Mukishoes Nimbus – A Full Review

The new Nimbus barefoot shoes model from Mukishoes combines elements of soft leather, light, minimalist footwear, and the perfect level of natural accents for a classic look that will pair with just about anything you can imagine.

Disclaimer: I bought these shoes myself and the review is all mine, but I am an affiliate of Mukishoes and if you use the discount code below (yay, savings!) I do receive a portion back.

That discount? OWBMUKI, and it knocks 10% right off the price of any Mukishoes, which I’ve reviewed multiple times before. You can always find all the reviews, including 4 other Muki reviews, here.

Technical specifications:

• Upper: chrome free / vegetable tanned leather off white
• Lining: organic cotton
• Sole: natural rubber, 3.5 mm thick
• Sizes: 36-48

Company:

Mukishoes is all about sustainability – from the fabrics they choose, to the suppliers they do business with, to the size of their batches. They are highly conscious of all of our impacts on the environment, including the apparel industry, and do all they can to be good stewards of resources and responsible consumer behaviors. Read all about the founders here and about their current activities on their blog.

Appearance:

The Nimbus model from Mukishoes gives you a very classic minimalist look with the white upper, the medium brown natural rubber sole, and the corresponding soft brown accent on the heel. While I love a good all-white sneaker (such as the Cloud Canvas I’ve reviewed here before) you can really elevate your look with some strategic accents and they’ve pulled it off beautifully here.

I’ve worn Nimbus with a formal all-black look:

A casual dress:

And a colorful ensemble that’s casual-chic:

The low-key design holds up beautifully in any setting and goes almost as well with anything in the closet as the all-white Cloud does.

Fit:

Mukishoes have always been a high-volume godsend for those of as in that zone, but the newer models in 2020/2021 are coming down into the range of medium width and medium/high volume (depending on model). Because this model comes in a little short against the sizing chart, which I’ll discuss more below, you may need to size up, which then puts it back into the wide / high volume area. That’s where I’m at. I sized up, and it’s perfect on my wide, high-volume feet.

If you’re more narrow or low-volume, you should still be able to get a good fit here, as the ankle is close-cut, and the laces can be tightened quite a bit from where they fall on higher volume. If you haven’t thought about it before, socks do add volume and comparing my high-volume, sockless feet above to your medium-volume feet in socks gets us a lot closer than you think. Anyway, on to…

Sizing:

Mukishoes did something great on this model and immediately said “The Nimbus model can be between 2-4mm smaller than other fabric models, due to the materials used for this model.”

I love this!

Muki models are all made of different materials, and that makes the results vary a bit in the final product. It’s great – you get some really unique feels between the different models. But it’s really important that we know how things like length may vary and I love, love, LOVE that they came right out and said this.

Kinda a sizing nerd.

If you’re loving your big toe with an extra 12 mms of space, or something close to that, then 2-4 mms can make a huge difference in getting a good fit or coming in short. This would have been the case for me, dropping me down to possibly less than 1 cm of space, and, with the trend for newer Mukis to feel less wide and less voluminous, it was a no-brainer to go ahead and size up and bring myself well into the range of happy toes.

The resulting 44s fell right in the middle of that, 3 mms below the Muki sizing chart, and giving me 1.7 cm of extra space, right the top of a general 12-17 mm goal. Score!

The only caveat to this is if you’re narrow and/or low volume, you can expect that you might need some helper materials like an insole to take up extra space.

Following sizing charts, measuring, and looking for details like models running short is key to getting a great fit. If you don’t know how to measure, check out this post. And, for reference, here’s the Mukishoes sizing chart:

PS: there are labels inside Mukis too. Ignore them. This sizing chart, plus any tips, are what you need for accurate measurements.

How do they feel?

The leather is soft immediately, like you could just squish it in your hands. This means it’s very light on your feet right away. It’s so soft it doesn’t develop particular deep creases either. Everything just looks vintage and soft day 1. Did I mention soft? I did? Okay, then. You got it. It’s like the soft lining inside many shoes is on the outside. It just feels great, and as a result of this, molds great to your feet without any pressure or discomfort.

The 100% natural rubber sole is one of the most barefoot and flexible soles you can get. It’s also very grippy, giving you the best in ground feel, grip, and flexibility all in one package. I can’t oversell this sole.

Sometimes the top of the heel can rub in some Mukishoes models when you first get them, which both has to do with the material of the shoe and your particular size and shape at your heels. I don’t recall much of this happening here, but if you do have this issue then the best strategies are to either wear higher socks for a few wears, or add moleskin patches at the spot that bothers you. Either will give you the opportunity for the spot to soften and any discomfort to fade away.

Cleaning and Care:

These shoes should never be machine washed or dried. The leather is smooth and most stains should wipe right off or be removed with gentle handwashing. It’s also a good idea to protect your leather with a product appropriate for smooth leather. Options here. Dirt can also easily be removed from the sole with a wet cloth.

Purchasing and Returns:

The list price of Nimbus is €120,00 with VAT included, but VAT is removed if you’re in a country not liable to pay it. In the US, the cost was just over €97 before adding the OWBMUKI discount code. Shipping €25, flat rate, which makes it tempting to get more pairs at once, since it won’t go up. And if you really love your Mukis, you can get free shipping at €300.

Final thoughts:

I haven’t met a pair of Mukishoes yet that I didn’t like, to be honest, but this one is special in its softness and enjoyability. It doesn’t do anything against your foot, just gives you the basic protections you want while letting you be completely free in a nice, attractive package. I love them, full stop.

Want more reviews?

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

Love color or need a specific type of shoe?

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