Custom-made for you… by you!
Enjoy the fun of being “Barefoot… PLUS!” with our Xero Shoes FeelTrue® DIY (do-it-yourself) sandal making kits.
You can make your own barefoot sandals in just minutes. See how easy it is in the video, above.
Get your choice 22 lace colors, and either our 4mm Connect or 6mm Contact outsoles.
All of the soles are made with our exclusive FeelTrue® rubber and are the only outsoles designed specifically for barefoot sandals. Co-developed with the former lead designers from Nike and Reebok, our FeelTrue® soles give you great traction, a comfortable grip, wonderful barefoot feel, and the protection you want. They’re strong, yet flexible, lightweight — a men’s US 9, Eur 42, 4mm Connect weighs about 3.7 ounces, or 110g… the 6mm Contact weighs about 5.4 ounces or 153g. Plus, our FeelTrue® shoes come with our 5,000 mile sole Warranty!
Check out this video to learn more about the FeelTrue® soles and how to make your own Xero Sandals
To make your own sandals, you’ll measure your foot to get the perfect size outsole, you’ll punch the toe hole with our included hollow punch. If you need to, you can trim the sole with a pair of kitchen scissors. Then use one of our simple lacing styles that we’ll show you.
Deciding between 4mm Connect and 6mm Contact? The 4mm Connect outsoles give you the closest-to-barefoot feeling. The 6mm Contact still has great ground-feel, but with a bit more protection and, since it’s a bit stiffer, a slightly “smoother” ride. Check out this video for more about Connect vs. Contact.
The important question is really just:
How much barefoot feel do you want?
The 4mm Connect is the closest thing you’ll get to barefoot, but with a layer of protection. The 6mm Contact still has great ground-feel, but “smooths out the ride” a bit more. Some people prefer the 4mm on trails, because it lets them really grip the rocks and roots… others like the 6mm in that situation because it provides more protection. Similarly, some people like the 4mm on roads because it’s really like being barefoot… and others like the 6mm because it’s a bit stiffer and, therefore, makes even a smooth surface feel a bit smoother.
Get the right fit: Xero Shoes are not sold by shoe size, since shoe size is notoriously inaccurate (you probably have shoes in your closet that are different sizes, but all fit you!). Instead we ask you to measure your foot to get the correct size. Watch this video to see how.
The best way measure your foot length is this: Place a piece of paper (newspaper if you have big feet) against a wall, stand on the paper with your heel lightly touching the wall, make a mark in line with the front of your foot (your first or second toe), and then measure the distance from the edge of the paper to that mark. Do not simply step on a ruler to measure since the angle that you’ll be looking at rarely gives an accurate measurement. NOTE: The actual sole you’ll get is 1/2″ (13mm) bigger than the measurement. If you order, say, the “Up to 10 inch”, the sole you’ll receive is 10.5″ long. But, DO NOT order a size smaller than your foot measurement! If your foot is, say, 10 1/4″ order the size for “feet up to 10 1/2 inches”, otherwise you’ll end up with the wrong size.
Our FeelTrue® DIY Xero Shoes kits come with
- 1 Pair of FeelTrue® rubber outsoles in your choice of thickness, color and size
- 2 6′ polyester laces in your choice of fun colors
- NEW – 4mm hollow punch for the lacing holes — FREE!
- Complete instructions for making your bare foot shoes
SPECIAL: Get your DIY kit for as little as $19.95 (kids size, 4mm Connect)
Note: Currently, only Black and Mocha soles are available.
Your purchase helps support the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico
The huarache tire sandals made by the Tarahumara, the indigenous people of the Copper Canyon in Mexico, inspired our DIY kit. The Tarahumara have been suffering under drought, food shortages, lack of access to health care, and other challenges. When you order a FeelTrue® DIY Kit, we donate 5% of the purchase price to the Tarahumara Children’s Hospital Fund to provide support.
Want to make kits for 10 or more people? Contact us for bulk pricing (use the same contact info, above)