Barefoot Resources

Enhance Foot
Health Today

A curated guide to minimalist and barefoot shoe brands, and foot fitness resources — so you can start making better choices right now.

👟 Shoes & Shops 🦶 Foot Fitness

About This Guide

Stupid Shoes was made to start conversations, not to end them. The research behind this documentary draws on decades of work by foot health practitioners, biomechanics scientists, and advocates who have been asking the same uncomfortable questions about the footwear industry long before we picked up a camera. This page collects some of the organisations, practitioners, and communities doing the most rigorous and practical work in the field — people and groups whose work informed the film or whose mission aligns with what we set out to document. None of these are paid partnerships. They are here because the evidence points toward them.

"Go slowly. If your feet have been in conventional shoes for years, the transition takes time — but it's worth it."

Important note: this guide is for generally healthy feet. If you have arthritis, neurological conditions, or other specific foot health needs, please consult a healthcare professional before changing your footwear. See our medical disclaimer below.

Minimalist & Barefoot Shoes

Brands, shops, and independent resources — all featuring shoes with wide toe boxes, flat soles, and flexible construction. The criteria our experts agree on. Curated and researched for this guide.

Wildling Shoes
Germany / Global

Wildling Shoes

Shoes for a wilder life. What began as one family's passionate mission to create a truly minimal shoe for their children has become a powerful German brand.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
White VIVOBAREFOOT sneakers with navy laces
UK / Global

VIVOBAREFOOT

Barefoot shoes for nearly everything — everyday, kids, trail, winter. Founded by cousins Galahad and Asher Clark, who you'll meet in the film. Wide, thin and flexible, exactly what the experts ask for.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
PediPower
Switzerland — Zurich

PediPower

Barefoot Shoe shop and foot fitness in Zurich (Switzerland). Get to meet Georgette from the film and let her help you choose the best shoe for your foot needs and guide you with some exercises.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Froddo Barefoot Shoes
Croatia / Global

Froddo Barefoot Shoes

Tradition meets natural & healthy movement. Froddo Barefoot is a Croatian brand with over 80 years of shoemaking tradition, dedicated to healthy foot development.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Sambas The Bambas
Spain / Global

Sambas The Bambas

Eco Friendly Barefoot Shoes (adult + children). Sambas the bambas are respectful of the planet, people and of course, your feet.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Anya's Reviews
Global

Anya's Reviews

Let the Barefoot Shoe Queen 👑 guide you along your cute and healthy shoe quest. After a long bout of foot issues, Anya found freedom in minimalist footwear.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗ Shop ↗
Shapen
Slovakia / Global

Shapen

Sophisticated design for natural movement. The Slovakian brand Shapen offers sophisticated designs for every occasion dedicated to high-quality, European production.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Fleeters
France / Global

Fleeters

Expertly crafted by an Osteopath for healthy feet & natural movement. The French brand of minimalist sneakers blends style, well-being, and responsible production.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗

Foot Fitness

Changing your shoes is only half the work. These resources help you rebuild the strength, mobility, and sensory connection your feet need.

The Foot Collective
Australia / Global

The Foot Collective

Free your feet. Forget boring rehab exercises—TFC turns restoring your feet into a fun, community-driven lifestyle through playful balance tools and engaging challenges.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Movemate
Canada / Global

Movemate

Make movement play part of your workday. This award-winning active standing board turns your workspace into a fun movement station.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Gait Happens
USA / Global

Gait Happens

Better movement from the ground up. A clinician-led company dedicated to changing the world 'one human sole at a time' through accessible, high-quality education.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Barefoot balance training on rocks at PediPower, from the film
Switzerland — Zurich

PediPower Toega

Foot fitness training and workshops in Zurich (Switzerland). Get to meet Georgette from the film and let her help guide you with exercises.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
My Foot Function
Global

My Foot Function

Tools, courses, and consultations for people who want to understand how their feet actually work. From toe spacers to condition-specific workshops, My Foot Function pairs hands-on products with practical training — and pulls no punches about what the shoe and medical industries got wrong.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Naboso textured insole, close up, from the film
USA / Global

Naboso

Textured insoles that wake up the nerve endings in the soles of your feet, so your shoes stop cutting you off from the ground. Created by functional podiatrist Dr. Emily Splichal — you'll meet her in the film. Slip them into shoes you already own and every step becomes sensory input.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Petra Fisher smiling, holding a foam roller
Online

Petra Fisher Movement

Whole-body movement coaching for feet that have spent decades in conventional shoes. Petra treats the foot as part of a chain — feet, hips, knees, and how you walk — because a foot problem is rarely just a foot problem. Her courses rebuild that whole chain and guide a safe, gradual transition to barefoot: new patterns, new mobility, and the gentle progressions your body actually needs to adapt so you can get the best results from your new shoes.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Rachna Patel, posture and movement specialist
Online

Body Like Butter

Rachna Patel's posture and movement programme, for melting the stiffness out of a desk-shaped body — feet included. You'll meet Rachna in the film too.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗
Standing barefoot on the SP1KE acupressure mat, from the film
Canada / Global

SP1KE™ by Vigurus

An acupressure mat with over 500 precision-tipped nodes that wake up your soles without breaking skin — stand on it, sit on it, lie on it, and your feet get the stimulation smooth floors took away. You'll spot it in the film.

Website ↗ Instagram ↗

A Quick Guide

What to look for in a shoe

According to the film's experts, there are four things that matter most:

Wide toe box

Your toes should spread freely — the shoe should follow the shape of your foot, not the other way around.

Zero drop (flat sole)

No heel elevation. A raised heel tilts your whole body forward and loads your joints differently. Your heel should be level with your toes.

Flexible sole

Your foot needs to bend, flex, and feel the ground. A rigid sole blocks the sensory feedback your brain needs to keep you stable.

Some protection for city use

Fully barefoot on pavement is a big ask. A thin, protective sole is fine — it's the shape and flexibility that matter most.

👶 For children

Go barefoot as much as possible. When shoes are needed, a wide toe box and flexible sole are non-negotiable — their feet are still forming.

Medical Disclaimer

Please read before making any changes

The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Nothing here should be taken as a diagnosis, treatment recommendation, or substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional.

Transitioning to minimalist or barefoot footwear involves a gradual adaptation process. Moving too quickly can cause injury. If you have any pre-existing conditions — including but not limited to arthritis, plantar fasciitis, diabetes, neuropathy, flat feet, or any history of foot, ankle, knee, or back injury — please consult a podiatrist, physiotherapist, or other qualified specialist before making changes to your footwear.

The brands, products, and practitioners listed on this page are shared as a resource. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement of any specific health claim. Blossom Peak Productions has no commercial relationship with any of the listed brands unless explicitly noted (e.g. Wildling Shoes, a lead partner of Stupid Shoes).

The film Stupid Shoes is an investigative documentary, not a medical programme. The experts featured share their professional perspectives; their views do not represent official guidance from any medical body or government health authority.