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

Softstar Ballerine
- Leather uppers with customizable colors. I love mine in shiny platinum (they look gold)
- Come in regular or wide width
$175

Feelbarefoot Ballet Flat
- Leather uppers with customizable colors
- Opt for 3mm rubber sole or 3mm leather sole
- $85 using code KELLY50
$85

Vivobarefoot Ballerina
- Leather uppers in black or brown
- Code BSG20 for 20% off
$165

Xero Shoes Phoenix Flat
- Leather or knit uppers in black, brown, teal or dark pink
$100

Shapen Tulip
- Leather uppers. Ankle strap, which can be replaced with gold or silver ankle bracelet
- Come in regular and wide barefoot versions
- Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
$119

Magical Shoes Ballerina
- Leather or suede uppers
- Code KELLY10 for 10% off
$93

Luks Ballerina
- Leather or suede uppers
$139

Angles Flat
- Leather uppers in black and cream
$84
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.

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.


Origo Derby
- Leather uppers in black, brown, tan, mauve and off-white
- 3mm flexible rubber sole
- Code KELLY for 10% off
$115

Feelbarefoot Oxfords
- Leather or nubuck leather uppers with customizable colors
- Leather sole with optional 2mm rubber outsole
- $99 with code KELLY50 for 50% off retail
$99

Softstar Oxfords
- Wingtip oxfords or toe cap oxfords in black, brown and blue
- Two fits: Regular barefoot and Primal
- Toe box does taper some to offer more conventional look, so consider sizing up for more space or opt for Primal fit for extra wide
$190

Vivobarefoot Ra III Oxfords
- Black leather or suede beige uppers
- Code BSG20 for for 20% off
$140

Feelbarefoot Wingtip Oxfords
- Leather uppers in black, brown and dark brown with traditional wingtip detailing for dressier look
- $102 with code KELLY50 for 50% off retail
$102
Barefoot Loafers
Loafers are another classic women’s barefoot dress shoe, with a number of brands offering their own take.

BeLenka Viva Loafers
- Black or beige leather with gold buckle
- Best for narrow to medium width feet and low to mid volume
- KELLY5 for 5% off
$133

Feelbarefoot Loafers
- Leather or nubuck leather uppers with customizable colors
- Leather sole with optional 2mm rubber outsole or copper grounding plug
- $99 with code KELLY50 for 50% off retail
$99

Vivobarefoot Opanka Slipons
- Leather uppers in black or brown
- Code BSG20 for 20% off
$135

Unshoes Primrose
- Leather uppers with moccasin-inspired design and optional bow
- Code nomanbefore10 for 10% off
$134

Unshoes Forager
- Suede uppers with moccasin-inspired design
- Code nomanbefore10 for 10% off
$125

Raum Loafers
- Leather or suede uppers
- Leather soles with copper grounding plug
$160

Groundz Loafers
- Leather or suede uppers with leather soles
- Have a wider/rounder toe box compared to the other similar style loafers listed above
- KELLY5 for 5% off
$170

Ruby Workshop Loafers
- Leather or suede uppers with rubber soles
- Offer customizations, including toe box width
- KELLY5 for extra 5% off
$85

Luks Shoes Moccasins
- Leather or suede uppers
- Rubber sole
$159
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).


Shapen Orchid
- Suede uppers with 3mm rubber sole
- Come in regular and wide width
- Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
$104

Shapen Poppy
- Leather uppers with 3mm rubber sole
- Come in regular and wide width
- Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
$104

Origo Mary Janes
- Patent leather with 3mm rubber sole
- Code KELLY for 10% off
$117

Softstar Mary Janes
- Leather uppers in black, brown or green
- Available in regular and wide width
$140

Carets Artemis D’Orsay Mary Jane
- Leather uppers in black
- Pointed toe with extra space to still offer foot-shaped fit
$190

Crupon Iris
- Leather uppers in black, brown and red
$138

Crupon Trevi
- Leather uppers with 8 different color options
$127

Nefes Mary Janes
- Leather uppers with buffalo leather soles (5 to 8mm)
- Made in Turkey and available on Etsy
$91

Ruby Workshop Flats
- Leather uppers
- Offers custom adjustments, including wider widths
- Made in Turkey and available on Etsy
- Code KELLY35 for extra 5% off
$78


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!)


Shapen Calla
- Shimmery straps in white, rose gold or bronze
- Code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
$104

Vivobarefoot Opanka Sandals
- Leather uppers in black, brown and off white
- 4mm rubber sole
- Code BSG20 for for 20% off
$120

Softstar Solstice Sandals
- Leather uppers in light or dark brown
- Recommend sizing down and opting for wide fit (I wear size 5U wide)
- Note there is still some tapering at the toe, even with the wide fit
$135


What about Nato brand shoes. They have some great shoes with cork soles.