Hi, I’m Gillian, the woman behind Barefoot, Not Basic.
By day I’m a chiropractor, and by night I’m apparently someone who thinks deeply about wide toe boxes and how to dress them.
Five years ago, I bought my first pair of barefoot shoes in a tiny shop in Cape Town because they were becoming all the rage with my peers at a conference. I got swept up in the excitement and bought the first pair, a teal pair of sneakers.
I wore them once.
Then I shoved them in a cupboard and went back to my platform high-top Converse for the next several years.
So what changed?
I moved to the Netherlands.
Suddenly I was walking and cycling everywhere – to the station, around the city, and through the rain. The three pairs of shoes that I arrived were retired within two months and I reattempted the barefoot shoes. I gave them a second chance, and this time, it stuck.
Eighteen months later, I wear my barefoot shoes 90% of the time. I own five pairs (two of them are the exact same shoe in different colourways). And somewhere along the way I stopped hating the way my feet looked – which was not the outcome I expected from switching to foot shaped shoes.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about barefoot shoes
A lot of advice out there comes from people who have been doing this for years, who already know their foot shape, who already have a full wardrobe of functional footwear. That wasn’t me. I have wide, high volume feet I spent most of my life trying to hide. I love clothes and getting dressed up, but I’m still finding my own style. And I am not about to give up being fashionable because my feet need more room.
So this isn’t a “barefoot shoes are the answer to everything” blog.
It is experimental. Over time I hope to discover whether I can actually make this switch work for my life, my body, and my developing wardrobe.
I am still figuring this thing out – one pair of shoes at a time.
What you’ll actually find here
Honest reviews of the shoes I own – including the ones that didn’t work for me and why.
Building a barefoot capsule wardrobe without needing to own twelve pairs of shoes.
Styling barefoot shoes so the don’t scream “othopaedic” (they only whisper it), including on a curvier body.
The occasional conventional shoe confession (looking at you Doc Marten’s)
A real, running account of what this decision looks like day to day.
Why “Barefoot, Not Basic”?
Because I refuse to believe that comfort and style are opposites. Because I’m tired of watching people (mostly myself) give up on their personal style the minute “practical” enters the conversation. And because, if I’m going to spend this much money on shoes, they’d better also make me feel like myself.
I don’t have this fully figured out. I own boots I cant replace, sneakers I bought and never reach for, and a wardrobe that’s very much still a work in progress.
But I’m documenting all of it here – the wins, the wrong purchases, and the very real possibility that I just really like buying shoes.
Welcome. I’m really glad you’re here.
One honest disclaimer
Yes, I’m a chiropractor. No, this blog is not medical advice. Everything here is my personal experience, not a professional recommendation for your feet, your gait, or your specific situation. If you have real foot or health concerns, please seek out the help of a health care provider.