Vivobarefoot's New Walker Shoe for Pre-Schoolers

Buying shoes that really support your little one’s first steps and ongoing foot development is never a decision that’s taken lightly. Finding footwear that is supportive without being restrictive, protective, while allowing little toes to stay in contact with the ground while looking suitably cute and working with a myriad of outfits is a lot to tick off.

Vivobarefoot’s new first walker shoe designed in collaboration with wellness expert Jasmine Hemsley is about to make that first shoe purchase a lot easier. In line with the Vivobarefoot ethos, their dinky new Pluma shoe is designed to interfere with growing feet as little as possible, with a super-thin and flexible outsole to strengthen and protect natural movement. With heel webbing to help pull on and off little feet, the 360 knitted sock and seamless footbed are made from plant based Lyocell. Perfect to wear sock-free for extra toe space and a barefoot feel. We love the look and feel of these shoes which feel like a half bootie, half shoe and have a cool sporty vibe that is great for daywear.

Being barefoot, or the next best thing - a light, flexible barefoot shoe like the Pluma - strengthens the muscles in children’s feet and ankles, improving their balance and posture.

The shoe took almost two years to be developed and Jasmine Hemsley is thrilled with the results. "Pluma is the brand’s first walker shoe safeguarding the foot’s natural desire to be free and wriggly and ‘in conversation’ with the ground." She tells us, "When my daughter Mahi started toddling and needed proper shoes, I couldn’t find any foot-shaped first walker shoes on the market which were flexible enough to allow her feet to develop naturally while offering grip and protection. So Vivobarefoot and I got together to make one."

“Being barefoot, or the next best thing - a light, flexible barefoot shoe like the Pluma - strengthens the muscles in children’s feet and ankles, improving their balance and posture.” Jasmine Hemsley

Vibrobarefoot is a B Corp status company and sustainability and ethics are part of their core values. Junior was excited to hear that once grown out of these shoes can either be handed down (the very thin sole means there won’t be any foot imprint from the previous wearer) or can be sent back to Vivo’s Revivo site - a marketplace for second-hand, repurposed Vivo shoes creating a circular system. Conscious shopping at its best.

>> The shoes are available in two colourways, Silver Pine and Woodland Grey, in toddler sizes (size 2-7 UK / 18-24 EU) with pre-school sizes in Vibrobarefoot stores and online.