Feelgrounds Highrise – A Full Review

If you want to feel cool, get yourself some Feelgrounds.

It’s their marketing “let’s make barefoot shoes cool” and it’s true. I feel cool when I wear these shoes. And I’m pretty far past a ‘cool’ age. 🙈 But let’s sliiiiide right on past that and dig deeper to talk all about these shoes below.

**starting June 8th and lasting this week only, you can save 13% on non-discounted (NEW) Feelgrounds models using the code SUMMER2021** Check out my initial comparison between new and old soles here, another look at Original here, and new Highrise video here

Quick disclosure: I originally received these as a win from a contest run jointly by Bosenogice and Mini.and.Mum on Instagram (I won on the later page). I asked for a 43, which I later sold and bought the 44 shown in all the pictures here except the one with the grey pants, which is the 43. I’d planned to get a new 3rd outfit just for the review (definitely an homage to Mel from Baresteps outfits, which are super cool!) but my husband hurt his back and 2 was my limit from him. I’ve worn these enough it didn’t matter anyway 😁

Second, if you decide to buy Feelgrounds at any point, and you happen to like my blog, this affiliate link gives me a commission. No expectations, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra to use this link over any other.

Lastly, in 2021 this model was released with a new sole. Check out that review here.

Now, on to the part you are really interested in 😎

Technical specifications:

• Upper: knit fabric with water-repellent treatment
• Outsole: TPE
• Stack height: 5 mm
• 100% animal-free (vegan)
• Model: black and white, but comes in all the color combinations you see below (and maybe all-white soon 🤞)

Appearance:

These live up to their name and look great. Very neat appearance with just the right level of adornment. There is a very prominent label on the back of the heel, in case that bothers you. I’m not excited a name being proclaimed so loudly, but I don’t think about it either. And most shoes like this are pretty clear about their branding (Swoosh, anyone?) so it fits the aesthetic.

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Fit:

These hug well over my midfoot, stay neat at the ankle, and let my toes wiggle. All great boxes being checked for me. The material is soft and doesn’t rub or pinch anywhere. It’s like a thick, smooth sweater. You can see some dipping of the material if you have a lot of extra space over your toes (I see some on my smaller foot) but not so much that they look sloppy.

The shoes are extremely moldable and can be bent just by arching your foot. It gives them a very high comfort value. They don’t feel hard or extra cushiony. I think Feelgrounds has struck a good middle ground on comfort with high ground feel.

They are also very light weight, which is great for all your joints. You’re not clunking around in a heavy shoe with any of the Feelgrounds models.

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Sizing:

These run True To Size (TTS) in length, but there are some caveats for width and instep height. If you are a super-splayer, you may run into some toe box issues because it’s not an especially wide design in the forefoot. However, I have no such issues and I have a pretty wide foot. What I ran into instead was instep volume. I sized up entirely for this reason. It was just too tight over my midfoot/instep. Be aware of that and know that sizing up definitely makes a difference, but take care if you do that like I did. The shoes aren’t floppy, but they are longer and your brain knows show long your shoes usually are, so just don’t go splat on some steps or something, okay?

I haven’t talked about them at all yet, but I do have Original and Droptop as well. I think that Highrise falls in the middle, with Original having the smallest volume and Droptop having the most. So much volume, in fact, that if you’re sized up in Highrise like me, you may not need to do the same in Droptop. It’s got way more room. A lot of room. If you are very low volume, something with laces like Highrise or Original are better bets. I went with a 44 in all of them because I’m especially high volume.

Breaking in:

There is no break-in period for these shoes. I adjusted my laces and started walking immediately (with both pairs). The only part with any real weight is the sole, and that’s not much. The upper is very soft and fits around you well. There are no rough spots to rub or bother.

Rain resistance:

One of the selling points for these shoes is the material of the upper. They use a knit upper with a water-repellent treatment. This doesn’t mean you can soak them, and it doesn’t mean that the water will bead up and roll of like a car hood either. But it does mean that, for science, I stood out in the rain for y’all for several minutes and nothing soaked in. The water sits on them and never soaks through. They have tested them with pouring water and get the same results.

How do they feel?

I think I’ve pretty well covered this above, but… great? They’re a really easy-to-wear pair of shoes that feel great on your feet and have good grip on different surfaces.

The only thing is: the laces. There’s some kind of high friction coefficient going on between the laces and the knit. They are not that easy to adjust. If Feelgrounds could do something about that it’d be less of a hassle to get them settled on your feet. In the meantime, not using the upper couple of grommets can make it easier to get in and out without as much adjusting, especially if you are lower volume.

Durability:

This is a question I see a lot and, honestly, I can’t answer it at this point. But I’m aware it’s a concern and as I have the shoes longer I’ll come back and update if I see any problems.

In general, though, minimalist shoes have thinner, softer soles. They show their wear on the outside. HOWEVER, what you don’t see about mainstream shoes is all the wear that happens on the inside, where it’s more destructive for your feet. Padding gets compressed, for one thing, leading to an uneven surface for your feet. Insoles get ripped up. My oldest 2 kids’ last pairs of non-minimalist shoes had actual holes in the insoles and only 1 of them had any kind of outside problem, which was sole separation.

I understand the frustration of minimalist shoes, which are expensive, wearing out. But I’ll take a problem I can see and track, that isn’t hurting my feet, over a hidden destructive one any day.

There are harder soles in barefoot shoes, and I’m happy to answer questions about them any time over on Instagram, but know that harder means less ground feel and less comfort. There is no unicorn. Everything is a tradeoff.

Cleaning and Care:

All the knit Feelgrounds come with a water repellant pre-treatment, but you will need to renew that regularly to maintain the effect, which will also help them stay easier to clean. For cleaning, first try removing stains with a dry brush, followed by warm water and a mild cleaner. Do not put these in the washing machine or dryer.

Purchasing:

As I mentioned above, you can use this affiliate link to support the blog if you plan to purchase, and they will cost you approximately $150-160 in the US. This varies based on the Euro-to-Dollar conversion. Feelgrounds also does regular restocking discounts that can drop the price for you ~ 10%.

Shipment and Returns:

Shipment is via Fedex and they take about a week to arrive. They do offer free returns and are very easy to work with over any problems you may have.

Comparisons:

Here are a few different casual shoes for comparison in shape and width.

Final thoughts:

I love them. I have worn them with pants and dresses alike. They are crazy comfortable, look cool, and stay neat. Feelgrounds is committed to getting the price as low as possible, and I love that. Over the summer they dropped the cost and plan to do it again the future, if the business flow allows for it. I think this is a good thing as it’s hard for many people to justify $150+ on shoes. The lower they can get the price point, the easier it will help get new people, especially younger people, into barefoot shoes.

Coming soon for Feelgrounds:

I will be reviewing other Feelgrounds models, coming up, but in the meantime take a look at what they are releasing soon. 😍 I will be sure to test them thoroughly this winter and report back how they hold up.

Want more reviews?

Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.