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Shapen Barefoot Brand Review: Bringing Dressy Back to Women’s Barefoot Shoes 

November 6, 2023
Shapen Barefoot Shoes Brand Review

If you’ve been finding many barefoot shoe brands too plain Jane for your fashion sense, check out Shapen’s dressier barefoot shoes like the Poppy or Lily. Shapen also has sneakers and stylish barefoot boots for both men and women.

About the Brand 

SHAPEN is a barefoot shoe brand based in Slovakia that initially launched with beautiful, stylish barefoot shoes for women. When the founder Mia realized that barefoot shoes would be an essential part of treating her scoliosis and joint hypermobility, she wanted barefoot versions of the shoes she loved. And back in 2017, the barefoot options for stylish flats, sandals, and high heel replacements were almost nonexistent.  

So Mia set out to make her own, and thus started the SHAPEN brand. If you’ve already heard about SHAPEN over the last few years, it was likely for the women’s barefoot dress shoes like the Poppy or Lily. But as they’ve grown, they’ve released other styles, including sneaker and boots made for both men and women.  

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Barefoot Women's Dress Shoes from Shapen
Shapen Barefoot Brand Review: Stylish barefoot boots from Shapen

How barefoot are Shapen shoes?

When evaluating just how barefoot a brand is, I look at these features of their shoes:
1) If the toe box have a wide, natural foot shape
2) How flat and flexible the sole is

On a spectrum, SHAPEN are on the “very barefoot” end of things. The soles are thin and very flexible. The boots feature a 5.5mm sole, which is one of the thinner options for barefoot boots. They provide decent insulation while still being very flexible.

Most of SHAPEN’s shoes have a wide, naturally-shaped toe box. The boots and sneaker all come in one width, which I’ve found a good fit for wide feet. The women’s dress shoes come in regular width and wide width. I’ll include specific details about fit for each style below.

Wide, foot-shape of Shapen Barefoot Boots

Shapen Fit & Sizing 

Shapen’s barefoot women’s shoes are available in sizes EU35 – 44. Styles that are unisex, like their sneakers and some of their boots, are available in sizes EU35 – 47.  

Shapen shoes are best fit for: 

  • Medium to extra wide feet 
  • Medium to high volume feet 
  • Runs large, so I size typically down from my usual barefoot size 

I’ll share my fit and sizing recommendations based on my experience. My feet are 23.3cm long, 9.1cm wide, with a higher instep and narrow ankles. If you need tips measuring your feet, check out this guide.

I most often wear an EU37 in sandals, an EU38 in sneakers and an EU39 in boots, but this can vary among brands and styles. I find that Shapen runs a little large, so usually end up going one size down from this. This means I’m an EU37 in Shapen sneakers and EU38 in their boots.  In the sandals and dress shoes, I’m often an EU36 or EU37.

Ordering, Shipping and Returns 

Shapen barefoot shoes are available directly on their website, where they offer worldwide shipping. Note that returns are not accepted for orders outside the EU. Luckily, Shapen styles typically have a pretty high demand (and can sometimes sell out), so I’ve seen plenty of them resold on this Facebook barefoot buy/sell when the fit or sizing didn’t work out for the original buyer. 

Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off at Shapen

Shapen Barefoot Shoes Review 

Let’s jump right in to this Shapen Barefoot shoe review! I’m sharing my favorite styles and details about feel, fit and sizing. 

Shapen Dress Shoes and Sandals for Women

I’m starting off with dress shoes and sandals as it is a category that’s still sorely lacking in the barefoot shoe space, and where Shapen really shines. They became known for women’s barefoot dress shoes in wide widths, like the Poppy. Since then, they’ve launched a whole line of dressier styles, along with sneakers and boots.

Barefoot Women's Dress Shoes from Shapen

Fit and Sizing for Shapen Dress Shoes

Shapen makes most of their women’s barefoot dress shoes in regular and wide width. The regular is still supposed to be a foot-shaped fit, but better suited to narrow and medium width feet.

There is a unique size chart for each style. Sometimes, both the length and width can vary between the regular and wide widths. This means if you need a wider width, you may also need to adjust your size as the length will vary too. Typically, the wide width shoes run slightly shorter than their regular width counterpart.

With my 9.1cm foot width, I typically fall in the “regular” width category for most barefoot shoes. I’ll share how each of these styles fit me to give you a starting point on determining your size and width.

While the sole on all of these sandals and dressy flats are very thin and flexible, the width on some of the regular width shoes is more akin to a conventional dress shoe. Not painfully tight, but not allowing a full toe splay either. 

Shapen Petal

€99 |  Sizes EU35 – 44 | Regular and Wide Width | Leather

Shapen Petal Barefoot Dress sandals for women

The Shapen Petal is my favorite style to come out of the new collection of women’s barefoot dress shoes. They have just enough detailing that they don’t feel over simplistic or boring. They come in light pink, black, and blue.

I opted for the EU36 regular width, and am happy with the fit for both the length and width of this shoe. This is a style where the length varies between the regular and wide versions. If I were to opt for the wide, I felt like I’d be a bit between sizes as the EU36 in wide runs a little shorter than the regular, but the EU37 runs a little long for a sandal. 

Even with the regular barefoot width, I have some room to move my toes. 

The ankle strap does run very short on this style; I have fairly narrow ankles, and am using the very last hole on the strap. If you have bigger ankles, you may need to extend the strap. 

Shapen Lily 3.0

€99 |  Sizes EU35 – 44 | Regular and Wide Width | Leather

The Lily are a simple and chic open toe sandal. The regular width version of the Lily runs noticeable narrower than the Petal sandals in the same size. 

Here, I’m wearing them in an EU36 regular. The toe box isn’t painful, but it does cause my big toe to angle in. If I wanted a barefoot fit on these, I would need to opt for the wide width EU36. 

Shapen Orchid

€99 |  Sizes EU35 – 44 | Regular and Wide Width | Suede

I don’t typically go for red shoes, but this deep red suede is bold  and beautiful without being over the top. The Shapen Orchid also comes in light beige and black. 

Despite sharing a size chart with the Lily, these feel roomier in the toe box. Here, I’m wearing them in an EU36 regular. But, for a true barefoot fit, I’d opt for the wide width. 

I have a higher instep, and wear the strap on the very last notch. 

Shapen Calla

€99 |  Sizes EU35 – 44 | Regular and Wide Width | Leather

Shapen Calla barefoot sandals

The Calla Sandal is my favorite stylish barefoot sandal to pair with dresses and skirt. I wear these in an EU37, and find them the right size. They only come in one width, but it one of Shapen’s widest sandals, starting at 10cm.

While I love the flexibility of these sandals, the downside is that the front can sometimes catch on the pavement when walking. This is an issue with the closed-toe flats or other sandals that have more secure straps. I’ve caught the front a few times, and it’s scraped away at the leather lining on the footbed. Therefore, I tend to wear this style when I’ll mostly be indoors. 

Shapen Poppy

€99 |  Sizes EU35 – 44 | Regular and Wide Width | Leather

The Shapen Poppy flat has been the brand’s most popular shoe for the last several years before they launched this full line of women’s dress shoes. Like all of the others, they come in regular and wide width.


Shapen Sneakers

Shapen has several leather and vegan leather sneakers for both men and women with simple, classic styling.

Shapen Re:Wind

€149 | Leather and Suede uppers

Shapen Re:Wind barefoot sneakers like Nike Dunks

Shapen’s newest sneaker, the Re:Wind, is a barefoot take on the popular Nike Dunks. They’re a white leather sneaker with black, beige or pink suede accents.

Like most of Shapen’s shoes, they run a little large. I opted for a size EU37 based on my 23.3cm foot measurement. I have a higher instep, and am most comfortable in these without the added insole. With the insole included, these sneakers are a good fit for low to medium volume feet.


Shapen Boots 

Shapen greatly expanded their barefoot winter boot collection for 2023, so now there are a lot more styles to choose from. They still have dressy boot styles for women, but also included some options that work for men too. 

Outsole for Shapen Boots 

Most of Shapen’s boots use the same 5.5mm rubber outsole. It’s durable and flexible, and features a dot pattern to give it some grip. But, this outsole doesn’t have deep lugs specifically designed for traction, so they’re not the best option in icy conditions. I typically wear my Shapen boots during fall, and in winter conditions when I’m not super worried about traction. 

Cozy Boots

€139 | Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off  

Shapen Cozy Winter Boots

The Cozy boot was one of those shoes that felt like a perfect fit from first wear. If you’re only going to get one barefoot boot and you don’t live in extreme weather conditions, the Shapen Cozy is a versatile option. I found myself reaching for this boot most often last winter just for how easy it is to slip on (thanks to the side zipper) and how comfortable it was. 

The uppers are oiled nubuck with water-resistant properties. I’ve dumped water on it a few times, and my feet have stayed dry. 

The inside is fully lined with wool. I was warm wearing them in temperatures down to 20F last winter with a pair of mid weight wool socks.  

The Cozy boots also come in brown nubuck and black smooth leather.  

I wear these in an EU38 and find this to be a comfortable fit for both length and volume. The lining along with the laces means these are the snuggest fit I have in the Shapen Boots.


Fluffy Boots 

Suede Uppers | Faux Fur lining | €149 | Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off  

Barefoot boots like Uggs, the Shapen Fluffy Boot

These Shapen Fluffy boots use a suede for the uppers and are fully lined with the softest faux fur! Here they’re pictured in a beautiful off-white, but they also come in black and brown. They’re a great replacement for a pair of Ugg-type boots.  

The faux fur lining is warm, and fully covers the inside of the boot and most of the sole. It is a little slippery, so there is a leather patch on the bottom of the heel so your foot doesn’t slide around as much. I opted to wear these with thicker socks so that my feet fit snuggly and I didn’t feel like I was sliding in the boot. Personally I prefer the wool lining on the cozy boots, but the faux fur look goes well with this style. 


Divine Boots

Leather Uppers | €149 | Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off 

Shapen Barefoot Chelsea boots for women

Chelsea boots with a taller shaft are on-trend right now, and as Shapen strives to be at the forefront of barefoot style, they designed the Divine boot. The functional straps around the ankle are also a nice feature, elevating the boot from just another simple barefoot boot. 

These boots do not have any additional inner lining, so they feel a little big compared to all the other styles as I still opted for an EU38. The length feels good with thicker socks, but there is a lot more volume that I needed to fill with an extra insole. This style can accommodate wide, high volume feet. If you plan on wearing these without thick socks or insoles, I recommend sizing down (for me that would’ve been the EU37). 

Shapen Barefoot Chelsea boots for women

Urbaneer Boots

€149 | Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off 

Shapen Barefoot Boots, Urbaneer is good for men or women

The Urbaneer is a stylish, high-top combat  boot that would be great for both men or women. They look fairly similar to the Cozy, but use a stretchy ankle panel instead of a side zipper. These are fully lined with wool, though it feels slightly more slippery and a little less voluminous than the wool lining of the Cozy boot. I’m comfortable wearing these in an EU38. 

Shapen Barefoot Boots, Urbaneer is good for men or women

Shapen offers several other barefoot winter boot styles:

Lynx Boots: Two-tone boots with a fuzzy, foldable collar that can be worn up or down.

Ivy: Classic ankle boots

Frosty: made from leather and nylon.

Glam: Knee-high barefoot boots that come in leather and faux leather.

7 Comments

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