Women’s Barefoot Dress Shoes: Full List including Ballet Flats, Oxfords, Loafers and Dressy Sandals

It’s true, barefoot dress shoes for women can be hard to find! That’s why I’ve rounded up a full list of options here. Check out these dressy, minimalist shoes that don’t squeeze your toes and have a flat, flexible sole.

If you’ve been looking for women’s dress shoes that are both fashionable and comfortable, the struggle is real! I spent years wearing shoes to work or for formal occasions that would leave my feet in pain or give me blisters—just a short walk from my car to the office could sometimes leave me feeling crippled. 

“Beauty is pain” is an oft-repeated phrase that I internalized as a young adult; I felt like I had to wear shoes were pointed and heeled to fit in, especially in more formal situations like work.  

After I learned about barefoot shoes, I quickly made the switch with everyday tennis shoes, sneakers, and sandals. But switching out my dress shoes was hard. The features that make a dress shoe dressy and fashionable (especially for women) go against a lot of we’re trying to do here with barefoot shoes.  

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Traditional Dress Shoes vs Barefoot Dress Shoes 

Women’s dress shoes have some of the narrowest, pointed toe boxes; barefoot shoes have a wide toe box so you can have a comfortable, anatomical toe splay. Looking back on some of my old dress shoes, it’s clear that they were only designed to fit three toes, maybe four on a good day.  

Women’s dress shoes have some of the highest heels; barefoot shoes are zero drop. Learning to walk in high heels is seen as a rite of passage into womanhood. It’s like you’re more of a woman if you can confidently walk in high heels. But even if you have your strut perfected to catwalk model status, it’s always going to be terrible for your feet and body. 

There’s a reason bunions are more prevalent in women than in men—those tight toe boxes combined with heels put tons of pressure on the ball of your foot and push your big toe inwards, which can cause a bunion to form. 

Women’s dress shoes have rigid soles; barefoot shoes are flexible. Honestly, I’ve come to the conclusion that most traditional dress shoes are not made for walking. They’re made to fit into this narrowly defined view of what is classy and dressy and fashionable with complete disregard to anatomical shape and natural movement. 

Also check out my post on men’s barefoot dress shoes.

If I start wearing barefoot shoes, can I never wear conventional dress shoes again? 

People have repeatedly come to me with this question, afraid that if they switch to barefoot shoes, they’ll never be able to dress up in on-trend heels or boots or pointed flats. I look at barefoot shoes like other health-related endeavors like food or exercise. It’s what we do the majority of the time that’s most important. 

So, if you have a special occasion that you want to wear high heels for, I hope you don’t feel anyone (especially me) judging you for it! Your feet aren’t going to be ruined in one night, though they may need some TLC afterwards. 

I think what you’ll find is that once people do start wearing barefoot shoes, they have much less tolerance for narrow toe boxes and heels as the discomfort is so much more obvious. It’s kinda like once you know what comfortable shoes are and the domino impact they have on the rest of our body, you can’t unknow it. 

Wearing a traditional dress shoe on occasion isn’t the end of the world. But, if you’re in a situation where you need to wear dress shoes on a regular basis, you may want to find something that’s better for your feet and body. This is where that long-term wear is going to have an impact, so hopefully this list of women’s barefoot dress shoes will help you find something that is comfortable and you like how it looks. 

Note on Pricing

I included current pricing at the time of this writing and most recent update (January 2025). Note that the prices reflect any available discount codes I have, so that you’re comparing the best possible price among the different options.

Women’s Barefoot Dress Shoes

This is a full list of women’s barefoot dress shoes. They feature a wide, anatomically shaped toe box and a thin, flat and flexible sole. They’re divided by style to make it easy to compare the different options. 

Women’s Barefoot Ballet Flats

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A ballet flat is a simple yet classic dressy shoe for women that can be customized a million different ways. As I started gravitating towards more comfortable shoes, I’d often pick the most minimal ballet flats I could find from mainstream retailers. Unfortunately, many of those still had a pretty tight toe box. These barefoot ballet flats are flat and flexible, and have a roomier and more comfortable fit for the toes.

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Barefoot Oxfords and Lace ups

Oxfords, Derbys and other lace up styles can be some of the most classic dress shoes, known for their pointed toes and heeled soles. They’re traditionally men’s dress shoes, but they’ve become a more popular style for women too. These barefoot takes on Oxfords and lace ups have a wide toe box and flat and flexible sole.  

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Barefoot Loafers 

Loafers are another classic women’s barefoot dress shoe, with a number of brands offering their own take.  

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Barefoot Dressy Flats

This list of barefoot dressy flats includes a few different style options, like Mary Janes and T-Straps.  (Watch this try-on of some of the most popular barefoot flats and sandals).

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Barefoot Dress Sandals 

When the weather is warm, I love opting for a dressier sandal if it fits the occasion.  Here are some comfortable barefoot sandals you can dress up. (Find some more inspiration on Instagram!)