Construction is solid. A few stitches are a bit wonky but for the most part tidy and definitely sturdy. The goodyear welt means they should last me years, but ultra ground feel lovers be aware that these prioritize durability over ground feel. Leather is thick and smooth.
Aesthetically good enough for slacks, which many barefoot "dress" shoes claim to be, but most don't really pass as dress shoe in my opinion. I will say, I think the derby or boots (non brogue) are probably the most polished options, but I opted for these loafers as I don't need ultra dressy, and wanted the convenience of slip on. I may get the black Chelseas in the future in.
Wide toe box. I almost wish it sacrificed a tiny bit of splay for aesthetics, but I can wear these all day. Higher volume than I expected. So thin socks or barefoot my foot slides around a smidge. Wool socks is a snug fit. Might look into getting a tongue pad for a more snug fit. I got 45 EU; I am 46 (12.5) in Lems, Whitin, and Be Lenka for reference. Length and width is good, just a little higher volume than expected.
Received the wrong size, sent 2 emails with no reply. I would avoid based on customer service
Update: i was finally contacted by customer service. A satisfactory resolution has been presented but not fulfilled as of yet. Will further amend review if and when the resolution has been honored.
I placed my order prior to the end of may deadline. Last update email was on 7/10 saying we would get a notification the following week. I have now sent 4 emails, sent messages on WhatsApp, called 2 times, trying to get an update, with absolutely zero communication. And this is spanning the last 12 days. DO NOT ORDER. NO boots no communication just a lighter wallet.
Love these Gaucho Ninja’s
Super comfy and breaking them in just fine.
Also, i live that it passes my daily ESD necessities
These shoes are amazing. A little rough to break in the heal but it’s amazing to have a well designed dress shoe that doesn’t kill my feet.
Tried to converse with customer service and got absolutely no response. Should take off a star for that but they are absolutely fantastic!
When I learned the new line of Gaucho Ninja shoes were made in China I was concerned, but I decided to suspend judgment and order a pair of the new Derby. That was the shoe I had been wanting for years. They arrived yesterday.
They look and feel like shoes made in China, and they do not compare to the earlier goodyear-welted Gauchos that were made in Spain. They are far heavier, the materials appear to be cheaper, quality control appears to be lower (small details in construction suggest this), and they do not have the flexibility that earlier Gauchos had. They are clunky by comparison to the original Gauchos. I know they are more affordable, and I suppose that may be valuable for some. But, imo, they aren't even the same shoe anymore. I associated Gaucho with supreme quality before. Now it's a different brand, imo. I hope Gaucho brings back the earlier Chukkas that were made in Spain, at least as an additional product option for those who are willing to spend a little more. It was so much better than these 2.0 shoes.
$250 great not $400 great. My humble opinion
The boots are high quality.
For me, at the moment, with a high instep, without a shoehorn, I cannot put this pair on. As a result of the use of the shoehorn, I hope that the inside of the heel will not show some early wear and tear.
A waterproof zipper on the inside of the boots could solve my problem. Maybe if the stretch fabric would loosen up a little more by using them further, the problem for me can solve itself. For others, the problem with accessing the boots, can simply be nonexisting.
It ‘d my 4th pair of Gaucho Ninja. (2 safety: low shoe and ankle boot and also a pair of barefoot pals.)
I am a fan of the Gaucho Ninja brand! Quality for barefoot walkers. 😉
Only a few years ago there weren't really any options out there if you wanted a sort of traditionally styled boot with barefoot shoe cues. So I appreciate all the options available these days. Unfortunately, some manufacturers idea of a bare foot boot is just making the entire boot as wide as possible. Compared to some other barefoot Chelsea style boots I tried on, the gaucho ninja ones fit excellent right out of the box. I wear these for work (even though they have a proper work version -but it doesn't have a replaceable sole so not for me) and just going out in town. They look pretty smart for the most part, and not too much like giant flippers like some other manufacturers design them to resemble. They do excel at barefoot qualities as well, namely they are flexible and have generous room in the toe box.
What I do not like are the flimsy insoles and the fabric-y layers on the inside. I'd rather just have an all leather boot for durabilities sake. However, these less desirable pieces might be included to provide the flexibility aspect -something I'd give up as I generally just want more toe room and no heel.
Oh and the tariff (not their fault) was expensive. Almost $80.
I want to start by saying I had an issue with my wife's pair, the sole started peeling off on hers, so I emailed GN and they promptly shipped a replacement pair without me having to go through the hassle of returning mine.
These shoes are beautiful and supple, I bought a pair a few years ago, of the black barefoot pals which apparently were made with goat leather, since then I can see that they have added a reinforcement to the toe in teh front so they don't look too floppy. I have 0 complaints and hope they last me a long time. They look sharp, and the suede feels amazing.
I made a pretty big (for me) order with Gaucho, Lisandro and Karen, which kind of had some complications in the meantime with technical detail due to a bespoke order. SO, I went to the UK and met them and was so surprised. When I went to their workshop, I ended up buying the Pals wide in two colors, which are the most comfortable barefoot shoes I've ever worn, as well as best quality all around, and Lisandro makes things resolable, so if you take care of them, they will last a long time. I also bought the Chelsea in the brown French leather, which is like a beautiful leather sock that is dressable, as well as rugged, it check all boxes. The bespoke I had made are impeccable. It took a while for us to hit the nail on the head, I genuinely think mainly due to communication. In total, I have yet to find a brand like Gaucho, and stand-up employees that really went the extra mile to "make things right" displaying integrity, knowledge and a true care to this craft. I would not hesitate for a moment to try anything Gaucho, as compared to all of the other barefoot shoes I've tried. Also, I've went down a size, from 42-43 to 41, due to not needing the extra space at the tip of the shoe desired for the extra width needed in skinnier shoes.
These might be the first shoes I’ve ever owned that actually fit my wide feet. I got them for work and I have been wearing them everywhere.
UPS delivered my shipment to a wrong adress. Somewhere random. Entirely UPSes fault. But Karen in Gaucho Ninja customer service was very much not a Karen and was super helpful and re-shipped a new pair without a problem.
Very happy.
Great quality, extremely soft and comfortable
These shoes look and feel great, but the bulbous end may simply be too wide. I am still not sure if they look good in a suit and am always self conscious. But the quality is superb.
These were my second pair from Gaucho Ninja, the first being the deck shoes. I have bought and been very disappointed by 2 other pairs of barefoot Chelsea boots (other brands.) These are almost perfect. I would recommend them to anyone that has mid to low volume feet and wants a well fitting pair of great looking boots. In fact I love them enough that I’m about to purchase another pair of shoes from this company.
Searching for healthier, anatomically correct shoes I stumbled upon Gaucho Ninja, and am so glad to have. These Chelsea boots are the most comfortable boots I have ever worn. I can hardly imagine a better fit; they fit my feet marvelously. The toe box is wide for natural spread and the heel is locked in so I feel secure walking. The boots are flexible enough to provide some foot muscle action and leather sole with rubber sole is durable enough for rough terrain and weather. The leather is thick enough to be durable but they are also still breathable. I chose these for the stiching, shape, quality materials (veg-tanned leather rather than chrome), and look. They deliver. I still am figuring out which brand of "barefoot" shoes to wear for which purpose, but I don't think I'll have to search for another pair of Chelsea boots.
I have a really hard time finding shoes that fit and are comfortable. Within a few hours of wearing them walking they had broken in and become the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned.
I love the new Sacred Geometry line — I bought my first pair of barefoot Chelsea boots from Gaucho Ninja a couple of years ago and wear them all the time during the cooler months. I’m so happy to add these to my collection! The leather is gorgeous — they fit so well and feel really special. I hope you will consider making these and your other styles for women in the Chestnut Brown.
To me the only thing these boots need (other than a few more colour options) is a better name, they don't look like what I expect a "Chukka" boot to look like. To me a chukka boot has 2 or 3 sets of eyelets, is a pretty basic cut, often found as an entry level offering. These boots are not that.
These boots are a deep chocolate brown in a good quality leather, precisely cut in an expert way, the toe box is large and dominates what can be seen of the boot with its barefoot anatomical sweep of the toes which allows the toes to spread and wiggle but still feel protected. However, for me the really clever part is the way the boot is cut funnel like over the instep, wrapping securely around the ankle. (I injured my ankle 20 years ago and had it screwed back together, today I suffer from arthritis and limited movement in the ankle which has put additional pressure on my forefoot (metatarsalgia). These boots offer secure support despite my misshapen ankle. I cant really talk about the foot bed, I used the provided insole as a guide and cut 5mm thick veg tan insoles with 5mm additional arch support for the nerve that controls the big toe (which going by my uninjured foot feels really good, injury or not).
I needed some new footwear for work, where I spend most of my time on my feet, so I took a bit of a gamble (having never used this company before) on these boots because I liked the simplicity of the design, the interesting shape, and the promise of comfort. I often struggle with new boots but the "barefoot" style is remarkably comfortable, even on the first day I wore them. I've not had a single pinch or rub. The quality is, as you would hope for from handmade footwear, very good also. It certainly gives me the confidence that they'll last a fair old while.
I'll definitely consider Gaucho Ninja for future footwear needs!
Leagues better than most other brands that I've tried. Leather quality does simply not compare to GN when looking at popular barefoot brands.
Love them, and that they sell shoes in "wide". like that sizing more than the "extra wide".
Keep up the good work, and pleas consider making classic models eg inspiration from Churchs.
The belt fit, this is always the first concern I have for any belt purchase, especially an online purchase. The width, length and sizing of the belt is accurate as described by Gaucho Ninja. The quality of the leather and buckle are high quality, they will wear and age with time. This will bring aesthetics to the belt and as long as it functions and wears well, I will use it until it dies. I look forward to seeing how long it lasts.
I scoured every Barefoot blog and website looking for Chelsea boots. All of the boots either looked like clown shoes or looked thin. I chose these because of the ability to resole in the future and when I received them... They fit true to size, took a few wears to get my foot in and out of them and now they are perfect. And they feel well constructed and like actual boots! I've been wearing barefoot shoes for more than 5+ years in many styles, and these are my favorite pair I have ever bought. 10/10