Before we opened kidOshoe, we sold shoes at Dragonsnaps for 21 years. Various brands have come and gone, but one company has been with us all along:

Bear Feet Shoes

The folks at Bear Feet make their shoes almost entirely out of US-made materials (crepe rubber soles, leather, etc), and the non-US materials come from Italy and Germany (buckles, thread, and specialty sparkle leather). The shoes are all made in Brownwood, Texas. US-made shoe brands are few and far between, so that’s about as local as it gets.

Their motto is "Bare Feet Are Best!" Each shoe is made to be as similar to barefoot as possible while still providing protection. The soles are made of natural crepe rubber that has a crinkled texture – very flexible and grippy; the inner sole is a soft layer that imitates the feel of walking on sand; and the uppers are all made of high quality leather, top-grain, or nubuck. The baby shoes (sizes 1 to 4) are made entirely of leather, because a softer sole helps ease the transition to walking.

The price of Bear Feet shoes tends to be a smidge higher than our other brands, but you get what you pay for: quality craftsmanship that supports our economy, durability that can be passed down for years, and the most comfortable sole we’ve found.

Read more about their eco-friendly philosophy.