Mukishoes Chelsea Caramel
On April 12, 2021 by Noelia
I have been drooling over the Mukishoes Raw Leather Brown, which are high tops made of leather, for a while now. Nevertheless, I find it intimidating ordering from overseas and not knowing if they will fit or not. The shoes are 150+ Euros plus shipping to the US, so I was really excited when I found these second hand. They are not exactly the model I wanted, but I really love the color of the leather, so I took a risk and bought them. They were being sold by someone that ordered them and they ended up being too small, instead of dealing with return shipping to Portugal, she decided to sell them.
Update: I have own these boots for 2 years and they have become a staple in my wardrobe. I love the look and quality.
I am now an affiliate and you can use my code MaestraMuki to get 10% your entire purchase.
They are also available on Pedterra if you are in the USA.
Company
Mukishoes was founded by Madlen and Marta from Portugal with the goal of creating barefoot shoes using natural and non-toxic materials. They want to make sure there is a fair production process and a minimum impact on the environment and human lives. They find local supplier and take surpluses from factories to upcycle into their shoes, reducing waste created by the textiles industry.
Madlen and Marta try to find family-own, local businesses as partners in order to reduce their carbon footprint during production. They believe in creating a quality barefoot shoe that you can be worn in different occasions.
I love that Mukishoes is a sustainable and ethical company!
They are part of the slow fashion movement.
Materials
Mukishoes are made with local, organic, and fair trade materials.
The leather they use is vegetable tanned, which means there are no harmful toxins for humans nor the environment.
Their soles are made of recycled and synthetic rubber.
This model is lined with wool and includes an attached woolen insole.
Design
Because each shoe is handcrafted with natural materials, there might be some slight differences in colors and finishes.
They are:
- Gender neutral
- Designed for high volume feet
- Accommodates narrow to medium width feet better (my feet are 10 cm wide and these provide ample space for me).
Barefoot qualities:
- Zero drop (no toe lift)
- Sole is thin (3.5 mm) and extremely flexible.
- Wide toe box that accommodates my squared feet.
- Provides a lot of ground feel.
- Natural materials allow for foot and ankle mobility.
Fit
This is my second pair of Mukishoes. My first pair was the Thyme, which is a summer model in size 40. These Chelsea Caramel are size 41. Because I bought them secondhand, I asked the seller a lot of questions: she usually wears size 41 and these were too small for her, so I took a leap of faith and bought them.
When I first tried them, I thought they were not going to work for me. They are designed for high volume feet and I have skinny ankles and low volume feet. But I didn’t give up… I added one of my wool insoles (which is around 6 mm thick) and 2 sets of felt tongue pads on each boot.
If I wear them with socks, they fit perfectly!
If I wanted to wear them barefoot, I think size 40 would have worked, but I’m wearing them during the cold months in Midwest USA, so I do want to be albe to wear socks and keep my feet warm.
The main reason why I can wear a whole size bigger and why they did not fit the original owner is that the heel of the boot curves and pushes your foot to the front… This is the spot where I added one of the tongue felt pads.
Shoe care
Mukishoes recommends to scrub off dry dirt and treat spots locally.
They also recommend treating the leather with a waterproofing spray without flour carbon or a natural wax to maintain the leather smooth and to increase longevity.
I have not treated them because I do not want the color to change. If I end up treating them, I’ll give you an update.
UPDATE: I ended up waterproofing them because I want them to last as long as they can. I used Bee Natural Leather Care, available for purchase in Softstar’s website. They maintained their beautiful color and I know they are protected from the weather and stains.
How to Wear Them
I was a little nervous about how much I was going to be able to wear them, but I’m actually very happy with their versatility. The style and color of the boots allows me to wear them with dresses, jeans, and formal pants.
To be honest, I had never owned Chelsea boots before and I was pretty clueless at how to style them, but after wearing them for an Outfit Challenge that I organized on Instagram, I learned they are the easiest shoes to style and can be worn both in formal occasions and informal ones.
Opinion
I love that the company is sustainable and ethical, so I will keep supporting them.
The materials are extremely high quality and they are well-made shoes. They get better with use. The leather learns your movements and the boots become like a second skin. I still cannot wear them barefoot, I need to wear them with my insoles, felt pads, and socks in order to get a good fit, but they are perfect for cold weather. I can also wear my Correct Toes with them, which is great. I love my Chelsea boots!
You can use my code MAESTRAMUKI to get 10% off your entire purchase or, if you are in the USA, you can order from Pedterra.
Here are reviews for the other boots I own: