It is not easy to find out where to buy barefoot shoes.
Mostly in webshops, as those are cheapest and easiest to operate. The catch is that when ordering barefoot shoes online, it is not only the size that you might not get right! Various brands/models are optimised for different foot shapes and needs, and the best way to find what is best FOR YOU is to try on lots of different shoes at the same time.
Real shops where you can do that are scarce even internationally. Hungary has recently moved to the forefront as there are two actual shops here now! One of them, Barefoot Point not only offers both adult and kids’ shoes, but also a wide range of accessories.
ATTENTION! Not everything marked barefoot is truly so. ‘Regular’ models by Groundies, for instance, do not meet one of the most important requirements of leaving enough space for the big toe to stand straight. Another example: D.D.Step offers models with a several mm drop within its ‘barefoot’ range (2023 status).
If you have suggestions on what else to include in my list, please get in touch. I will react as soon as I can.
Table of Contents
Hungarian shops
For adults (April 2023 status)
PHYSICAL STORES WHERE YOU CAN TRY SHOES
Barefootpoint.hu A real barefoot empire, with both adult and kids’ shoes. Webshop + actual shop in Gödöllő (near Budapest). Doctor’s recommendation (in Hungarian) here. Limited opening time.
Barefoot Point offers the widest range in Hungary : Saltic Barefoot, Leguano, Peerko, Xeroshoes, Shamma, Shapen, Lems, Zeazoo, Belenka, D.D.Step, Protetika, Bundgaard, Baby Bare – and more to come. Accessories such as toe socks and toe spacers can also be tried on. This shop has grown out of the Barefootbudapest blog + 10 years of experience and provides professional service.
Majláth Saru Shop in Budapest, custom made sandals by measurements, you can ask for your own design
You have to specifically ask for a barefoot sole. Their sandals are super durable and can be re-soled. Lots of colours and models, prices approx, from 20.000 HUF up in 2022.
Manimalfootgear Webshop and actual shop in Székesfehérvár
Ahinsa, bLifestyle, Freet, Leguano
WEBSHOPS (ONLINE)
About Merrell: watch out, they have both standard and barefoot products! Vapor Gloves are all barefoot, and there are other barefoot models, too. Careful: male and female sizings are not the same!
4camping.hu Skinners shoesocks (also for kids), Merrell, Aylla. Max. Up to 3 sizes can be ordered to their downtown delivery point. You may try them, and only pay for what you choose to buy.
Barefootfamily.hu A continuously changing stock from different manufacturers, mostly on the budget side. Also KID’s shoes. Use code Barefootbudapest7 for 7% off ❗️
Barefootshoes.hu BeLenka, Zeazoo, Tikki. Also KIDS’ shoes.
Cipofalva.hu Clothes shop, offering some BeLenka models.
Decathlon.hu Trek hiking sandals (See comparison here)
Ecipo.hu Merrell, Froddo, Vibram Fivefingers models (the latter don’t show in barefoot searches) for adults, also Froddo, Lurchi, D.D.Step and Ricosta for kids.
Fabulo.hu Massage and fitness gear shop with a few barefoot models, mostly in a sporty style (Aylla, Freet, Saltic Barefoot)
Nomadsport.eu Sometimes Merrell – you can try the shoes on in the shop before paying. Search doesn’t find them!
Sanasport.hu Ahinsa, Belenka/Barebarics, Merrell, Skinners (shoesocks, great stuff 🙂 ), also Affenzahn and Reima for kids.
Spartoo.hu Vibram Five Fingers (a few models only, at discount prices)
Warning: fraudulent sites listed below!
https://www.belenkasale.com ⚠️
https://www.groundieshungary.com ⚠️
https://www.merrellhungary.com/ ⚠️
https://www.vibramoutlethungary.com/outlet.html ⚠️
https://www.vibramcipo.com/ ⚠️
https://www.vivobarefoothungary.com ⚠️
For kids
PHYSICAL STORES WHERE YOU CAN TRY SHOES
Barefootpoint.hu A real barefoot empire, with both adult and kids’ shoes. Webshop + actual shop in Gödöllő (near Budapest). Doctor’s recommendation (in Hungarian) here. Limited opening time.
THE WIDEST CHOICE IN HUNGARY: Saltic Barefoot, Leguano, Peerko, Xeroshoes, Shamma, Shapen, Lems, Zeazoo, Belenka, D.D.Step, Protetika, Bundgaard, Baby Bare stb. More to come.
Gezenguzgyerekcipo.hu The shop is in Monor, also works as a webshop, mostly offering traditional shoes, but also some barefoot D.D.Step models.
WEBSHOPS (ONLINE)
Barefootfamily.hu A continuously changing stock from different manufacturers, mostly on the budget side. Also ADULT shoes. Use code Barefootbudapest7 for 7% off ❗️
Barefoothungary.hu (personal pick-up is possible) – Froddo. Attention, there are non-barefoot models, too! Use the filter ‘Cipő kialakítása’!
Barefootshoes.hu BeLenka, Tikki, Zeazoo. Also ADULT shoes.
Csinishop.hu (The site operates in Hungarian, but they ship from Slovakia. Shipping costs are low on the way here, returns at international rates.). D.D.Step, Mayoral, Froddo, Koel4kids, Protetika. It seems to me that some non-barefoot models get selected in by the barefoot filter, although this is hard to tell by photos only. In some cases the description doesn’t match the name of the shoe (one states Froddo, the other Mayoral).
Ddsteponline.hu It can happen that they mark non-barefoot shoes as barefoot (i.e. with a several mm heel drop).
Mall.hu (some models up to size 38)
Soft-soled shoes for toddlers:
Liliputi.hu, Lövőház u. 32., possible to try shoes on
Soft-soled slipper-style shoes
Zoknicipo.hu It is not clear from the description whether these are fully barefoot, i.e. whether the toe box is anatomically shaped and the heel is totally zero drop.
If you try them, please share with me how they are!
Zalando.hu It seems that some non-barefoot models get selected in by the barefoot filter. The description solely says toe box: rounded, heel: flat (cipőorr: kerek, sarok típusa: lapos). There is no way to tell whether the sole is fully zero drop, and I have seen some toe boxes that clearly push the big toe in.
Shops abroad where you can try shoes on
(Check the working times for limitations! The stated timings are from 2022 and may have changed.)
In and near Vienna
Eduard Klinger Strasse 19, 3423 Sankt Andrä Wördern, office@barefoot-austria.at, +43 650 411 0245
It is a huge warehouse in a small town by Vienna, where you can try shoes on by previous appointment. Accessible by car or train. Catharina, the owner suggests taking the train from Heiligenstadt, Vienna to St. Andra Wordern bahnhof, and then walk approx. 10 minutes. Catharina prefers having your list of interest in advance so she can prepare the shoes for you. She is highly knowledgeable, kind and helpful, and offers an interesting choice of both adult and kids’ brands. She has Koel shoes for instance, that I have not seen in a physical shop anywhere close, despite them being of high quality. Unfortunately, the webshop is not easy to navigate as it lacks filters. From the Vienna region, this is my favourit barefoot shoe shop by far.
Rotenturmstr. 13/1, 1010 Wien, +431 / 3750145
Mon-Fri 10-18.30, Sat 10-18
Schuhewiebarfuss Wien (Also kids’ shoes)
Kaiserstraße 44 – 46, 1070 Wien, +43 01/ 890 193 915
Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16
Ahinsa, Ballop, bLifestyle, Freet, Sole Runner, Vivobarefoot, Xero – a wide list of brands but not that wide a choice of models. There are very few really soft shoes (Vivo, for instance, is too hard for my feet). The shop assistant was kind but not outstandingly knowledgeable, and didn’t speak English. I prefer Barefoot Austria by Vienna to this shop.
VIVOBAREFOOT Shop Wien, Neubaugasse 12-14, 1070 Wien
Vega Nova shoeshop, Margaretenstraße 82, 1050 Wien, +43 1 587 6067
(Blifestyle)
Wiedner Hauptstraße 77, 1040 Wien, +43 1 504 6835
(Blifestyle, Leguano, soem kids’ brands, i.e. Filii)
Graz
VIVOBAREFOOT Shop Graz, Südtiroler Platz 9, 8020 Graz
Bratislava
A MIXTURE OF BAREFOOT BRANDS, approx. 10 (Vivo, Merrell, VFF, bLifestyle, Xero, Freet, Belenka, Luna, Bosko, Skinners, some Peerko, Aylla and ZAQQ) Záhradnícka 43, 821 08 Bratislava, +421 905 515 414, info@barefoot.sk
PLAN BE Belenka and Barebarics shop
Nivy Centrum plaza, 1st floor, Mlynské nivy 5A 821 09 Bratislava, Slovakia, +421 (0) 918 597 194, bratislava@belenka.com
Na Riviére 1/A, Bratislava – a tiny shop in a container, with a good restaurant by its side 🙂
https://barefootpark.sk/category/topanky/detske/ (for kids)
Stupava, 20 minutes by car from Bratislava
An interesting choice of adult and kids’ shoes. Many brands, few models. Affenzahn, Belenka, bLifestyle, Bosky, Fare Bare, Feelmax, Filii, Froddo, Jonap, Mikk-Line, Protetika, Skinners, Sole Runner, Tikki
Hlavná ul. 30, 90031 Stupava, +421 948 77 81 81
Horné Saliby, Slovakia, in a good 2 hours’ drive from Budapest by car
Custom made, super quality, very barefoot shoes, from dressy to hiking boots.
See detailed information below, in the custom made shoes section.
Horné Saliby 908 (there are no street names in the village), 925 03
+421 917 660 721 (She doesn’t speak English, but her husband does. You are better off texting than calling!)
Brno, 3-4 hours from Budapest by car
THIS IS A TRUE BAREFOOT PARADISE 🙂
Fantastic choice, much more to try than in Bratislava. I suggest you visit them if only you can! They carry 80% of the big brands, plus a number of less well known Czech/Slovak ones.
AZ Tower, Pražákova 1008/69, 639 00 Brno-jih, Czech Republic (the highest building in town, orange in colour, can be spotted from faraway), +420 799 512 464
Located in a residential area on the outskirts, on top of a hill. While it mainly carries kids’s barefoot shoes, the adult models add nicely to the choice offered in Barefootbrno. Warning: you may need to stand a cueue for hours before getting in! The shop is well equipped with toys, and the owner is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. She doesn’t speak English, though.
Kotlanova 2508/3a, 628 00 Brno-Líšeň, +420 739 225 627
Vivostorebrno.cz Belongs to Barefootbrno, but is located in the centre, and carries Vivobarefoot exclusively.
Biskupská 1, 602 00 Brno, +420 797 722 456
Neobuto.cz (for kids)
Tallinn
One of the owners, Merit Uvik speaks Hungarian. She is very knowledgeable and super helpful.
Tallinn, Telliskivi 57, 1st floor
Online shops abroad
Please note that the shops listed above mostly also sell their shoes online.
It is advised to monitor the manufacturers’ shops as they tend to provide the best choice, and usually (but not always) the most information about their products. Many of them have several sales per year, usually offering 20-30-40 % discount.
This is a foreign shop, but one of the owners, Merit Uvik speaks Hungarian. She is very knowledgeable, super helpful, and above all, her advice is based on your specific foot measurements. Also, she is one of the administrators in the „Barefoot cipők” Facebook group and can be contacted there, as well.
Footic (wide choice, good prices, various quality levels)
Barefoothedvika.sk (wide choice, mostly for kids, but you can find adult sizes by some less well-known Czech brands, too)
(Vivobarefoot models, gently used or unused. Returned, revived, discounted)
Freizehn.de (wide choice, can be filtered by detailed size measurements: length, width, extra room in front of the toes: https://www.freizehn.de/listing/showProductList )
Custom made shoes
Small Greek firm. To maintain the high quality of their production, they refuse to grow as fast as the demand for their shoes is growing. The order window opens once in 1.5-2 months for about 1-2 hours, until their capacities get fully booked. This window is published on their Facebook, Instagram, and in their newsletters, 1 or 2 days in advance. Best is to choose shoes and decide on an initial size in advance, because otherwise you may run out of time. While payment is necessary to validate your order, you can later clarify details by e-mail. They tend to be slow, but are very professional. They offer fix sizes on which slight modifications possible without an extra fee, as well as full customisation at a cost. You can choose if the soles should be 4 or 6 mm thick, and with or without a 1 mm cushion.
I own their gorgeous Alma Libre ballerina and recommend their services.
One-man (or rather, woman 🙂 ) firm of a high reputation. I have noticed a lot of enthusiasm in international groups about her products. Although she doesn’t speak English (only her husband does), we actually managed to communicate quite well in Russian .).
She makes all kinds of shoes from dressy sandals to hiking boots, in fix as well as custom sizes, and in an unbelievable choice of colours. She uses extremely thin soles by default, however, you can ask for thicker ones if you wish.
Normally, there is no stock unless something is waiting to be shipped. When I paid her a visit, I could luckily try on her Ball Ballerina II, which I promptly ordered (I am also buying some extra leather to have a matching theatre bag made). The shoes are absolutely beautiful, super light and soft, yet they sit securely on your feet. I also tried on her medium high, leather hiking boots: incredibly flexible, with a soft lining around the ankle, providing absolute freedom of movement. They are on my wish list! 🙂
Suggested further reading
Shopping in a brick and mortar shop is easy, but if you plan to shop online, I strongly suggest you read these:
📌📌📌 Shopping online – tips and tricks
Other
Vivobarefoot.de Not fraudulant, safe to use, but they only ship within Germany.