Peerko continues to look for new ways to make barefoot shoes that people will love. Their cuts are elegant and fit different volumes well and the shoes always feel like they will last. I’ve reviewed Go and Classic 2.0 before, I have the beyond-amazing Empire model as well. But how does Mood stack up to the rest? Keep reading, and we’ll see.
Disclaimer: I am not a Peerko affiliate and only the Pedterra link on this page has any financial impact on me. I did receive this pair for review as a gift from Peerko, but all thoughts are my own.
Sections
Company Information
Peerko is a fairly new brand that started out in 2018 via crowdfunding with canvas shoes and expanded into leather in 2020. I have a brand feature page on them here because they’re one of my favorites, and they’re somewhat unknown in the US due to having no direct shipping option (yet). There are ways to get them, however, and I got my first taste via the UK retailer Happy Little Soles. Once you get them, you know you’ve found something good.
Their mission is to deliver shoes that meet these standards:
healthy
good looking
comfortable
high quality
made ethically
And I, for one, think they deliver. Peerko feels like sneakers, upgraded. Check out more about them on their international site.
Technical Specifications
- Model: Mood Chilli
- Upper: Leather
- Insole: Leather
- Outsole: recyclable thermoplastic rubber 3.5 mm thick with 1.5 mm profile
- Sizes: 37-45, but availability in the smallest and largest sizes may vary by model
- 3 other Mood colors available – Midnight, River, and Forest
Appearance
Peerko as a brand is a mix of elegant and playful. Their Classics can be a muted solid color or look as vibrant as stained glass. They have the Smart for urban/business, Street with a dramatic accent stripe, and Celebrate with ribbons. Not to mention their combat Go boots and the show-stopping Empire. Honestly, I’m getting sidetracked here. Check out the feature page I made on Peerko for more info.
The Mood model goes vintage with accent panels in contrasting colors (unless you go Midnight which has the same construction but less of a 2-tone look). This Chilli model has a grey sole and laces while the other have white soles, laces, and heel accents. I go back and forth about that choice. I have a red and white shoe and it is sometimes criticized for that stark combination. I think if you focus on the grey here, you don’t love it, but if you focus on the red then the grey is the perfect background that doesn’t compete with the bright colors. That’s what ends up happening, but I want to mention the grey head-on anyway.
I’ve mixed these a variety of ways. In addition to the looks below, I’d put them with directly with strong red in a heartbeat, such as a red and white dress I have. They’re great as a complementary color, like with the blue and green dresses, or as a pure pop of color like the jean capris and sweater.
Fit
Peerko pulls off something few brands do – they look and fit great at different volumes. They’re not spacious on me, but feel like a perfect fit, and they do the same on much smaller volumes as well. They are wide and the toe box is more spacious than it appears. The sole is also walled, meaning not as thick as it appears from the outside, but does not feel restrictive or uncomfortable as sometimes can be the case with such construction. Instead, it flexes well with your feet.
The leather is thick, soft to the touch, and holds it’s structure. Because it’s thick, it can feel a bit sticky if you go sockless.
If you’re low-volume, you will be cinching Peerko pretty close together, but the quality construction means that you shouldn’t see much if any drape in the material.
Sizing
Peerko’s sizing chart is detailed and accurate, except that the labels of width and length have been flipped, oops! You should measure your longest foot (tips here) and add space for to movement (info here) to get your correct size. Peerko also has sizing advice here.
Width can be helpful, but is rarely absolutely accurate because shoes are not metal boxes, so the height and volume of your foot also play into how much width you have, as well as the softness, flexibility, and height of the shoe’s upper. Usually, we have a little more because of these factors, and because we measure our width from above/outside with what we see but what we walk on is smaller than this value. We all have extra fleshy bits around the outside that we don’t walk on, while most shoe companies are giving you a value that’s more related to the part of the shoe you’re walking on, versus how much room you truly have in the upper.
Short version: these shoes are generously wide inside but there is is not a removable insole that I can check directly. The listed numbers look smaller than my experience. I’d put them wider than Feelgrounds Original and Be Lenka City but not as wide as Be Lenka Champ or definitely not as wide as the Wide Bohempia Kolda.
How do they feel?
The shoes are very flexible, but the stack height is not the most minimalist out there once you get sole + extras in there. It feels thicker than super-barefoot shoes, but not cushy. The materials are firm and flexible beneath your feet.
I often forget to take squish pictures, and some people criticize their necessity (feet don’t roll, y’all!) but it’s good to know that you won’t have to fight your shoe and that it has no reinforcement or material stabilizers that will inhibit your movement – and that applies to both roll, which needs to go further than fold, and the the twist in the last picture. Feet move in all different directions, so the shoes should too, and more the better if these pictures can be done one-handed.
There is no break-in period but they may stretch some if you have very high volume feet. I didn’t notice it with these or the short Classics, but I did notice it with Go. My feet are high volume, but not the highest, though, and if you’re medium or less you likely would notice no changes at all.
The shoes are instantly comfortable and have no rough spots. I don’t think you could wear them in the heat of summer without socks without feeling some sweatiness, but I’ve worn all of my Peerkos at times with no socks and it feels great. They hold firmly to my feet and don’t rub.
Cleaning and Care
It’s a great idea to waterproof leather shoes right away for both stain and water protection, but it may darken the leather a bit. I have compiled a products list here with some notes about what I’ve used. Peerko has a PDF at this link that includes cleaning, treatment, and weatherproofing tips along with the standard advice for almost every pair of barefoot shoes out there: do not machine wash or dry them.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Returns
Peerko is very close to going worldwide with their shipping but,at the moment the best place to get Mood specifically is through Happy Little Soles. You can get other Peerko via PedTerra.com with free shipping and returns in the US, and save 10% if it’s your first order by using my affiliate code OWBSHOES. See the brand feature page for other shop options.
Final Thoughts
I love Peerko, and have since the first time I put them on. I don’t think this color scheme will be for everyone but I’m obviously a huge fan of red and it was an easy choice for me. The thing is, Peerko is covering a lot of bases with their options, so if red, or the panels, are not for you, then you can easily find something else you’d like, be it for casual needs, business wear, or show-shopping boots, in their offerings.
They fit great, you can feel the quality, and I’m always behind brands that let their fun side show – with vibrant colors and patterns that give people the opportunity to express themselves in their barefoot shoes.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
Want to check out other lists, such as color and type break-downs?
Check out all the BIG lists here.