The quality safety product is conventional and accessible to the likeness of any wide toe box shoe and the composite toe is appropriate for indoor and outdoor safety. Buyers should add more cushion to improve the shoe's wear.
It’s hard to choose barefoot shoes online so the size calculator was great and I got the perfect fit!! I love how light they are , perfect for travel and everyday wear. Very comfortable and room for an insole in winter. I have a slim ankle so being able to tighten the laces is great
I work on a factory floor and pre-ordered the sneaky ninjas last year as my first barefoot safety shoes (I've been wearing barefoot shoes for years outside of work). The sneaky ninjas are also fantastic, but when I saw these, I wanted to pick these up as well, as they go better on days where I need to look a little more business, while maintaining the ability to work a factory floor. The leather boots work beautifully for this, and these are just as good looking when you open them as they are on the site, especially after applying some protectant!
The boots are not a terrible break in as far as boots go, but probably a rough one if you are used to barefoot shoes showing up pretty flexible out of the box. In particular, I would recommend a pair of this socks (I used the Creeper boot socks as the standard ones were a little too thin for the rubbing) as the heel and ankle of the boot are going to rub pretty hard until you get the heel worn into your ankle. I would also tie them tight with your ankle bent forward as the leather comes wanting to have your ankle pushed out straight, rather than bent for a natural standing posture. Again, this broke in pretty quickly over the coarse of a week of 10-12 hour days with ~16,000 steps in them, but the first day or two, you will get some rubbing and soreness and may not make it a full 12 hours (I made it 8 on day 1).
However, leather boots need break in and I'm not marking these down for that.
Size was dead on with the size charting, as were my sneaky ninjas.
These boots are wonderful, and I plan to use these for years to come along with the sneaky ninja trainers. They look good, they feel good, and they are fantastically well built in my opinion.
Absolutely love these shoes! Excellent bearfoot concept. Shipping was super fast.
The shoes are comfortable and stylish. I got a small bunion because of regular shoes. These are perfect. However, since the shoes are made of leather, their wider toe box makes them heavier in front, which may feel unusual. Some people may need to be aware of that.
The toe box is way too big. The box arrived damaged. Been trying to return since September 4th. Multiple emails have been sent and no response from seller.
Beautiful quality so soft under foot these are a dream and a brilliant comfortable alternative to RM Williams that I have squeezed into for years...
Excellent quality! I have been wearing these tabi in the dojo 6 days a week for over a month now and they’re holding up great!
My toes no longer feel smushed at the end of my shift; however, I was disappointed there isn't cushioning. I'm taking Lots of steps on a concrete floor. Often for 12-hour shifts. I did add an insole, but I wish there was a little more space between my toes and the top of the shoe.
I need to return. I have emailed the company a few times still no response. If the size is wrong or you need an exchange. I don’t know what to say it says I have 28 days I am going in 15 days no response zero not even acknowledging if the email was received. I used the return tab on their website and also emailed their info address. The shoes are beautifully constructed and fine craftsmanship however they are lacking in customer service
Great quality, very grateful for all the details. These shoes have become my favorite dressing shoes.
Great amount of space, feels great on my feet but I did not like that before my first day the right boot started having the seams ripping on 2 spots
I have love the carpenter boots, I got these to get a shoe version and learned that the flex point at the ball of the foot is really fluid. All your shoes are wonderful. I can’t tell you how many decades I’ve looked for something that wouldn’t squish my Donald Duck feed nice job, keep it up.
As lightweight and comfortable as the best barefoot shoes. Easy to put on and take off, yet secure while wearing them. These boots really make long days on construction sites more bearable for my feet.
I have very wide feet and it is very hard for me to find a pair of safety shoes that are actually comfortable and don’t pinch my feet. The sneaky ninjas are the first pair to ever accomplish that for me. I ordered a size 45 and they are hands down one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I have ever owned. I can’t even tell the safety toe box is there. I will definitely be ordering more shoes from Gaucho ninja!
Considering I waited months for these shoes and they were not cheap, I really wanted to like them. First impressions out of the box were disappointment in how heavy they were and how thick the sole is. Off the foot they are flexible, but not any more flexible than the boots and safety sneakers I wore previously. The safety toe kind of negates any flexibility in the toe area anyway. I wear barefoot shoes pretty much exclusively except for at work so I was very excited to get these. Compared to my other barefoot shoes, the only thing that makes these feel barefoot is the zero drop. Other than that, the front is very heavy and they just feel clunky. I think the tread has a lot to be desired as well. I’ve been wearing them for over a week now and they are still very slippery on concrete. I’d like to see them lighten the front significantly or use lighter materials. These are also very narrow from the midfoot back to the heel so anyone with wide feet will feel uncomfortable until they are broken in. In terms of safety rated barefoot shoes, these are less expensive than other options, but it just feels cheap.
In their next generation I’d like to see lighter materials and a thinner sole. I’d also like to see a better tread pattern as these are just too slick. I think the current clown-shoe-like design could be improved by having the inside of the shoe follow the toe box in a straight line which would allow for thicker socks and wider feet. Also, a slightly higher design around the ankle would be nice.
Thank you for your review. We understand that you were excited to receive your safety trainers and were disappointed with some of the features, such as the thickness of the sole and weight. As always, we wish to take all feedback constructively and use it to create products in the future.
Some elements of the design of safety wear are not variable, due to safety standards. For example, the toe cap is made of fibreglass and is almost half the weight of a metal toe cap and safer than plastic. With regards to the thickness of the sole, it must be a minimum of 4.5mm. Our stack height is 6mm which allows for a 2.5mm depth of the sole with cleat and allows for 3mm of material to hold the property of the safety features of the sole. To this must be added the anti puncture layer and insole. Our safety shoes therefore meet the European EN ISO and USA ASTM standard. We are soon launching a new style of safety boot with new thread and hope that you will enjoy our progress, thank you again for your support.
These boots are wonderful in form and function--I was desperate to find some barefoot jikatabi because my regular performance pair (wadaiko) felt like bear traps on my feet due to the air cushion insole, so I sprung for these. I used the calculator recommendation, and the size is accurate for my feet--almost too accurate; it was like a sock the first few days. It took me a little time to stretch out a space for my gigantic big toe, but despite there being a slight bit of break-in discomfort there, it molded pretty fast. I must say, there is a lot to love about these. The leather is gorgeous, the craftsmanship is impeccable, and the break-in period was very easy--they are utterly *lovely* boots on almost every level.
However, I have a couple of reservations, and they are unfortunately big ones:
- #1: The size guide/calculator does NOT account for ankle thickness. I cannot close the top two kohaze on either boot because I have thick ankles.
- #2: Probably my biggest gripe--the kohaze fastener loops are elastic, which is a pretty significant negative, particularly if you happen to have aforementioned thick ankles, as they are already showing stretching after less than a week. I expect I will need to have them replaced in metal or velcro by a cobbler within a year, maybe sooner (which is by no means a deal breaker, just a bit of a disappointment).
All in all? Definitely worth it, with a few nitnoid things that if adjusted would make them perfect. If GN were willing to create a matching ankle extension panel for big log legs, I would probably be a tiny bit less concerned, but in particular for me the elastic kohaze loops are just a major point of weakness on an otherwise beautifully made product.
Thank you for your review and your feedback regarding the ankle fit and fastener loops, which gives us the opportunity to improve. We have passed this feedback onto our design team, and they will use it to enable us to make better products in the future. Thank you for your support.
Buying these boots is a big deal for most people: the price point is really high for the regular consumer, but you buy it out of need for a wide shoe and a want to look good in it. Plus, you're supporting a small business and sustainable fashion. The shoe arrived and it was indeed extremely good looking. Tough beautiful tanned leather, perfect to be worn in for years and years to come. However, I did one mistake I didn't foresee: I trusted the foot measuring guide suggested by Gaucho Ninja. The moment I put my foot in I knew they were way too small. Waiting to get a size exchange now, and hopefully these next ones will be boots I keep forever.
Wow. My shoes finally arrived and my first impression is "these shoes are NICE". The quality is apparent, the leather is fairly heavy while supplel and it looks great and they are so comfortable, especially the insoles. I'm glad I was able to be patient. Thank you Gaucho Ninja.
Very well made and comfortable Jikatabi. I wish they had another row or two of fabric loops to make the ankles and calves tighter, but that might be because I used the size guide instead of getting my true size.
By far the best true barefoot boot you can buy. These are as barefoot as they come and the stitching is perfect. Highly recommend and please make a hiking boot!
Boots are exactly as i hoped . And exactly what i was looking for.