When you overlay your foot on top of your shoes it's clear that you bought the wrong size. I have every model Splay offers so far, Freestyle, Explore, Slip on, and leather. I have Xeros, Lems, Be Lenka, Saguaro, Freet, Feelgrounds, Vibram, and Bearfoot in my closet and Splay are easily some of the widest toe boxes in that lineup. Don't be deceived here folks, it's gotta be tough to review a shoe you don't have the right size for.
Don’t own these shoes so I’m not defending the shoe or brand. But that’s the same thing I saw. At least a half to a full size small. And I own a pair of Vivo shoes like he recommended. Return policy was so bad I gave up and gave my pair away.
I loved their older models, but the new ones are crap in comparison. They have totally compromised on the idea of a barefoot shoe, stiffer and narrower and thicker soles. I'm a huge fan of the old freestyles, they converted me to barefoot shoes permanently, but I recently got the freestyle 2.0 and it was a massive disappointment. If anyone likes their older stuff they should stay well away from buying any of their new models
I have absolutlely no idea how why youtube chose to show me this video. This is way out of all of my interests but you're very easy to listen to and I followed along the entire video. Since I realised you're running a small channel I wanted to leave you some kind words because this was very interresting to me. Keep it up :)
Thank you. It truly means a lot to get positive feedback. I'm looking to improve my content so if you have any suggestions or topics you would like to see just mention it. Cheers to the RU-vid algorithm!
I had the same problem! I emailed them and they sent me a label and a pair the next size up. Problem solved. Sorry you bought the wrong size. The fact that you are lucky enough to live in Australia instead of the States should outweigh the con of shipping costs.
Size up dude... Because minimal shoes are still figuring sizing out sizing is hit or miss with several companies. Your review sounds like your shoes were a half size too small.
This is the way to do a 'negative' review, well done! I'm sorry to hear you've had this experience with Splays; I and my adult son love ours -- we each have different models than those you have. I have moderately wide feet but not particularly high volume and I can use mine with toe spacers. We both went by the size charts on the website and both needed to exchange for a size larger. I noticed at the point when you showed your foot on the Vivo and the Splay for comparison 2:47, you have visibly more space in front of your toes with the Vivos. As an experiment, if you take out the inserts and lay them on each other, how do they compare? I'm thinking, if a shoe that's shaped the way Splays are hurts to wear, it is too small.
Thankyou for the feedback, and great to hear you are enjoying them. The Vivo Insoles are definitely larger in all dimensions, although it's not fair comparison. I learnt from my mistake with Splay (following the sizing chart) and bought a 2 sizes up with the Vivo's to make absolutely sure they would be wide enough. Because of this they do have a bit of excess length on the front but nothing too bad. So far it's the best option I've found for wide feet. So yes, you are correct that they were probably too small (I should have probably sized up) but I feel that having an accurate size chart is crucial, especially for customers outside of the US where return is not always feasible.
This was unfortunately also my experience with splay i think it's that the shoes are super short from top to bottom and they just pinch in on the sides so hard when you step
that sounds like a reasonable and normal return policy to me. if they don't have a physical presence in Australia, why should they have to pay for the shipping on wrong size / change of mind returns? the only returns in which they should bear the shipping cost are returns for manufacturing defects or instances in which the shoes failed to perform as advertised. not being able to return shoes that are obviously used is also normal, it's often advised that you try on shoes indoors and not for a long period of time to make sure the shoe remains in its original condition should you need to return it because it is the wrong size, this is a common policy for flat or normal shoes, regardless of the company. the other parts of your review are good, but i don't agree with your stance on the return policy.
Yeah, you make a great point. To be honest I was just really sad about the shoes when I made this video so I may have been a tad eager to critise. Thanks for the feedback.
I have very wide feet and the Splay Freestyle fits me very well. I never buy slip ons because I can never get a good fit. I do have concerns about Splays holding up over time. The canvas already looks faded but they do have a leather version now. If you are wearing socks, you must allow for them. Also, I could not get mine a half size bigger. Had to go up a whole size which could be problematic for some. The best super wide shoes I found are the Softstar Primal shoes. I have the Primal Runamoc and Sawyer in wide. These are crazy wide and awesome but some do not like the look. Freet shoes are also one of the wider barefoot shoes.
Absatootly heartbreaking news but i 100% agree. i've put these shoes through a rigamaroll of tests and its like you read my mind, everything you said about them is sadly true and im furious at the bank
Shoe companies should provide us the measurements of their shoes. Maybe PDF files of their insoles? So we could print them beforehand? Perhaps you could try the widest models from Belenka?
There are measurements of lenght and width on the website. I am surprised because other reviewers said they have the widest toebox ever. I just ordered another Splay model based on the measurements on the website. From Europe, so no returns for me.
It seems you need to put in real effort to twist and bend the splay shoes. That thick side rim seems to stabilise the shoes too much. Also it is hard to judge in black toed socks but it seems like you would have needed to go a size or two up compared to the Splay you bought. It is important to check the size chart, measure your foot length standing on it. You often need to go one or two sizes up in barefoot shoes. I have Xero and Peerko brands so far, I dream of getting a Vivobarefoot one. I wish you lots of joy on your barefoot journey, it has been a life changer for me, it is definitely worth finding the one that works for you optimally.
I think problem is in upper material. Canvas is not perfect for barefoot shoes. Should be some mesh or leather/suede. It will adopt to your foot better .
I wanted to like these shoes so bad but when I got them I immediately felt pain in the side of the big toe/bunion area and couldn’t wear them. For whatever reason the shoe is too narrow on that part of my foot. My Whitins which are also a great price feel great and my favorite barefoot shoes are Vibrams.
I honestly dont know how you can expect to go for a walk in a pair of shoes and then still be able to return them for a full refund. What are they going to do with that pair then, they can hardly sell it to another customer... Same in stores, they dont let you walk around the block to try them out.
Yeah, that's a good point, honestly don't know what I was thinking. I was just really disappointed when I made this video so I complained about everything.
That sucks, I actually never realised that. It's a chinese company and average height there is very low so I guess they don't get a lot of people large enough for those sizes.
I bought these for my kid they were hot garbage. Worst barefoot shoes we have tried yet. Saw so many good reviews. I’m kinda pissed. I swear people will say anything for sponsors. Thanks for being honest wish I saw this video before I wasted my money.
Bubbles, they have a wide toe box but a narrow mid foot. It looks like you have very high volume foot. That is your mid foot is super chunky! Sorry that Splays didn't work for you!
Agree with you on the shoes - more on that in a moment - but yes, that's a normal return policy. Most shoe companies say don't wear them outside if you think you might return them, just walk around the house in them. And same issues generally apply with shipping outside of your own country, yes. I too have wide feet and hate the shoes for the same reason as you - and more. Several people online assured me beforehand that Splays were very wide. Bah, no. They hurt me too. I really wanted them to work because they're the kind of shoe I like and can't find from other barefoot brands: canvas, with a gum sole, and _relatively_ cheap. Turned out I didn't even like them aesthetically all that much (I bought 'sand' coloured lace-ups and they were much more beige than they appeared in the pictures). Oh well. Perhaps it's no big surprise, given that the Splays people look awfully like being MAGAs: special sale for Veteran's Day, with patriotic 'support our troops' messaging, and, for a while at least, a range of t-shirts combining the word 'freedom' (basically the brand's slogan) with stars and stripes and eagles type imagery. I apologise to them wholeheartedly if I've misread this, but I don't think I have. And how apt for a bunch of Republicans to be promising 'freedom' while actually only delivering constriction and suffering. The width thing is a common disappointment for me. Seems that, currently, the only way to get really really wide shoes it to pay a premium price: Softstar wide models, Drifter custom-made shoes, Real Foot, or Ahinsa wide models, the last of which are the widest I know of in the world. At the cheaper end of the market, Freet are fairly wide, but not wide enough for me. Josh's Barefoot Shoe Reviews claims Luks and Bohempia are the widest in the world, but I don't think he's found Ahinsa, and anyway, Bohempia's size chart has them less wide than all the ones I listed except Freet. Bohempia _are_ the only other brand I know of doing Keds or Vans style canvas sneakers, however, though at a very premium price.
Nice to hear from someone with the same experience. I too was miseld by other reviewers claiming that these were meant to have 'the widest toebox' of any barefoot shoe they tested, what a joke. Your political analysis made me chuckle. As I said I've only tried 3 barefoot brands so far. The Saguaro vitality III's and similar models are cheap, feel wider than they are because of the stretchy material, but look awful. I have an aolder review on those if you're interested, by you seem to value aesthetics, so probably not for you. Saguaro's other more stylish models make Splay feel feel spatious in comparison, they are unbelievably narrow. Right now I'm quite happy with Vivobarefoot, although I had to size up considerably (From size 41.5 - 45) according to their sizing chart, which comes with it's own drawbacks, like the shoe being a little long. Even so I do find them a touch constricting here and there. I believe this is the best option right now (If you can stomach the price). Unfortunatly I can't point you to a perfect barefoot shoe for people with wide feet, because I don't think it exists yet, hopefully one of these companies realise the market they're missing out on by not catering to all the people with wide feet. Hopefully this helped, and good luck with your search.
I've heard a few mentions that Be Lenka are good for extra wide & high volume feet, but I don't have personal experience with them. Also want to say that genuine support of Veterans, the Flag as a symbol, and freedom for all, are definitely not MAGA ;~)