Bring a bit of bright sunshine into your life with Sol from Mukishoes. I bought my pair last year when they released, and now they’re back with a new and improved 100% natural rubber sole that gives you an unbeatable barefoot shoes experience.
You can get your own Sol here and the affiliate discount code OWBMUKI saves you 10%. You can also check out other Mukishoes reviews here on the blog (I have and love a lot of their shoes!): Cloud Canvas, Plum, and Chelsea Cork.
Technical specifications:
- 100% vegan
- Upper: organic cotton
- Lining: organic cotton
- Sole: natural rubber, 3.5 mm thick (at time of posting the site says recycled rubber, but that is a mistake and will be/has been corrected)
- Sizes: 36-48
Company:
Mukishoes is based in Portugal and helmed by Madlen and Marta, who also design the shoes. They focus on sustainability at every level: from local suppliers, to salvaging potentially wasted materials, and making small batches. They are about producing shoes that are good for your feet in more ways than one, and about keeping the business’ impact low on the environment and ethically run. Read about them here and check out the blog for more information.
Appearance:
They look like happiness on your feet, but then, I do love cheerful colors. I feature them prominently on one of my color lists, Golden Barefoot Shoes, and they are a joy to wear.
Being yellow, and a very bright one at that, they don’t go with everything under the sun (I’m so punny), but do go beautifully with blues, greys, and deep, rich, natural colors. Check out Mukishoes’ own color palette for inspiration.
I took like 5 million pics of these shoes for the review and had to narrow it down. I’ll wear them at least weekly when the weather warms up and know they go great with so many colors I love.
The material itself is in the middle of the weights for their shoes, with Cloud Canvas on the thick end and Plum on the lighter side of things.
What’s new:
The sole! Mukishoes started with a mixed-material sole with recycled rubber. At the end of 2020, they launched a new line and a new era with their change to 100% natural rubber, which appears on both the Plum and Chelsea Cork I’ve already reviewed, and on every other model from then on.
How does that change things from the model I have? For the most part: entirely for the better. The new sole takes an already flexible sole and makes the shoes lighter and even more flexible. The thickness is the same, but it feels so much thinner, giving you amazing ground feel and a completely unrestricted feeling.
It also improves the grip noticeably, and that never hurts. I’ve never felt that the old is slippery under normal conditions, but you feel far more gecko-like in these. I like it.
Fit and Sizing – they’re intertwined, especially here:
The flip side of the sole change is that it does change the fit a bit. The highly flexible sole is exactly the same size as the old sole, but feels a touch more narrow once everything is put together, moving me from a size 43 in socks with the old sole, to a size 43 sockless in new Plum, or a 44 with socks in Chelsea Cork and Azurit (to be reviewed). If you have old-sole Mukishoes, you will notice the difference.
What does this mean for you, though?
It depends on your feet. If you’re narrow, it won’t matter at all (and if low volume too, you’ll probably need an insole. If you’re medium width, it probably won’t matter either, and you still may be in the realm of an insole. However, if you have a really wide foot or a very wide splay, you might need a size up to have enough toe room. I have done that and been fine, but you do get extra length for your choice and have to take that into account.
I cannot recommend sizing up if you have low-volume feet, even if you’d benefit from the extra toe room. There’d just be too much room in the rest of your shoes to get a secure fit, and that’s a core part of barefoot shoes: a secure fit that avoids any need to ‘grip’ the shoes as you walk.
If those caveats didn’t leave you completely confused, here’s the sizing chart:
For optimal sizing, measure your feet, add 12 mm, and check the measurements for sizes. You should find them close to your expected by size.
How do they feel?
With the upper’s medium thickness, you may or may not have some breaking in at the back of the ankle opening. I’ve had it go either way with a new pair of Mukishoes. If you do have any stiffness there that bothers you, I recommend using moleskin pads for a couple of wears. My thick Cloud Canvas broke in quickly this way. I had no break-in for Sol, though.
These are going to feel very light on your feet, give great ground feel, and be easy to wear.
Cleaning and Care:
The new rubber sole’s increased flexibility means it doesn’t hold on to debris very often, but it does pick up stains more easily. They are quickly removed with a bit of water, cloth, and rubbing.
Canvas uppers like this can be hand washed to remove deeper stains, or use a brush to remove light/dried ones. Do not machine wash or mechanically dry your shoes.
Purchasing and Returns:
Sol is available directly from Mukishoes for 95 Euros as the base price, but with the 10% discount code OWBMUKI you drop the price, and if you’re in a country that does not require VAT, then it will drop further when you put in your address.
Shipping is via DHL Express, which I’ve always found to be fast and reliable.
Mukishoes accepts returns, and the process varies a little by country. Check out their policies here.
If you’re in the US, you can also keep an eye on PedTerra, which stocks Mukis in batches. OWBSHOES saves you 10% there (affiliate).
Final thoughts:
I am an affiliate of Mukishoes, but more than that I’m a huge fan. I’ve been collecting their models for a long time and love going to them for a casual, comfortable, highly-barefoot look. This particular pair of bright yellow shoes is cheerful and fun to wear. It will take any outfit to a level of fun that makes you smile, while your feet are able to move and groove any way you like: no restrictions and all the ground feel.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
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Thank you for the review! I have the Azurit and it’s a really nice sneaker. Your assessment is correct–an insole helps with the secure feeling for my medium-low volume foot. I don’t have a canvas Mukishoe, am curious how it compares to the leather. I love the Sol color. So fun!
I have Azurit as well and it will feel similar on the inside with the cloth lining, but the outside will be more like thin jeans, so a little less soft at first, but just like jeans feel like a really comfortable wear. The shape around your feet and ankles should be the same.