move with my feet easily.
Sizing is true, I am wearing a size 37 and they fit me well with no need for additional heel grips. They have a removable insole, so work for a variety of foot volumes. They are good for wide feet, but not quite extra wide (I’ve got something for you later on in this article!)
Crupon Monstera
Leather | Sizes EU 35-42 | Ships from EU
Use code ANYA for 10% off
The Crupon Monstera is new this spring with a design inspired by the leaves of the Monstera plant. To me they are a wonderful fisherman sandal replacement, which have been really popular of late. Fisherman sandals in general are more comfortable than many pinchy shoes, but I still find mainstream brands to be too narrow in the toe box! Crupon’s actually are widest at the toes, where we need the most space.
This model comes in neutrals and lots of fun bright colors. I find them to be on the high volume side, so I wear mine with this insole to raise my foot inside the shoe a bit.
Crupon’s are wonderfully made with high quality leather, and I reach for mine all the time in the spring/summer season!
Read my full Crupon Sandals review here for more details on fit and sizing.
Softstar Merry Jane
Leather | Sizes US Women’s 5.5-13 | Ships from US
I frequently get asked about pretty women’s dress shoes that have an extra wide fit, and none are wider than the Softstar Merry Jane. They come in two widths – regular and wide, but they really could be called Wide and Wider!
This style was first launched in 2020, but starting April 23rd for the first time you’ll be able to customize your Merry Janes with different leather colors and strap options! You can choose from a variety of neutral, metallic, and colorful options and two new strap variations.
This is really exciting news for those of you who struggle with even barefoot shoes being too narrow, because now you can customize this extra wide dress shoe with the colors that are appropriate for your needs. Whether it’s work, a wedding, or an everyday spring shoe, the customizer option makes them so much more versatile.
The new custom strap options are also nice. I am modeling the Fine strap in regular width, Latte leather on the left and Samantha is wearing the Bold strap in wide width, Tahiti leather.
The one issue we’ve had with this shoe is that when brand new they are very low and tight over the tops of the toes. This is because Softstar doesn’t use lasts in their shoes, instead letting them form completely to your feet. But we find it’s not super comfortable to break in, so Samantha and I stuffed the toe boxes of our Merry Janes with tissue and let it sit overnight. Now they are stretched just enough to not squish the toes!
46 thoughts on “Pretty Spring Shoes But Make it Barefoot – Part 2”
I just received the Shapen Orchid and Poppy sandals – Wow are these beautiful! These are the prettiest comfortable shoes I have! The Orchids are spectacular – I might need another pair. Thank you for the sizing recommendations – one size lower than usual was perfect. (Now if only it would stop raining so I can wear the shoes outside!)
Hi Anya! I wear a size 41 in regular non barefoot shoes and I sized up to a 42 in Belenka Entice and Feelgrounds Chelsea. In this case should I then get a EU40 instead of a EU41 in Shapen Orchid? Thanks in advance!
Hi there! We recommend measuring your feet in centimeters and using the brand’s size chart to help you choose the correct size. You can find measuring tips here!
Hi my feet are 26,5cm and 9,8cm width, I wear the 40 in shapen poppy, also tried on shapen tulip and 40 fits.
hey, I have similar sized feet, did you get the regular or the wide? thanks for your comment
Hi, I got the regular.
Hi Anya,
I am wanting to order the new Lily from Shapen. I have Lisbeth Joe sandals that have a similar heel, with just one strap across the front ( can’t recall the style and they don’t have it on their website any longer) in a size 6, but they are hard to keep on my feet. My toes want to come out over the strap after awhile. I wear a 37 in Belenka sandals (Promenade) and they fit great. My foot tracing measurements are 23.5 cm L x 9.5 cm wide and my wall method is 22.3 cm x 9.3 cm wide. Since I will be ordering them from their website and live in the US I want to order the best size.
Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. I LOVE being in Barefoot shoes and it has truly changed my life for the better!!! I couldn’t have made the transition without your help. The ONLY downside is trying to buy shoes without trying them on ; )
Hi Jane! It sounds like you would need a 35 Wide in the Lily sandals. It might be helpful for you to measure the length of your Promenade sandals and check that with the Shapen size chart to get an idea of the length you like for sandals.
I’ve been checking the shop fairly frequently for the Groundies Ruby flat in beige. Do you still plan to stock those?
Yes! They are still in transit to our warehouse.
Hey Anya! Thanks for the review. Curious what you PREFER with the orchid – 36 regular or 35 wide? We’re the same size so I would like to purchase based off your experience!
Great question! I prefer the 36 regular. 35 Wide is just a little too wide and doesn’t feel as secure as I’d like.
The Origo code doesn’t work in the Mexican site. I had subscribed to their marketing emails, but none of the promo codes applicable for US and Canada apply in the Mexico site. This is a bit contradicting considering the shoes are manufactured in Mexico. Ah! And also, no free shipping :/ I guess they don’t really believe in selling to Mexican market, right?
We had the wrong code/links for it, I’ve checked with them and am working on getting it sorted so that my code works there too!
I have neuropathy/arthritis in my feet. Love the design of these shoes, but I need cushion as it is painful walking on hard surfaces. These shoes don’t appear to have any cushion at all. Wondering if they would work for my condition.
If you are in pain without cushion you could try adding an insole to these shoes. One of the things I like about barefoot shoes is that they are easily customizable to your needs. Here are some insoles that pair well with these shoes.
I love a lot of these swaps. Thank you for doing these. I always enjoy seeing the shoes with outfits. I would love to see barefoot shoes with long baggy pants.
I also and bought two some the shoes in this post, but I love to go from shoe to barefoot and back again throughout my day. It’s got me stumped though.
Why can’t we have super stretchy elastic straps hidden behind the buckles so they can be put on and taken off easier?
If you ever design another shoe or talk to the designers, please consider putting a word in for this.
I am always running behind and in a hurry these darling shoes just plain suck. More than once I had to bring my barefoot shoes with me and change into them. They take so long to get buckled!
Hi Stephanie! I think that’s an excellent idea. I would guess most companies don’t offer buckles like that because elastic can wear out quickly, especially with high use. However, I like your idea and will certainly keep it in mind for any future plans.
Hi Anya,
What size of the Origo Mary Jane do you wear? I think we have similar shoe size, thanks! (I also have low volume feet, and narrow)
Hi there, mine are a size 7
Have y’all tried the Atlantis barefoot sandals? Thoughts on their fit for extra wide feet?
https://www.atlantishandmade.com/collections/barefoot-sandals
Hello, we have not tried the Atlantis barefoot sandals, but just going off of others experiences we’ve heard in our community – they would not be suitable for extra wide feet. The size chart does include length and width information so that should help you determine if they might work for you.