by Cherie Birkner

I’ve been wearing barefoot shoes, or also called minimal shoes, every day now for a month, and that was not the plan. You could call me somewhat of a shoe-first person when it comes to clothes. Let’s just say if you show me someones shoes I’ll tell you something about them, after all shoes are what we carry ourselves through the world with. They are what connects (or disconnects) us to the earth. Now when the opportunity to take Wildling under the loop arouse, barefoot shoes had already caught my attention for the many positive effects they have on our bodies. From improving posture to generally making us more attentive and mindful to how we walk and our surroundings.

With a mainly Black and White, wardrobe I went for the TANUKI NIJI model, which I knew I would have many outfit combinations for (always an important factor when I decide to add something to my wardrobe), but to be honest I saw myself wearing the barefoot shoes mostly on ‘special’ occasions, such as visiting family which lives on the countryside or going on walks in the park, not so much on my regular day-to-day routs. Here I was wrong! It’s been a good month now with the shoes, and I’ve left the house twice with a different pair. U-N-E-X-P-E-C-T-E-D.

Now, before we go into Wildling’s sustainability standards I have to share something with you that I was really not expecting to come across while taking the brand under the loop: The Wilding Community which is a Facebook group with over 20,000 Wildling fans. Yes, real genuine fans exchanging tips and tricks on how to take care of or modify your shoes all the way to memes talking about that moment where you see someone wearing Wildlings, first the shoes then the face, and you look at each other knowingly. I haven’t encountered anyone outside my family wearing them yet, but quite curious to see if this will be the case for me too. What did happen was receiving messages from my Instagram followers and friends the moment I showed them up there “I bought my first pair last summer, now I have 3”, “Best decision ever! I must say the remarks and looks were annoying at the beginning, and I had a backache the first 10-14 days wearing them, but once your feet gain muscle you don’t want to wear anything else.”, “My whole family wears those, they are the best! Just have to take some comments from friends every now and then who don’t yet understand”. Wearing Wildlings really IS a thing, and somehow seems connects on another level. Who would have thought? (Not me.) FYI: I didn’t have any backache or foot pain, but i also started wearing them for small distances before going on long walks.

WILDLING SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS

Let’s take a look into the brands sustainability criteria, and start with getting to know the founder a bit better by asking her how she personally approaches fashion: “For me, sustainability in fashion means minimalism. First of all, buy only what you really need and what you will wear for a long time. In our household we buy most of our wardrobe (especially for the kids) once a year on a lovely flea-market in Holland. With that the kids are pretty much set. If I don't find what I need, I buy online from sustainable Europe based fashion brands. I don't mind spending a bit more for a high quality product which is produced fairly. A sustainable product is one which lasts me many years.” - Ana Yona

1. FAIR & ETHICAL: Wildling’s highest expenses are the wages of everyone involved. The manufacturers remind of family run businesses, and everyone, including the makers are paid above minimum wage. You will see the Wildling Team at the factory on a daily basis, where they also check to ensure this practice. They would like to pay the same attention to all of their providers, however with 15 all together it’s a lot and with some they are still in the process (the company is just 5 years old). Ideally all fabric producers would be at the same level as Nordwolle from whom they source wool. The fabric supplier uses excess wool and does their production in small productions in Germany. Shortly before the partnership began Nordwolle was close to having to close down. Within the Wildling team each person has a permanent contract (in German unbefristiter Arbeitsvertrag) and are payed according to a transparent and fair salary system. This is possible because the brand cuts out middle men and only sells directly through its own platforms. The profit margin is consciously kept low as the brand would like to make the healthy shoe as accessible as possible, for this they also refrain from working large advertising campaigns, but much more focus on content and cultivating a close relationship with their customers. 

2. LOCAL PRODUCTION: All shoes are produces in Portugal, and fabrics are preferably from Europe, like their Woolprovider in Germany, but some Fabrics are not produced or do not grow in Europe.

3. ORGANIC MATERIALS: The majority of materials are organic with exceptions when it comes to ones which are needed for certain functionality. I asked if they had a specific percentage they could give me on this, but the answer was that it varies from collection to collection. The model I am wearing is made from Washi paper mixed with 25% polyester which is needed to ensure the longevity/quality and hold of the fabric. The Wildling material researchers are engaged in finding solutions to be able to fully clear out the use of polyester, but are not able to say by when they will have found a solution yet.

4. RECYCLED MATERIALS: Wildling is getting into this step by step to test the quality, as recycled cotton for example has shorter filaments than virgin cotton which could lead to them being worn out sooner. In the current collection the model KRANICH is made of 51% recycled cotton and in the winter collection Wildling will be launching the first model with 100% recycled cotton. Longevity of the shoes is an important factor for the company as this is also an aspect of sustainability.

5. VEGAN: All shoes are vegan except those with wool included. In the case that it is with wool the brand exclusively works with Nordwolle oder kbt Wolle Upcyling. An often forgotten aspect in making vegan shoes is the glue. Some will say it is not possible, but beware it is! Wildlings producers have ensured that the glues they use are fully vegan. If you want to shop vegan you will find a filter on the website.

6. USE OF DEADSTOCK FABRICS: In the rare occasion that Wildling will have deadstock materials from previous collections the brand will make a limited edition line using these.

7. CERTIFICATIONS: The majority of materials is GOTS and IVN-Best certified. The only cases in which “only” Öko-Tex 100 certified materials are used is in the case that they have not yet found a comparable material (especially in regards to functionality) on the market. The brand is currently looking for alternatives to be able to upgrade in this area as soon as possible. Wildling makes an exception of using uncertified wool, as the producer, Nordwolle, they source from is fully transparent about their production and understand that for them, as a small business, certifications are just to expensive / out of proportion to the income.

All in all Wildling shows true dedication to continuously improve their already socially and environmentally thoughtful production. Where there is room for improvement they actively work to find solutions and are transparent about the status quo and take great care in communicating what is behind the brand to we know what’s up.

With growing knowledge of the benefits and designs that work for city styles barefoot/minimal shoes, I see them stepping out of the eco-corner and finding their way into a regular street styles. Here are some of my favorite looks you might catch me in:

*IMPORTANT: Check the sizing before you order! Barefoot shoes need to have more space than regular shoes. I am a regular 38, which I first ordered because I was exactly 0,5cm into where you should order size 39, but I thought hey, 38 will be fine as that always works. Well, they were just a tad too small and I had to exchange them - so, don’t think you know it all better like I did. Their size chart is just right :)

Thanks for tuning in <3 Let me know what you think of Wildling barefoot shoes in the comments! Are they the next thing in fashion? Do you already have a pair? Do you wear them as much as me?