Any 6-big-kid barefoot shoes out there?

December 1, 2016 7:43 AM

Know of any kid's barefoot shoes in size 6 big kid? Please tell me about them!

What I really wanted is Merrell's kid's reach glove in size 6 (or 6.5) big kid, but they've stopped making them. So I'm looking for something similar - a durable reasonably priced (up to 50$) shoe that is wide in the toe area, with a (soft) leather upper and a flexible zero drop bottom - that comes in big kid sizes

LOVE to hear about any big kid sized barefoot shoes I might have missed (and if anyone knows of an available pair of Merrell reach glove in 6 or 6.5 big kid, please memail me and I'll nab 'em)! Thanks!!!

posted by mirileh to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

A size 6 kid is a size 8 women's and a size 6.5 men's.

There are 11 options for men on Zappo's. None of them are Merrell, however. Women's size 8 has 45 options, many of them not-pink-or-purple if your kid doesn't want that.
posted by AFABulous at 7:54 AM on December 1, 2016

Big kid shoe sizes are the same as adult sizes. So a 6 in BK, should be the around the same as a 6 in Men's.
posted by jenny76 at 7:55 AM on December 1, 2016

Response by poster: about adult sized barefoot shoes - I find children's shoes more durable, more comfortable - not too thin on the bottom and wider - and cheaper - so I really prefer to hear about children's shoes (but thanks for the suggestion)
posted by mirileh at 8:05 AM on December 1, 2016

If you're willing to pay more, I recommend The Drifter Leather. They make it custom to your feet. You can also order on Etsy.

Example.

We switched to them since Merell stopped making barefoot shoes.
posted by ethidda at 9:07 AM on December 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

DID Merrill stop making them? Because the Merrill website has an entire page of "Barefoot & Minimalist Running Shoes"... New Balance dropped their Minimus line (well, not so much dropped it as "redesigned the shoes to not actually be minimalist at all") but as far as I know Merrill and Vibram are still making minimalist shoes. Reviews on pairs listed at the link above are as recent as October. None are listed as discontinued. The trail glove will be thicker than the road glove. None are as thin as a FiveFingers sole would be. I've been wearing the same 2 pairs of Road Gloves for several years now as day-to-day shoes, neither has shown any issues with durability .
posted by caution live frogs at 11:32 AM on December 1, 2016

I misspoke (mistyped?). Merrell still makes some barefoot shoes. However, I'd been wearing their barefoot flats (Glove line). They no longer make true barefoot flats and only make a Mimix line of women's flats, which are not true barefoot shoes. My husband wears the Vapor Glove (?) but he does not like the version 2 fit. Also, it wears out after about a year (the mesh is totally broken).
posted by ethidda at 1:24 PM on December 1, 2016