Tolos Bare Footwear: Barefoot Athletic Shoes
Check out Tolos barefoot shoes, one of the newest barefoot shoe brands of 2022!
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.
Want to see this review on video? Check out my reel on Instagram here.
Table of Contents
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.
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