Sneaky Ninjas | Barefoot Safety Trainers

I love barefoot shoes, but this is the longest break-in period I've ever had with a pair. The left shoe was cutting into the left side of my foot at the base of my little toe & the tongue was cutting into the front of my right ankle and rubbed the skin raw. The upper is already peeling on both shoes, and I've only had these since the beginning of November.

I’ve been wearing a pair of these for about 4 months.

Barefootedness is great, super thin flexible sole which has really moulded to my feet.

The upper is very thin and light

The issue is really with the appearance and construction quality. There is almost no structure to the upper, which is creased and wrinkled. Out of the box it does not look like the photos which show a smart structured boot with smooth leather. Any shape is really just the foot inside.

That said they are actually durable- the materials and stitching are intact and have stayed in the same scruffy condition that they arrived in; that’s why I’m keeping them as a more casual boot than what I was expecting

Perfect craftsmanship. Such wonderful quality belts.

Finally, a pair of Chelsea boots that are wide enough, designed for a natural foot shape and are beautifully made! I was so excited to receive them and wasn’t disappointed! Thank you Gaucho Ninja!

They are comfortable (for the first week I needed blister-prevention tape but they weren’t uncomfortable) and I can fully spread my toes which is a delight! It is great to be back in proper Chelsea boots as I’ve been wearing Vivo Barefoot, which are comfortable, but I never really quite felt myself in them day to day especially in autumn & winter as I really missed the leather boots I used to wear.

I also bought their desert boots, the extra wide are perfect fit and the suede is so soft I feel like I’m not wearing any shoes - again, a delight.

A company who value foot health and healthy movement with style!

I have only had the ninja safety shoes a few weeks but im gonna say as long as the hold up over time I WILL NEVER, EVER, WEAR ANY OTHER SAFETY SHOE BESIDES THE GAUCHO NINJA SAFETY TRAINERS!!! My feet have not
felt this good in 15yrs and I highly recommend them to anyone working long days on concrete.

Before I tell you what these shoes have done for me, please let me praise the construction of these shoes. I bought these for my job at Amazon which requires a safety toe. These fit the bill and were especially wide--even for a barefoot shoe, which fit my needs. The sole appears to be cemented on, followed by an extra measure which I don't see in many shoes--they wrap up the side of the shoe and are stitched directly to the uppers through the sidewall. You can see this in the pictures. The foot bed is extremely firm, but durable. The vegan leather, to my surprise, has held up remarkably well, bearing only surface level scuffs in the time I've had them. I used the sizing guide on GauchoNinja's website and was actually recommended a size down from my usual euro size. This being said, they fit me perfectly. The safety toe has been comfortable, and I don't notice it (I've even worn them as day shoes and was more comfortable in them than my vivobarefoot's). I bought these in October of 2025 and have put approximately a thousand miles on them in three months (I walk a lot for my job). The stitching has not frayed. The sole-cement bears no obvious signs of separation or degredation. And the uppers have no holes, but only surface level scuffing--but I'm hard on these shoes, so that's expected. I see no reason they won't last another two, three or even four-thousand miles. These are excellent shoes and the construction is superior. The only thing I will recommend you to do--should you purchase these wonderful shoes from GauchoNinja--is that you put a fan on them and air them out overnight if you walk in a relatively warm environment as much as I do. Water moisture is the enemy of all shoes and really anything manufactured or constructed.

Now for what they've done for me.

I didn't realize how weak my feet actually were until I started walking on smooth concrete 10 hours a day for my job. I bought these, convinced from research, that my feet weren't close enough to the ground or spreading wide enough in order to allow myself to naturally adjust and use the muscles of my feet to protect my metatarsals. There was an adjustment period for me. I had no arches. My toes did not naturally have a gap. I could not move my big toes independently. And I had to pay close attention to how my feet were responding and actively learn to use the tiny, little muscles to walk properly--which was surprising to me, because I thought I walked fine. The rewards for this effort were well worth it. Everyone says our feet aren't designed to walk on harsh surfaces. I disagree. I now walk 40,000 steps or 18 miles a day on smooth concrete. I have arches and can feel them getting stronger. My feet have widened considerably. I can move my big toes side to side now--as well as splay my pinkie toes. All my toes also have gaps between them. It's been three months at 18 miles a day on concrete in these shoes to get to this point. My feet still hurt. I still have to pay attention to my feet. But I'm very encouraged to see improvement every week. I highly recommend anyone who's in a similar position as me (walking so much on such hard surfaces) to embrace getting closer to the ground and widening and strengthening your feet and your arches.

p.s.
I'm planning to have a custom pair made from GauchoNinja down the line because my feet are now naturally wider than the insole--which again, is already especially wide for a barefoot shoe. And did I also mention that these shoes look great, and I have received several compliments on them? Cheers!

Extremely comfortable and look fantastic. Easily my favourite pair of trainers since i received them.
The construction quality is also great and they've quickly become my favourite barefoot shoe i own

Super nice!

Good pair of shoes although a bit overpriced.
I would like to see some mesh option as I feel like my feet are sweating and I work in environment where safety is not that prioritized. Also im not too confident in durability thats why I wamted to hold with my review but time will tell.

I regularly work as an Amazon delivery driver, working for one of their delivery service partners (DSPs) in the UK. There are strict rules about safety wear whilst we are inside the Amazon delivery station, including safety shoes. Most drivers will wear their safety shoes only while at the station, but I wear mine all day. They are firm but comfortable, and noticeably wider in the toe-box area than my earlier shoes (purchased from Amazon). I am grateful to have found these shoes, and I thank Gaucho Ninja for making something specifically for this market.

The toe box has plenty of room! The boot overall fits quite loose which is something that normally really bothers me. But my heal stays in place so it is actually quite comfortable.
I have been wearing them lightly for a couple weeks and the stitching on the sides is already coming undone in a few spots. Which is a bit of a disappointment.

I’m often on my feet for twelve hours straight, moving from client meetings to site inspections. The fit is perfectly balanced. I’ve worn these on concrete slabs, through subway commutes, and out to dinner with clients — and they’ve only gotten better with wear. The welted sole feels rooted, and I know they’ll be resoleable for years to come. On top of that, they look great with tailored trousers or rolled-up chinos — exactly the versatility I need

Love the color and the look…not so happy with the sole of the shoe. It pushes into the inner side of my foot. I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes for over 15 years and have ordered all bar one online with no issues. I would think twice about buying another pair of GNs for this reason…

The leather is impeccably soft, supple and holds its form well. The shape fits my wide feet well and has gifted my journeys with much comfort and delight. Fantastic!

After sales support was also kind and prompt - I’d ordered a smaller pair unfortunately and an exchange was arranged immediately.

Many thanks!

The shoes were fine, and I truly am glad that there is a company that provides work shoes that are minimalistic. However, if you live in the United States there is an extra charge. I had to pay an extra $50 usd to get these shoes shipped to my house. It would have been nice to know about this before hand.

The construction quality of the boot is great but the design is horribly uncomfortable. The toe box is very shallow and digs into the top of my foot/toes. Walking is even worse as the edge cuts into the joint of my toes and doesn't allow for flexion. The toe box on the right shoe in particular has a downward concave curve that seems intent on severing my big toe. The ankle circumference is also huge and doesn't even make contact with my body. I was really hoping to have found some great barefoot safety shoes but I cannot recommend these in the current design.

It's important to me that shoes which I have to buy anew are made of vegan materials since I don't support animal curelty. I've worn barefoot shoes for 3 months so these aren't my first barefoot shoes. These work shoes are noticeably heavier than casual barefoot shoes so my feet feel a little tired ONLY IF my work day includes a lot of walking. Compared to traditional work shoes though, these safety trainers are definitely much lighter. I am a 19-year old male college student in finishing construction and my work requires safety shoes. Because these shoes are handcrafted I see the price as reasonable. For me these shoes are comfortable and breathable. My feet and toes have enough room inside the shoe. Breaking them in only took a day or two and wasn't too difficult nor painful. The shoes look cool and I love that they are black. Shoe laces are variably adjustable, can tie them tight enough for my petite feet. I ordered a size bigger (39) so the shoes are big for me however by using heel grips they fit just perfect. My reason for ordering a size bigger is me wanting to get the maximum from barefoot shoes, which almost always require you to have 1cm extra length. This is due to barefoot shoes not being made to fit all sizes so adding 1cm to your foot length allows your toes to surely have enough room. Even though this website sizing recommended me my actual size (38), I decided to do it my way and just use a heel grip to make the shoe fit because I am afraid my toes would be too curled up in my actual size.

I was excited about the safety shoes as I wear only barefoot shoes, but unfortunately they were too big and I ordered the smallest size. They are assisting me throughout the return process, which I appreciate. While they didn’t fit, they have been helpful throughout this process. I hope in the future they will be able to offer smaller sizes.

These shoes are a complete disappointment. For something advertised as “stealthy” and “ninja-like,” they’re the opposite — loud, flat, and impossible to walk in.
Comfort is just as bad. I could barely wear them for an hour before the pain became unbearable. When I reached out to exchange for a smaller size, I was told the company was “on holiday,” and I received the same excuse when I requested a return/refund.
Overall, these feel more like novelty clown shoes than actual footwear. I’m simply asking for a proper exchange or refund for a product that doesn’t match its description or meet basic expectations.

I’ve only had these for a week. My initial impression is as a zero drop safety shoe it fits the need I had. I agree with others the tongue is a bit stiff and currently rubs. I’m pretty confident that will break-in after some wear. My biggest concern is they arrive with one shoe having a defect in the stitching holding the upper to the sole.

Edited review..After contacting customer service a mutual satisfactory remedy was offered to address the issue. Was glad to have them stand behind their product and work with me.

Also after wearing for a few weeks now the tongue has softened up and is not noticeable.

Absolutely terrific shoes that are exactly as described in advertising and on the web site. As a special otrder (big feet) I had to wait quite a while. But excellent customer service answered my 'where are my shoes' queries really proimptly.

I love these boots! They were a but stiff when I first put them on, of course. I was expecting that and a break in period. What surprised me was how quickly and comfortably they broke in. Every time I put them on they’re more comfortable. Also the additional red laces that were in the box made me very happy:)

I I had really high hopes for these. It's hard to find footwear with a properly wide toe box. The toe box is great. I like how light they are, but being safety shoes, I was hoping for more cushion/protection on top of my foot outside of the composite toe. It's all just thin leather. My main complaint though is the tongue. It's too long and stiff to the point that it digs into the front tendons on my ankles as I walk. It's quite uncomfortable. For the price, I was expecting near perfection, but unfortunately I dont feel they meet that standard. I would have returned them but return shipping would be quite expensive, and they don't accept them back if they've been worn, which one must do to know how comfortable they are.

The options for safety boots with a toe box that isn’t cramped are limited so we are fortunate to have these as an option.

I was disappointed though in how much toe hinge there is and how stiff the bottom of the shoe is. I can’t properly use my toes for natural movement. This makes them uncomfortable to squat in and even to stand in to some extent. This is definitely not a true barefoot shoe let alone a ninja shoe!

It does seem quite capable of protecting the toes though and you get a wide toe box and no heel. Maybe this is the best option available, particularly if you want to protect the bottom of your foot as well. I only came across a handful of other options and they are likely to have a similar toe hinge issue or other issues.

These boots look and feel absolutely gorgeous, can't wait to get wearing them everywhere. Thanks to Karen for the customer service, I found the returns process (size exchange) easy, flexible and refreshingly human!