Hi, Tarek here. Can you feel it? That winter chill is in the air once again, which means it’s time to abandon your lightweight shoes and switch to something warmer.
Many wrongly assume that warmer winter footwear must pack on the bulk, but that’s not true! You can have warming, lightweight, and stylish winter boots with incredible features like waterproofing if you buy the Ahinsa winter ankle boots.
Oh, and these boots are also vegan, so they truly have a lot going for them!
Although I’ve discussed the Ahinsa winter ankle boots on the blog in the past, if this is your first introduction, you’ll find all the information you seek ahead. I’ll go over the features of the boots, how much they cost, and my personal experience wearing them.
Let’s get going!
What Are the Ahinsa Winter Ankle Boots?
I fell in love with the Ahinsa winter ankle boots long ago, as I declared them one of the best pairs of barefoot winter boots.
The Ahinsa brand is backed by physiotherapists who understand the importance of healthy footwear. All shoes produced by the brand will improve how healthily you walk based on studies performed at Masaryk University in Czechia.
Ahinsa only retails ethical and vegan shoes made in Croatia and the Czech Republic. Since the team handmakes each pair of shoes, no two are alike.
Let’s delve right into the features so you can see how incredible these shoes are!
Lifo+ Sole
Barefoot shoes always win a lot of acclaim for their outsoles, and that’s no different for the Ahinsa winter ankle boots. The boots come equipped with a German-constructed Lifo+ outsole.
The outsole has all the traits you long for in barefoot shoes, lending the winter boots excellent flexibility while limiting weight.
Wear-resistant, the Ahinsa team even personally tested the Lifo+ sole on slippery, wet surfaces and says the sole maintains its traction especially well.
The heavy-duty German compound used to build the outsole is tear and scuff-resistant so you get more use out of these soles.
You’ll still have a fantastic groundfeel with the Lifo+ sole, which is truly the icing on the cake considering all the other exemplary traits the sole possesses.
Cruelty-Free Fur
Do fur-lined boots give you pause? You may about worry where the fur comes from and if it’s ethically sourced.
You don’t have to stress when shopping the Ahinsa winter ankle boots. Ahinsa only uses ethical, cruelty-free fur.
The fur, which comes directly from Italy, features a uniquely-designed membrane that I’ll discuss more a bit later (wait until you see what it does!).
Ahinsa promises that even in the Finland frosts, the cruelty-free fur should keep your feet and ankles warm. The fur also feels soft and looks great, adding a stylish edge to these appealing winter boots.
CF+ High-Performance Material
Ahinsa didn’t stop there! The outers and inners of these boots are constructed from CF+ material. That’s short for Cruelty Free High Performance.
The leather-like material of the outer features traits like scuff resistance and moisture reduction. You’ll also love how eco-friendly and ethical the boots are, not to mention how durable.
The Ahinsa team even scratched one of the boots with a fork (you know, just for testing purposes, so don’t try this at home, folks) and found that the boots accrued no damage.
Unisex
I love presenting as many unisex barefoot shoes as I can on the blog so my audience can purchase a pair for themselves. Fortunately, the Ahinsa barefoot winter boots meet the bill! They’re unisex.
The link to the men’s Ahinsa winter boots is here, while the link to the women’s pair is here.
Shaped for Your Feet
Have you ever looked at the shape of most of the shoes in your closet, especially if you don’t own many barefoot shoes? You’ll notice that the shoes take on all sorts of interesting shape profiles.
None of those profiles match the shape of your foot though, which is odd. Instead, you’re forced to stuff your feet into the shoes, contorting your feet to fit in an unnatural fashion. It’s no wonder many of us have unhealthy feet and bad postures!
Ahinsa designs its footwear with a shape more like the human foot, including their winter ankle boots. As Ahinsa says, this engages core stabilization, better supports internal organs, and kickstarts the kinetic chain.
You’ll walk with less pain and won’t feel so eager to take off your shoes, even at the end of a long day.
Your toes will have more room to spread apart and move within the wide toe box, which will feel fantastic.
Waterproof
Let’s take a step back and look at the CF+ High Performance material again. Why do I want to do that? Well, the material is waterproof too!
I mentioned how the inner will reduce moisture, but it also absorbs moisture exceptionally well, including water and sweat.
The outers will remain dry even if you’re engaged in strenuous activities like climbing or splashing through some puddles.
Nothing feels worse than trudging along in wet shoes and socks, so I always love it when I find a waterproof barefoot shoe. I hope you’re just as excited!
Moisture-Wicking
The cruelty-free fur, besides being incredibly warm, also wicks away moisture. You won’t have to worry about soaking the ethical fur in sweat in more high-energy activities like those listed above.
100 Percent Vegan
All Ahinsa barefoot shoes use only vegan materials, which goes for these barefoot winter boots. Animal lovers, rejoice!
Handmade
I also want to stress again how the Ahinsa team handmakes each pair of barefoot shoes, giving them a slightly unique edge.
Appealing Colors
I adore the earthy color selection available for these barefoot winter shoes. Whether browsing the men’s or women’s version, you have some excellent color variety.
The men’s boots come in colors like all black, tan with a black outsole, and bright burgundy with a black outsole.
The women’s boot colors include the above options and blue with a black outsole.
My Experience Wearing the Ahinsa Winter Ankle Boots
The Ahinsa barefoot winter ankle boots have been in my shoe collection for quite a long time now, so I wanted to discuss why I love them so in this section.
Having worn these boots many times, I can attest to Ahinsa’s claims that the vegan boots are a fantastic choice for cold weather.
If you usually deal with cold feet and numb toes when spending prolonged time outside in the winter, you shouldn’t when wearing these stylish waterproof boots.
The waterproof liner and fur are both vegan, which won the Ahinsa boots brownie points with me. I also appreciate the shoe lining, as it’s soft and feels great on my feet and ankles.
I have to talk about how lightweight these shoes are, as they’re even lighter than you’d expect!
For a winter shoe, these boots feel incredibly light. In fact, they may be the lightest barefoot shoe I’ve ever worn and talked about on the blog, at least as of this writing.
The color selection impressed me. I bought the men’s boots in brown, but I quite liked the variety. If you want an understated, everyday shoe, that’s an option, as is going for something more attention-grabbing.
As a minimalist, I chose a color I knew would match my simple, earthy wardrobe, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest!
As another testament to my minimalism, I also adore how these boots don’t take up a lot of space. When I took a trip to Italy this winter in my camper van, I knew I had to bring these barefoot winter boots with me.
I’ve trekked in the rain wearing the Ahinsa winter ankle boots, which indeed hold up as well as the manufacturer says.
Two points to note if you’re seriously considering purchasing these winter ankle boots. For one, they run a bit smaller, so buy one size larger than your regular shoe size to ensure a good fit.
Second, if you have a high instep, I’d say choose another pair of barefoot winter boots instead. Those readers with a low or regular instep can buy these boots if they wish!
I truly do find the Ahinsa winter ankle boots an excellent barefoot shoe for everyday wintertime use.
How Much Do the Ahinsa Winter Ankle Boots Cost?
Let’s rip the Band-Aid right off. The Ahinsa winter ankle boots cost 132 euros, which is approximately $143,58 USD.
Are the Ahinsa Winter Ankle Boots Worth It?
Those readers still straddling the fence regarding whether to buy the Ahinsa winter ankle boots should find this section most enlightening!
Overall, I would say that these winter boots are worth every penny. I know they’re expensive but think of all you’re getting for the money.
The boots feature a durable outer that’s scuff and scratch-resistant. That outer is quite stylish too, looking like real leather but without quite the gargantuan price tag that real leather often fetches.
The range of colors suits those with a more flamboyant or understated style.
The Lifo+ sole bends, flexes, and moves with your feet as any good barefoot sole should. It stands up well to slippery and wet conditions, although Ahinsa does caution you when walking across ice in these boots.
The fur lining is both ethical and vegan, and as an added bonus, the fur wicks away moisture for dryer feet. The outer also keeps your feet dry so even if you get stuck in the snow when wearing these boots, your feet will dry quickly.
The shape of the boots will spare your feet from squishing and squeezing, reducing your pain. Remember, the team behind Ahinsa includes real physiotherapists who know a thing or two about healthy feet!
Conclusion
The Ahinsa winter ankle boots are handmade, 100 percent vegan, barefoot, and durable. The faux fur lining didn’t lead to any animals deaths’, which is alone something that should inspire you to purchase these boots.
I understand the price point is a little high, but since you’ll only wear them for several months out of the year every year, you should have the Ahinsa boots for a long time to come!