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FAQ

Here are all the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Groundies.

BAREFOOT SHOES

    Walking barefoot is healthy and natural. However, it is not possible to do that on every ground, due to dangers items and the weather. Groundies protects your feet, but at the same time gives you the closest feeling there is to walking barefoot. That is possible, because of the wide foot shaped fit and the super-thin, flexible sole.

    Take it slow! The wearing of conventional shoes weakens the foot muscles. We advise you to wear your new Groundies only for a short period of time and short distance. Over time, you can slowly intensify the use and may feel sore muscles in your feet and calves at the beginning. That’s perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. More information on this topic can be found here.

    Groundies are designed for an everyday use, free time as well as work. They are light and flexible! They also easily fit into your luggage or backpack.

    No, you can get on your bike with Groundies without worries. Our durable barefoot sole is especially non-slip, so you can pedal hard even if it's really wet out. With Groundies you always have the best grip.

    Most of our customers prefer their Groundies with socks. The word "barefoot shoe" refers to the fact that Groundies gives you a feeling of walking barefoot, thanks to its thin, flexible sole and wide foot-shaped fit, not that you need to wear them barefooted.

    Even in winter, you don’t have to abstain from Groundies. In barefoot shoes you move freely, therefore you activate the muscles and improve blood circulation in both feet and toes. The result of that is they automatically feel warmer. Many of our winter models are also warmly lined. More information can be found .


SIZE AND FIT

    Groundies are true to size. If you lie between two sizes, you should choose the larger one, because barefoot shoes are meant to be a little looser. 12mm space in front of the toes is good to achieve an ideal barefoot feeling. As long as you do not slip out of the shoe and have good support in the midfoot area, the shoe should fit just fine. If you are still unsure, you can find our size chart here.

    To measure your foot size correctly, take a sheet of A4 paper, place it on the floor and place your foot on it. Draw the outline of your foot with a pencil. You can now easily measure the finished drawing from the big toe to the heel.

    Although Groundies look narrow, they are deliberately very wide-cut, especially in the forefoot area. They have an anatomically shaped toe box. The width to your shoe size can be found in our size chart.

    The difference between our women and men shoes consists only in the size. The women shoes vary from size 36 to 43 and men models from size 40 to 47. From size 40 to 43 we use a unisex form. So there is no difference in length and width between women and men models in the same size.

    The regular fit line is made for all those who prefer a narrower look in the toe area and yet do not want to miss out on the feel-good effect of the ultra-light and flexible TrueSense sole. Up to the toe area, the feeling of regular fit box and barefoot fit are identical. Only the outside on the side of the little toe has been given a narrower shape in the regular toe box.
    Customers with very narrow feet have also told us that they would prefer a narrower cut in order to get a firmer hold. In these cases, the regular fit offers enough space for the toes. Normal and slightly wider feet, however, will find the wide toe room for the full barefoot feeling with our barefoot fit.


MATERIALS AND PRODUCTION

    Groundies are made in Portugal and Vietnam. Portugal is a country with a great tradition in the production of shoes made of classic materials, whereas the Vietnamese shoe industry has gained a lot of prestige in the past decades in the production of shoes made of high-tech materials. By producing in these countries, we are able to fulfil our diverse product range according to the high demands of our customers. Detailed information about the production can be found here.

    For Groundies, we use high-quality leather from Spain and Portugal. The vegan models are made of high-quality imitation leather as well as mesh and canvas materials. More information about our materials can be found here.

    In our barefoot soles, we deliberately avoid the use of arch support and footbeds. The TrueSense® soles are completely flat, with no raised heel or cushioning. This completely flat heel is the only way to guarantee a healthy and upright posture. In addition, our soles are light as a feather and super flexible. We use lightweight TPU as the material, which makes the sole particularly abrasion-resistant and therefore extremely durable. It is almost impossible to wear through them. Click here for more information about our TrueSense® sole.

    All our soles are made of lightweight TPU, are similarly flat and give you the same authentic barefoot sensation. They differ only in terms of style. The TrueSense® sole features a minimalist design, whereas the TrueSense® GS1 sole comes closer to a trainer than any barefoot shoe before it. We carry different variations of our barefoot sole, so as to satisfy the style preferences of all our customers.

    Our TrueSense sole is extremely durable and abrasion resistant. In case of complaints, please contact our customer service here. In order to be able to answer your request as quickly as possible, we recommend that you attach a photo of the damaged section of the shoe.

    Sometimes it maybe the case that the soles of your new Groundies squeak. However, this noise will quickly disappear on its own after a short period of wearing them on asphalt.

    Yes, they are! Our soles are made of light TPU, which combines special slip resistance and maximum flexibility. Even on smooth and wet surfaces, Groundies gives you a firm hold, so you are always protected, no matter the weather.

    Leather is naturally water-repellent. Completely waterproof shoes would not allow your feet to breathe. That's why we concentrate on leather and textile shoes that are water-repellent to a certain degree due to the combination of high-quality upper and inner material. Water and dirt roll off the surface. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend that you treat your Groundies with a good impregnation spray. We also have great care products for vegan models that can protect against dirt and moisture.


HEALTH AND SAFETY

    Yes, the sole is very thin, but it offers you effective protection against stones, pointed objects and other bumps on the ground.

    Yes, of course! Barefoot shoes can help strengthen your foot muscles and correct your posture. Many doctors and physiotherapists therefore advocate the wearing of barefoot shoes. However, it is best if you consult a doctor when changing to barefoot shoes. This is especially important if you have previously worn insoles.

    You can also wear your normal insoles in Groundies. Please note that the natural barefoot feeling is lost due to the insole. The purpose of barefoot shoes is to strengthen the foot muscles to such an extent that they can support themselves. Insoles on the other hand relieve the muscles. One possibility would be to wear the insoles during the settling-in period and then gradually remove them. When in doubt, please talk to your doctor.

    Regularly walking and running in barefoot shoes builds up muscles, mobility and sensors of the feet. You are more attentive when walking, that way have a better protection against injuries.


ORDER AND RETURN

    After your order you will automatically receive an order confirmation via e-mail. Please check whether the order confirmation has ended up in your spam folder. If you cannot find the e-mail, please contact our customer service: [email protected].

    We ship worldwide. More information about shipping costs and shipping conditions for your country can be found here.

    The invoice can be found in the attachment of the e-mail in which we confirm the shipment of your order.

    All information about payment can be found here.

    Please place the desired shoes in the shopping cart and then click on "display cart". There you will find a corresponding field in which you can enter the voucher/coupon code.

    Please select your size and click on: “Notify me when available". Then enter your e-mail address and click on the activation link in the e-mail you will receive from us later on. As soon as the requested size is available again, you will receive an automatic notification by e-mail.

    Our shipping process is usually very fast, which is why a subsequent cancellation is often no longer possible. So if you want to cancel your order, you should contact our customer service as soon as possible.

    Orders usually leave our premises within 24 hours. Normally a delivery within Germany takes 1 to 3 days and to other countries a maximum of 5 to 7 days. Please check with DHL and here for possible deviations in delivery times.

    Please check the status of your shipment with your tracking number. Your Groundies may have been sent to the wrong address. In this case, the delivery will be returned to us, so please contact us directly with the correct address. We will send your Groundies back to you as soon as possible.

    Returns from Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands are free of charge. We unfortunately do not cover return costs from other countries. The processing of a return usually takes 7 working days. Please keep the shipping receipt until reimbursement. All further information can be found here.

    If you order two items with a volume discount and return one item, you will no longer receive a discount on the item you keep. This means that the kept item will be charged at full price. From two items kept and above you will of course benefit from the volume discount, even if you ordered more and returned them.

    Should you wish to return any of the items on offer and re-order in a different size, we can offer you the same volume discount on the replacement order. Please contact us here before reordering.

    Please just reorder the size you want and send us the wrong size back. Unfortunately, we are not able to exchange different sizes/models directly ourselves. You will receive a refund of the purchase price when returning an item. This has the advantage for you that it is immediately clear if the desired replacement is also available. Has the price changed in the meantime, and you are sure you want to keep the new shoes? No problem, just contact us again with the corresponding order numbers, and we will reimburse the price difference as soon as possible.

    You are welcome to order Groundies and try them on at home. However, we kindly ask you to test the shoes indoors only. If a shoe shows signs of wear, we unfortunately cannot take it back afterwards.


CLEANING AND CARE

    In principle, you should not wash your barefoot shoes in the washing machine. The fabric of vegan models would be suitable for washing at low temperatures, but the sole would suffer.

    To clean your Groundies, please use a cloth or a sponge moistened with cold, clear water. Especially with leather and imitation leather models, impregnation is highly recommended to protect the shoes from moisture, dirt and environmental influences.

    You should treat your leather shoes with care. Leather shouldn't be cleaned with cleaning supplies and needs to be moisturized constantly. We recommend treatment with simple wax or a leather care product from our accessories. You can find more tips on maintaining your Groundies made of leather here.

    First you should thoroughly impregnate your vegan Groundies. This protects the shoes from dirt and moisture. Regular thorough cleaning with brushes and damp sponges is also important. Special cleaning agents for vegan leather such as our Carbon Complete Set from Collonil provide deep down care. Clean the shoes about once a month with a vegan shoe polish.

    To clean dirt from the soles of your white Groundies, we recommend a dirt eraser. For quick direct help, baking powder in combination with water and dishwasher detergent is a good solution. Mix powder and detergent in a glass in a ratio of 1 to 1, add some water and stir the foam. Use a damp toothbrush to apply the mass to the soiled areas. A damp cloth then removes the cleaning foam from the sole. For explicit instructions and more tips, you can check out our magazine article on .


Any questions?

If you haven't found the answer to your question yet, feel free to contact us. Send us an e-mail, call us or chat live with us. We are always happy to help you.