Healthier steps, stronger you

Natural movement for your feet, every single day.

Shop now

Freedom in every step

Designed to move with your feet.

Shop now

Oxford, reimagined

Elegant enough for the city. Natural enough for every step.

Shop now

Chelsea, reimagined

Built to move naturally. Styled to last.

Shop now
4.8 ★ average from verified Etsy buyers
7,915 reviews
31,776 pairs sold
2021 Etsy Star Seller since 2021

Find your pair

Every style comes in men's and women's lasts, in several leathers and two sole types.

Chelsea Boots Ballet Flats Ballet Flats Oxford Long Boots Penny Loafer Converse Styles Short Boots Slippers & Sandals Slippers & Sandals Kids Kids

Shop by moment

Pick where you'll wear them most.

Barefoot oxford shoes on a cobblestone park path

Office & evenings

Oxfords · Loafers & slip-ons

WomenMen

Barefoot sneakers on a meadow trail

Every day

Sneakers · Ballet flats · Tabi

WomenMen

Barefoot leather boots on autumn leaves

Cold days

Ankle boots · Chelsea boots · Long & knee boots

WomenMen

Barefoot leather sandals on a garden deck

At home & summer

Sandals · Home slippers

WomenMen

Barefoot ballet flats bending over a mossy stone

What changes when your shoe follows your foot

Barefoot footwear is a simple idea: make the shoe the shape of a foot, then get out of the way.

Room for your toes

The toe box is as wide as your forefoot, so toes rest flat and spread naturally instead of being pushed inward. Many people with bunions or wide feet find this the biggest relief.

Zero drop

Heel and toes sit at the same height. Without a raised heel, your ankles, knees and back settle into a natural, upright posture.

Thin, flexible sole

A 6 mm rubber or natural leather sole bends with your foot and lets you feel the ground, so the small muscles of your foot do their job.

Vegetable-tanned leather

Tanned with plant tannins instead of chrome. It breathes, moulds to your foot over time and has almost no chemical residue against your skin.

Copper rivet for grounding

Models marked with the copper rivet carry a pure copper rivet that connects your skin with the ground beneath you, the way walking barefoot does.

New to barefoot shoes? Start with a few hours a day and build up over two to three weeks while your feet adapt.

Thermal imaging comparison

See the difference grounding can make

Thermal images show how the body's temperature pattern may change after grounding.

Before grounding – Shoulder region Before grounding

Shoulder region

Warmer red and yellow areas show tension and an uneven temperature pattern.

After grounding – Shoulder region After grounding

Shoulder region

Cooler tones spread across the area – a calmer, more balanced pattern.

Before grounding – Knee region Before grounding

Knee region

Heat gathers around the joint, where stiffness and discomfort are often felt.

After grounding – Knee region After grounding

Knee region

A more even colour spread shows a visibly calmer thermal picture.

Images from one person, shown for illustration. Individual results vary.

Scientific evidence: grounding & natural foot health

Grounding and barefoot walking have been studied and written about by research institutions, journals and health publishers.

Science National Institutes of Health WebMD Mary Ann Liebert Brigham Young University

Read the studies

Ordinary shoes vs Aintap

Ordinary shoeaintapbarefoot
Toe boxTapered, toes pressed togetherFoot-shaped, toes spread
Heel heightRaised heel (2–4 cm)Zero drop
SoleThick, stiff, cushionedThin and flexible (leather or 6 mm rubber)
LeatherOften chrome-tanned or syntheticVegetable-tanned, top grain
GroundingRubber blocks contactCopper-rivet option
MadeMass-producedBy hand, to order, in Gaziantep

What the research says

Independent, peer-reviewed studies on barefoot footwear and grounding. We list who did the study, how big it was and what they found.

See all research
Barefoot footwearRandomised controlled trial · 57 runners · 8 weeks

After 8 weeks, the minimalist-shoe group had bigger and stronger foot muscles, about as much as the exercise group. The group that changed nothing did not improve.

What it means for you: Simply walking in shoes that let your foot move trains the small muscles that support your arch.

Ridge ST, Olsen MT, Bruening DA, et al. Walking in Minimalist Shoes Is Effective for Strengthening Foot Muscles. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2019;51(1):104–113. Read the study

Barefoot footwearNature · field and lab study in Kenya and the USA

Barefoot walkers' feet stayed just as sensitive to the ground. Cushioned shoes, in contrast, reduced how much the foot can feel.

What it means for you: A thin, flexible sole keeps the feedback your feet use for balance.

Holowka NB, Wynands B, Drechsel TJ, et al. Foot callus thickness does not trade off protection for tactile sensitivity during walking. Nature. 2019;571:261–264. Read the study

GroundingPilot study · 12 adults · 8 weeks · no control group

Night-time cortisol fell and the daily cortisol rhythm moved towards normal. Most participants reported sleeping better with less pain and stress.

What it means for you: An early, small study, so the results are promising rather than proven. Larger controlled studies are still needed.

Ghaly M, Teplitz D. The biologic effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2004;10(5):767–776. Read the study

How grounding works in an Aintap shoe

  1. ContactA pure copper rivet passes through the sole. Inside it touches your skin, outside it touches the ground.
  2. ConnectionOn soil, grass, sand, stone or unsealed concrete the rivet creates a conductive path between you and the earth. Rubber, asphalt and wooden floors block it.
  3. BalanceYour body takes on the electrical potential of the ground, the same effect researchers create with conductive mats and sheets in grounding studies.

Most loved on Etsy

Ranked by favourites and reviews from 31,800+ orders.

Shop all
Smooth Barefoot Penny Loafer Shoes – Rubber Sole – Mustard
Smooth Barefoot Penny Loafer Shoes – Rubber Sole – Mustard
$107.50 $215.00
10 colours
Crazy Barefoot Long Boots Shoes – 6mm Rubber Sole – Dark Brown
Crazy Barefoot Long Boots Shoes – 6mm Rubber Sole – Dark Brown
$123.45 $246.90
10 colours
Nubuck Barefoot Long Boots Converse Shoes – 6mm Rubber Sole – Jeans
Nubuck Barefoot Long Boots Converse Shoes – 6mm Rubber Sole – Jeans
$122.50 $245.00
10 colours
Copper rivetCrazy Barefoot Oxford Shoes — Leather Sole – Honey Camel
Crazy Barefoot Oxford Shoes — Leather Sole – Honey Camel
$107.95 $215.90
10 colours
Copper rivetCrazy Barefoot Chelsea Boots Shoes – Eva Outsole – Honey Camel
Crazy Barefoot Chelsea Boots Shoes – Eva Outsole – Honey Camel
$117.49 $234.98
10 colours
Smooth Barefoot Converse Shoes – 6mm Rubber Sole – Full Black
Smooth Barefoot Converse Shoes – 6mm Rubber Sole – Full Black
$107.50 $215.00
10 colours
Copper rivetSmooth Barefoot Laces Short Boots Shoes – Classic Sole — Leather Sole – Brown
Smooth Barefoot Laces Short Boots Shoes – Classic Sole — Leather Sole – Brown
$107.50 $215.00
10 colours
Copper rivetSmooth Barefoot Long Boots Shoes – Classic Sole — Leather Sole – Brown
Smooth Barefoot Long Boots Shoes – Classic Sole — Leather Sole – Brown
$123.45 $246.90
10 colours

Made by 65 people in Gaziantep, the home of the yemeni

Aintap is the Ottoman name of Gaziantep, the city where the soft, flat yemeni shoe was born. Our founder Evren grew up in Chicago, came home in 2013 and opened a small workshop to bring that tradition back.

Today our team of 65, half of them women, cuts, stitches and finishes every pair in-house. Each shoe is made to order, so it reaches you fresh from the bench.

Meet the workshop

Questions before your first pair

How should I choose my size?
Order your usual size. Measure your foot from heel to longest toe and compare it with the insole length in our size chart. If you are between sizes, take the larger one.
Which models support grounding?
Grounding needs a conductive path between your skin and the earth. Models marked “copper rivet” on their product page have one. Ask us if you are unsure about a specific pair.
How long does delivery take?
Each pair is made to order in 3–5 working days, then shipped with UPS. Most orders arrive within 7–12 days.
Can I return or exchange?
Yes, within 14 days of delivery. US returns go to our US warehouse; other countries ship back to our workshop in Türkiye.
Will I feel the ground too much?
You will feel more than in a cushioned shoe, which is the point. Most people adapt within a couple of weeks. Start on even surfaces.