Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Our summer models are made to be worn in and out of the water, so they work as beach and pool shoes as well. Rinse them with fresh water afterwards.

Our winter models are water-resistant and lined with warm fur, so they handle snow and cold walks. Water-resistant is not the same as fully waterproof: they will keep out snow and rain, but they are not made for standing in water.

Yes, for most activities. A barefoot shoe lets your foot move and flex the way it does unshod, and the breathable upper helps with sweating. Build up gradually rather than switching for a long session on day one, because your feet are doing work a cushioned shoe used to do for them.

They suit gym work well, particularly lifting, where a thin flat sole gives you a stable base and a clear sense of where your weight is. For long high-impact running on hard surfaces, give yourself time to adapt first.

Yes. The sole is thin enough to feel the pedals clearly and has a non-slip pattern, which most drivers and cyclists prefer. Wear whatever lets you operate the controls confidently.

No. The slippers are made for indoors. For walking outside, choose one of our shoe models.

Email is fastest: info@bright-footwear.com. We answer within one business day.

You can also call us on +1 (323) 672-4999, Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.

We answer within one business day. Our team is available Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.

One request: please send a single email and wait for our reply. A second email starts a new ticket and moves your first one down the queue, which makes the wait longer rather than shorter.

No, it has the opposite effect. Each new email starts a new ticket and pushes your original one down the queue. One email is the fastest route to an answer.

Check your spam folder first, since our replies sometimes land there. If it is not there and it has been more than one business day, reply to your original email rather than sending a new one, so your history stays in one place.

Enter your email address in the signup form at the foot of any page.

You will get our offers and new releases first. We do not share your address, and you can unsubscribe from any email in one click.

Yes, by email within a few minutes of ordering. If it is not in your inbox, check your spam folder.

If it is nowhere, the email address on the order may have a typo. Email us and we will correct it and resend your confirmation.

The most likely cause is a typo in the email address given at checkout, since that is where we send every update. Email info@bright-footwear.com and we will correct it and resend both confirmations.

Email info@bright-footwear.com as soon as you can. While your order is still with us we can correct the delivery address, and we will do it as quickly as possible.

Once the carrier has your package we can no longer change the address, because it has already been passed on. Contact details such as your email address or phone number we can update at any time. It is worth checking your address carefully before you complete an order.

Usually not. Most carriers will leave the package in a safe place, try again the next day, or hold it at a nearby facility for you to collect. The delivery notice, by email or on your door, tells you which.

If a package is being held for collection, do pick it up within the period the carrier gives, because after that it goes back to the sender.

Yes. Your carrier, usually USPS, UPS or FedEx, emails you directly with delivery updates, as long as we have your correct contact details.

Please read those emails. If a delivery needs rescheduling or a package is waiting to be collected, that is where you will be told. We cannot replace an order that was returned to sender or never collected because the address was wrong or the notices went unanswered.

Nothing was forgotten. We leave paper invoices out of packages to cut down on waste. Email us and we will send yours as a PDF.

Shipping is free on every order to the United States, with no minimum order value.

At checkout you can add Bright Footwear Premium Shipping Insurance if you want your package covered. If an insured package is lost, we replace it and cover the cost.

Yes. Your shipping confirmation contains a tracking number, and you can follow the package with it at any time.

Tracking usually takes 1 to 2 business days to go live after shipping, so do not worry if the number does not work straight away.

Two parts. We take 1 to 2 business days to check, pack and hand your order to the carrier. Delivery then takes 5 to 10 business days.

Shipping times exclude customs delays. During busy periods such as Black Friday or Christmas, delivery can run a little longer.

Right now we ship to the United States only, with free shipping and no minimum order value.

Wait one more day first. Carriers sometimes scan a package as delivered a little before it actually arrives. It is also worth checking with anyone else at your address and looking wherever your carrier normally leaves packages.

If it still has not turned up, contact the carrier and file a lost package claim. They investigate and give you a written result, and that is what we need from you.

If you added Bright Footwear Premium Shipping Insurance at checkout, we replace the order and cover the cost. Without it, and where the carrier confirms the package was delivered, we are not able to send a replacement.

Email info@bright-footwear.com with the subject Return and your order number, within 30 days of your delivery date. We will come back to you with your options, including an exchange or a replacement, and send you the correct return address. Please contact us before sending anything back, so we can match your return to your order.

We can only accept unworn, clean items in their original condition. Items worn outside cannot be returned.

We offer different return options depending on where you are located. Email us with the subject Return and we will send you the correct return address together with your instructions. Please do not send anything back before you have heard from us.

You cover the return shipping, unless the item is defective or incorrect. A restocking fee is deducted from your refund: $8.50 per shoe and $4.75 per accessory. Original shipping costs, and any express or premium shipping upgrade, are non-refundable.

You have 30 days from your delivery date. The 30 days start on the day your order arrives, not the day you placed it.

Contact us first with the subject Return, so we can send you the right return address. A return sent to the wrong address cannot be processed or refunded.

Yes. Email our support team with the subject Return and tell us the size or colour you would like, and we will arrange the exchange for you.

Once your return reaches our warehouse we inspect it, and your refund is issued within 3 to 5 business days. It goes back to the payment method you used for the order, and you get a confirmation email once it has been processed. Depending on your bank or payment provider it can take a few more days to appear in your account. A restocking fee is deducted from the amount, and original shipping costs are not refunded.

Email info@bright-footwear.com with the subject Cancellation and your order number, as soon as you can. We check, pack and hand orders to the carrier within 1 to 2 business days, so the window is short and we cannot promise every request reaches the warehouse in time. Once your order has been handed over to the carrier, cancellation is no longer possible. You can still return it within 30 days of your delivery date.

Use the size chart on the product page, because our models are cut differently and each has its own fit. Measure your longest foot at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest. You can see how the models differ on our comparison page.

Between two sizes, take the larger one. A barefoot shoe should never press against your toes. Our size and care guide walks you through measuring your feet at home, with a chart for every model.

Every model shares the same wide toe box and thin, level sole, so the choice is about what you will do in them rather than about comfort. Our comparison page scores all of them on walking comfort, outdoors, sport, everyday wear and weather, side by side.

If you are still unsure, email info@bright-footwear.com and tell us how you plan to wear them. We will point you at the right pair.

Snug around the heel and midfoot, with room for your toes to spread at the front. If a new pair feels closer to the foot than you are used to, that is normal. The upper softens and adapts with wear. There is a step by step method in our size and care guide if you want to check before ordering.

Yes. Every model is 100% vegan and contains no leather, suede, wool or other animal materials.

Entirely up to you. The shoes work with or without. Socks slightly reduce how much of the ground you feel, and nothing else changes. Most of our customers wear socks.

No special products are needed. Keep them clean and dry them away from direct heat, and the upper will last. The full routine, including washing and keeping them fresh, is in our size and care guide.

A synthetic upper, a textile lining and a rubber sole. No animal materials are used in any model.

Yes. The quick-release clip and the stretch laces hold the shoe firmly while letting you get in and out in seconds, and they keep their grip under load.

Nothing is broken. Open the clip at the front with a pair of pliers, lay the laces back in the middle, and close it carefully. The same steps let you shorten the laces if they are too long.

Yes. You can find our insoles and replacement soles in the accessories collection. Soles wear down over time and are part of how a barefoot shoe works, so it is worth replacing them when they thin out.

You will feel the ground, and that is the point. For most people it is unfamiliar for the first week or two and then becomes the thing they miss in ordinary shoes. Start with an hour or two a day and build up.

Yes. The whole site runs over an encrypted connection, and payment details go straight to the payment provider rather than to us. Our privacy policy sets out what we store and why.

Yes. The flexibility that makes them comfortable on a walk also helps on uneven ground, and the zero drop design keeps your foot level rather than tipping you forward.

For long or technical routes, build up to it. Feet used to cushioned boots need time to adapt.

We sell online only. Keeping it that way is part of how we hold the price down, so for now our official online shop is the only place to buy.

We are sorry. Email us a photo that clearly shows what you received, including the size label, and we will send the correct item as quickly as we can.

Hand washing with lukewarm water and a soft brush keeps them in the best condition, and it is what we recommend.

Every model can also go in the washing machine on a gentle cycle at 30°C (86°F). If you do that, take the laces and the insoles out first and wash those by hand, because they fray easily. Air dry away from direct heat. Our size and care guide shows each step, and what to avoid.

Two things. The feel: a thin, flexible sole puts you closer to the ground than a cushioned shoe does. And the shape: a wide toe box lets your toes sit and spread the way they do when you are barefoot, instead of being tapered into a point.

A thin, level sole asks the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your foot to do more of the work, rather than handing it to a thick midsole. It also encourages you to land on the middle of your foot instead of dropping onto the heel.

Because that is the shape of a foot. Conventional shoes taper at the front and press the toes together. A wide toe box lets them sit and spread where they naturally would.

Many customers with a bunion tell us a wide toe box is more comfortable than a tapered shoe, because nothing presses against the joint. That is what our shoes are shaped for.

A shoe cannot correct a bunion. If you are being treated for one, check with your doctor or podiatrist before changing footwear.

The wide forefoot gives your toes room to spread, and the thin sole asks the small muscles in your foot to work rather than rely on support. Many customers find that comfortable.

If you have a diagnosed misalignment or wear prescribed insoles, discuss it with your doctor or podiatrist first.

Customers most often tell us about their feet, knees, hips and back. A thin, level sole encourages you to land on the middle of your foot rather than dropping onto the heel, and a wide toe box lets your toes spread instead of being squeezed.

We cannot promise this for any individual, and barefoot shoes are not a treatment. If you have an existing condition or are under orthopaedic care, speak to your doctor, podiatrist or physiotherapist before you change footwear.

Yes. Most of our customers buy them simply because they are comfortable and let their feet move naturally, not because anything hurts.

Yes. If you want to wear a different insole, an orthopaedic insole or thick socks, we recommend ordering one size larger. Our own insoles are in the accessories collection.

We accept all major credit cards and PayPal. Both are available at checkout, and every payment is handled over a secure connection.

Once an order is placed we cannot apply a code to it. If your code is still valid you are very welcome to use it on your next order.

If your order will not go through, try these in order:

• Open a different browser, or clear your cookies and cache
• Check that every field in the contact details is filled in
• If your payment was declined, try another payment method

Still stuck? Email info@bright-footwear.com and we will help you complete the order.