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

April 5, 2023
Women's Barefoot Dress Shoes

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, and I felt like I had to wear shoes that looked a specific way to fit in, especially in more formal situations like work.  

High heels vs natural feet

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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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.  Traditional Dress vs Barefoot Shoes

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

III.  Ballet Flats

IV.  Oxfords and Lace ups

V.  Loafers

VI.  Dressy Flats

VII.  Dressy Sandals

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. 

High heels lead to unnatural posture

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.

Conventional dress shoes for women with a narrow toe box
Conventional ballet flats with a bunion-promoting narrow toe box

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. 

Shapen Petal Barefoot Dress sandals for women

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. 

Conventional Dress Shoes for women

Women’s Barefoot Ballet Flats

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.

Softstar Ballerine Flat, Best barefoot dress shoes for women

 

 

     
Softstar barefoot ballerine shoe

Softstar Ballerine Flat

  • Leather uppers with customizable colors. I love mine in shiny platinum (they look gold).
  • Come in regular or wide width
  • $175
       Shop Now
Feelbarfoot ballet flat on Etsy

Feelbarefoot Ballet Flat

  • Leather uppers with customizable colors
  • Opt for 3mm rubber sole or 3mm leather sole
  • $85 using code KELLY50
       Shop Now
Vivobarefoot Opanka Barefoot Ballerina Flat

Vivobarefoot Opanka Ballerine

  • Leather uppers in black or brown
  • $135 with code KELLY10 for 10% off
  • Boosted code KELLY25 for April 2024
       Shop Now
Xero Shoes Phoenix Barefoot Ballet Flat, Women's Barefoot Dress Shoes

Xero Shoes Phoenix Flat

  • Leather uppers in black, brown, teal or dark pink
  • $100
  Shop Now
Shapen Tulip Dressy barefoot shoes for women

Shapen Tulip Ballerinas

  • Leather uppers. Ankle strap, which can be replaced with gold or silver ankle bracelet
  • Come in regular and wide barefoot versions
  • $90 with code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
  Shop Now
Magical Shoes Ballerina Flat

Magical Shoes Ballerina Shoes

  • Leather or suede uppers
  • $104 with code KELLY10 for 10% off

 

  Shop Now
Luks Shoes Ballet Flats, Barefoot Dress Shoes for women

Luks Shoes Ballet Flat

  • Leather or suede uppers
  • $124
  Shop Now
Angles Fashion barefoot dress shoes for women

Angles Fashion Nomia Ballet Flat

  • Leather uppers in black, brown and beige
  • $126
  Shop Now
Angles Barefoot Ballet Flats
Angles barefoot ballet flats

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.  

Softstar Oxfords, barefoot dress shoes

 

 

 

   
Origo Shoes Barefoot Dress Shoes for Women - Derby Shoes

Origo Shoes Derby

  • Leather uppers in black, brown, tan, mauve and off-white
  • 3mm flexible rubber sole
  • $112 with code KELLY for 10% off
       Shop Now
Feelbarefoot Oxfords, Women's Barefoot Dress Shoes

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
       Shop Now
Softstar Oxfords, barefoot dress shoes of women

Softstar Oxfords

  • Wingtip oxfords or toe cap oxfords in black, brown and blue
  • Toe box does taper some to offer more conventional look, so consider sizing up for more space
  • $190
       Shop Now
Vivobarefoot RA III Barefoot Oxfords for women

Vivobarefoot RA III Oxford

  • Black leather or suede beige uppers
  • $153 with code KELLY10 for 10% off
  • Boosted code KELLY25 for April 2024
      Shop Now
Feelbarefoot Wingtip Oxfords, Minimalist Dress Shoes for Women

Feelbarefoot Wingtip Oxfords

  • Leather uppers in black, brown and dark brown
  • Traditional Wingtip detailing for dressier look
  • $102 with code KELLY50 for 50% off retail
  Shop Now

Barefoot Loafers 

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

 

 

 

   
BeLenka Viva Dressy Barefoot Loafers for women with gold buckle

BeLenka Viva Loafers

  • Black or beige leather with gold buckle
  • Best for narrow to medium width feet and low to mid volume
  • $139, use code KELLY5 for 5% off
       Shop Now
Feelbarefoot Minimalist Loafers for Women

Feelbarefoot Minimalist 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
       Shop Now
Vivobarefoot Opanka Barefoot Loafers for Women

Vivobarefoot Opanka Slip ons

  • Leather uppers in black or brown
  • $135 with code KELLY10 for 10% off
       Shop Now
Unshoes Primrose Barefoot Dress Shoes for Women

Unshoes Primrose Loafers

  • Leather uppers with moccasin-inspired design and optional bow
  • $103 with code nomanbefore10 for 10% off
      Shop Now
Unshoes Forager Barefoot Dress Shoes for Women

Unshoes Forager Loafers

  • Suede uppers with moccasin-inspired design
  • $85 with code nomanbefore10 for 10% off
  Shop Now
Raum Shoes Barefoot Loafers for women

Raum Loafers

  • Leather or suede uppers
  • Leather soles with copper grounding plug
  • $160
  Shop Now

Groundz Black Suede Minimalist Loafers

Groundz Loafers

  • Leather or suede uppers
  • Leather soles
  • Have a wider/rounder toe box compared to the other similar style loafers listed above
  • $ 170 with code KELLY5 for 5% off
  Shop Now
Ruby Workshop Minimalist Loafers on Etsy

Ruby Workshop Loafers

  • Leather or suede uppers
  • Rubber soles
  • Offer customizations, including toe box width
  • $90 on Etsy
  • Code KELLY35 for extra 5% off

 

  Shop Now
Luks Barefoot Moccasins

Luks Shoes Moccasins

  • Leather or suede uppers
  • Rubber sole
  • $124
  Shop Now

Barefoot Dressy Flats

This list of barefoot dressy flats includes a few different style options, like Mary Janes and T-Straps.  

Barefoot Women's Dress Shoes from Shapen
Shapen has a full line of barefoot women’s dress shoes — read the full review.

 

 

 

   
Shapen Orchid, Barefoot Dressy Flats for Women

Shapen Orchid

  • Suede uppers with 3mm rubber sole
  • Come in regular and wide width
  • €99, code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
  Shop Now
Origo Mary Janes

Origo Mary Janes

  • Patent leather with 3mm rubber sole
  • $130, code KELLY for 10% off
  Shop Now
Caret's women's barefoot dress shoes with faux pointed toe

Carets Artemis D’Orsay Mary Jane

  • Leather uppers in black
  • Pointed toe with extra space to still offer foot-shaped fit
  • $190
       Shop Now
Crupon Iris, barefoot dress shoes for women on Etsy

Crupon Iris

  • Leather uppers in black or brown
  • $160 on Etsy
       Shop Now
Crupon Trevi Barefoot Sandals for women

Crupon Trevi

  • Leather uppers with 8 different color options
  • $150 on Etsy
       Shop Now
Shapen Poppy Women's Barefoot Dressy shoes

Shapen Poppy

  • Leather uppers with 3mm rubber sole
  • Come in regular and wide width
  • €99, code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
  Shop Now
Softstar Mary Jane barefoot shoes

Softstar Merry Janes

  • Leather uppers in black, brown or turquoise
  • $125, use code KELLY10 for 10% off through 4/19
  Shop Now
Nefes Barefoot Mary Janes on Etsy

Nefes Shoes Mary Janes

  • Leather uppers with 6 different color options
  • $98 on Etsy
  Shop Now
Ruby Workshop Barefoot and wide toe box dress shoes for women

Ruby Workshop Dressy Flats

  • Leather uppers
  • offers custom adjustments, including wider widths
  • $90 on Etsy
  • Code KELLY35 for extra 5% off
  Shop Now

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.

Barefoot Dress Sandals instead of High Heels

 

 

 

   
Shane Calla Barefoot Sandals

Shapen Calla Sandal

  • Shimmery straps in white, rose gold or bronze
  • €89, code BFSHOEGUIDE5 for 5% off
       Shop Now
Vivobarefoot Opanka Sandals

Vivobarefoot Opanka Sandal

  • Leather uppers in black, brown and off white
  • $150, code KELLY10 for 10% off
  • Boosted code KELLY25 for April 2024
       Shop Now
Softstar Solstice Minimalist Sandals

Softstar Solstice Sandal

  • Leather uppers in black, brown and red
  • Recommend sizing down and opting for wide fit (I wear size 5U wide)
  Shop Now

4 Comments

  • Barefoot Shoe News Digest: Spring/Summer 2024 June 17, 2024 at 12:04 am

    […] styles including the Petal, Orchid and Gaia. Shapen is an obvious place to start if you need women’s barefoot dress shoes, but the sizing can be a little tricky. Get all my tips for fit and sizing in this Shapen barefoot […]

  • 10 Comfortable and Stylish Barefoot Sandals for Women  May 7, 2024 at 4:10 am

    […] This post is about cute and stylish barefoot sandals for women that can be worn every day. If you want sandals with more rugged tread that will have you prepared for any adventure, check out this post for barefoot walking and hiking sandals. Or, if you want something a little more dressed up, check this list for dressy barefoot sandals.  […]

  • Angela B May 17, 2023 at 5:08 am

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

  • Feelbarefoot Shoes: Handmade Barefoot Shoes on Etsy  April 18, 2023 at 6:20 pm

    […] are unisex, and I included these on my round-ups for the best barefoot dress shoes for men and women. You can get this in a simple leather or nubuck leather, or opt for the wingtip detailing if […]

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