Tolos Bare Footwear is a new barefoot shoe company that launched its very first shoe in 2022 — the Archetype 1.0. It’s a versatile, athletic shoe that has a sporty, casual look that’s great for both the gym and everyday. Since then, they’ve some great updates to the fit and material of the shoe, and in 2025, they’ll be launching several new styles.

Want to see this review on video? Check out my reel on Instagram here.

Founder Story

With every new barefoot shoe brand, it’s interesting to hear what inspired the founder to start their business. The founder of Tolos, Evan Ritt, spent most of his life playing hockey up through the professional level, and ended up dealing with a lot of injuries. As part of his rehabilitation process, he realized how much of an impact the shoes we wear, whether for good or for bad, can have on our bodies. He created Tolos based on the barefoot model of shoes that allow our bodies to maintain proper alignment and optimum mobility.

Shoe Overview: Tolos Barefoot Shoes

As a barefoot shoe, Tolos shoes feature a wide, naturally shaped toe box, and a thin, flat and flexible sole. These have a great, sporty style and offering plenty of room in the toe box without making them look super wide.

Vegan | Sizes US M5/W6.5 – M14/W15.5 | 5.5mm stack height

$115 | Code KELLY10 for 10% off | Free Shipping & Returns

Materials & Design

The uppers on the Tolos barefoot shoes are made from a tightly-woven, water-resistant, mesh for the main material, plus a more breathable mesh over the top of the foot. The toe cap and backing around the heel are plastic. There are no animal products used, so these are a vegan option.

The shoes have a sock-like design (aka no tongue), and the meshy material is not very stretchy. This means they do take a bit more effort for me to put on. When I talked about this with the company, they did say they planned on making this portion around the ankles and underneath the laces with a stretchier fabric in the future, so if that sounds like a concern for you, then I’d wait for the next version. The pull tag at the back of the shoe and on the tongue is reinforced, so you can give it a strong tug.

The mesh that goes over the top of the foot could be softer, so if you’re sensitive, I’d recommend wearing these with socks.

The Archetype 1.0 comes in black or white. The denser mesh material on the white is slightly off-white, which is only noticeable because the toe cap and mesh under the tongue is more of a true white.

The sole plus sewn-in insole have a total stack height of 5.5cm. The sole is flexible and easy to roll into a ball or squeeze in half lengthwise.

Performance

I’ve worn the Tolos barefoot shoes while out and about and for exercise, and so far, so good. They have plenty of grip on wood floors, so they’re a good option if you’re going to do kickboxing, indoor racquetball, or whatever you like to do to jump around and get your blood pumping.

The main thing I noticed is the upper creasing a bit into the top of my toes when walking or bending forward at the toes. I think this may mostly be due to the lower volume of the shoes, and some thickness or stiffness in the upper material.

Fit & Sizing

The Tolos Archetype 1.0 is available from sizes US M5/W6.5 – M14/W15.5. The shoes are unisex, so there is no difference between the Men’s 5 vs the Women’s 6.5, etc.

I’m wearing my typical size, a US women’s 7.5 based on my 23.3cm foot measurement. If you’re not used to measuring your feet, check out my guide on how to measure for barefoot shoes. The shoes are

If I compare these Tolos sneakers to other brands, they run slightly smaller, but I still have enough room. I’d say they fit low to medium width and low to medium volume feet best. I categorize my feet around the medium in both width and volume and they fit well, though I do usually appreciate a bit more volume in my shoes.

If I think about people with higher volume feet like my husband, I think they’d be very difficult to get on, and because of the tongueless design, there isn’t really an allowance for more space on top of the foot.

If you have low volume feet, these are a great option!

Pricing

Retail is $115. They come to $104 with the 10% off code KELLY10. Tolos offers free shipping and free returns. Currently available in the US only, but international shipping is in the works.

While this definitely isn’t cheap, these are on the lower end of the spectrum for similar types of barefoot shoes with many costing $150+.

Conclusion

It’s always exciting to see new barefoot shoes brands, and the Archetype 1.0 is a solid offering as the brand’s first shoe! These Tolos barefoot shoes are especially good for those with low volume feet that want a sporty casual shoe with great style. While I’ve enjoyed the look and feel of this first version, I’m looking forward to the next version of the shoe and seeing Tolos grow as a brand.

The post Tolos Bare Footwear: Barefoot Athletic Shoes appeared first on Barefoot Shoe Guide.

 Over the last several years, we’ve reviewed a lot of barefoot shoes, both for kids and adults. My son started wearing the Splay Explore about 5 years ago, and they remained one of his everyday favorites for several years. These minimalist shoes are versatile, affordable, hold up even with a lot of use, and are super easy for kids to slip on all by themselves.

Splay has since developed several styles and expanded into adult sizes.

The Splay Explore

Splay Athletics is the brand’s original barefoot shoe for kids. It features cotton canvas uppers with microfiber patches for durability, and a large velcro strap. They’re simple, minimal and affordable. This review covers everything about the Splay Explore from price point to materials to fit.

Fit and Sizing

The Splay Explore shoes start with toddler sizing and go all the way up to adult, so your kid could stick with this shoe all the way through their school years if they wanted to. Splay originally only had kid’s shoes, but added adult sizes a few years back. That means you can have some cute twinning moments with your kid if you want.

Not all feet are the same, so it’s important to get a shoe that fits your foot (or in this case, your child’s foot). These Splay shoes are very versatile, but tend to fit kid’s with narrower, lower volume feet best. These were a great fit for my older child, and he comfortably wore them for several years.

Now that my younger son is out of the smallest toddler sizes, I was able to pass on that first pair of Splay Explore shoes my son wore. He has a much higher volume foot, so they aren’t as good of a fit for him. Kid’s with higher volume feet may find a better fit by sizing up, or by going with a barefoot shoe brand that accommodates them better.

I did notice that these shoes are a bit on the narrow and shallow end overall (even with a wide toe box). If you or your child has wide or high volume feet you may want to size up. Kid’s with high volume feet may have issues with the velcro strap not being long enough to stay securely fastened.

My son’s feet are average width and volume and Splay shoes fit him perfectly. Splay has a sizing guide on its website to help you get the right fit and size. Splay shoes tend to run small, so I recommend sizing up if you are between sizes.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on one of them, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, read our full disclosure. 

7 Reasons Splay Shoes are Amazing Barefoot Shoes for Kids

1 Affordable

Just to start off, Splay shoes are one of the most affordable barefoot shoes for kids out there. While I can think of a well-made pair of shoes for me as an investment, it’s hard to think the same way when I know a child will grow out of a pair of shoes within a few months. If a shoe is the most amazing kids’ barefoot shoe out there, but it’s two times my budget, then it’s going to be pretty hard to justify the purchase.

Splay shoes are $44 for toddler sizes, and $48 for children’s sizes. And with our Splay Athletics coupon code KELLY10, you get an additional 10% off.

2 Durable

It can be hard to find the right balance between flexibility and durability for a barefoot sole, and I think Splay Athletics got it just right.

After reading how affordable these shoes are, you may have a few questions about durability. Don’t worry though, the Splay Athletics shoes have held up just as well or even better to other barefoot shoes my son has worn, and even with more use. He’s currently on his third pair after outgrowing his first one, and we haven’t had any issues with the sole or uppers wearing through. He wears hiking, biking and playing at the park.

Splay launched on kickstarter a few years ago with a different model using different materials. It looks like they learned a lot from that initial run and implemented a lot of key changes that help these barefoot shoes to handle a lot of daily outdoor use.  

The rubber sole comes up around the edge and the toes are reinforced with microfiber, both which help with durability and don’t compromise on comfort or flexibility.

The one caveat I will say about durability with these shoes is that they don’t do well if they’re fully submerged in water. The soles are attached with a non toxic glue and do not have separate stitching, so the soles can detach if you try soaking them to wash them. Most people that have had this issue have received a replacement from Splay, so they do stand by their product if there is an issue like this. But generally it seems that these do best if you keep them from getting super wet.

In 2024, they changed their manufacturer to further improve the durability and address any of the previous issues.

3 Thin, Flexible Soles

If you’re in search of the perfect barefoot shoes for kids, the Splay Athletics shoes excel at all the barefoot basics starting with thin, flexible soles.

The soles are a few millimeters thick and made out of vulcanized rubber. They are thick enough to provide protection and comfort, but allow for a greater sensory connection to the earth. You can test out the flexibility by easily balling the shoes up or twisting them around (something you definitely can’t do with a typical shoe!). These shoes also have good grip!

4 Wide Toe Box  

Another feature of a barefoot or minimalist shoe is a wide toe box. Barefoot shoes give your toes the room to properly splay, hence the name of this barefoot brand. When you compare the toe box of Splay shoes to a traditional kid’s athletic shoes, you can see how much better they fit the natural shape of the foot and give your kid’s toes plenty of room to wiggle.  

5 Zero-drop Platform

The Splay shoes have a zero-drop platform, which means the rubber sole is completely flat, as is the inner lining. The heel is not raised and there is no arch support, creating a completing flat surface.

6 Easy to put on and wear

The Splay shoes have a large Velcro strap, which is especially great if you’re looking for barefoot shoes for toddlers that can’t yet tie their own shoes. They’re easy for kids to put on by themselves.

My son most often wears these shoes without socks and finds them super comfortable.  

7 Vegan Materials

The Splay Explore has a clean, simple design made of cotton canvas and microfiber, and feels so well made. The canvas is durable, and the microfiber reinforces the toe and the heel. 

More Splay styles now available

Splay has been busy launching new styles, so now there’s more options beyond the Original Explore. Check out these new styles from Splay:

Splay Freestyle

This is a lace up version of Splay’s popular canvas shoes. They come in sizes for both kids and adults.

Splay Freestyle Slip-ons

For those that don’t like laces or velcro, Splay has the Freestyle Slip-ons. These fit those with lower volume feet best (similar to the other Splay shoes).

Splay Freestyle in Leather

The newest option at Splay Athletics is the Freestyle in leather. They come in black, white and brown leather with gum soles. Currently sizing starts at adult US M5/W7. These retail for $109, so they’re $36 more than the Freestyle in canvas uppers for the adult sizes. The new leather version is currently 15% off with code FREE15 during the initial launch of the shoe (March 2023).

Splay Dash Sneakers

Splay has updated their original barefoot kids’ shoes with a more modern look and feel. The new Dash sneakers have the same outsole as the original Explore and Freestyle shoes, but with trendier styling; think breathable mesh uppers and a durable TPU toe guard. They’re going to fit very similarly to the Explore, so they’re ideal for those with a wider toe splay and narrower ankles, sometimes called “pizza feet.” Like the Explore, they’re best suited to lower volume feet.

My older son, who wore the Explore for years, loves the fresh design, but removed the insole for more volume. But for my younger child with chunkier feet, Splay still runs too low volume. 

Drop any questions below, or send me a message on Instagram!

The post Splay Athletics Explore Shoes Review: Affordable Barefoot Sneakers for Kids appeared first on Barefoot Shoe Guide.