Feelgrounds makes barefoot shoes cool, and they’ve done it again with their vegan winter offering: Patrol. Take a look below at these minimalist boots that bring maximal style, comfort, and protection for foot-friendly winter wear.
These boots zooooomed into the market with a great look and waterproof promises. Read on to learn about these boots decide for yourself if they are just what you’ve been waiting for.
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Feelgrounds and they sent me both pairs of these boots to review, but all thoughts are my own. If you use a link on this page to make a purchase, a small amount is returned to me and goes to support reviews and resources like this.
Sections
Technical Specifications
- Upper: Vegan PU Leather
- Removable Insole: Vegan Felt
- Lining: Recycled fleece
- Outsole: TPE & TPU
- Sizes: 35-49
Company
Feelgrounds is run by a small, fitness-minded, style-conscious team in Europe and consistently brings us great-looking shoes. They have brought out several new models recently, starting with Patrol, then a Sandal, and a Luxe version of the Original that started it all. You can check out all my Feelgrounds reviews here.
Appearance
You get 4 colors to choose from in Feelgrounds Patrol: Black, Grey, Sand (the new version I have for 2021-2022), and the Dark Brown (which I chose initially in early 2021 and feature in most of the current pictures in this review). I don’t have any outfit pics with my original dark brown, but I have snapped my first in Sand.
and here is me holding the Dark Brown on the same day:
The colors are great. The Dark Brown is very understated and neutral, while the Sand rocks the full Timberlands vibe. It’s light-colored, but has a bit of warmth to it that I like.
The collar is well-designed to give them a finished look that means they hold their own without the addition of anything else to dress up the top. The vegan leather is textured and beautifully colored.
The Dark Brown is not as light as it comes through in outside pictures (the camera just loved them, though) but they do have a subtle color variation that elevates their look and I’m posting this anyway to highlight that for you.
Here is a comparison of inside and outside pictures. The real color is closer to the dark than the light and the ones.
And this is a pretty good take. Note the extra lacing wrap – that is not present on the new models, where the laces have been shortened.
Fit and Sizing
If you think about the construction of shoes a bit deeper, there’s a lot in there, and even more in a winter boot like this which is lined for extra protection. Sizing is usually listed based off an insole measurement. When you get to winter, though, you have this nice, thick lining that takes up additional space and almost without fail, that’s not part of the sizing listing.
With that in mind, I sized up from my normal 43 to a 44, and I’m glad I did, though my reasons have changed. In the original version, were the upper was stiffer, I could not get an internal length matching the size chart. I could only get 28.3. This year, with the more flexible upper, I can get the length listed on the sizing chart, 28.8. So, if you have a medium width foot and you’re not planning on stacking extra socks in there, I very much recommend you follow the chart and that you’ll probably be in your normal size.
If you are planning to add much thicker socks than normal, measure that way instead and consider sizing up.
What about non-average feet?
If you’re very low volume, you’re probably going to need an insole. I have no problem whatsoever with volume in these shoes nor width at the heel, and I have high volume feet.
If you have high volume feet, but not particularly wide feet, you should be able to roll with your normal size fine too.
The issue that may necessitate a size up, is toe splay – you may feel crunched with a wide splay and winter socks. This right here is why I’m glad to be in a size up.
I also have plenty of lacing and calf space, so if you have wider calves, you’re good in any size. 👍
The insoles are wider in the new model. I’m not sure yet if I think that’s a plus or not, but it does factor into the overall volume equation and could help you if you’re lower volume or reduce the available space too much if you have higher volume feet.
Winter and Water Protection
Feelgrounds Patrol is lined in a vegan fleece, has a thick sole to lower cold penetration, and includes an insole for additional cold protection.
I’ve not been able to test them lower than 40s (F) because of when I received both pairs, so I cannot attest to extreme cold, snow, or ice. I hope to – we’re just at the beginning of a new winter we LOVE snow! But I did soak one of the boots in rain for about 10 minutes to see if the feel of the material changes, how much it absorbs, etc.
All these beautiful big beads mean that that water was not absorbed, which is great for your feet. I also dried the boot with a towel and you can see that it looks like it wasn’t in the rain at all, though I can feel that the material is moist after removing the obvious water.
The sole and upper are tightly joined so, at least for now, there’s no concern about water getting through seams. Many boots have stitching points that can fail, but these are glued solidly, including at the side seams just below the lacing, so will hopefully maintain high water protection for a long time to come.
I did an inside water test on the newer version, 3 minutes immersion on the toe box and 3 more on the heel, and found no intrusion. In some ways, this is a harsher test than real world, because who’s going to stand in water like that? But in others it’s easier, because the feet aren’t moving. Whatever your thoughts on the applicability to real world, it is at least informative and in this case the boots passed with flying colors and zero water intrusion.
An additional note on water: the tongue is gusseted, meaning it is attached to the upper of the boot. The attachment point is at the 5th eyelet on my boots, but the way the gusseting lays the actual protection is in line with the 3rd eyelet, giving me 4 inches (in size 44) of solid water protection.
So, the short version on protection is:
- Water? Good!
- Snow? TBD (To be determined – will get back to you when I know more)
- Ice? TBD
- Cold? TBD (they say they’ve tested it down to -20°C / -4°F and I find them really quite warm at average temperatures)
How do they feel?
The sole is marketed as highly flexible. Right out of the box I was like “NO way, this is not flexible!” But after wearing them for an hour I tried again and you can see that yes, they really are that flexible, which is impressive, considering that’s 13 mm beneath your feet.
The lining is soft and the insole is comfortable. I would not recommend taking it out, as beneath the insole you can feel a line down the center part of the sole. I don’t feel this at all with the insole in place.
For Patrol, they improved the toebox shape and added extra room for pinky toes, but I have found already that I will not be wearing these with my thickest toe socks. I don’t normally wear those anyway, but I like to find out the limits right away to help you all make an informed decision. I can max out, but my pinkie toe is squished by the upper. Thinner toe socks or regular socks will be fine. This means there is a great wide width in the toe box. If you’re a super-splayer, though, watch out. I’m about 11 cm (varies by socks) in a size 44.
Ground feel is not going to match something that’s 3-5 mm thick, but it’s higher than you’d think, considering the thickness.
Cleaning and Care
These wipe down so easily. I’ll do my best not to get the inside really dirty, though, as it would be hard to get them dry if you have to scrub something out. My personal recommendation with vegan materials is to always wear socks. Some of them harbor bacteria more easily than natural materials and once you get a smell inside, you’ll be hard-pressed to get it out again. I break this rule constantly myself as I’ve come to value as much toe freedom as possible, but I still share it in case you are prone to this issue. Prevention is the best approach.
Purchasing and Returns
You can purchase Patrol directly from Feelgrounds for $169 and they do offer returns internationally. There are varying shipping options, including expedited. If you have more narrow feet and would like a good deal, check out last year’s model for a discount. There are a few sizes left at the time of update on this blog.
Final Thoughts
I am excited to fully test the updated Patrol this winter. I’ve always been impressed at how flexible they are with a sole this thick, and looking forward to putting them through the paces in real cold weather. I love that Feelgrounds has proven that you can have both style AND great barefoot shoes, even in winter. The updates with the softer upper help those of us with wider feet enjoy them even more.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
Looking for Winter?
Take a look at this BIG list.
Love color or need a specific type of shoe?
Check out the other BIG lists here.
