Mukishoes kids’ barefoot shoes look so good with fun colors and cool lines on top of some great barefoot features. Kids need great minimalist footwear too for healthy development, and I love that Mukishoes moved into this area in 2020. They sent us 2 pairs for my younger 2 kids to review (sizes 27 and 35), but all thoughts are my own.
Mukishoes Kids models can be purchased directly on their website and you can save 10% with my affiliate discount code OWBMUKI.
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Company Information
Mukishoes was started by Madlen and Marta, who are also the designers of the shoes. They’ve been around since 2018 and are focused on creating healthy, minimalist shoes with a great look and sustainable production. They take every opportunity, nay, are truly dedicated, to finding local sources of materials and visit their suppliers in person. They also seek out materials that would otherwise be wasted and make use of them in their designs.
Technical Specifications
Mini Moss (model we received):
- Upper: Green hemp dyed with GOTS pigments
- Lining: Patterned cotton flannel with water-repellant TEX membrane
- Sole: Tan 2.5 mm 100% natural rubber sole
- Elastic laces
Creek (model we received):
- Upper: Blue chrome-free leather
- Lining: Pumpkin Burel wool
- Sole: White 2.5 mm 100% natural rubber sole
- Elastic laces
- Upper: Bordeaux Burel wool
- Lining: Patterened organic cotton lining with water-repellant TEX membrane
- Sole: Tan 2.5 mm 100% natural rubber sole
- Elastic laces
- Upper: Black organic cotton
- Lining: Black organic cotton with water-repellant TEX membrane
- Sole: Black 2.5 mm 100% natural rubber sole speckled with recycled cork
- Elastic laces
- Upper: Organic cotton (Deadstock)
- Lining: Deadstock cotton
- Sole: 100% natural rubber sole
- Elastic laces
- 100% Vegan
Nimbus Play (adult Nimbus is reviewed here):
- Upper: Chrome-free leather
- Lining: Organic cotton
- Sole: 100% natural rubber sole
- Velcro closure
- Upper: Organic cotton (Deadstock)
- Lining: Deadstock cotton
- Sole: 100% natural rubber sole
- Velcro closure
- 100% Vegan
All are available in sizes 24-35.
Appearance and Toe Box
The toebox shape of these shoes is nice and rounded, and all of the designs are colorful and fun. They’ll work beautifully for fashion-forward kids, but some kids looking to fit in more with typical American sneaker looks may balk at their difference. I hope not, though, as I think these are one of the top brands for looks in the kids’ barefoot shoes market.
No pics with these on, and you’ll see why below.
Sizing
Mukishoes has a lovely, detailed sizing chart for their kids’ line and grown-up shoes.
The best way to size any shoe is to measure you or your kids’ feet and add 12 mm of extra space. This research has shown the importance of that gap to allow your big toes optimal movement. Kids can also use up to 17 mm of extra space to allow their feet to continue growing for several months without losing that necessary extra gap. If you are unsure how to size, check out this post.
Fit
If you look at the soles you can see that they expand greatly at the forefoot for a nice, open toebox, especially in the smaller size. But what you must consider is where they start, which is a midfoot and heel that’s best for kids with narrow to medium width feet. If your kids have this type of foot, you’re fortunate that these will give them a nice snug fit at the back, with plenty of toe room at the front.
However, if your kids’ feet are wide and high volume (like mine 😩) then these are not going to be the best fit for you. This is exactly what happened when we received them and are sad to find out that these super cool, fun, healthy shoes, will not work for our kids.
If your kids are low-volume and more narrow, you’re in luck. Kids with skinny ankles will also find an optimal fit here. The elastic laces give a secure fit.
Feeling
Because my kids couldn’t wear these, we can’t get fully into things like breaking in, but the shoes are flexible, light, and soft, especially in the leather of the Creek model. If your kids have flatter, medium width feet, they should love the feel of them. They’ll do what kids’ barefoot shoes should do – let your kids’ feet just be feet.
Care
This will vary based on the model. Wool needs a different kind of care from canvas and leather, which can be waterproofed with a spray or a wax. Oils will clog up chrome-free leather, though.
- Mini Moss: A firm brush works well to remove dried stains, with a wet cloth ideal for deeper penetration. Never machine wash or dry. Canvas can be treated with a water-repelling wax such as Otter Wax, if desired, to add to the protection already present from the TEX membrane.
- Creek: Wipe or brush off stains. It’s very soft, so avoid anything harsh. If you spray the outer upper, avoid spraying the wool lining. Do not oil the leather with something like mink oil, but it could be waxed to protect it. Never machine wash or dry.
- Swirl: Wool is naturally water-repellant and should not be sprayed or waxed. There are products to re-lanolinize wool, but that’s a special process. Brush off stains and never machine wash or dry. These are membrane, so should be protective in wet conditions. No machine washing or drying.
- Spark: Firm brush on dry stains with a wet cloth on deeper ones. No machine wash or dry. These have a membrane, but if you want to up the protection you can wax the canvas as well. Don’t forget stitching along the sole, which is also a potential water entry point on any shoe.
- Hunny: Scrub off dry dirt and use local treatments for deeper spots. Handwash only, never machine wash or dry.
- Nimbus Play: Protect the leather and stitching with a natural wax. Hand-scrub dry dirt and use a local treatment or wet cloth for stains. Gently handwash and never machine wash or dry.
- Woozle Play: Remove dry dirt with a brush and treat local spots with care or a gentle handwash. Never machine wash or dry.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Returns
Mukishoes kids’ shoes are now available on their main site: mukishoes.com. Prices start at €60 before the 10% OWBMUKI discount code, plus shipping, if you’re in Europe.
If you’re in the US, the price will drop with the removal of VAT once you put in your location. Once all is said and done – discount added, VAT removed – the price basically goes right back to where you start, give or take a Euro. One perk, though, is that the worldwide shipping is a flat rate, so if you’re buying for multiple kids the price won’t go up with each new pair.
You can return Mukishoes, but you’ll need to read their full policies to understand the process for your particular location.
Shipping is completed by DHL Express, which is always fast across the globe. Once your shoes leave Portugal, you’ll see them in just a few days.
Final Thoughts
I’m sad my kids can’t wear these shoes. I personally adore Mukishoes. I have a ton of them and have already reviewed Cloud Canvas, Plum, and Chelsea Cork here on the blog. I’m glad, though, for those of you who can. These are primo barefoot shoes with great looks for kids and I love that they are available. Enjoy them!
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
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