Tikki sandals are great for an elegant barefoot shoes look around town, at the office, or at special events. The handmade leather construction is durable, attractive, and comfortable. What else would you need in your zero drop, minimalist sandals?
I wanted colorful Tikki last year, but these sandals don’t stay in stock and could only get Vibe in black in my size at the end of summer (after trying a beautiful golden Soul model that’s not good for high volume feet, which you can see on Instagram here or on YouTube here). I was instantly impressed, and am excited to finally have the weather, and for Tikki to have stock again, so I can review them all for you.
Disclaimer: I bought both pictured pairs of Vibe myself, and I am not an affiliate of Tikki shoes.
Sections
Technical specifications
- Color for outfit pics: Infinity Black
- Color for detail pics: Dusty Pink
- Upper: Premium Leather
- Lining: Chrome-Free Leather
- Insole: Vegetable Tanned Leather
- Sole: 6 mm Vibram Super Newflex
- 9 Color Options
Company
First, go check out their About Us page just to enjoy the beautiful beach view. That’s a happy family at a beautiful location! Hands-down my favorite ‘about us’ picture on any company, anywhere.
Tikki has been family-oriented since the beginning, starting with 2 professionals, Maria and Adrian, who wanted a better way – which is a recurring theme in barefoot shoes. We. Want. Better.
Read about their materials here and check out their Instagram with posts like this and this showing their workshop.
Appearance
They’re a classy sandal that could work for business, church, casual days around town, and many other options. While you can take these on adventures, they’re not a rugged shoe, per se. They come in a range of colors, including both leather (what I bought last year) and vegan options in black.
Being black, I’ve put them with virtually anything in my closet with ease.
Neutrals:
Don’t judge the shoes by my sweater face. It’s 100% that I wanted to have something here with pants, but the sun came out and I got a serious case of sweater hate.
Colors:
I think you can tell which clothes bring the most joy. Some people love being elegant, and neutral, and sleek and…. yeah, naw, not me. Bring on the color.
I can’t resist putting in more shot with one of the most comfortable, fun, and colorful dresses in the world, and the jean jacket I just can’t stop wearing even as it warms up.
I recently placed a new order for the colorful ones I wanted last year, and I look forward to having just as much fun pairing my colorful Tikkis now too. With 2 pinks, a couple of neutrals, both black options, and a vibrant Turquoise that maybe, probably, definitely came with this order, I can get my color fix all summer long.
Fit
The longest point on the shoe by a small bit is for the second toe, but the curve is fairly gentle on the shoe, and most people can do well with this model thanks to that and the adjustable strap working for different volumes. Lower volume people may have strap extending toward the outer edge to get it tight enough, while high volume people will generally be able to get their fit without any velcro showing, as I do.
Tikki sandals have a wide forefoot (4.5 inches in size 42). Unless you’re a super-splayer, you should do well here.
The sandals should work for all ankle thicknesses as well. I fall at the upper end of that and am comfortably using the final hole with no digging or discomfort.
Caution here: don’t let your toes be buried. You want to have the minimum extra space at the front so that the strap falls at the right point on your feet for security and comfort. Getting the right size against the chart (below) is key.
But don’t get too judge-y on pictures, either. Just a few seconds apart and my feet look totally different in the shoes.
Sizing
Tikki has detailed sizing information available from any product page with a click or tap on the Size Guide. It will pop up all the charts and measuring advice. For convenience, here is the sizing chart for women’s sandals, and it is accurate.
Most people are down one size from their normal in Tikki sandals. This is because 1) they’re open-toed sandals, but also 2) that Tikki’s more rounded shape makes it very easy for more people to wear the sandals without needing to size up. I’m a size 43 in most closed-toed shoes and some sandals, but a 42 in these with 7 mm of extra space and a nice, close fit. In sandals, you only need a minimum of extra space to avoid walking off the sole, with something like 1/2 a cm for a perfect shape match to allow some natural forward movement of your feet while walking. You can in the angled foot that I’m right on the sole, with no extra room, but in the flat foot that extra space would likely be a tripping hazard.
How do they feel?
They’re the most comfortable dress sandal I own, without a doubt. At first, the front strap overlay felt very thick and pushed on my feet, but with about 1 day of wear, it softened. The footbed is instantly comfortable, largely due to the Vibram chosen, which has a nice thickness and squish to them. My mother, right at the beginning of her transition, wore hers non-stop. Other people who don’t wear barefoot shoes have tried them on and were instantly impressed with the feel. They’re lovely to wear, right away.
With wear, they mold to your feet on the footbed as well, and may crack over time at the edges (from images I’ve seen of others). You can probably minimize this through some leather care to keep the leather moisturized but it’s not something I’ve done at this point.
The visible attachments under the leather do not bother me at all. I’ve never noticed them, but I have seen at least one person comment on them before.
Cleaning and Care
Tikki recommends that you clean the leather only with a leather care product. You can find some options here. They also caution against rapid drying, advising that you keep the shoes away from direct heat sources such as radiators. You should also avoid submerging them for a long period in water and never machine wash or dry them. The full details are under the Maintenance and Warranty tab on every product page.
Purchasing and Returns
Tikki shoes can be purchased directly from the company world-wide, with the exception of the UK for now. But in May of 2021 the retailer Happy Little Soles is getting new stock of Tikki, so keep an eye out if you’re looking for some.
DHL shipping is available from both sites (optional at HLS but highly recommended vs USPS), which usually arrives in one week or less.
If you’re in the US and ordering one pair, the cost comes out to close to $100 for a single pair, with about 1/5 of that as shipping. You can get the cost down by convincing your friends and family they need some Tikki too and sharing shipping costs, or eliminating them entirely.
At the time of writing, the deep bronze model is only about $63.
Final thoughts
When it comes to downsides, it is hard to even think of one here. The buckle – that’s it. The curve of the metal can make it a little slow to insert the leather, so I’ve resorted to the questionable choice of putting them off and on without undoing it. That’s all I can think of to counter-balance how much I enjoy their comfort, how well the style goes with EVERYTHING, and how great it is to have an adjustable fit at the front that holds tight and gives me a good hold without restriction. They’re great shoes.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
Love color or need a specific type of shoe?
Check out the BIG lists here.
