MukiShoes Review – Raw Leather Brown
Yay, they looked so much like my old sneakers. That is why I wanted them; I really missed shoes like those and hadn’t been able to find any barefoot shoes like them. I was relieved that they looked as I expected.
Colours: This model comes in brown and black. The lining is white/undyed wool.
Other: Extremely long shoes laces.
Upper
The upper feels like a good quality. It is a bit stiffer than I have gotten used to in barefoot shoes.
The upper is leather so with leather shoes impregnation it can keep some humidity out. It doesn not have a tex membrane though.
I noticed loose threads where sole and upper is sewn together. I contacted MukiShoes and they told me that the thread ends was because they try to avoid shoe glue. They want to make shoes from non-toxic materials.
That works very well with my feet, which have most of the width at the outside of the feet.
I could use a few mm more in width in these, but so I feel in practically all barefoot shoes that exist. I have massively wide feet (9,8 cm wide for my 22,3 cm, which is a size EU 36). I have just enough room for my high instep. And also room enough in the toebox height (I have thick feet too), but only just
The soles are MukiShoes’ own design. They feel soft, though not cusioned, is very flexible and provide good grip. I have good ground feel in these.
The sole continues sligthly up around the upper. Good for keeping out that morning dew.
They have a “bubbly” surface.
MukiShoes wrote this to me about the sole:
We designed it, inspired by natural shapes and organic forms to be resistant, flexible, thin, however strong, puncture resistant and with a good grip for various grounds.
The shoes are made in a way where insole and lining are sewn together, and then the sole is sewn to the uppers. That way the seams are exposed on the inside. If it was a conventional shoes, a cushioned insole would be placed on top. But since this is a barefoot shoe, and you want as little sole as possible, this is not done. Which means that you walk directly on the seams.
I am worried that it will cause the seams to be worn through fast. When I compare with my other barefoot shoes (I own Sole Runner, Freet, Tikki and LukShoes) they have found solutions without exposed seams underneath the feet.
Maybe a very thin insole will help avoid wear on the seams.
The sole is only sewn, not glued, all the way around, and it causes a problem when I god “offroad” in them: Dirt collects in the crack between the sole and the upper. I plan to put
on some shoe repair glue in the crack to solve the problem. When I talked with MukiShoes they thanked me for the feedback, and the coming productions after this first one (which was for the Indiegogo campaign) will have the toe glued.
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| Dirt in the crack between the sole and the upper |
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| Sewn, not glued too. |
Sizing
My feet are 22,3 cm long. I am usually in a size 36. MukiShoes recommend size 36 for feet with a length of 22,1-22,8 cm. So I chose them, and the size is just right.
These are definitely barefoot shoes in the shape, but not as bent indwards in the toe box as some brands. I recommend them for people with fairly straight feet.
The shoes fits well on my wide feet. They are roomy but not too much.The front of the toe box works for both slanted and square toes.
They are easy to get to fit well with the laces (once I had removed 20 cm from each of the extremely long shoes laces).
They are comfortable for both pavement and when I seek out movement vitamins.
These are the first barefoot shoes I have owned that rubbed at my heels. When I first started to use them, they gnawed for at few days at the heel. I “massaged” the heels of the shoes, and they stopped irritating my heels. You fairly often get this with leather shoes, but I have only experienced it in conventional shoes, not in barefoot shoes, so it surprised me. But they are very comfortable now.
And they are comfortable in surprisingly warm weather, because the wool felt temperates the feet by absorbing sweat. Up to about 16-20 C.
But this particular model isn’t suited for warmer weather because of the wool lining, where you should choose another MukiShoes model (update: New model of this has cotton lining).
Since I live in a humid climate, water repellancy is always relevant.
The impregnated leather nicely kept out a shower and the water on a wet lawn.
But to test the shoes, I decided to wear them on a day where rain was pouring down. It was a day where I had several smaller trips outside. And my feet was nicely dry through those dashes, even though the rain was pouring down.
So I forced myself to go for a walk in them, in the pouring rain. It took 20 min. before I had moist, but not wet, feet. For a shoes that doesn’t claim to be the least water repellant, I find that good.
Also, since the lining is wool and wool is a bit of the miracle fiber: When it is wet, it still keeps the feet warm.
I used to have a pair of conventional shoes almost exactly like these, and I really missed them. The sneaker design makes them causal, and the cognac coloured leather make them stylish. The colours and design works for everything: Work and play, smart and casual, pants and dresses. I find it difficult to find shoes I think looks good for when you dress “nicely” but these do.
Customer service
They have width that will fit most people but the widest and narrowest feet.
The upper is beautiful, well made and feels like quality.T
Only I am a little worried about the he exposed inside seams.
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