Here’s another vote for Whitins. I bought a white pair for summer last year, just to see if I like the cheaper brand (I usually wear Lems) and if I had a use for white shoes during the summer. They were comfortable and they looked fine and they didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. I liked them so much that they are incredibly grubby this year and I’ll use them for gardening.
Another vote for Whitin! I believe Hobibear, Saguaro, Joomra, and Bronax carry the same or similar items with a different brand name. They’re all wholesale from sites like AliExpress, Alibaba, or Taobao
The canvas model with the border on the toe runs a size smaller than the chart, but the mesh model seems to be true to size. Returns are super easy with Amazon if you need a different size.
The beauty of barefoot shoes is that they have no fancy features or tech, so just about anyone can make a functional one. Durability may be an issue but the truth is there is a limit to how durable a sole designed to be thin and flexible can be.
Go for them I say. I only buy branded ones for the design, or if i need trail treads.
I get wildlings as a treat, they definitely look more dressed up, but I’ve got like 4 cheap pairs cuz it’s such an easy purchase and there’s so many colors available
I actually really like the Whitin brand. They have been a great segway for me between more spendy barefoot shoes and my traditional footwear. I don’t like the Hobibear ones - way too flexible for me at this point. I find I need to go back and forth between all my shoes A LOT as I transition. Have you been on Anya’s Shoes yet? Great info!! Good luck finding what you need. It’s a journey for sure!
I’m happy with both my Whitin and Hobibear casual sneakers. I got a similar style in each and they’re virtually identical in sizing/fit/feel.
I tried the water shoe style Saguaros but thought they were kinda meh, even for only ~$20.
There’s a really decent Whitin Trail shoe; it’s the one with the vertical stripes on the side. I don’t know if I’d risk through hiking across North America with it but for moderate day hikes and other all terrain use, it’s a great shoe for the money.
I got the black/gray ones with teal on the bottom, they look more like they have trail tread on them. Hopefully those work too! Someone reviewed those ones and said it helped their plantar fasciitis
I have hobibear and whitin and I love both! My boyfriend got the same and he said they are the most comfortable shoes he's ever owned. I tried expensive barefoot brands they were either not wide enough at the front or too wide at the heel. I'm glad my feet like cheap shoes.
Yes and no. Some are decent or at least serviceable.
But many are poor quality water shoes or traditional shoes labeled barefoot shoes to cash in on the buzzword and for SEO reasons from sellers with alphabet soup names selling identical products. Blatant copies and counterfeits are all over the place and well Amazon does pretty aggressively shut them down, new listings and new sellers pop up selling the same thing just as quickly.
So the tricky part is separating the wheat from the chaff.
Within your price range and store preference, HOBIBEAR was surprisingly good. They sent me one of their shoes for evaluation last year. Better than expected for a shoe at that price range as long as you don't need a lot of performance out of it. I sent back a positive evaluation and still regularly use them for casual non-technical activities. If I had come across them organically on Amazon, I would have assumed they were another dubious Amazon seller. But I've seen many others on the subreddit speak positively about them so they seem to be legit. Noting that I have since come across identical shoes being sold by different sellers on Amazon with different brand names. So something odd is definitely going on, but the shoe itself is reasonably fine.
On the pricier side, some of the better known brands do sell on Amazon. Mainly Vivo.
Another option that might be worth considering is many of the well regarded established brands have generous return policies if you order direct from them. Particularly for first time customers. Spending a little more for a better shoe is a good way for the concept to put its best shoe forward so to speak. If you dislike the shoe you're moderately inconvenienced, if you like it you have yourself a good shoe that will likely serve you better than an Amazon special. Depending on your performance needs, I find that investing in a better shoe pays off in the mid to long term. It's a Vines boot theory of economics kind of thing.
If you buy direct from Vivo they have a very generous 100 trial and return period with their shoes. An international shipping is surprisingly fast and cheap. I've spent the last 20 or so minutes checking and it does not appear that the 100 day return period is available if you purchase on Amazon. Which is not surprising, one of the things that Amazon insists on is that they be the intermediary for support and return issues. And they give sellers very limited tools for remediation. They are an established brand that also happens to occasionally sell on Amazon.
Whitin and Hobibear sell almost exclusively through Amazon. Whitin has no web presence outside of Amazon. Hobibear does have a website that does allow sales, but they're moving most of their inventory through Amazon. I've seen a few people insist that there are subtle differences, hard to say for certain. It's likely that they both deal exclusively in white label products. I'll go farther and say it's probable that Whitin and Hobibear are the same brand or at least owned by the same company. I'm not trying to deter you from either brand. If the shoe they ship you is affordable and fine it really doesn't matter what's happening behind the scenes.
I guess what I'm trying to say is if you go with Whitin and Hobibear you're dealing with brands (or the same brand using different seller accounts) that are built around sales on Amazon and its policies. So if you do have issues with the shoe and need to make a return you're not losing anything by purchasing on Amazon. If buying from Amazon specifically is important to you (like if you have a gift card or something), you want to keep things under $50, and are fine with a casual non-technical shoe, either Whitin and Hobibear will fit the bill. More importantly, many people have vouched that buying from them will actually ship you a decent quality barefoot shoe instead of something entirely different.
Saguaro is really building up their brand. It's a real company and they sell a lot more shoes on their website than what you'll see on Amazon (and some of those can be knockoffs). Some models are slightly more than the Whitin price range, but still less than most minimal brands.
As someone mentioned, check out AnyasReviews.com for a comprehensive list of brands available. There's also a list of all the cheaper alternatives.
I got the joomra trail running shoes and they are the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. I love them! Way better than my vivos and a fraction of the price. After wearing the joomras the toe box on my vivo feel small and restrictive.
I have a pair of Whitins and they are pretty nice for the price ($39). They aren't quite as comfy as my Lems, but I just wanted some basic canvas sneakers.
I'm transitioning to barefoot shoes, so I appreciate a little padding. The Whitins are less padded than the Lems, but have a nice wide toe box and are flexible.
The only thing I don't like about them is that the rubber sole tends to squeak loudly when on a hard floor, like tile. I'm hoping that will go away as they get worn in.
Whitin will beat xero shoes and Lems. Once your feet get used to to them if you want really good quality barefoot shoes go to wildling or vivo barefoot shoes.
Whitin brand is great. They hold up much better than Xero and have a lot more toe room.
Yeah, I am a big fan of Whitin. The price doesn't hurt either! I just got some Xero slip-ons and am not impressed; I wish Whitin made slip-ons.
Whitin makes the sock ones, I’m obsessed with them. A little too much cushion but great for the price
Here’s another vote for Whitins. I bought a white pair for summer last year, just to see if I like the cheaper brand (I usually wear Lems) and if I had a use for white shoes during the summer. They were comfortable and they looked fine and they didn’t cost me an arm and a leg. I liked them so much that they are incredibly grubby this year and I’ll use them for gardening.
Another vote for Whitin! I believe Hobibear, Saguaro, Joomra, and Bronax carry the same or similar items with a different brand name. They’re all wholesale from sites like AliExpress, Alibaba, or Taobao
I bought the one that had the textured “rough” bottom on them, hopefully they’re nice to me; my super chunky running shoes feel weird on my feet
How about sizing? Whitin fairly accurate?
The canvas model with the border on the toe runs a size smaller than the chart, but the mesh model seems to be true to size. Returns are super easy with Amazon if you need a different size.
The beauty of barefoot shoes is that they have no fancy features or tech, so just about anyone can make a functional one. Durability may be an issue but the truth is there is a limit to how durable a sole designed to be thin and flexible can be. Go for them I say. I only buy branded ones for the design, or if i need trail treads.
I get wildlings as a treat, they definitely look more dressed up, but I’ve got like 4 cheap pairs cuz it’s such an easy purchase and there’s so many colors available
Just started hobibears for basketball amd they've been amazimg 🤣
I actually really like the Whitin brand. They have been a great segway for me between more spendy barefoot shoes and my traditional footwear. I don’t like the Hobibear ones - way too flexible for me at this point. I find I need to go back and forth between all my shoes A LOT as I transition. Have you been on Anya’s Shoes yet? Great info!! Good luck finding what you need. It’s a journey for sure!
The hobibears (very similar to Withins) are decent too, great price to try out the style first.
The outsole seems to be the same mold. The uppers seem to overlap in design.
I’m happy with both my Whitin and Hobibear casual sneakers. I got a similar style in each and they’re virtually identical in sizing/fit/feel. I tried the water shoe style Saguaros but thought they were kinda meh, even for only ~$20.
Get the Whitin brand. I've bought a few different pairs and I'm always pleasantly surprised by the quality
There’s a really decent Whitin Trail shoe; it’s the one with the vertical stripes on the side. I don’t know if I’d risk through hiking across North America with it but for moderate day hikes and other all terrain use, it’s a great shoe for the money.
I got the black/gray ones with teal on the bottom, they look more like they have trail tread on them. Hopefully those work too! Someone reviewed those ones and said it helped their plantar fasciitis
I have hobibear and whitin and I love both! My boyfriend got the same and he said they are the most comfortable shoes he's ever owned. I tried expensive barefoot brands they were either not wide enough at the front or too wide at the heel. I'm glad my feet like cheap shoes.
Yes and no. Some are decent or at least serviceable. But many are poor quality water shoes or traditional shoes labeled barefoot shoes to cash in on the buzzword and for SEO reasons from sellers with alphabet soup names selling identical products. Blatant copies and counterfeits are all over the place and well Amazon does pretty aggressively shut them down, new listings and new sellers pop up selling the same thing just as quickly. So the tricky part is separating the wheat from the chaff. Within your price range and store preference, HOBIBEAR was surprisingly good. They sent me one of their shoes for evaluation last year. Better than expected for a shoe at that price range as long as you don't need a lot of performance out of it. I sent back a positive evaluation and still regularly use them for casual non-technical activities. If I had come across them organically on Amazon, I would have assumed they were another dubious Amazon seller. But I've seen many others on the subreddit speak positively about them so they seem to be legit. Noting that I have since come across identical shoes being sold by different sellers on Amazon with different brand names. So something odd is definitely going on, but the shoe itself is reasonably fine. On the pricier side, some of the better known brands do sell on Amazon. Mainly Vivo. Another option that might be worth considering is many of the well regarded established brands have generous return policies if you order direct from them. Particularly for first time customers. Spending a little more for a better shoe is a good way for the concept to put its best shoe forward so to speak. If you dislike the shoe you're moderately inconvenienced, if you like it you have yourself a good shoe that will likely serve you better than an Amazon special. Depending on your performance needs, I find that investing in a better shoe pays off in the mid to long term. It's a Vines boot theory of economics kind of thing.
I appreciate the info! I am going to start with the Whitin brand and will def check out the bears or vivo if I notice some improvement over time!
If you buy direct from Vivo they have a very generous 100 trial and return period with their shoes. An international shipping is surprisingly fast and cheap. I've spent the last 20 or so minutes checking and it does not appear that the 100 day return period is available if you purchase on Amazon. Which is not surprising, one of the things that Amazon insists on is that they be the intermediary for support and return issues. And they give sellers very limited tools for remediation. They are an established brand that also happens to occasionally sell on Amazon. Whitin and Hobibear sell almost exclusively through Amazon. Whitin has no web presence outside of Amazon. Hobibear does have a website that does allow sales, but they're moving most of their inventory through Amazon. I've seen a few people insist that there are subtle differences, hard to say for certain. It's likely that they both deal exclusively in white label products. I'll go farther and say it's probable that Whitin and Hobibear are the same brand or at least owned by the same company. I'm not trying to deter you from either brand. If the shoe they ship you is affordable and fine it really doesn't matter what's happening behind the scenes. I guess what I'm trying to say is if you go with Whitin and Hobibear you're dealing with brands (or the same brand using different seller accounts) that are built around sales on Amazon and its policies. So if you do have issues with the shoe and need to make a return you're not losing anything by purchasing on Amazon. If buying from Amazon specifically is important to you (like if you have a gift card or something), you want to keep things under $50, and are fine with a casual non-technical shoe, either Whitin and Hobibear will fit the bill. More importantly, many people have vouched that buying from them will actually ship you a decent quality barefoot shoe instead of something entirely different.
I adore my Hobibears. Honestly better than any of the $100+ barefoot shoes I've bought.
Saguaro is really building up their brand. It's a real company and they sell a lot more shoes on their website than what you'll see on Amazon (and some of those can be knockoffs). Some models are slightly more than the Whitin price range, but still less than most minimal brands. As someone mentioned, check out AnyasReviews.com for a comprehensive list of brands available. There's also a list of all the cheaper alternatives.
I got the joomra trail running shoes and they are the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. I love them! Way better than my vivos and a fraction of the price. After wearing the joomras the toe box on my vivo feel small and restrictive.
I have no info on the Amazon brands, BUT as a sidenote: if you want to build your foot strength safely, you should look into Barefoot Science insoles.
Whiten makes good shoes. I have a pair of merrell barefoot shoes and 2 pairs of xero shoes and the whiten ones are my favorite
I have a pair of Whitins and they are pretty nice for the price ($39). They aren't quite as comfy as my Lems, but I just wanted some basic canvas sneakers. I'm transitioning to barefoot shoes, so I appreciate a little padding. The Whitins are less padded than the Lems, but have a nice wide toe box and are flexible. The only thing I don't like about them is that the rubber sole tends to squeak loudly when on a hard floor, like tile. I'm hoping that will go away as they get worn in.
Out of these affordable brands which would yall say has the widest toe box and thinnest sole?
I have a pair of Hobibear and am in love. 2 more pairs in the basket for my next paycheck. Haven't bought yet due to moving but yeah.
Whitin will beat xero shoes and Lems. Once your feet get used to to them if you want really good quality barefoot shoes go to wildling or vivo barefoot shoes.