New Brands: Top Barefoot Footwear of 2024 & Exciting Launches for 2025

New Brands: Top Barefoot Footwear of 2024 & Exciting Launches for 2025

As we wrap up 2024 at Happy Little Soles, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the incredible new barefoot brands we introduced this year and to look forward to the exciting additions coming in 2025. 

New Barefoot Brands Introduced in 2024

2024 saw several new brands to Happy Little Soles, expanding our range of adults and children's styles to cater to all your barefoot footwear needs. Here's a look at everything new in 2024.

Realfoot

Following an unprecedented number of customer requests, we are thrilled to have introduced Realfoot shoes to the UK market. Based in the Czech Republic, Realfoot is a small business specialising in barefoot footwear with a unique toe box design.

Realfoot Farmer Winter Boots in Black and Light Brown

Their sole unit features a distinctive shape, slimmer through the heel and midfoot, with a wide fan-shaped toe area. This innovative design provides ample space for natural toe splay while ensuring a secure fit.

The toe box is exceptionally wide, making it the most spacious option on our website. Customer feedback confirms that Realfoot shoes have been a fantastic addition, particularly for those with wider feet seeking comfort and freedom of movement.

Common Tread

The South African brand, founded by a husband-and-wife team, John and Nicole van Besouw, an engineer and occupational therapist, brought us handcrafted barefoot shoes and sandals. They were inspired by the need to make healthy, practical, and protective footwear for their growing son. Common Tread make a lovely range of shoes and sandals, partnering with skilled artisans in Cape Town and Durban to ensure high-quality craftsmanship and support for local communities.

Common Tread Amber Sandals

Their crepe rubber soles and soft Namibian leather create one of the most minimalist options for barefoot sandals. These wide-fit shoes are both flexible and stylish, providing the perfect blend of comfort and natural movement. It is 3mm thin with a 2mm leather insole, giving a total stack height of 5mm. This makes these some of the most barefoot options we sell, particularly in the sandal range.

Shapen

Shapen, a Slovakian brand, brought stylish and colourful barefoot shoes to our lineup. This customer-requested brand has quickly become a favourite, offering a versatile range that includes sandals, party shoes, and boots. Perfect for occasions like work, weddings, or parties, Shapen shoes cater to those who need wide-fitting, zero-drop footwear that’s both elegant and functional.

Shapen Orchid Sandals

We have been delighted to find them offering some of the best barefoot occasion wear available, whether you’re looking for something smart for the office or stylish for a special event, Shapen provides fashionable and comfortable options that work even for extra-wide feet.

Shapen Fluffy Boots

Bosky

Bosky sandals came highly recommended by a fellow barefoot retailer in Europe. They are from the Czech Republic and specialise in creating durable and versatile footwear. Inspired by a love for sandals and barefoot living, Bosky focuses exclusively on crafting high-quality barefoot sandals that cater to a variety of needs and activities. They were established quite simply out of a love for sandals and a love of barefoot.

Bosky Enduro 2.0 Sandals

Handmade in the Czech Republic, Bosky sandals are designed with simple yet effective criteria: durability, versatility, and barefoot functionality. Their exclusive focus on sandals has allowed them to develop a wide range of soles and options, ensuring there’s a perfect fit for every barefoot enthusiast. Whether you're exploring the outdoors or enjoying a casual day out, Bosky offers minimalist, comfortable designs that keep your feet connected to the ground.

Bosky Enduro 2.0 X Sandals 

Grubs Muddies Boots

Muddies is the range of kids' boots from Grubs Boots, a long-established, family-owned designer and manufacturer of wellingtons, walking boots, and safety footwear. All Grubs® boots are crafted with four core attributes in mind: Comfort, Warmth, Waterproofing, and Grip.

Grubs Muddies Waterproof Dinosaur Blue Thermal Boots

The popular Puddle boots have been a favourite for little adventurers, and now Grubs has introduced a barefoot-friendly version. These fun, comfortable, and practical outdoor boots are designed with a barefoot-friendly sole unit, offering natural foot movement. These barefoot-friendly boots are warm and waterproof with a temperature rating to -20°C. They are on a zero-drop sole and a super flexible sole unit with a 6mm stack height, impressive for a waterproof boot with such a high thermal rating.

Grubs Muddies Waterproof Unicorn Violet Thermal Boots

Gaucho Ninja

Gaucho Ninja is a UK-based shoe company founded by artisan shoemaker Lisandro Serra Delmar. Located in Herefordshire, their workshop—a green-roofed oak building—is part of a vibrant community of artists and makers by the scenic Slough Brook at the foot of the Black Mountains. From this idyllic setting, Lisandro creates bespoke, custom-made shoes that embody craftsmanship and quality.

Gaucho Ninja Barefoot Pals Kids Blue Boots

The new Barefoot Pals range, an offshoot factory-produced line, is now available in children's sizes. We are delighted to be working with Lisandro to bring his exciting collection and expertise to a wider audience, offering minimalist footwear designed with care and precision.

Gaucho Ninja Barefoot Pals Burgundy Boots

Barefoot Pals are a super range on lovely wide fitting, stitched-down soles and are some of the lightest shoes around, perfect for all-day comfort. The leathers are ethically sourced, vegetable-tanned, unlined, and buttery soft, giving a totally minimalist shoe that needs no wearing in. The shoes are breathable and moldable and on a lovely thin, flexible, and super wide sole, perfect for those seeking the ultimate barefoot experience.

GoBabyGo

Founded in 2013, Go Baby Go specialises in products designed to help improve motor skills for children learning to crawl and walk. Their innovative range features unique non-slip pads that prevent slipping on smooth surfaces, giving children the confidence to explore their world.

Go Baby Go Crawling Socks, Tights and Kneepads 

These products are especially useful for homes with solid wood or stone floors, providing traction and stability for little movers. Made from extra-thick, high-quality cotton materials, Go Baby Go products also offer cushioning and protection against hard surfaces, ensuring both comfort and safety during play and exploration.

Go Baby Go Crawling Tights In Misty Plum

IGOR

Igor is a Spanish brand renowned for producing high-quality rubber shoes and boots in their own factory in Spain. Recently, they ventured into the barefoot market, introducing an impressive barefoot concept sole unit.

Igor Yogi Barefoot Wellington Boots

We are thrilled to stock Igor's Jelly sandals—our first-ever barefoot jelly shoes—and their barefoot wellington boots. These designs feature soft and flexible barefoot soles, a zero-drop profile, and a 4mm stack height. With a well-shaped toe box and a medium to wide fit, Igor's barefoot range offers a perfect blend of comfort and minimalist design.

Igor Nemo Jelly Shoes 

Pokeboo

Pokeboo, crafted by the ATOM Corporation of Japan, takes inspiration from the traditional Japanese rice planting boot. These wellington rain boots feature a unique minimalist design with a flat, thin sole, offering unparalleled barefoot comfort and a natural ground connection.

Pokeboo Packable Wellington Boots Charcoal

Made from handcrafted natural rubber, Pokeboo boots are super lightweight, flexible, and easily packable, making them ideal for travel or outdoor adventures. Each pair comes with a water-resistant carry bag, adding convenience and functionality to this thoughtfully designed footwear.

Pokeboo Packable Wellington Boots

Exciting New Barefoot Brands for 2025

Despite adding a record number of new brands to our range in 2024 we have lots more to introduce in 2025; here are the highlights.

Bar3Foot

Bar3Foot is a Polish family business, established four years ago, born out of a passion for creating healthy footwear. Their range of barefoot shoes blends innovation, comfort, and ecological awareness, making them a standout in the market. We are particularly impressed by the width and square-shaped toe box of their kids' footwear, offering exceptional comfort for wider feet.

Lightweight and flexible, their designs ensure unrestricted freedom of movement with every step. The 3mm-thin sole is among the widest we stock, making it ideal for sensitive feet needing extra room. Bar3Foot shoes are perfect as a first shoe or for confident walkers, with a versatile range of shoes, boots, and slippers designed for natural foot development and all-day comfort.

Bobux Alpha

While not technically a new brand, we’re thrilled to introduce the new Barefoot Alpha range from Bobux! This exciting collection features a bespoke sole unit that delivers exceptional barefoot performance.

The Barefoot Alpha range seamlessly combines the quality and design flair that Bobux is known for with the barefoot credentials we value most. Launching this spring, the collection will include a unique selection of shoes, sneakers, and sandals, offering stylish and functional options for barefoot enthusiasts.

Kilpi

Kilpi is a Finnish outdoor clothing brand designed to withstand the harshest climates. True to its name—‘Shield’ in Finnish—Kilpi’s design ethos centers around creating functional and reliable outdoor clothing, footwear, and accessories that protect against even the toughest weather conditions. A key innovation from Kilpi is their advanced waterproofing material, Siberium®, which has been in development for over 10 years.

This cutting-edge technology is firm, stable, permeable, elastic, and above all, highly waterproof, setting a new standard in outdoor protection. Kilpi has brought this technology to their latest footwear offering: the Bare High, a new range of barefoot walking boots. These waterproof barefoot boots deliver exceptional performance at a great price, and we are thrilled to introduce them to our customers. Whether you're tackling challenging terrains or braving unpredictable weather, the Bare High boots offer the perfect combination of protection, comfort, and barefoot design

Groundies

Groundies is a brand we’ve admired for a long time and one that’s well-known within the barefoot community. Based in Freiberg, Germany, Groundies is built on the belief that walking barefoot is the most natural, pleasant, and healthy way to move. Renowned for their contemporary designs, Groundies seamlessly combine fashion-forward products with sustainable quality and the proven health benefits of barefoot walking.

We’re excited to bring their innovative range of sneakers and sandals to the UK market for the first time in Spring 2025. These stylish and functional designs offer a perfect blend of modern aesthetics and the barefoot experience, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

Wildsole

Wildsole is one of the few UK-based barefoot brands, and we are thrilled to introduce their range in 2025. Wildsole was founded in 2020 by two friends who bonded over their shared passion for running and exploring ways to live and move more naturally. After transitioning to barefoot shoes with thinner soles and wider toe boxes, they experienced a transformative difference in how it felt to move—liberating and enjoyable, reminiscent of childhood freedom. When they couldn’t find barefoot running sandals made in the UK, they decided to create their own. Thus, Wildsole was born.

Today, they remain one of the few brands specializing in barefoot sandals designed for off-road running, inspired by the traditional footwear of indigenous peoples worldwide. Wildsole combines minimalist design with functionality, making them perfect for natural and adventurous movement.

Reima

Founded in 1944, Reima began by transforming old army uniforms and tents into durable workwear. Over time, they shifted focus to children's clothing and have since become specialists in functional outdoor apparel. In 2004, Reima expanded their collection to include outdoor footwear, further enhancing their commitment to supporting active lifestyles.

Their latest innovation is the development of a barefoot sole unit, leading to a new range of barefoot shoes that maintain their focus on outdoor play. Reima's waterproof trainers and water-safe sandals are perfect for a variety of outdoor activities, offering comfort, protection, and performance in all weather conditions.

Discover the Best Barefoot Footwear with Happy Little Soles

2024 has been a year of incredible growth for our barefoot collection, and 2025 promises even more exciting additions. Whether you’re looking for stylish sandals, durable boots, or minimalist trainers, Happy Little Soles is your go-to destination for the best in barefoot footwear. Stay tuned for more updates, and thank you for supporting us on this journey toward natural and healthy movement!