Saguaro makes barefoot sneakers for the whole family – they are super flexible, wide, and cheap! Read on for my review of the Saguaro Barefoot Shoes in adults and kids sizes.
Use code ANYASREVIEWS for 15% off your Saguaro purchase!
Saguaro Barefoot Shoes
Saguaro Barefoot Shoes | $16-30 | Sizes US 7.5 toddler – W15/M13.5
Saguaro Barefoot Shoes are an affordable option available in a huge range of sizes and colors. They’re a cross between a water shoe and a sneaker, and are very thin, flexible, and have a nice wide toe box.
Saguaro Adult Review
The adults models from Saguaro barefoot shoes fit spacious and leave me with plenty of toe space. I got this neoprene style that is essentially a water shoe (but works just fine as an athletic or everyday sneaker), and you can also find models that have a more traditional sneaker look to them.
All adult Saguaro shoes come with an insole that has a slight heel rise and tiny amount of arch support – I removed it immediately and swapped it out for a barefoot insole since I am fully adjusted to minimalist shoes and don’t want any of that in my shoes. But if you are still transitioning to barefoot shoes, you might enjoy the insole at first.
If that’s you, check out these 5 Simple Foot Exercises you can do to strengthen your feet and prepare yourself for barefoot shoes!
Without the insoles these Saguaro barefoot sneakers are crazy flexible – you can feel every pebble underfoot! Since they are essentially a water shoe, they have a sock like fit and don’t rub anywhere. The elastic laces make them easy on and off too.
Sizing & Fit
Sizing
These shoes are made in European sizes, but show up on Amazon as the size of the country you’re ordering from. Since I’m in the US, I had to select a US size. I chose a US women’s 7, and the shoes came with an EU 38 size tag on them. This is a pretty standard conversion (though sometimes a Women’s 7 is equated to an EU 37). Regardless, they fit as expected! So from my experience they are true to size.
Fit
Saguaro barefoot sneakers for adults fit wide and high volume. They have plenty of space above the toes – for those of you who don’t like anything pressing down – and are overall very spacious. I needed to swap out the insole for a barefoot one since I have shallow feet, but if you have high volume/thick feet then you might be happy in these with no insole! Saguaro are very similar to the Whitin sneakers (another affordable option), except that the Whitin’s fit low volume – so if you like everything else about the Saguaro’s except that they are spacious all around the ankle and over the toes, check out Whitin.
For more on understanding your foot type, read this article!
Saguaro also makes affordable barefoot shoes for kids, and my assistant Samantha reviewed those for us here.
Saguaro Kids Review
by Samantha
Saguaro Barefoot Shoes for Kids
This summer, my oldest needed a pair of spare shoes for camp. Not wanting to spend very much on extra shoes she might not even end up wearing, I ordered a pair of the “water shoes” I had seen so many people talking about in the Barefoot Style Community on Facebook. I was very skeptical they would be any good since they were called water shoes and we had tried those flimsy neoprene sock-like shoes in the past and been disappointed (they were destroyed very quickly). We were both pleasantly surprised by the fit and function of the Saguaro shoes which are really more like real shoes than water socks. They became her most worn shoes of the summer and I even ended up getting a pair for two of her younger siblings.
They’re thin, flexible, zero-drop, and have a nice wide toe box. They are quite similar in shape and width to Splay Shoes, but cater to a higher volume foot. And unlike the adult Saguaros, the insole in the children’s sizes does not have a heel lift. So taking the insoles out is not necessary (but does give you more room and better ground feel). My older two chose to leave the insoles in, but I took the toddler’s out to be able to get them on easier.
The elastic laces function as expected but are pretty long. We have them looped around the bottom of the laces and then attached to the velcro spot (see left photo above). I thought the uppers would be one thin layer of the knit material, but they are actually thicker than expected. In the photo above on the right, you can see the inner is a tighter, smooth version of the upper material and the back portion is lined with a soft microfiber.
My kiddos really like that they are breathable and have labeled the outsoles as “super grippy.” Just last week I had them helping me wash our smooth concrete porch floor that is very slippery when wet. I watched in terror as my 7 year old took off running across the wet concrete in these and he did not slip AT ALL! These would be a great choice for summer camping and hiking, especially if it involved wet or really dirty conditions. I love that they are machine washable and I have thrown ours in several times – they come out looking great and air dry quickly. They are really an all-around win for us.
Saguaro Vs Other Barefoot Brands
Check out how Saguaro compares to other barefoot shoe brands below.
Kids Barefoot Brands
Here are 16 barefoot shoe brands for kids below! These are not in any particular order.
Click here to read about our favorite barefoot shoes for kids for all seasons
Adult Barefoot Brands
Here I have 35 barefoot shoe brands for adults organized generally from narrowest to widest. Check out the many resources here to get oriented! My Barefoot Shoe Reviews Section is a good place to start.
You can also check out my Barefoot Shoe Finder to hone in on your perfect brand
Saguaro Barefoot Shoes Review Conclusion
Saguaro is an affordable and all around great find for someone who wants to try out barefoot shoes with minimal risk. Use code ANYASREVIEWS for 15% off your purchase from Saguaro. Additionally, you can often find them on sale in their Saguaro Amazon Storefront. These are an especially good find for kids, who grow out of their shoes quickly and are tough on them. At rock bottom prices you can get a super comfortable, foot friendly sneaker in just about any size or color!
18 thoughts on “Saguaro Barefoot Shoes Review – Affordable Sneakers for the Whole Family”
Your reviews are sooo helpful! Given the price and easy return policy, I ordered a pair of the trail-running type. OMG, they are SO NARROW. I realize my feet are super-wide and most shoes are too narrow for me, but these looked narrow compared to regular (not barefoot) shoes. I ordered a pair of WHITIN too, which were wider, but unfortunately not wide enough for me (they at least looked like a barefoot style). I guess there’s a ton of variation between Saguaro’s different styles and thought you’d like to know.
Very helpful, thank you! There must be some big differences between the styles they carry. I will check into it.
Do you think these would work as fall sneakers?? My kids mainly just run around in the yard, ride bikes, etc and the occasional hike. Would they carry them into the colder weather (they have boots for winter and rain) or are they too thin to be comfortable when the temps are in the upper 40s?
They’d be a little chilly in those temps! The uppers are quite thin and airy. Maybe if they had thick wool socks?
Ok! Thanks so much for the reply!!
Really great shoes , I have 5 pairs now , fantastic fit & colours !!
Kevin / Sydney , Australia
Hi!
I’m attempting to order shoes from Saguaro for the first time. Ordering was easy, however I never received an email confirmation regarding my order. I emailed customer service and got a response that took a while. Now whenever I try to go to the main website or check my order with the tracking number my web security calls the website and tracking “SUSPICIOUS.”
Has anyone else had an issue with orders or credit card issues with this company or website? I felt it was a legit company at first, but now I’m worried my identity is compromised.
Hi Beth! First, ensure that you only ordered from the Saguaro website (or Amazon) we have linked here on the blog. I haven’t heard of any fake Saguaro websites, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t. I just ordered from them last month without issue. They do ship from China and take a few weeks to arrive, however.
Hi Anya,
I know I just came across your website after buying birkenstocks for work (medical shoe) would it work as a barefoot shoe if I just swapped out the insole for a barefoot one? Thanks in advance!
Hi there! Yes it could if the insole is removable and there’s no heel lift or support left on the outsole. Their work boot functions like that.
I’ve had orthotics since I was 16. I’m 60 now. More problems like bunions are forming. Are the barefoot shoes compatible with orthotics?
Many barefoot shoes are, yes! Some are too soft and unstructured to hold it stable, so you would want to look for shoes with a little bit of firmness in the sole and heel. But I myself wore orthotics in my barefoot shoes for a while when I was recovering from an injury. Lems Shoes and Xero shoes both are good brands to look at if you’d like to do this.
Hi, which specific model is your adult shoe? I was looking at these: https://www.saguaro.com/products/women-smart-2
But I don’t think they are quite the same as the ones you are showing here…thanks!
Hi Holly, I believe the ones in this post are the “Fast” model. Any Saguaro models on the same sole as shown here will fit pretty similarly, however. The ones you linked look like the adult version of the kids models in this review.
Hi,
Sizing question for kiddos (and adults).
With shoes like these (we’ve never had sock like shoes) how much room in the front do you need? I don’t want my girl to trip on them, but also don’t want her to feel too tight.
Her foot is 19.1cm so do I get her youth 1 or 2
Hi Diana! We sized these like regular sneakers, so with about 1-1.5cm extra space. A size 1 is probably the right size for your kiddo.
RE Saguaro… are the sizes pretty much the same from one model to another (of the barefoot shoes)? Sizing all ‘no gender’? I am looking at ordering either the Fast I or the Agile II and am wondering what the differences are in terms of width/sizing (I have a VERY wide toe area), stretchiness/give of upper (again for width issues in the toe area), volume (I have high volume feet), and finally if one is ‘more’ barefoot than the other. I have never worn barefoot before and have some concerns about the sole protection and comfort as I tend to have plantar fasciitis. Thanks for any help you can offer!!!!
No, some of their outsoles fit differently than others, and they’re always releasing new models it’s hard to keep up! But I can tell you that the shoes built on this casual sneaker outsole and this athletic outsole are both very wide and have a good barefoot feel. But the Smart sneakers do run on the smaller side and I consistently size up in them. Both come with removable insoles, so you can play around with the amount of cushioning you like too.