I recently got my first pair of barefoot shoes. I was actually looking for new shoes with a wide toe-box. Here’s my experience with Mukishoes.
For my birthday, my mother-in-law wanted to get me some shoes. I turned to my friend who had been researching and trying on different kinds of barefoot shoes with a wide toe-box. She suggested Anya’s Reviews, which has already popped up in my internet search a few times. I reached out to the shop to enquire. Ashton was such a big help, from start to finish. He gave great feedback and suggestions.
First, I had to measure my feet. In centimetres. At the end of the day. I also measured my feet wearing socks as I wanted to get my runners replaced.
After a few years, I’ve worn my Golas down! These have no heels and by now, the soles are pretty thin. They were effectively barefoot shoes. What they aren’t is anatomicaly correct aka foot-shaped, though they were still pretty wide. Plus it’s time to retire them.
Mukishoes
What I landed on is the brand Mukishoes, which offers shoes in natural vegan materials – cotton, hemp, and cork. Based in Portugal, the company was founded in 2018 and sources locally. The pair I was looking at and ultimately got as a gift was “Sand“. It is 100% vegan – undyed herringbone hemp (upper), organic cotton (lining), natural rubber (sole), and cotton (laces). A natural rubber sole also allows for grounding/earthing.
Mukishoes does ships internationally and for European and (now?) North American customers, the window for return is 30 days. (At the time of buying my shoes, I distinctly remember returning from the US was a bit tricky which was why I wanted to order in-country.)
Anya’s Shop unfortunately was out of stock. (As of the publication of this article, they have plenty of stock of the Sand canvas runner.) There is also a slip-on option. For US-based orders, Anya’s Shop offers free shipping for purchases over $150. Their flat-rate is about $7 and they offer various options for returns, include “Free Returns” coverage. This means you don’t pay for shipping your returns and is great if you’re trying on a few pairs. As long as you keep them in a new condition so the shoes are not dirty, stained, or torn, you have 21 days. Keep the tags attached and the original packaging for the return.
Mine are from PedTerra, with 10% off with “ANYASREVIEWS” and free shipping. There’s a 14-day return window for unworn shoes.
Why I chose Mukishoes’ Sand Canvas Sneaker
As mentioned, I was looking for a wide toe-box and I wanted a vegan shoe. The Sand Canvas Sneaker fits the bill. As the name suggests, the colour of the shoe is light, off-white, sand-coloured. For grownups, they have other options on the Mukishoes website – Laguna (seafoam), Argila (clay), and Plum. Instead of hemp, these are made with organic cotton. Indigo is made with naturally-dyed linen. Diospiro (orange), deadstock cotton. There are additional choices if you are okay with leather.
For style – they have high tops and slip-ons. Also, boots and sandals.
They also have a fun collection for kids, which I really love.
Photos (left to right): from Mukishoes website, walking on the trip, relaxing in my new shoes
Lace-up vs Slip-on
In choosing the style, it’s important to keep in mind whether you have low-, medium- or high-volume feet. This is how much vertical space your foot takes up. Not all shoes are equal and some are made for certain types of feet.
I have low-volume feet and many shoes feel too big for me, even though the size is correct. My ankle, for example, often slips out.
This is why I chose lace-ups over slip-on. This way I can adjust how tightly the shoe can fit.
When I first tried on my Mukishoes, I thought the size was wrong. Ashton had suggested a size 41, which sounds huge. This is not my usual size. So after a couple of emails, I bought the 100% pure wool insoles he recommended. With a thickness of 1/4 inches, these cut-to-size insoles decrease the vertical space of my new shoes. Being wool insoles, they also allow me to retain the flexibility of the sole. They are also breathable and temperature-regulating.
Barefoot Shoe
Barefoot shoes are also called minimalist shoes. They are designed so that we can move as if we are barefoot. These shoes have zero drop or no heel elevation, a flexible sole, and an anatomically-correct shape. You may be familiar with Vibrams or YogaToes. Same sort of idea. I have these alignment socks.
Most people wear conventional shoes. Their narrowness, which squishes our toes together, elevated heel, and stiff soles prevent us from walking naturally. This causes joint pains and weakened musculature.
Transitioning to Barefoot Shoes
Katy Bowman in her book, Whole Body Barefoot, recommends choosing one element to start with, when transitioning to barefoot shoes. Her example is that someone who stands all day may struggle with a thin sole and may find it easier to transition first with shoes with zero drop. She found “working to eliminate the heel the most important step.” Being barefoot or wearing zero drop shoes allows the body to be neutral, with all the parts stacked up on top of another. Wearing a heel projects the body forward. The body compensates by shifting the joints between the head and ankles. Muscles have to lengthen or shorten. Whole Body Barefoot clearly explains this impact, down to the cellular level.
She also writes, “a huge part of transitioning to minimal footwear is working to un-adapt our feet (and the rest of our bodies) away from the artificial environments to which they’ve been exposed.” This means transitioning to barefoot shoes includes doing foot exercises to address our underutilized muscles.
For anyone who has foot or joint pain, and even poor general health, barefoot shoes, or at least zero drop shoes, may help improve your well-being.
Travelling with my Barefoot Shoes
As soon as I got the insoles in, I knew Sand Canvas Sneaker from Mukishoes is the right shoe for me! Still, I wore them around the house to feel them out for a few days. Then I started to wear them for a short period of time each day, before wearing them to full-day wear on more and more days.
The big test was taking them on my 14-day trip, where I would walk a lot and take mostly public transportation. I did notice a bit of soreness the first day or so. That was partly from being on a 15-hour flight. I also realized that the way my laces were tied caused a bend at the bottom of my toes. This created a pressure point which was why I felt the discomfort. So, I adjusted my laces. Also, the various walking environment also demanded more, while I was still building up my muscles.
It’s been nearly two months since my Sand Canvas Sneakers were delivered and I started my trial and experimenting period. I wear them everyday now. They are being marked, as expected. Mukishoes also offers a protection spray. I haven’t tried to spot-clean them yet as they still look, and feel, great. I love how I can spread my toes and I’m going to look into those foot exercises to build up the muscles as well.
