Richmond 2

I like these shoes, but as others have mentioned the lowest lace holes go through the tongue, which is bent back and sewed to the upper. I can't figure out why this was done, as it makes an odd lump that I did not like the look or feel of.

As you can see in the before and after photos, I cut the thread attaching these two so that the tongue was set free. It now tucks in as it should. I put some super glue on the inside cut ends of the thread so it does not come loose off the upper. Shoes work fine now and look better.

These shoes are made of a really nice feeling suede leather, have a good weight sole that insulated from cold, and fit my feet perfectly. They look great, which I can’t say for a few barefoot shoes I’ve owned😜
You may want to order a half size larger as I did after returning the usual size I order. Customer service was 5 star in return simplicity and speed.
The only reason I don’t rate these at 5 stars is the placement of the lowest holes for the laces goes through the tongue of the shoe as well as the flaps where laces are always located. This puts a bunching of the leather on either side of the foot at the top of the arch of the foot. I’m hoping over time as the leather wears in it will minimize, but it’s not a lace placement I’ve seen before, and now I know why. I will review after a few months too, thank you Freet!

(This is my second and updated 11-month review of the Freet Richmond 2)

I own only two pairs of shoes, my Freet’s and a pair sandals. I’ve worn the Freet Richmond every single day now for 11 months straight. I work, hike, cycle and even run every week in these. I trust them to handle just about anything.

Originally I had ordered a (USA 10 EU 44), the leather has stretched, as they should. With that being said, I’ve moved down to my typical EU size of 43. This still gives room at the toe for my 10.5” foot, but snug enough to where the leather can stretch without becoming loose on my foot.

I’m continually amazed at how well these shoes have held up. Although I just ordered a new pair - The tread on my older ones easily have another year of life left, the stitched sole remains solid, and the leather—now nicely broken in—is supple, thick, yet completely intact.

I love the look and natural materials of these shoes—people compliment them all the time. I’m always telling them, get yourself some Freet's. Without question, these are my favorite and best-value barefoot shoes I’ve ever worn, and I’ll keep wearing them as long as Freet provides. Thanks, Freet!

A lengthy review as I've always appreciated too much information rather than too little.

TLDR; love the leather but with a natural material there are some things to consider (nothing negative just something to expect), very comfortable, snug fit but true to size, recommended highly, new favourite shoe.

This is my second pair of Freets, the first being the Freet Pace which I bought perhaps a year or so ago. I was looking for a boot given both my Freet Pace and Vivo's weren't great when it gets a little cold and wet. I wanted to give Freet another go given their price point is more affordable and I'm always keen to support a smaller company where I can. Above this, the shoe width is wider than some competitors which I've come to prefer having been wearing minimal/barefoot shoes now for 4 or so years.

Look & Feel: They are true to the pictures, the leather feels like top grain leather to me, a fractionally furry texture close to a suede finish. I had noticed that a small portion of the leather by one of the big toes was slightly rougher. Given that the material is natural leather, and having worked a little with leather before, I actually appreciate the 'imperfection'. It isn't at all noticeable visibly and is completely nullified once you apply some wax (more on that later). One of the leather panels on the side also is slightly different in that its a little softer and you can see some of the grain a little more (not noticeable with the shoe on, just a detail I noticed and takes nothing away from the quality finish).

Fit: I bought a UK size 7, surprisingly this was a snug, but VERY comfortable fit. If you do prefer plenty of space around your foot I'd possibly recommend sizing up slightly, or if in between sizes then go for the larger in that case. For me I can comfortably where a sock for those colder days, it is possible that as the leather softens and moulds to my foot shape they'll be even more comfortable.

I ended up keeping the insole inside (something I normally take out), it's not too thick at all and adds a little extra support (and feet aren't so cold in winter).

Wax/Care: As recommended on the site, I used Nikwax Leather Wax for shoes. This vastly changed the shoe material (for the better). As it says on the wax label, it will darken the shoe by several shades and the almost fuzzy suede finish will be smooth to the touch. Note: When applying this wax, you will see some darker spots and what looks like staining on the leather, don't worry, it's just the wax getting into the leather and will dry a solid colour. The wax was applied for waterproofing and I'm very glad I did.

Picture attached shoes the darker shade of the leather post waxing.

I'll post back again if there's any further updates, but honestly, couldn't be happier. Very keen to try some of Freets other shoes soon once I can afford to, highly recommend.

I wore the Richmond 1s for 5 years until I eventually wore a hole in the sole from mainly walking on pavements. The Richmond 2s broke-in instantly and are incredibly comfortable. I've already walked for several hours in them on pavements and on muddier walks and they are amazing. So refreshing to wear leather shoes that don't need any long break-in period. The leather is softer and slightly darker in shade when compared with the Richmond 1s and they have more rubber on the sole to last longer. These are my number 1 shoes.

I just received your Richmond 2 shoes moments ago, and I really love them! Well done on delivering this quality. The Richmond 2 are definitely a big step up from the original Richmonds in terms of comfort. The insides are soft and rubber sole nicely cushioned for walking, something the original Richmonds lacked slightly.
I’ve noticed in Freets and other minimalist shoes that the rubber soles tend to detach pretty quickly. I’ve had to glue the soles on the Freet Impalas after about a dozen walks in wet forest. The stitching around the soles in the Richmond 2 is definitely something that makes me feel more safe and confident in sole durability.
Sizing wise, matches size description pretty well, although definitely just a tad on the small side in length. I have a 10 inch foot and the 45 fits well with about 3/4 of a thumb width to spare. The Richmonds 44 have always been just a tad too short in length for an expected 10UK. Just preference of course, but thought I’d let you know.

This is my first pair of Freet shoes and I’ll say, I already know I’ll buy these again. I have about a 26.9cm foot and have only ever worn a US 10 in Vivo and everything else. I went with Freet’s recommended size of 44 in the Richmond 2, leaving me at least 1cm of room in front of my toes. They fit spot on.

I’ve been wearing them for a few days straight now. They are very foot shaped, Freet knows their stuff. The heel and arch hugs nicely around the foot, and the toe box is outstanding for the foot to stretch, move and grow. I especially love the sole thickness and the stitching around the outsole for added durability, that’s an important quality feature for me. The sole stiffness is a perfect balance of flexibility, yet thick and durable for all around use. The quality of leather is very durable yet supple. I also put a thin coat of beeswax over these for added moisture protection, not that they needed them, but these shoes will be going everywhere with me.

Compared to previous barefoot chukkas, I generally get a year out of my barefoot shoes. But the Richmond are surly designed to hold up. Honestly, if I ran trails everyday for a year, I’m confident these would handle it. Super well done.

Delighted with my new boots!

I tried a the original Richmond but returned as the heel area was too loose for my (dainty woman's!) ankle. I'm always looking out for a nice-looking minimal shoe that I can wear with a frock, so thought i'd give the updated Richmond a whirl ... and I'm really glad I did!

The ankle is much better fitting, and feels as if its going to hold its shape with wear. I was slightly wary when I first tried them on as - unlike all my many other Freets - they felt a bit stiff. However, they softened up nicely after pottering about the house in them for a day. They fit true-to-size.

Apart for the usual Freet 'barefoot' credentials (zero toe-drop, room for toe spead, super-flexible) what I particularly like about Richmond is:
- simple, non-sporty design that looks good with a skirt too
- super quality, soft matt leather
- sewn-in tongue (no tongue slip!)
- unusual & absolutely gorgeous colour - mid brown almost veering to khaki-brown.

My only suggestion for an improvement would be a wee loop or tag at the heel to help with putting on.

Fancified with some light brown & black striped laces, my Richmond 2s are set to be the perfect footwear for the coming Spring.

Great comfy shoes.

It's taken a bit longer than expected for the shoe and my feet to adapt to each other (I have a developing bunion on one foot). The shoe felt painfully tight across the top, which made it painful. The solution was to loosen the laces as much as possible and after a few days, the leather is softening and the discomfort is diminishing. So, the normal benefits of Freet's width and barefoot design (I have another pair of Freet shoes , which are really excellent) have not been immediate. But I'm pretty confident that they will get to be as comfortable as the other pair. But they are beautifully made and I'm sure they'll last long. So, ultimately highly recommended.

These shoes are dressy enough to wear to my workplace. Heel lockdown is great plenty of room in my midfoot and toebox while still being good fit.

They look a bit goofy looking down at them but they are fine at an angle which is how everyone is going to see them anyway. I got the Freet Danum first and these fit a little bit more snug with the same size (I wear US 10). Not as breathable as well but that's expected with a leather shoe. It's still way more breathable than thicker smooth leather though my feet were not super sweaty after a full work day.

I'm checking out other barefoot brands as well now but I know I'll keep coming back to Freet to check for new styles. Awesome shoe.

They are well made, they keep my feel quite warm compared to my old barefoot shoes. In general the sizes are slight smaller than vivo's sizes. only 4 stars because of the laces hole though the tongue (as other have mentioned). I bees waxed and polished them, the leather ends up very dark brown (almost black). I'm happy with them I'd buy another pair (maybe one size up).

fantastic

I have been wearing barefoot shoes for prob ten years now, and Freets since Connect 1. Have had Connect 1 & 2, Feldom, Chukka, Muddee, Zennor, Tundra, and now Richmond 2.

Had previously tried Richmond v1 and returned it, because the sizing was off for me. V2 fixes that. Also, they might be the most comfortable Freets since Connect v2. Plus, with a bit of Nikwax waterproofing wax, they darken up nicely, adopting a 'lived in' look.

Full marks. Can wear these anywhere. The only thing I'd say that could be improved is to offer a resole-ing service, because the upper will last a long, long time.

This is my third pair of Freet shoes. They are well design and made with quality material . Great to wear and good for your feet.

They're difficult to get in, but they fit well and are comfortable to walk in.

Sizing was inconsistent with the other Freet shoes I own and I was very disappointed to find out that these were too small, both in length and roominess in the toe box (even when I removed the insole)

Amazing shoes

My first Freet boots were pre-loved off Ebay so I was excited to have a new spare for winter smart use. Love the nubuck finish and the fact that this retains the full grain so dubbin, while changing the look, will waterproof them. Had some discomfort from the seam across the heel. It is only there to create the tab, would rather do without the tab and have the seams run up to the top either side of the heel but removing the insole dropped the foot in enough that the seam could not be felt. Very comfortable. I should probably have sized up to 42 for my big left foot but that would drown the right foot. Soft enough not to be a problem. Would say they are true to size for those whose feet are even. Boots have already been admired even by the pointy, tight, stiff heeled boot wearers!
Even without the insoles in the boots have kept my feet warmer. The insoles are good quality and fit perfectly in my vivobarefoot shoes rendering them way more comfortable too. Good job Freet. Have recommended you already. Keep up the good work.

When I first opened the box and tried them on, I wasn’t sure if these were boots were what I was looking for. (3 stars straight out of the box). Shoelaces often came untied and I was unsure about the fit. I decided to keep the shoes after a few days and have been wearing them for about a week - already my opinion has changed. It’s really hard for me to find shoes that work for my short, wide feet and while barefoot shoes in general have been quite the improvement, I was nervous to commit to the price point of these. However, the high quality leather is much more comfortable than I had feared and has held up well walking on pavement, gravel, and a brief detour through a well-maintained trail. The leather laces stay put if I tie with a double twist in one loop (best shoelace hack ever), and if they didn’t stay better as the leather laces broke in, I would try different laces before giving up entirely. I now look forward to wearing these in both casual and work settings through the cold months. I’m not sure if it’s possible to update reviews but I’m open to bumping up that last star if these Richmond 2 boots pass the test of a New England winter - fingers crossed!

Très confortable

I really love my Richmond 2s. I did have to exchange my first pair fir the next size up, but having got the right size, they were incredibly comfortable straight out of the box. I've been living in Tangas for the last few months, but needed something warmer and more water resistant, for late Autumn and Winter, and these fit the bill perfectly. Great for general wear, and dog walking, too, as long as its not too muddy. I expect to wear them pretty much every day from now on. Couldn't be happier!

Comfortable, wide toe box, very well designed shoe. Leather is soft but substantial. Highly recommend