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Feelgrounds is a company that focuses on building casual barefoot shoes for men and women. Feelgrounds has continued to grow in popularity due to their minimalist designs and good-looking barefoot shoes. I personally enjoy wearing barefoot shoes out and about casually, but it can be tough finding pairs that look really good for daily wear.
I was super excited to test and review the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoe because I’ve been looking for nice daily wear barefoot shoes for warmer months. Overall, I really enjoy the width of the Feelground Original Mesh shoes and their lightweight mesh upper construction.
While I like these shoes as a whole and think they’re great daily wear barefoot shoes, there are a couple of cons to note about them, which I’ll discuss below.
In this Feelground Original Mesh review, I’m going to discuss a variety of topics to help you decide if this pair of barefoot shoes is a good pick for your wants and needs.
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Who Should Invest In the Feelgrounds Original Mesh Shoes?
The Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes are a really good option for anyone looking for a casual barefoot shoe that they can wear on a daily basis. This model has a super thin and flexible sole which gives you ample ground feedback if you want to mimic walking barefoot on a daily basis.
The stack height of this shoe’s sole comes in at 5mm and its mesh upper is lightweight and breathable. This shoe is best used as a warmer month-focused shoe for summer and warm spring and fall days.
If you want a casual barefoot shoe that is made with recycled materials, then I think the Feelground Original Mesh shoes are a good option for you. They look good with shorts and pants and can even be worn for very casual recreational lifting sessions.
Feelgrounds Original Mesh
$109
Best For
- Casual Daily Wear
- Walking In Warmer Months
- Casual Lifting and Working Out
Falls Short
- For Colder Months
- For Serious Working Out
Feelgrounds Original Mesh Pros
Over the course of my testing and wearing of the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes, I’ve found multiple things to like about this model.
- Great for Daily and Casual Wear
- Made Out of Recycled Materials
- Lightweight, Breathable, and Flexible
The first aspect to like about the Feelgroudns Original Mesh is their ability to work really well for daily wear. This model has a simplistic appearance to them which makes them a great neutral shoe for a variety of settings. I almost think of these as the barefoot shoe equivalent of most Allbirds shoes.
As in, they look clean and simplistic for daily wear and they’re made out of recycled materials. I like that you can wear the Original Mesh with pants and shorts and they look really good in a variety of settings.
Another aspect to like about the Feelgrounds Original Mesh, and I alluded to this above, but I like that these shoes are made out of recycled materials. The laces, upper, and lining are made out of recycled PET and the sole is also constructed with recycled PET.
PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate which is the most recycled plastic worldwide. I like that Feelgrounds is using sustainable materials to build their shoes and it adds depth to the Original Mesh barefoot shoes being great daily wear shoes.
The last few aspects to like about the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes is their breathability and flexibility. This model’s mesh upper is highly breathable which makes this shoe an awesome pick for hotter months. For example, you could easily rock these shoes with or without socks and they should keep your feet cool.
This shoe’s flexibility is also another pro to wearing this model. The sole of this model has a stack height of 5mm and they move really well so you get a lot of ground feedback and maneuverability out of the Original Mesh shoes.
Feelgrounds Original Mesh Cons
Despite really enjoying the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes, there are a couple of cons to note about this shoe before investing.
- Long-Term Sole Durability May Be An Issue for Some
- Not the Best for Cold Months and Rain
The first potential drawback to the Feelground Original Mesh barefoot shoes is that they may lack long-term sole durability in certain contexts. The sole is super thin with a stack height of 5mm and it’s made out of recycled TPE.
I think if you’re wearing these every day and rocking them in all types of weather, then you may run into durability issues faster than someone wearing these intermittently with other barefoot shoes. The Original Mesh does not come with insoles and they feature a finished internal construction.
The lack of insoles does not instantly mean that this shoe is prone to faster breakdown, but there is less material separating the foot from creating friction on the internal sole construction of this model. Since the soles are super thin, I think if you’re putting a ton of miles on them, then you may experience them thinning faster than barefoot shoes with insoles and slightly thicker rubber soles.
Another potential drawback to the Feelgrounds Original Mesh is that they’re not going to be your best shoe for wearing in colder months which Feelgrounds specifies on their site. This shoe’s mesh upper breathes really well which is great for warm months, but for cold months, these shoes are not the warmest.
Plus, the mesh and thin sole can absorb water pretty easily which adds to their inability to be a good cross-season barefoot shoe, especially in snowy months. If you invest in this shoe, I’d suggest limiting their wear for warm months to get the most out of them.
Performance
To discuss the performance of the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes, I’m going to break down how this shoe performs in a variety of contexts below. The performance tests for these shoes were primarily focused on daily wear, walking, and some casual working out.
Feelgrounds Original Mesh for Casual Workouts
Let me start by saying, the Feelgrounds Original Mesh is not designed for working out, so if you do train in your pair, please do so at your own risk. That being said, despite this model not technically being a “workout-focused barefoot shoe” I do like them for casual lifting and training.
More specifically, I think if you want a pair of barefoot shoes for daily wear and strength training, then you’ll enjoy this model. The sole grips wooden platforms, rubber gym floors, and machines pretty well and for static strength work, this shoe’s traction is pretty solid.
The 5mm thick sole and stack height are also awesome for deadlifts and lower body training where you want to get super close to the ground. If you do plan to use the Original Mesh for working out here and there, I’d suggest putting an insole in them to prolong their durability.
This will help protect the internal stitching on this shoe when you’re doing different exercises that could put stress into the areas where the upper is stitched to the sole.
Feelgrounds Original Mesh for Walking and Daily Wear
For daily wear and walking, I really enjoy the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes. This model is one of my favorite barefoot shoes at the moment for rocking casually and that’s because they look good with a lot of different outfits.
Whether you’re wearing shorts or pants, this shoe looks good and you can wear them in more formal settings without issues. The width of the Original Mesh also contributes to their ability to work well for casual wear.
For example, some barefoot shoes that I wear on a daily basis like the Inov-8 Bare-XF 210 V3 lack adequate toe box width so they can get a little uncomfortable if you’re wearing them all day. This is not an issue whatsoever in the Feelgrounds Original Mesh.
I also like how well these shoes breathe in warmer months. The mesh upper is lightweight and flexible so you can easily rock these in the summer without fear of your feet getting super hot.
Feelgrounds Original Mesh Sizing
In the Feelground Original Mesh barefoot shoes, you should be safe going true to size. This shoe’s length fits true and it has ample room through the toe box and midfoot to accommodate different foot widths.
- Feelgrounds Original Mesh Sizing Thoughts: Go true-to-size.
If you have additional questions on the Feelground Original Mesh barefoot shoes sizing and fit or how they compare to other barefoot shoes, drop a comment below.
Construction Details
The Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes are relatively simple in nature when it comes to their construction. Personally, this is an aspect that I like about this model.
Below are some of the biggest construction callouts to note about the Feelgrounds Original Mesh shoes.
- Heel-to-Toe Drop: 0mm
- Weight: 7.7 oz (for my size 10 model)
- Removable Insole: Does not come with one.
- Recycled PET Upper, Laces, and Lining
- Recycled PET Sole
- Microfiber Heel Lining
- 6 Metal Eyelets
If you have additional questions on the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes, drop a comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q:Are Feelgrounds true to size?
Q:How to wash Feelgrounds?
Takeaway Thoughts
The Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes are awesome shoes to look into if you’re on the market for a casual barefoot shoe to wear in the warmer months. This model’s lightweight and breathable mesh with exceptional width makes them a joy to wear in a variety of settings.
There are a couple of contexts where this model falls short, but I think if you go into them understanding their limitations, then you’ll enjoy the Original Mesh shoes as a whole.
If you have additional questions on the Feelgrounds Original Mesh barefoot shoes, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally via Instagram (@jake_boly).
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