I bought these for me and me alone, because I love barefoot shoes and I don’t have nearly enough pink in my life. I eyed them all summer and then took the plunge. I wasn’t even going to review them, but they’ve only been reviewed 1 other place that I see, and I’ve gotten questions from other barefoot shoes-lovers, especially people with wide feet, so here we are with my own take on Hanami.
Disclaimer: I bought these myself and all thoughts are my own. If you use any of my links to make a purchase, a small portion will go to support this blog and that is appreciated. Because Wildling uses both a US/CA and an international site, the links are different.
If you are in the US/CA, the international link will still get you to the right section, but there are some extra steps involved to get to the right portion, so it’s best to use the direct US/CA link.
Sections
Company Information
Wildling believes in 3 main things (US/CA link) – ecological responsibility, relationships, and corporate action, and at every turn they live up to them. Check out their Stories section (US/CA link) for additional information, my kiddos are one of them, and for additional information, their History (Int. link) and their Team (Int. link) to see how they were formed, grew, and are led today.
Technical Specifications
- Upper: Fantasy weave (67% certified organically grown cotton, 33% linen) – in the color cherry blossom pink
- Mid-sole: 100% certified organically grown cotton
- Insole: (sewn in place) hemp-flax fleece (50% hemp, 50% flax)
- Outsole: Synthetic rubber and cork with 50% recycled material
- Sizes: 23-48 across the Wildling (kids) and Rewild (adults) categories
- Does not contain materials of animal origin
Appearance
The Hanami model is a mix of pink and a soft, light grey. The pink is much stronger than it looks in many pictures, including the outfit pictures below. Cameras underplay it vastly, but in person it looks more like this (even a little stronger still) than the washed-out look you see after that:
Pink and grey itself is a pretty strong combination that gets your attention, but I find it pairs well with light patterning in cool colors like this:
It would also look good with blue jeans and a range of t-shirts, sweaters, or blouses.
Fit
Wildling terms this as good for wider feet, which definitely intrigued me, and others as well. I got questions, but I couldn’t answer them. My experience is that the insoles of Wildling come out to a medium width – 10 cm or so in my size 43 Tanuki (this one is not removable). The sole is more like 11 cm, and very flexible to spread outward easily, with flaps at the ball that can accommodate the location that most people’s feet are the widest because of shoes. It should be the toes, but pointy toe boxes have done many/most people in on that.
Note: you shouldn’t wear shoes where your feet are past the soles, and all Wildling soles are the same in the same size, with only the uppers changing. Point above being that Wildling does its best to give you the most opportunity to wear the shoes with different widths (verses a hard-walled sole that doesn’t expand). And, with adequate end space, most people will succeed.
If you’re especially low volume, you may find this too generous, but I think most people will find it fits them well. I find it great, and not on the highest end either. My eyelets are pretty spread out, which is an indication that higher-than-average volumes are using an above-average amount of the available fabric spread. It works, and it looks good, but I wouldn’t call it a high-volume shoe.
The toe box is fairly squared-off, which I favor for my gently sloped feet and I think it gives the most people the best chance to use the shoes.
The heel is not especially narrow or wide, and the shoes close down well for good security for most feet.
Sizing
Wildlling’s website indicates that they run a little larger and people between sizes should size down. Using my Plus 12 on my size 43s (I keep saying my size because things don’t always scale the same up and down the chart) I get slightly shorter than Eden and Tanuki, but those have been worn longer, so have probably stretched. In my experience, you can follow the sizing chart and expect them to fit very similarly to other low-cut models. The Facebook community groups for Wildling shoes can be great for getting exact internal lengths of Wildling shoes by model and size, if you’re in doubt.
For reference, my foot is 26.8 cm long, and these measure 28 cm with the Plus 12, giving me the 12 mm extra that I seek, as sized by my larger foot.
There are several ways to reach your Wildling size. On each product page, there is a Sizing section that links to the Fitkit (printable templates) which are used to assess your optimal length. They do not show you width, however. If you do not have a printer, you can click No printer available? and get a PDF that gives you optimal foot lengths by size. If you have never measured before, check out this page for tips.
I recommend using the No printer link for everyone, honestly, and if you’re buying from the US/CA site but are used to EU sizes, on the same sizing page you can see a link at the bottom called EU sizes for reference needed? and I highly suggest checking it. The US sizes given do not always correlate with what you’d expect. As an example, my 43 is typically a women’s 11.5 in US sizes, but Wildling lists it as a women’s 10.
How do they feel?
While Tanuki feels a bit rough and paper-y (since it’s made out of a paper mix) and Eden feels like a light fabric drape this feels more like putting on a T-shirt you really like. The outside is like a light/medium canvas, but the inside has a softness that feels great on sockless feet.
As always, they fully live up to the Wildling flexibility promise with their thin, super-barefoot soles:
The generous toes are evident as well, even as the sole is the same as other models. A lot of people want a definitive answer as to which model is the most generous. Out of the box, Tanuki feels the tightest, but it’s the stretchiest, which means you can cinch it tighter and get the laces closer together, hence why you see it that way below. It will also stretch the most, making it (over time) the most generous option.
Eden 
Hanami 
Tanuki
They’re not that different. Today, Eden feels the most toe-free, but really they all work well on my high volume feet with an above-average splay for my size.
Cleaning and Care
Without any additional spraying, these shoes will soak up water pretty quickly. Check out my Wombat review from last year for the run-down on spraying them to reduce this. The short version is that it works, and you can spray every part of this upper, but it will change the color, generally with darkening.
Wilding are so flexible, that I find it best to let dirt simply dry and then knock them together. Debris on the sole can be brushed off, or simply worn off. Since the shoes flex like your feet, nothing much sticks around.
If you stain them, you’ll want to do gentle handwashing and not put them in the washing machine or dryer.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Returns
At the time of posting, every size of Hanami is available except the 2 smallest kids’ sizes. These shoes really flew under the radar.
Adult purchase link for US/CA customers
Adult purchase link for International customers
Shipping from Wildling is about $10 and they do accept returns, with the first being free. They have a very smooth return service through their site that makes it easy anywhere DHL serves.
Final Thoughts
I really like how these feel and fit. I’ve been a Tanuki fan for almost my entire barefoot shoes journey, and love that cut, which translates so nicely to this softer fabric and thicker feel. While Tanuki is great for getting wet or dirty and not worrying about it, these are perfect for a little bit more dressed up times and they feel great, even on sockless feet. Enjoy!
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.