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The Unshoes Terra Vida Review – A Casual Barefoot Slip on Shoe
I snagged these Natural Terra Vida slip ons during an Unshoes sale, and had the good fortune to speak directly with Terral Fox before placing my order. They have a direct phone number on their website, and when my coupon code didn’t work I called them and Terral answered! He fixed the issue with the code, and gave me sizing advice about the Terra Vidas.
I love working with a small business that is accessible to their customers. According to the Unshoes site, I should be a size 7, but after speaking with Terral I ordered a 6.5. He advised that the canvas does stretch, and because I have low volume feet I would swim in my regular size. When I first got them they seemed short and my toes were squished, but they did stretch out after a few wears. I was still having problems with my feet sliding around (I still have no arches!) but that was solved by adding these felt sticky pads from Amazon. Now these are super comfy with no toe scrunching. Sizing down a half size was good advice, sizing down further would have been too short, and a size up would have definitely been too big.
Amazingly, I’ve worn these in dirt and grime and they still look like this! The hemp seems to repel dirt, and if it does get dirty it brushes off when dry. I imagine you’d be able to throw these in the wash if you needed (if on gentle cycle, cold water, with natural detergent like this, and then reshaped and air dried), but since I have the felt piece stuck on I haven’t wanted to do that. I did spot clean with a rag once, and that was enough.
I have noticed some loose threads around the base of the shoe. Those could be snipped, and I don’t see any signs of unraveling, but I wonder how these will hold up over time. I will keep you updated on that! I’ve had them for about 6 months now.
They are very soft and comfortable inside, which I appreciate. I hate the way synthetic materials feel on my skin, and I love when a shoe company makes natural and responsible shoes. The upper is made with 100% hemp canvas and the interior is cotton.
The sole is very flexible and there is a lot of ground feel. It measures at 5mm, but feels like less. They weigh next to nothing, and slip on easily, which I love. And you feel everything underneath your feet. These have become my take-the-trash-out, run-to-the-store, check-on-the-garden shoes. I wouldn’t go hiking in these, because without laces they aren’t super secure on my feet (low volume feet means I usually need laces for completely security). Even still, I wear these often for their ease of use and comfort.
Aesthetically, they are cute and simple, and match easily with most things. They are very casual looking, so if ever I want an elevated look I don’t choose these. But most days, I’m casual! I wish there were more color options (including more than black for the outsole and elastic), but they’ve come out with 2 new colors since I ordered these so maybe in the future! There is a lot of color/style potential with this type of shoe (think Toms!) so I expect Unshoes to expand on that in the future.
Other barefoot slip ons
Vivobarefoot Mata slip on
Luk Shoes Fuego
Vivobarefoot Ababa
Zuzii Demi Slides (Only the slip-on slide is zero drop, the slip-on sneakers are not)
9 thoughts on “Unshoes Terra Vida Review – Casual Barefoot Shoes for Everyday”
I have the foragers in brown and love them. I’m a stay at mama and these are the best. Some people don’t like the look but I don’t care about that. 🙂
I would also like to try The traverse boot. Thanks for sharing your review on these as I have been saving up to get them for the spring and summer!
Do you find these stay on your heel when you walk? Like you, I also have a very low volume foot, but also a super narrow heel. My toe area is pretty wide though due to bunions and collapsed arches. The Terra Vidas are super cute and they look versatile, but I’m nervous that they won’t stay on my feet when walking. Has this been an issue for you?
For what it’s worth, I often add Odor-Eaters to shoes that I wear barefoot or that are a little floppy on me. I’ve found that they add the perfect amount of cushion to my Vivobarefoot Primus Lux shoes and keep my foot from sticking to the footbed.
I haven’t had any problems with them staying on my heel, but if they ever stretched out to the point where they started to slip I would throw them in the wash. I’ve also been wearing some 3mm insoles in them and that really helps. If you have love volume feet you’ll probably need an insole or a felt insert.
What are these like when there’s dew on the grass or rainy weather? Or are they more of a dry ground shoe?
They for sure get wet! When I walk in dewy grass the toe gets soaked through. So unless you don’t mind wet feet, they’re more of a dry ground shoe
Hi Anya,
I just ordered my second pair of Terra Vidas, which I love for slip-on shoes. The old ones stretched out too much to wear without socks, so I ordered a half-size smaller this time. But they have changed their footbed material–the old one has a layer of breathable material (cotton?) while the new one is bare rubber. I e-mailed them to ask about it, and they said that they changed the design because the cotton layer was sometimes ripping and couldn’t be repaired easily.
My concern is whether my bare feet will be hot and sweaty on a rubber footbed in summer. They suggested adding an insole, but I’m not finding any super-thin breathable insoles for minimalist shoes, and I’m concerned that I would need to order a larger size to accommodate it. Any insights? Thank you so much! I find your reviews so helpful!
Hmm, that’s good to know! My recommendation is the Wildling Washi insole, they are thin and breathable. I will get a pair of the current ones and see how they are. I don’t have a lot of experience wearing shoes that is rubber on your skin without socks (I always wear rain boots with socks).
I just got these in the mail and I am worried they are not wide enough in the mid foot. Did they feel that way at first? I measure at 24.5cm and got a 7.5
If they are just a little snug around your midfoot they should stretch and become more comfortable with a few wears.