It’s that time again – Wildling Shoes is dropping fall models today and later this month, and we have the privilege of testing out 4 of these ultimate barefoot shoes models for you: Mudança, Panther, Marten, and Blackbird. They were gifted for review, which we’ll be doing, but below we have a first look for you to peruse.
Disclaimer: I am an affiliate of Wildling Shoes and if you make your purchase using any of the links below then a small portion will go to support this blog and other channels where I share barefoot shoes.
Available individual Wildling Shoes reviews are always available here.
Sections
The Collection
Wildling Shoes (international link) / Wildling Shoes US/CA has split this into 2 different collections and they cover a range of colors, styles, sizes, and warmth levels. You can get completely vegan models like Mudança and Panther, or go with woolen options like Blackbird for additional warmth. The first half of the collection releases September 4th and the rest release on September 25th. Wildling intentionally does this so they can maintain their goals of sustainability and slow fashion. By slowing down they can have shorter production runs, save resources, and not have to exceed their storage for limited-time capacity overages. They’re always evolving (Mudança means change in Portuguese) but they never stray from their core beliefs.
Note: at the end, you can find a sizing help section to cut through some confusion.
Wildling is doing great to add fit notes to the models, whether it’s about them running small (usually due to wool lining) or having a longer and wider fit, which refers to a more generous upper but does not mean the sole itself has changed.
Mudança
For myself, I chose the model Mudança in size 43 (now reviewed in full on this page), which is a white boot suitable for all-year wear. I’ve already had it out, enjoying the slightly cooler weather:
Zooming in, you can see that it’s not quite a bright white, but it’s close and will generally work very well slotted into that role, or as a bright accent hightop/boot.
The upper of Mudança is 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton with a microfiber edging and off-white outsole.
Wildling lists this as a Limited Edition with a slightly longer and wider fit. This is evidenced by an upper that is a little extra generous and I can feel that, making my toes (wide foot) happy with socks or really happy without them.
Mudança contains no products of animal origin and is available in Adult and Kids sizing.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Panther
The full review of Panther (with sister model Elderberry) is now available here.
My oldest chose Panther in size 41 (yes, he’s 12 and really only 2 sizes from stealing my barefoot shoes), which is a tall, denim-like boot that’s a dark grey-black.
He’s taken to them instantly and says they feel great. I like the thicker-feeling lining which gives them a cozy warmth, the high flexibility of the upper, and the overall look. It’s perfect for something with a little edgier/rougher feeling and he’s telling me I should buy my own pair. (Maybe so he knows he’ll be able to steal it in 2 sizes?!)
The upper of Panther is 100% organic cotton with a black outsole.
This is another listed as slightly longer and wider fit and his immediate happiness (also wide feet) attests to that.
Couple of extra pics of the up-close detail on the denim material:
Panther contains no products of animal origin and is available in Adult and Kids sizing.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Marten
My youngest was instantly drawn to Marten, a boot cut in natural brown tones. He’s wearing size 31 here and we have a full review for you on this page.
This is one of the best for water repellency as it has a Bootie Construction. You can up that with spray on any microfiber or cotton, but do not spray wool. Note that this will darken fabric slightly and you can see a deeper discussion of it in the Wombat review linked below.
It’s made of 100% cotton with a cream-colored outsole:
It has an average fit (not especially generous or small in fit).
Marten contains no products of animal origin and is available in Adult and Kids sizing.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Blackbird
My middle has Blackbird in size 36. It’s a short cut, lined in wool. For the full review of this model, check out our review page.
This is one of 2 in the first drop that’s wool-lined (the other is the green Fir model). A fully wool model will drop in the 2nd half of the collection and it’s colored a little differently than the wool Wombat I have had since last year, but you can check out that review to learn about wool Wildlings and how they fit.
Blackbird is 100% recycled cotton on the outside and 100% virgin wool on the inside.
Because of the wool (and this is typical) the model runs smaller than other models.
Also because of the wool, I’m not sure how much he’s going to love them. Wool can be a gamble for kids, which is probably why they only offer this in adult sizes.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Additional Models (First Half of Collection)
Fir is cotton and wool in a green boot that is available in Adults, Kids, and Toddlers sizing. May run smaller due to wool lining, but that’s not listed.
Wildling US/CA Link
Wapiti/Caribou is a burnished orange cotton and hemp-flax-fleece boot with a slightly longer and wider fit (upper only, not sole).
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Additional Models (Second Half of Collection)
Elderberry is a mid-cut like Mudança, only with a bright burgundy pop. It has the same lining as Panther and fits similarly generous. I ended up buying this model for myself, and the review is available here.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Grizzly is also mid-cut (a favorite height) with a Tweed-like wool upper and lining in 100% wool. Shoes lined in wool tend to fit more snuggly in length and volume and a lot of people size up, as I did last year with Wombat, but they mention that these run more generous in the front. If you’re lower volume you’re probably not going to want to size up.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Barn Owl is very similar in design to Grizzly, but offers a natural unbleached wool look.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Astron is their tall boot with an ankle strap that comes in a deep blue with color flecks. It is listed as fitting the same as Grizzly and Barn Owl in the front of the foot. In the previous models, shafts like this were best for medium and narrow calves, but this one may work better for all calf types.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
North Wolf looks like a dark version of the Wombat, but also mentions being generous at the front so weigh that when sizing. If you’re going to add a Wooly insole (the new version of the Felty I mention in the Wombat review) then lean heavily toward sizing up.
Wildling US/CA Adult Link
Wildling International Adult Link
Sizing Help
Wildling has exhaustive sizing resources, but at first glance things can still be confusing. If you’re in the EU, things are a bit easier as your EU sizes are shown and they tend to be accurate. But if you’re in the US, you’re shown US sizes that are very confusing and, in many sizes, inaccurate. They’re working on some changes to the US site, but they’re not there yet, so here’s what you do:
First, on every product page, there’s a link straight to the Size Guide next to the available sizes. In the US definitely check out this page.
There are also sizing tips for each model down below, so read those before you hop to the Size Guide:
It’s really important to say again: ‘wider’ and ‘longer’ refer to the upper only. The soles do not change. If it’s the same size in one model vs another, the soles will be identical. The upper, however, can be more or less generous which gives you extra volume and wiggle room for your toes. Please don’t use that to have your feet walking outside the bounds of the sole, however.
Once you click/tap through to the Size Guide, you will see these options:
Most of that is referencing how to use the Fit Kit, which requires a printer. It’s very well done, with guidelines for adult feet, kids’ feet, growing room, and more. It does not give you an accurate width, so don’t freak out about that. It is critical that you have your printer set correctly to get the right scale, or you can get a size that’s way off.
I prefer using measurements. My kids have never stood on the FitKits – we use the No printer available? link, measure, and compare. If you’ve never measured, my tips for that are on this page and if you are unsure how much space you need then check out this resource.
For the US customers who have ordered before, definitely use that last link to figure out which US size matches the EU size you’ve used before. The conversions will trip you up. I still feel odd every time I say I’m W10/M9 because that’s more than a size off my real US size.
And, lastly, keep in mind that wool lining very often makes the shoes fit smaller and requires you size up by 1 to get the same toe space.
Final Thoughts
We love it when Wildling drops new models. They always delight with their color choices and collections and have a little something for everyone. The 2nd half of the collection will bring new twists as well, so stay tuned for more in a few weeks!
Want reviews?
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