Our shoes

Walking in minimal shoes encourages our muscles to start doing their job again. Feet that have become inflexible are called back into action. Over the long term, feet become stronger, once again able to move freely and flexibly.

Close contact with the ground also leads to better balance and stability, as the body is able to adjust precisely to conditions underfoot.

That means that you can walk in harmony with the way your body was designed to walk. Joints can move freely and naturally, doing their job efficiently and unhindered. With strong, healthy feet you can experience the joy of being active.

The Wildling lasts – the basic models for our shoes – are based on an anatomical foot shape with a natural width, designed to mirror the shape of a strong, healthy foot. This gives feet the space they need to develop in a healthy way.

Whether your feet are narrow or wide – the shoe fits! Thanks to their healthy width, our shoes inherently fit wider feet that are usually restricted in conventional shoes. And the placement of the laces is arranged in a way that allows the wearer to adjust the width in order to accommodate a slimmer foot, too. For particularly narrow feet, we also recommend adding an insole (available in the shop) to ensure a snug fit.

With a depth of between 1.5 and 4.5mm, the Wildling sole allows the wearer to regain a conscious awareness of the ground beneath their feet.

When wearing conventional shoes, we usually take long, hard strides, scarcely noticing how the ground underfoot really feels. Walking in minimal shoes actually causes us to instinctively adjust our gait.

Our stride becomes shorter and gentler, we walk more mindfully, and our movements are softened by the body's natural shock-absorbing mechanism. At the same time, we intuitively train our balance and develop a much better feel for our surroundings.

Cotton, hemp, wool, linen, and cork – wherever possible, we choose all natural materials for our Wildlings. The textiles we use are soft and flexible so there's never any pinching or chafing. We deliberately avoid using shaping elements such as toe and heel caps. That way, the shoe can adjust to fit the foot – and not the other way around..

A shoe that envelops the foot like a second skin, perhaps crinkling a bit here and there, might take a bit of getting used to. But the fact that your Wildling adapts to become your foot’s unique, personalized companion doesn't mean that its quality decreases in any way. Quite the opposite: The high level of flexibility and adaptability not only make Wildings comfortable to wear, but also improve foot health.

In winter, we like to leverage the thermal properties of untreated wool. We've established strict criteria for sourcing all our raw materials, and we use them as the basis for choosing our suppliers.

For example, we use wool from certified organic livestock and from landscape conservation projects, such as Nordwolle.

To make our winter Wildlings even more weather-proof, we pre-treat them with an environmentally friendly waterproofing spray. That means they’re both water-resistant and breathable, which makes them an ideal alternative to leather or synthetic shoes.