Our Company

We make 2 styles of ‘minimal’ shoes, mostly our conventional 5in1 ‘toes together’ but we also have a 4+1 ‘split-toe’ style, Leap. Our 4+1 split toe shoe has a separate pocket for the big toe which gives a little more ‘glove-like’ feel, whilst our 5in1 shoes have all toes together, like traditional shoes. Both styles are flexible, roomy to allow toes to spread, have no heels and allow feeling from the ground, all to achieve the same ‘barefoot-like’ result and they tend to be worn interchangeably. Largely it’s a matter of personal preference!

Sometimes we might want or need to move on a harder surface or for a longer time/distance and for this we use a thin layer of advanced shock absorbing material such as ORTHOLITE. This does not affect the ‘barefoot-like’ nature of the shoe, but can prevent the foot soreness which you can get with such harder use.

We are a small but fast growing niche footwear business based in North Yorkshire, UK. We made our first shoes in 2010.

Our ethics

We avoid unfairness, intolerance, pomposity, lack of integrity as well as any wasted use of our shared resources. We design, develop and test all our products in the UK and work very closely with our Chinese manufacturing partner with whom we have worked for over ten years. We have as tight an operation and supply chain as we can, but continually work to improve. We work in the world’s ’centre of excellence’ for our type of footwear which means the whole supply chain is easily accessible. This enhances our ability to innovate, our overall development of excellence and journey towards leadership in performance barefoot shoes, as well as meaning we do not have to ship components or part-finished product, only final product for sale. In many ways this is part of our ‘authenticity’ as rather than ‘masking’ how and where we make by shipping components/part finished product around the globe, we just try to keep things simple and be transparent.

Freet adheres to and where we can, exceed, EU requirements on safety and environment issues with regard to materials used and working conditions. We continue to research and develop environmentally-kind materials such as our CoffeeYarn and BottleYarn material we recycle from waste coffee grinds and post-consumer plastic bottles.

With our factory we discuss and agree what is acceptable in terms of quality, cost and worker terms and conditions. We pay a little more but try to ensure every ‘stakeholder’ has a little more than ‘average’ in terms of pay and conditions such as time off. We have never and will not work in the more cost-driven, ‘sweat-shop’ environments where no one cares except the big boss and his wallet.

We currently support:

• Sea Shepherd
• Woodland Trust
• CLAN Cancer Support
• Dementia UK
• Shoe Aid, which provides footwear to those without and educates to help reduce landfill.

All our slight ‘seconds’ or returns are repaired/refurbished where possible and sent directly to ShoeAid.

Our background

Our shoes have ‘less shoe’ in them. Deliberately. We combine the best materials, components and design though, to make your experience the best balance we can between natural movement and fitness for the job you’re on – whether hurtling along a hill trail or practising yoga. Different shoes for different purposes but always ‘less shoe’

People have been around for many thousands of years but most people have only been wearing shoes for hundreds of years. If you look around at small children, who often take their shoes off at every opportunity, you will realise that it is unnatural for our feet to be overly cushioned from the world.

We complain of knee injuries and problems with our feet but we are effectively strangling the astonishing network of muscles, ligaments and nerves which were designed to respond to our movement requirements. We spend most of our lives in shoes with our feet unable to flex and move naturally.

We are experts

Freet Footwear is founded by a team experienced in the development of performance footwear and in biomechanics. Our mission is to allow feet to operate naturally whilst we go about all our activities – sport, leisure and everyday.

Free your feet from the confines of unyielding shoes – put them back in touch with the world around us. Allow your muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones and joints to function naturally rather than adapting to the shoe. Feel your toes, feet, ankle and leg muscles coming back to life as they flex and strengthen as nature intended.

Our barefoot-style shoes, will help to bring your feet back to life, unlocking their potential.

Wear them before, during and after your activity. Wear them all day… Wherever you are… Whatever you’re doing.