New and upcoming healthy footwear releases
Wide toe box shoes with cushioned zero drop soles
(Updated 3/26/25)
I’m always on the lookout for new wide toe box shoe offerings—especially zero drop shoes with cushion, since there are currently so few options. A handful of brands have recently released (or are soon to release) shoes in this category, and I thought you should know!
Dolfie Paradise
Dolfie Paradise has been in the shoe game since 2007, with a focus on making sustainable footwear. A few years ago the owners came to realize just how damaging conventional footwear can be to the feet, and this caused them to take a hard look at the shoes they themselves were producing. The owners decided to make a huge shift in the brand’s core identity, and last year they announced that Dolfie Paradise would be completely switching over to making zero drop, wide toe box shoes.
This is a monumental undertaking and I can only imagine the amount of work that goes into making this kind of transition. Not only have they had to completely redesign their lasts, but they’ve also had to modify all of their existing shoe patterns to be compatible with them; the fit then needs to be tested and adjustments are made until everyone’s happy with the results. This is a back and forth process that can take years.
From their teaser photos, it looks like Dolfie will be putting out a variety of fun sneaker styles that are currently lacking in the cushioned zero drop shoe world. Their sneakers will have a generously wide toe box, and depending on the model, will have soles that are either 6mm or 11mm thick. Dolfie will also offer two different insoles (3mm and 8mm thick) so customers can easily adjust the amount of padding to suit their specific needs. Dolfie has yet to give a launch date but I’m keeping a close eye on them.
It takes a lot of guts to admit the product you’re selling might be harming your customers, and then do the work to remedy things. I applaud Dolfie for their efforts and hope we’ll see other established shoe brands follow in their footsteps one day.
UPDATE: Pre-orders are now open!
(Read Barefoot Feature’s exclusive interview with Dolfie Paradise co-founder Bárbara de Assis here for more info.)
Turriff Functional Footwear
I first became aware of Andrew Turriff through Substack. Since 2022, he’s been detailing his journey to bring his healthy footwear vision to factory production. I’ve been following Andrew’s progress for several months and it’s been interesting to read a behind-the-scenes account of what goes into launching a new footwear brand, and the difficulties that arise when creating something that doesn’t fit the mold of what factories are used to producing. If this is something you’ve wanted to learn more about, I highly recommend checking out Andrew’s Substack.
After much toil, Andrew was able to get all the details ironed out and last month he opened pre-orders for Turriff Functional Footwear! The C-01 and C-02 Trail Shoes are expected to ship in February.
Andrew Turriff is an orthopedic shoemaker who has long admired the quality craftmanship of heritage footwear. He came to realize, however, how restrictive traditional footwear can be for natural foot function. This led him to develop an interest in barefoot shoes, but he often found them lacking in quality and longevity. He set out to create a brand that combines aspects of both types of footwear to fill the gap that currently exists for functional, healthy, well-made shoes.
The Trail Shoes feature a wide, anatomical toe shape. The sole is completely flat, with a total thickness of approximately 15mm. The uppers are made of premium leather from Charles F. Stead tannery and the shoes are built using a combination of Blake rapid stitch and stitchdown constructions to allow for easy repair and resoling, while also maintaining sole flexibility. Some people might experience a bit of sticker shock at the price, but if you’re spending $100-200 every couple years to replace disposable shoes, it really doesn’t take long before repairable footwear wins out because they’re made to last for many years with proper care. This not only saves money in the long run, but also reduces environmental impact.
While the Trail Shoes are geared toward hiking and outdoors activities, Andrew has informed me that he has other shoe styles in the works. I look forward to seeing what else he has in store.
Splay Shoes
Splay has been making barefoot shoes since 2018. While the soles on their first model were incredibly thin, the company has been slowly introducing thicker soles over time. With the release of the Runner V1, Splay has really branched out and made a sneaker with much more padding than their other models. The zero drop soles are 15mm thick, whereas many barefoot shoe brands aim for around the 5mm mark.
The Runner V1 has a decently wide toe box and an overall retro vibe, and comes in a number of striking colors. Although marketed as a running shoe, the Runner V1 would be perfectly suited as an everyday sneaker.
Technically speaking, the way the sole is attached to the upper looks like it wouldn’t be all that hard to resole them. However, I can’t guarantee how well that would work in practice, because there’s a possibility the upper can be damaged if the shoe isn’t specifically made to be resoleable.
I appreciate that Splay has made an option for those of us who can’t wear thin-soled barefoot shoes, and I hope this is an indication of more things to come—either from Splay or other barefoot shoe brands.
