Grey, size 41
Disclaimer: Magical Alaskan X boots have been kindly gifted by a newly opened Hungarian barefoot webshop, Barefoot Family (www.barefootfamily.hu) for review, but all opinions expressed are my own.
Table of Contents
My foot
| Length: 250 / 252 mm | Width: 94 mm | Volumen: low |
| Instep: explicitly low | (150 mm from ground to ground) | |
| Foot shape: sloped = Egyptian | (my big toe is the longest) | |
Introduction
Magical Shoes is a Polish, family-based business going back generations. Their shoes are hand-made in Poland, their materials sourced locally and checked thoroughly for quality, and processed in environment-friendly ways. Their offer ranges from kids’ shoes to adults, their models are mostly of a casual/sporty style except for the ballerinas, and cover all seasons, although the adult sandals are on the extreme end in their style. Alaskan is probably their most well-known model, widely used across the international community.
Sizing, shape & fit
Size chart
Sizing in detail
Length: 260 mm. While it is the minimum I need in shoe length, with the generous volume and the very soft material, I find that my toes don’t hit the front even when walking down a slope.
Width: 99 mm. The leather is super soft, but there is a protection rand made of suede running around the entire shoe, which makes it less likely to give if you need more width. However, the high volume may convert to some extra width.
With my low instep and medium wide, shallow feet, I need very thick socks plus an insole to prevent heel slipping. If I omit the insole, I can wear toe spacers inside. All this with the laces pulled tightest possible, meaning there is lots of space for higher insteps than mine in these boots.
Shape & fit
The toe box, the middle and the heel area are all rather wide, and the shoes are straight cut (versus bean-shaped).
The toe box is very gently tapered, and will probably fit all foot shapes quite well. Those with mountain shaped feet (with the second toe being longest) might need to size up though.
There is a lot of volume for higher circumferences, but you can adjust it with the laces. Also, there is a rubber insert at the back, adding some extra elasticity in the ankle area.
All in all, they fit wide and voluminous feet best, and can accommodate wide heels.
Technical specs
Upper
Made of extremely soft and very nice-looking leather (premium nappa leather on the similar looking Buffalo models), with a suede rang offering some protection all around: at the front, sides and heel.
In some shoes the tongue can be stiff and it can press into one’s legs, but not with Alaskan. The tongue is just as soft and flexible as any other part of this shoe, no discomfort whatsoever.
Lined entirely in wool, including the insole. The lining will probably flatten somewhat with time, slightly changing the fit, take this into consideration if the volume is on the verge for you!
They are nicely breathable so my feet don’t sweat in them even in thick woollen socks, in temperatures around 10 C°.
Sole
Zero drop
Made of rubber, super soft and flexible in all directions, these are among the most flexible soles I have ever tried, which is surprising from a boot. Also, there is a little edge both in the front and at the back, protecting the upper without causing any restriction.
4 mm + 3 mm profile, outstanding ground feel equalling that of the Merrell Vapor Gloves. I find this super impressive!
Advertised as non-slip and it did feel stable enough in the wood. I didn’t slip when crossing a creek over wet stones, either, but I haven’t put the boots to a hard test yet. Winter is coming and I hope to be able to try them on snow/ice.
Other details (weight, lacing/zip, water resistance)
Weight
Advertised as 230 g in size 43, 400 g in size 41 in my measurement, which is still extremely light for boots, you hardly notice there is something on your feet
Lacing / Zip
The combination of the laces and the zip means that you can adjust the tightness to your feet, but still have the luxury of easy and fast dressing. The laces are very sturdy and probably last forever, the only downside being that it is quite difficult to pull or loosen them, so you better play with adjustments well before you take the boots for a walk. Once the laces feel comfortable, you won’t wish to readjust them because it is such a hard job. For that reason, I practically always use them with the same type of socks, happy not to touch the lacing unless really necessary.
The laces have a hook that keeps them in the middle – a minor detail, but strongly missed whenever omitted.
The zip’s non-standard placement on the external is less handy than the usual inside position, but in return, you can unzip the boots deeper, making it easier to enter with a high instep, which is probably welcomed by many.
Water resistance
For me, this is a very important feature as I don’t like to have wet feet, especially in cool weather. These boots come with a hydrophobic membrane that is very welcome in rain and snow. I haven’t had the opportunity to try them out in such conditions yet but just in case, I treated them with Nikwax from the outside, to make the leather as water resistant as possible, and was happy to see that the colour practically didn’t change. When hiking in them in the forest in mildly wet weather, they kept my feet totally dry. I wouldn’t choose them for deep mud though.
The tongue is not gusseted and the zip is not watertight.
Styling
General appearance
This is meant to be a casual town shoe and is perfect for the job, but you may wish to also use it for walks, especially on natural terrain, because of the excellent ground feel and the super overall flexibility. It can be worn with skirts/dresses on the casual end of the line, too.
The design is harmonious, with a number of nice small details. The dark rand makes them look slimmer than they are, which is a welcome trick in our narrow-oriented culture. The laces, the zip, the vertical line along the heel, the monkey logo on the outer side and the MS logo on top of the tongue – these are all well balanced and make this a simple yet handsome shoe. My only concern is that the light laces of Buffalo Pamino and Dun may get dirty easily; getting those laces in and out is a tiresome job so you don’t want to wash them often. Also, I find the dark zip on Buffalo Chestnut somewhat surprising, I would have chosen a colour closer to the chestnut of the leather, but that’s a question of personal preferences.
The leather creases fast, which does take away from the smoothness of the new boots, however, I am happy to trade smooth for soft and comfortable, which is often an either-or decision.
The sweet and highly artistic monkey logo reappears on the sole in a bright yellow colour. It looks impressive on a new pair, but fades away fast with wear under all the dirt.
The only signs of hand manufacturing I found on these shoes were a few small, shiny spots of glue on the soles, which I noticed only because I was looking closely while taking photos for this review. The overall looks don’t suggest that these shoes are handmade, manufacturing is impressively precise.
Colours
I chose the grey colour because I don’t want to always go for black, and grey is also neutral. No disappointment: my boots go well with everything except perhaps brown, but I am not the brown person anyway.
Other colours available are the obligatory black plus a surprising abundance of brown: 5 different shades altogether. Theoretically, the models Alaskan X and Alaskan Buffalo differ slightly in the quality of the leather, but I don’t see a reason to treat them separately as they look and function identically.
Unisex model
Per the listing as well as the size chart, they are equally suitable for men and women, so this is a unisex model. My remarks about sizing are made with a woman’s eyes, but these boots look like designed with male needs in mind as well.
Sum-up and comments
Magical Alaskan is a very versatile boot, supposedly warm enough down to -12 ° C. If your budget allows for only one pair of boots, I believe this is a good choice. I recommend it to those with a wider foot and heel as well as a higher instep, if they are after an intensive barefoot experience. This is an unbelievably soft, light & flexible model, as close to being barefoot as possible.
The lining has a tendency of staying on my socks in small patches of wool so it is a question how durable it will prove to be in the long run, otherwise, the overall quality is very high.
Youtube video review
Magical Alaskan X winter boots
Rating
| Barefoot rate | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | |
| Comfort rate | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | |
| Style rate | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | |
| Quality rate | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | because of the wool lining wearing away |
| Fit for my feet | ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ | wearable but requiring a lot of compensation |
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Hi Gabi, I have not found your feet measurements – could you kindly provide what’s your length/width? Just as a comparison 🙂
Best, Mojca
Hi Mojca, thank you for the question. I had originally provided that info but it seems to have gotten deleted on the go. I have put it back now. I hope this helps! If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! Best, Gabriella
But does it actually keep your feet warm, and how well?
Hi Paolo, yes they are really warm with the thick wool lining. The sole is very barefoot = relatively thin, so standing in one place for hours may be chilling. But as long as you move, they feel nice and toasty.