Review of the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit – The Best Vegan Barefoot Slip-on Shoe


Is there anything better than a pair of slip-on shoes? I really can’t think of anything!  

Well, okay, maybe one thing, and that’s barefoot slip-on shoes that are also vegan. 

Shoes like these are a win-win-win. You can easily wear the shoes, enjoy the minimalist feel that barefoot shoes are known for, and make a better choice for the environment.

Today, I want to introduce you to one such pair of shoes, the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit.

You might recall reading about these shoes in my roundup of the best barefoot slip-on shoes, but in case you missed that post, today’s review will be incredibly thorough.

I’ll dig into the features of the Droptop Knit shoes, their price, and my own experience wearing the shoes. 

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be able to decide if these are the right barefoot slip-on shoes for you as well! 

What Is the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit?

Feelgrounds has one mission, and that’s to make barefoot shoes cool, as they say on their website. Their selection of sandals, everyday sneakers, slip-on shoes, and more have certainly accomplished that objective!

When it comes to cool barefoot shoes from Feelgrounds, there are perhaps none cooler than the Droptop Knit barefoot shoes.

Let’s take a look at all the awesome features that make these shoes the standouts they are!

Zero-Drop Heel

No barefoot shoe is complete without a zero-drop heel, so it shouldn’t surprise you in the slightest to see this feature in the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit. 

This is all a part of Feelgrounds’ goal to make your feet healthier and stronger. The zero-drop heel, in conjunction with the foot-shaped design of the Droptop Knit shoes, supports your feet while lending you that barefoot feel you love. 

Breathable Materials

Sweaty shoes? Not here!

There’s no worse feeling, and Feelgrounds knows it. That’s why they selected materials like microfiber for the heel liner and recycled PET for the liner and upper. 

The breathability of the materials used to make these shoes will have you stepping out for longer since your feet will stay nice and dry. 

Unisex Design

Ladies, the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit barefoot vegan shoes are not only for the fellas! These are unisex shoes through and through. 

The exceptional color variety (more on this to come) lets you choose a hue to match your tastes whether you have a simpler style or a more complex one. 

Spacious Toe Box

Another barefoot shoe trademark that the Droptop Knit shoes feature is a generously-sized toe box. 

A large toe box is a must in barefoot shoes because it gives your toes room to move apart freely throughout the day. 

If you’re walking on tough terrain, you can grip your toes without feeling like your feet are impeded in your shoes. That’s not to say that Feelgrounds recommends wearing the Droptop Knit shoes for vigorous activities (they don’t due to friction risks), but you get what I mean.

Even in everyday walking scenarios, having the space to splay and wiggle your toes is always so freeing, if you ask me! 

Water-Repellant Outer

The recycled PET upper includes a water-repellent treatment so rainwater or other moisture will slough right off.

Do keep in mind that this treatment is only temporary. Feelgrounds recommends periodically applying a water-repellent treatment or waterproofing spray of your choosing to the outers. You should also spray the shoes ahead of their first wear.

That’s the difference between waterproofing and water repellence, by the way. Water repellence is usually a treatment that will wear away with time whereas waterproofing comes down to the shoe’s design with water-resistant outers and airtight stitching and sealing. 

Even though the Droptop Knit barefoot shoes are not waterproof, water-repellant is better than nothing! 

100-Percent Vegan

Whether you follow a vegan diet and only wear clothes that eschew animal products and byproducts or you’re interested in making more sustainable shopping decisions, in both cases, the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit shoes are just what you’re looking for.

These slip-on barefoot shoes are purely vegan, so you can feel good about wearing them as often as you want to! 

Eco-Friendly Construction

More so than being vegan, Feelgrounds also designed these barefoot shoes to be as good for our planet as possible. 

You’ll recall that many of the materials used to construct the shoes are recycled, including the PET liner, the TPE sole, and the PET upper. 

Lightweight and Flexible

Being weighed down by your shoes isn’t something you’ll have to stress about if you pick up a pair of Droptop Knit barefoot slip-on shoes.

A US men’s size 10 or women’s size 11.5 shoe weighs only 7.6 ounces or 216 grams. 

That’s so lightweight that as you stroll around in these stylish shoes, you may very well find yourself forgetting that you’re even wearing shoes in the first place!

The flexibility of the Droptop Knit shoes is another feature I must talk more about. You can roll these shoes up into a little ball if you wanted to. 

The shoes’ ability to compress in on themselves like that frees you up when packing for your latest vacation or business trip. Your shoes will take up so much less room in your luggage. 

Ultra-Thin Sole

Not only do the Droptop Knit barefoot shoes feature a recycled sole but that sole is about as thin as can be. 

The streamlined sole is only 0.2 inches or 5 millimeters, so its stack height is exceptionally slim. 

This is by design, of course. Barefoot shoes are supposed to have a barely-there sole to improve your groundfeel. 

Great Color Selection 

If you’re looking for a rainbow of colors, that’s not Feelgrounds’ M.O. Rather, the brand embraces natural, earthy shades, and that’s what you get here with the Droptop Knit shoes.

The available selection of colors includes all black, black with a white sole, cloud grey with a white sole, black with a gum sole, graphite grey with a gum sole, white with a gum sole, and olive green with a black sole. 

Easy to Care For 

Keeping your Droptop Knit shoes looking and feeling their best needn’t be difficult. 

Feelgrounds recommends using a soft shoe brush to dislodge any loose surface dirt. 

To further clean the shoes, all you need is a gentle cleaner, lukewarm water, and a soft brush. 

Be sure to use a microfiber cloth to remove any excess cleaner, then allow the shoes to dry on their own in a room-temperature environment. You should also let the shoes dry in the same fashion if you wet them. 

Just don’t toss the Droptop Knit shoes in the washing machine, as you’ll deform the uppers and strip away the water-repellent treatment. 

My Experience Wearing the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit Barefoot Shoes

I personally have long since owned, worn, and loved the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit barefoot shoes. I next want to talk about my own favorite features of these slip-on vegan shoes.

I love how lightweight they are. I really can’t stress enough how super-light the Droptop Knit shoes are. You have to wear them to experience their weight for yourself!

The wide toe box is another feature that I have quite adored after wearing these shoes for a while. I love how much freedom my toes have no matter what I’m doing with my day when wearing the Droptop Knit shoes.

Although you have a lot of color options, personally, I would recommend a darker color over a lighter one. In my experience, the lighter-colored shoes develop unappealing spots on them when they get wet. 

How Much Do the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit Barefoot Shoes Cost?

Are you interested in adding the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit slip-on vegan shoes to your barefoot shoe collection?

Not only do these shoes have great features through and through but they’re also incredibly affordable.

The shoes only cost $109, and yes, that’s without any sales or discounts applied. If you can wait for a sale, then you can get ‘em for even cheaper! 

Should You Buy the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit Barefoot Shoes?

Are you still wrestling with your decision about whether to purchase the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit barefoot shoes? No problem, as this section is designed to help!

I would recommend purchasing these shoes, and here’s why.

First, let’s just get it out of the way – the price is awesome. Barefoot shoes can sometimes be expensive. Well, I should say that all shoes can sometimes be expensive, but the Droptop Knit shoes have a low price point.

The shoes are made well and don’t sacrifice quality one iota, so you’re truly getting a great deal at that price.

I love how these are slip-on shoes. You don’t need to wrangle with laces; you can just put your foot right in. This can save you a couple of minutes of your morning routine.

The Droptop Knit barefoot shoes also look effortlessly stylish, which is something that Feelgrounds really excels in when it comes to all their barefoot shoe designs.

That stylishness is only helped by the cool, neutral, earthy colors available. 

The eco-friendly construction of these shoes, lightweight and flexible qualities, water repellence, and barefoot features really seal the deal in my opinion. 

The Droptop Knit barefoot shoes are an all-around great option for everyday wear.  

Conclusion 

Feelgrounds’ Droptop Knit barefoot vegan slip-on shoes are the cream of the crop in a lot of ways. These shoes go on easily, are light and flexible so you can move your feet like you’re not wearing shoes, and feature recycled, vegan materials.

Oh, and did I mention they’re water-resistant? That’s a cool feature as well!

Between the exceptional features outlined throughout this review and the low price point, I sincerely hope you consider treating yourself to the Feelgrounds Droptop Knit shoes. 

Barefoot Report

Hi! I’m Tarek, the blogger at Barefoot Report and Merino Report. I’ve been a barefoot shoe enthusiast since 2009. Besides my interest in the barefoot shoe world, I also enjoy camper van life, playing frisbee with my dog Bubba, listening to my favorite podcasts, and sometimes even doing it all at the same time.

Recent Posts