School shoe season is looming and as ever at Happy Little Soles we have been scouring the market looking for the best barefoot school shoes to add to our collection to ensure we have lots of choice this season. Fortunately this season we are better stocked than ever with options to suit every style and foot type. We have managed to restock on all of our most popular school brands, including PLAE, Froddo, Vivobarefoot and PaperKrane, and also have some great new options to share with you.
For the 2023 school shoe season we are pleased to introduce 2 new brands, each with a great barefoot friendly school shoe range.
Young Soles
Young Soles is a luxury children's footwear brand whose aim is to blend retro-cool with classic heritage styles. Their shoes are designed in East London and made in Portugal using the highest quality materials.
We are delighted to be stocking their first ever barefoot collection which is focussed on a range of school shoes and a classic Chelsea boot. The sole is zero drop, thin and flexible and made of natural rubber. A medium width with a great toe box they offer a lovely classic option with a few nice twists and a great design edge.
Petasil
Petasil is a vibrant kids footwear brand established in 1988 in the heart of Portugal’s historic shoe industry in St Joao da Madeira. Petasil has long created stylish, practical and fashionable footwear and have recently developed a range of barefoot friendly school shoes which we are delighted to be trialling this season.
These shoes are a great option if you are looking for something with a more mainstream look, whilst still retaining the benefits of a barefoot friendly sole. Width wise they are a nice medium width and are very similar in width and shape to the older Bobux school shoes. The sole thickness is 8mm at the heel and 6mm at the ball so a reasonably thin sole with a minimal 2mm heel rise. Flexibility is good but the sole is also nice and robust with a protective toe bumper. Overall they represent a good compromise between barefoot credentials and durability.
The 2 new sole units are shown next to each other below for comparison, Petasil on the left and Young Soles on the right.
