Howgill

I Have had my first pair of howgills for about 600 miles, I have worn the tread off the heel and midfoot but that is fair enough! In heavy mud the shoes are held firm enough they could do with some to hold around the 'gaiter' to stop them getting pulled off, or laces go a bit higher up the foot/ankle.

An outstanding shoe. Very comfortable straight out of the box. True to normal show size. Excellent grip and feel from the sole. I can feel the ground underfoot without any discomfort. The shoe came with an spare, thicker, insole but i haven't needed to use it. I have now found my shoe brand of choice. I shall be back for more 😊.

I wanted the Howgill to work. It was very comfortable. I used the sizing chart to find the right size. I was surprised when I lined up with a US 6 because I normally wear a US 7. I bought the 6 anyways. It is about half a size too big. My feet had too much room to slide around. I thought I would just buy them in a smaller pair, because, again, they were super comfortable other than having a little too much room. Alas, they do not make them any smaller. I am so sad about this. Freet, please make shoes for us small footed people! We like barefoot shoes too.

Very comfortable and fitted to the foot. I used them for trekking in the low mountains, where they proved themselves over multi-mile distances.

I do have a slight problem with Freet as I have quite low volume feet and there is always a bit of space and baggy fabric around the lace area. This is not problem with the many pairs of Freet boots I own as I wear socks and the upper fabric is a bit stiffer. However, with the softer fabric shoes there is a bit of floppiness. My way around this is to put extra insoles in, usually the ortholite insole does the job, and pull the laces tight. This method has worked a treat with my new Howgills, I did try without the extra insole but my feet skidded around a bit inside the shoes. If you have somewhat higher volume feet than me, I would imagine the fit would be about right.

I bought these with a view to wearing them for a forthcoming Camino in Portugal. Previously, I have walked long distance in Kidepro and Pace but I thought the Howgills looked even more suited to this job. I have been wearing them for dog walking (maybe 10/11 miles) and they are fab, surpassed my expectations. The good bits are: they really have some water resistance, so a foot plonked in a bit of bog stays dry; they don't let any stones/sticks/seeds etc in at all; exceptional comfort; you can pull them on and off without undoing the laces and I don't feel the need to take them off the minute I get home. I can wear then all day. I'll probably need another pair for the Camino in September!

The only aspect that I don't like is that they get a bit sweaty at about 5/6 miles without socks, therefore you get a bit of rubbing and soreness. I do like to operate sockless but have yet to find shoes that will facilitate this for longer walks. I suspect it is because they are not made from natural fibres. It's not a problem that a good pair of thin cotton socks can't put right. Other than that, I really can't fault them.

I've also had several compliments about them which you don't seem to get with most barefoot shoes. 😂