Brazil’s tropical vibes. Smooth sandy beaches, radiant sun and radiant smiles, bare feet. 

Bare feet? Yeah, not the tourists… at least until we go there ;)

Watching travel vloggers is a very fascinating way to spend time. The good creators make you feel like you’re there with them, immersed in the experience. Only when the video is over, you snap out of it. I was watching this guy’s series in Brazil. He was in the favelas in Rio accompanied by locals (if you do go there, please let yourself be in the company of a local), and how could he have missed the beach scene of the city? That’s what we know Brazil for anyway. 

One thing I noticed in these videos is that most Brasileiros wear them flip flops. Simple footwear and most appropriate for the environment. Good luck trying to remove a boatload of sand from your Nikes, while everyone else just does a little foot shake and they’re happy. Ok, they’re smart people, they wear the right kinda footwear. But I noticed something even more intriguing about Brazilian people’s feet from these videos. Everyone’s toes were splained out evenly and beautifully. The arches of the feet were literal arches, and no bunions in sight. 

The Chama Drip

I thought to myself, are they wearing flip flops because it’s an affordable lifestyle? Or just because they’re most suitable for beaches and hot weather? At least it makes sense for the context of the favelas. These areas are bustling centres of activity, with some big thing always going on. These favelas are LIVE, but people also barely get by financially. Flip flops now seem a very reasonable and affordable option. I dug deeper though, I was not satisfied with “money is tight and all they can afford is a flat piece of rubber with a gummy worm holding feet in place”. 

Most Brazilians actually grow up walking around barefoot. Kids play with no socks or shoes on the asphalt. This is something that I found out while watching the travel vlogger I mentioned earlier. This is the way of life. And maybe they have it easy with the hot weather that won’t give them frostbite. Concrete floors are never gentle on the knees and ankles, shards of glass in Brazil are not made of cotton candy, and sand still absorbs solar heat like a sponge. Yet, the boys and girls run around barefoot in the streets of Rio. 

Their lifestyle is one of necessity and resourcefulness. They have amazingly strong and beautiful feet because they had no other choice. On the other hand, we have a choice. We grew up with Nike, Adidas, and Vans. Maybe we were led to believe that those kinds of shoes are the standard of footwear. I’m talking about trainers and shoes with pointy toe boxes and raised heels. 

We want the good too

Key point: Belief. The kinds of shoes most people here in the UK wear are NOT necessarily the kind of shoes that we should wear. Our concrete ground is definitely colder, which means walking around barefoot around London is a no no, but it’s not harder than the concrete in the favelas of Rio. I however don’t see an epidemic of arthritis in the knees there.

We have a choice here. We’ve got barefoot shoes — minimalist, zero-drop footwear made to keep us comfortable wherever we go. They support the natural shape of our arches and give space to the toes we love wiggling around. In short, they help our feet look and feel their best — just like the beautiful, natural feet of our brothers and sisters in Brazil.

They never feel embarrassed showing the natural appeal of their feet, because the barefoot lifestyle, by necessity, made them look the best version of themselves. Now we, by choice, can also feel confident and empowered in our feet, supported by footwear that promotes natural foot movement and healthy posture.

For summer, we offer a wide selection of barefoot sandals - lightweight, breathable, and perfect for hot weather. Designed for natural movement and a true barefoot feel, they support foot freedom and all-day comfort. You can choose from premium materials such as high-quality natural leather or sustainable vegan alternatives - plant-based materials like hemp, cork, and corn leather.

Retailers

Speaking about choice, we don’t have much here in the UK when it comes to barefoot shoes. Chances are, if you’re here, that you’re very curious about making this change to your lifestyle. 

Believe me or not, apart from us, there are only 2 other dedicated barefoot retailers in the UK. One of them is Vivobarefoot, which you might be very familiar with. They make their own shoes though, so forget diversity of foot shapes. The other is Happy Little Soles, who stock more brands, just like us. I don’t know about them, but we test all the pairs we sell ourselves, so that we know what’s good. Just to give you a quick example, we stock Realfoot, Be Lenka, Shapen, Bohempia and many othersб who are known for the quality of their craftsmanship. 

Realfoot has become a personal favourite of mine, because of their incredibly generous toe box width and cushioning around the ankle. I’ll be sure to write a more in depth review about them bad boys, but for now I wish you a good rest of your Easter and give them toes of yours a couple of spreads for me, will you?