How to choose right barefoot shoes?

Κατέβαστε αυτό το αρχείο για περισσότερες πληρόφοριες για τα μεγέθη μας. – Size Guide

Barefoot shoes are designed to create barefoot-like conditions for your feet. These shoes are lightweight, very flexible, with no elevated heel and with wide toe box giving your toes much-needed wiggle room. This kind of shoes do not squash your feet, on the contrary, they enable your feet’s natural motion, allowing them to move and rest naturally. Absolute freedom and joy for your feet. In this article, we take a look at the most important features that determine the way you will feel in barefoot shoes.

Wide toe box (the front part of the shoe)

Barefoot shoes must have a wide and an anatomical toe box (the front part of the shoe) to allow enough room for toes. Shoes with narrow toe boxes disable foot muscles to engage properly which consequently leads to their weakening.

No orthotics / foot inserts

No cushioning underfoot is required (usually found in running shoes) because it limits the contact with the ground. The most amount of impact should be on the forefoot not on the heel. Barefoot shoes do not have orthotics/foot inserts, your feet are not unnaturally supported so they are allowed to move and work naturally, the same way as with no shoes on.

Lightweight construction

Barefoot shoes should have a lightweight construction but with a firm vamp protecting your toes while still feeling free.

Barefoot shoes for children

When choosing shoes for children, parents must be extra precautions as children are not able to consider everything by themselves, such as shoes are too tight or too loose, there is not enough room for toes etc. Research shows an alarming number – two-thirds of children wear the wrong size of shoes and half of these children suffer from deformities as a consequence. Children up to 10 years old cannot evaluate and tell you whether the shoe fits right. Therefore, it is important to know your child’s feet to be able to choose correctly. Before buying barefoot shoes, measure both feet first (yes, both feet, as feet are seldom identical).

How to measure your foot?

• Place a piece of paper on even ground (avoid plush carpeting or pebbly surfaces)
• Place your foot flat on the paper (you must be standing, not sitting, during measuring)
• Put your weight in on your the foot as it makes it the foot longer
• Take a pencil and mark the heel and the furthest point from the heel – the longest measurement
• Use a ruler and measure the difference between these two points
• Do the same for the second foot (difference might be +/- 0.5 cm)
• The number you get is your foot size (not your shoe size, as standard shoe sizing may be misleading)

If you have an option to compare your measurement with an actual insole of the chosen shoe, do it. Compare the numbers (the length) and then step on it (to compare the width), your foot must not outreach in any direction.

Additional room number

Long story short – an “additional room number” measures the empty space between your longest toe and the shoe itself (the front point of the shoe). This is a very important number when buying barefoot shoes, especially for children. Take your foot size (the number you got when measuring both of your feet) then add 10 to 12 mm (the ideal “additional room number”). The total is the final number you are looking for. The “additional room number” can be up to 18 mm, but the shoe must still fit perfectly around your ankle.

Your feet should have enough room not only in the front but also on the sides. The width of the shoe must be at least identical to the width of your foot. Ideally, the width of the shoe is 0.2 cm – 0.5 cm wider than your foot.

To wrap it all up, when choosing barefoot shoes, you should use your foot size (not your shoe size) plus the “additional room number”. Always check the inner length of the shoe – not only the number – as it may vary depending on the manufacturer or different types of shoes. Every type of Lenka Barefoot shoes has its chart with sizes and inner lengths so you can choose easily the right size for you.

Source belenka.com

BELENKA

ΠΑΙΔΙΚΑ / CHILDREN

ΑΝΔΡΙΚΑ/ΓΥΝΑΙΚΕΙΑ // ADULTS

WHEN DECIDING WHICH SIZE TO ORDER PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING

MEASURING YOUR FEET

• Place a sheet of paper against a straight wall. Stand on it with your heel against the wall.
• Take a ballpoint pen refill.
• Mark the longest toe, the widest part of the foot, and both sides of the heel.
• It is best to trace the entire foot. Also, it is best if someone else draws your foot.
• Now measure your foot length from the middle of the heel in a straight line through your longest toe.
• Next, measure the width.
• If your toes aren’t the widest part of your foot, it’s time to give them more space in the shoe so that they can be restored.

FREET SIZING (4+1 AND 5 IN 1)

THE FOLLOWING IS OUR SIZING CHART:

LADIES

MENS

JUNIOR

SPECIALIST HELP WITH FITTING

SIZE FINDER

Find the right shoe size for your barefoot shoes

So that you can easily find the right size for your barefoot shoes online, there is not only our size chart here, but also instructions on what you should consider when measuring your feet or those of your children.

To our size charts

BEFORE MEASUREMENT

TO FIND THE RIGHT SIZE FOR YOUR BAREFOOT SHOES, YOU SHOULD MEASURE YOUR FEET OR THOSE OF YOUR CHILD AT HOME.

Please note: All feet are different and you may prefer a special fit, so the right size of barefoot shoes always depends on your personal preference. Since feet can be different sizes, please always measure both feet. Make sure to take the measurement in the afternoon or evening, as feet can swell slightly throughout the day and we don’t want your new barefoot shoes to pinch you at some point. 

So that you are really comfortable, our barefoot shoes for adults have a freedom of movement of approx. 7mm in the front area. And since children’s feet grow very quickly, there is a growth range of 12-15mm in our children’s barefoot shoes.

Please take off your or your child’s shoes before measuring their feet and walk around freely in socks for a few minutes.

The shoe lasts of our barefoot shoes are based on WMS lasts, so that all feet have enough freedom of movement in our barefoot shoes. 

THE PREPARATION

Then take a piece of DIN A4 paper and place it with the edge of the paper against a straight wall. It is best to attach it to the wall with an adhesive strip so that it does not slip.

Now stand yourself or your child on the paper with your heel to the wall, both heels should be flush with the wall. You should also make sure that your toes are stretched out, your socks are loose and that you are standing in an upright position.

HE MEASUREMENT

Now mark the longest point of the feet with a pen and then measure the length with a ruler. If you have two different lengths, please always take the result of the longer foot as a starting point. To determine the correct size for your barefoot shoes, compare your measurements with our barefoot shoe size chart below. 

You have determined the right size for a barefoot shoe? Now you can easily order your new barefoot shoe in our online shop! Please really only measure the actual foot length and do not add any additional range of motion. Our table already takes this range of motion into account in the size recommendation. 

Since every foot is different and the right size for the perfect barefoot shoe always depends on personal feelings, we recommend that you order the barefoot shoes in two shoe sizes if you are hesitating between several shoe sizes or are unsure! Please note that the return costs for the barefoot shoes are borne by the recipient for reasons of sustainability. You can find more about this at  https://www.blifestyle.de/Service/Versand-und-zahlen/

We also recommend ordering one size larger for our barefoot shoes for the winter, as the lining and thick socks that are often worn in winter shoes require a little more space. 

Source: blifestyle.de

Size guide

We have all different sizes. And that’s good! Explore our size charts so everything fits you perfectly.

Carefully select the right size and the most suitable cut. Improperly selected type of shoes, incorrect size, width or shape cannot be a reason for a later complaint. The toe should not touch the inner wall of the toe when walking, if your foot is stuffed in the toe, the fabric may slip and a hole may form.
For hygienic reasons, we recommend wearing socks in the shoes. Also the hemp fabric might be rought at first, by wearing socks you’ll ensure better comfort.

How did we measure our insoles? Different brands use different methods for measuring barefoot sizes. For example, some advice to measure between the widest points of your foot, even if that is diagonal. We think the following is the clearest way to give accurate measurements of our shoes:1) space between the heel and farthest point of the insole at a right angle with the heel line2) the widest space at a right angle to the length lineWhat else is there to know about the Bohempia barefoot collection? Why the extra space? In barefoot shoes, it is recommended to have some free space around our feet. The reason for this is that barefoot shoes should allow our feet to work naturally instead of restricting their movement in any way. After adding the extra space it is likely your barefoot shoes size will be larger than the size you were used to wearing before.We recommend adding about 1 cm in length and 4-6mm in width (for example about 2mm on each side).Keep in mind not to add too much space. Although the barefoot shoe should give you enough space to walk naturally, it is important that it isn’t too loose and you don’t feel like you have to hold the shoe in place with your toes while walking.Because of having that extra space, the insole can sometimes start sliding in the shoe. In this case, we recommend securing the insole with double-sided tape. We do not glue our insoles in so that you can replace them with new ones after they wear out.Which Bohempia barefoot model will fit me? It is entirely up to you which model you choose. However, we recognise that some models may be more suitable for a certain type of foot so you cannot go wrong checking out these tips:

• if you have high or very low arches, we recommend models that can be better laced up, for example, HOSKA
• KOLDAs can feel tight if your have high arches
• if you have an issue with finding wide barefoot shoes look no further – we make all our barefoot models in both regular and wide

SocksWearing socks in our barefoot shoes will not only give you higher comfort, but it is also more hygienic for your feet. Also, when getting new winter barefoot boots think about adding more space for thicker socks.Hemp has great antimicrobial and thermoregulatory properties and so do our socks. Don’t forget to check them out for your new shoes!Have we answered your questions? If not, please send us an e-mail to support@barefootlab.gr and we will get back to you as soon as possible.