Great shoes I really needed for work!
As a carpenter and joiner who only wears barefoot shoes outside of work, I've been searching for barefoot work shoes for a long time. The toe box is finally one that fits the width of my feet.
The few other barefoot work shoes that exist are only made of plastic. I always look for products made from natural materials like leather, so these safety boots were the only option for me.
Two things I have to mention are the insoles, which would be much nicer if they were made from leather, virgin wool, or a combination of both, and the soles themselves, which could maybe be a bit softer or thinner to provide more of a barefoot feeling. But (right now) that's probably not possible because of the puncture-resistant midsole. (Or is it?)
I normally wear really, really thin barefoot shoes.
Still have to test them for a bit longer, though, but all in all, a good first impression.
Yazdi · Barefoot Goodyear-Welted Chukkas · Black (Wide)
I found these because my eye started to wander after my Birkenstock Stalons got to the point where they needed a resole. I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money on resoling a pair of cheesy glued-together boots with fake goodyear welt stitching for bench-built cosplay 🤦 if I could find a pair of *real* wide-toebox boots actually worth resoling in the future.
I possess a little bit of bench-built boot nerd DNA, and the workmanship on these is impressively solid and clean. They're made of thick leather, and nicely lined. These are really nice boots.
They do a good job of straddling the line between the whole barefoot/minimal thing and a standard, solid-&-substantial boot feel. The sole is thin and flexible enough to have that "connected" feel barefoot folks always talk about (something I never thought I cared about but feel like I've started coming around to), yet substantial enough so your foot still feels protected, like I think it ought to feel in a boot of this type. These boots feel sure-footed and extremely comfortable, even "cushy".
Purely in terms of quality & workmanship for the price, I think these are solid 5-star boots. I only dinged them a star because to me the color of the boots looks different IRL than it does in the product photography on the website: To me, and my monitor calibration, the boot on the website is a lighter, warmer, more caramel/cognac color than the boot I received. IRL my boots are a darker, more chocolatey brown, with some cooler, almost "plum" undertones showing through where they scuff.
That said, I have kept the boots and I absolutely love them! So don't let the color thing put you off trying them out. These are hands-down my new favorite boots, and I look forward to slipping them on every chance I get.
I love these boots.
The size calculator was perfect sizing. I have tried almost every boot brand available in Australia over the last 20 years and never found the right fit for me until the Chelsea Ninja 2.0. I have a wide front foot and have always had issues with squeezing on my small toes.
As a site Foreman, I spend a lot of time walking around the site and couldn’t be happier. One thing I did was fit a Blundstone cushioned footbed for just a little support.
We just started a new project that is at excavation stage so they are muddy straight way but the mud comes off easily.
I love the fit and they look fantastic. The build quality seems top-notch. I couldn’t be happier so far. I am interested to see how long they last.
Thank you, Gaucho!
Sizing system is perfect
Comfortable
Just wish they came with a CSA cert/ green patch.
Hopefully one day these are available in a more breathable option
The shoes look gorgeous right out of the box. A bit stiff due to the quality of the leather but I’ve been wearing them around the house for a few days and they seem to be breaking in fast. I did all my measurements and plugged them into the website calculator and it spat out a size that felt too small. So I plugged the same parameters and some more detailed descriptions of how I like my shoes (a bit of roominess in the toes) into Gemini and it gave me what felt like a better size estimate. I wear size 45 in Birkenstocks which felt like a good proxy for these since the Birks are also quite wide. I ended up wity a 45 extra wide in the Campos and they seem to fit perfectly with a midweight sock. Assuming the break in process continues apace i think these will be solid boots for a long time.
Working in manufacturing, does the job of a steel toe while feeling like a barefoot shoe. Heel cup had a tough break in and I wish it had a finger loop. The insole is kinda flimsy but then again I’m doing 15000 steps a day. There were times when I wish It had rigid block like midsole of a boot for support but the flexibility of the shoe makes up for it.
Great for people looking to meet safety requirements while also being comfortable. Great for people who only wear barefoot shoes
Have had these shoes for 2 years now holding up incredibly good
Highly recommend these shoes
-nick
I like these shoes a lot! They're the most comfortable safety shoes I've ever tried. I got them in black, I've been wearing them for a few months and the left boot lining dye has bled into my big toenail a couple times. They should use undyed leather for the boot lining. I'd buy these again though
Good quality, sizing system works perfectly. Amazing customer support, after my order didnt send properly i sent an email and they fixed it that same day!
I’m sorry to say I’ve still not received my confirmed order from the beginning of August and zero communication despite emails, WhatsApp etc. I really need these boots, I’m a tradesman!
I’ve been wearing it for around 2 weeks now & they are very comfortable. I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes since 2017 so I’m already used to it. They said up to a week to brake it in but mine were comfortable from day one. The only small issue is that little rocks tend to get stuck in the sole due to the pattern of the tread. I already ordered the brogue dress shoes. Excited to wear those.
There are not many options for saftey toe barefoot boots on the market and I work a job that requires a saftey toe. I did not want to sacrifice my foot health, and Goucho Ninja carpenter boots havw saved the day for me!
I started by purchasing some saftey toe barefoot boots from another brand whom I'll leave nameless. And out of the box they weren't visually appealing and very uncomfortable.
The next boots I purchased were the goucho ninja carpenter boots and out of the box I loved the crazy horse brown look, I think the boots are beautiful although I must admit a little "clownish" in look.
They have an awesomely wide toe box✅️
Totally zero drop sole✅️
As thin as a puncture resistant sole can possibly be✅️
It took me 5 days of wearing them 8 to 5 at my job to break them in, and I had a little bit of rubbing and pain on my right heel only not the left strangely. But during that 5th day of wearing them I noticed they were exceptionally comfortable. And they've been that way ever since.
Ive been wearing them for about a month now. Wore them out to work on a rainy day and my feet hardly got moist. The boots handled the light mud well.
Im eager to see how they hold up to years worth of work! If or when they wear out I will be purchasing another pair because im very pleased with their performance so far!
Thank you Goucho Ninja for making a pair of boots for people who need a saftey boots and don't want to sacrifice their foot health!
So comfortable. My back was killing me in my old boots. Switched to these and haven’t had any pain since. On my feet all day and I feel great.
Most comfortable safety shoes I’ve owned — if you can live with the look.
I’ve worn a lot of safety shoes on job sites, and these are the most comfortable pair I’ve bought. I’m a construction manager, so I’m on my feet for site walks more than heavy labor, and the Sneaky Ninjas 2.0 feel closer to a good barefoot trainer than a work boot. Build quality is solid. I already wear Vivobarefoot, and the sizing lined up perfectly with those.
The downsides are real. They look like clown shoes. Shipping was over $30 and listed as international, even though the package appeared to come from the central U.S. The stock laces are the weak point: cheap-feeling, stretchy, and way too long. I replaced them with Generation Laces and that fixed it.
If the look doesn’t bother you, and especially if you catch them on sale, I’d recommend them. Comfort and fit are excellent.
I’ve worn a lot of safety shoes on job sites, and these are the most comfortable pair I’ve bought. I’m a construction manager, so I’m on my feet for site walks more than heavy labor, and the Sneaky Ninjas 2.0 feel closer to a good barefoot trainer than a work boot. Build quality is solid. I already wear Vivobarefoot, and the sizing lined up perfectly with those.
The downsides are real. They look like clown shoes. Shipping was over $30 and listed as international, even though the package appeared to come from the central U.S. The stock laces are the weak point: cheap-feeling, stretchy, and way too long. I replaced them with Generation Laces and that fixed it.
If the look doesn’t bother you, and especially if you catch them on sale, I’d recommend them. Comfort and fit are excellent.
Wrong size, sent multiple emails and not one response. Ona high end product like this, when I pre orderd 3 months in advanced this is very disappointing. I would never again buy from these guys. I wanted to support small business but they don't have the staff to respond to simple emails
I love everything about my new Gaucho Ninja Shadow Loafers. Fast delivery of a high quality, well made shoe. Feels great out of the box and am already looking at what Gaucho Ninja I can order next! Highly recommended!
An amazing shoe with top quality leather and craftsmanship!
It's my second pair from Gaucho and I can say you are the top of the top!
keep coming with new models so i can make a Gaucho collection...
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.
Received shoes but I ordered the wrong size. I immediately emailed customer service for an exchange with correct size but have not heard back. It’s been weeks now. I need these for work asap.
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.