GROUNDIES CAMDEN Review: Stylish barefoot boots for the city

GROUNDIES CAMDEN Review: Stylish barefoot boots for the city GROUNDIES CAMDEN Review: Stylish barefoot boots for the city

Selecting and Maintaining Barefoot Shoes Reviews

We tested the Groundies Chelsea boots, Camden Dark Brown. Ride a wave of style, elegance and maximum comfort with every step.

Tested model

 GROUNDIES CAMDEN WOMEN Dark Brown
Best for city wear, barefoot beginners
Upper material smooth goat leather with a matte finish
Sole TrueSense® GO1 sole with a 3 mm base and 3.3 mm tread
Lining a blend of warm fleece and breathable OnSteam® microfibre
Fit suitable for medium to narrower feet
Colour options dark brown, black, cognac
Available sizes 36–42
Price 2 529 Kč (with a 35% discount valid until 20. 10. 2024 or while stocks last)
Testing conditions city, countryside, all-day wear
Manufacturer German brand Groundies

I first slipped into barefoot footwear last year – leguano amalfi – and since then I’ve been steadily adding new pairs to my shoe rack. But because I’m a huge summer person, most of them are sandals or trainer-style shoes.

I generally hate shopping for an autumn wardrobe, whether it’s shoes or clothes, so you’d have struggled to find any autumn barefoot options at my place until now. So when insulated ankle boots from Groundies appeared on the scene, I couldn’t resist.

I decided to see whether at least “barefoot” walking could make a gloomy, chilly autumn a little more pleasant. And it did.

Main pros:

  • they’re incredibly quick and easy to put on and take off
  • they’re very comfortable
  • your feet don’t ache in them even after a full day of walking
  • they don’t cause blisters or pressure points
  • they’re very lightweight and easy to pack
  • they’re insulated, and in lower temperatures (below 10 °C) you just need thicker socks
  • the timeless design makes them suitable for any occasion

Main cons:

  • the smooth leather (which looks more like suede) in brown is prone to fading and losing depth of colour in the creases
  • they’re not suitable for heavier rain, which is no surprise with suede

Key features and review:

GROUNDIES CAMDEN is a classic Chelsea boot that combines the laid-back vibe of the London district it’s named after with that unmistakable English city elegance.

Putting them on and taking them off is almost unbelievably easy. Because I have fuller calves, I tend to avoid ankle boots. Getting them on is usually the biggest hurdle, especially with narrower styles.

With Groundies, though, you can forget that problem straight away. You’ll slide into them in seconds – simply, comfortably, and without a shoehorn. Taking them off is even easier.

The elastic panels on each side give just the right amount of hold around the ankle and calf, so the boot feels secure and still looks elegant even on a wider leg.

From the available options, I chose dark brown. Somehow, brown just suits this season best for me – and it’s also a shade that goes with almost any outfit.

I also wanted to avoid classic black. It’s timeless, sure, but we all have plenty of black shoes at home already – and it definitely doesn’t make autumn feel any cheerier.

The Dark Brown model is made from suede, which needs specific care. Like nubuck, it has one big downside: it’s sensitive to water and moisture. If these materials come into contact with water, they’ll very likely darken. That can leave marks on the shoes – which can add character in a good way, but can also spoil that perfect look. Luckily, it’s all manageable: for nubuck and suede you can get special rubbers and brushes that are gentle and can remove similar marks.

If you’d like to get to grips with materials used for barefoot shoes: from classics to innovative new options, read the article where you’ll also find care tips.

Testing out and about

City

I picked the boots up at the beginning of September, when outdoor temperatures were still above 30 °C, and it definitely didn’t look like I’d be reaching for insulated footwear any time soon. But the weather can really catch you out, and this year the switch to autumn was practically overnight.

During the second week of September, temperatures dropped from summer thirties to barely half that from one day to the next – and along with the sudden chill came equally sudden rain. So it was the perfect time to change shoes and test the new model.

With rain in the forecast, I quickly topped up my waterproofing spray and treated the boots straight away. And it paid off. So do read up on how to care properly for leather barefoot shoes. Rainy days kept coming, and pavements that had been scorching hot not long before suddenly felt cold underfoot, with streams of water running across them.

Even though I’m the type who feels cold for almost ten months of the year, I was surprised that I didn’t feel any chill at all, despite the very thin sole. The insulation is really pleasant, and once temperatures drop a bit further (to around 10 °C), you just need thicker socks.

Even rain in the city didn’t limit walking in any way. Although the surface of the boots looked soaked, I came home every day with dry feet. I was delighted that they were a good option for rainy weather too… but as it turned out later, there are limits.

Countryside

City streets, where water drains into gullies and doesn’t sit on the paving for long, offer slightly different conditions for running around in cold autumn rain than the countryside does.

Even though these are described as city shoes, I wanted to try them a bit outside town too, so I wore them to a family photoshoot in a small village just outside Prague. Walking around on natural ground felt more like a pleasant massage, and it was comfortable and manageable – right up until a heavy downpour started.

It caught us just as we were taking family portraits in the middle of an open field. Just ten minutes in wet grass and, despite the waterproofing spray, I suddenly had a puddle inside my boots. The journey home in soaked shoes was not pleasant at all in the cold weather.

When the manufacturer’s official website says they’re city footwear, take their word for it and keep them for the city.

All-day wear

Sitting in new shoes in an office, where you might only dash to the printer a couple of times a day, or wearing them for a three-hour photoshoot – that’s one thing. But spending the whole day on your feet in them… that’s a real test.

So I tried them in the very first week at my one-day photography workshop. The weather wasn’t exactly kind, and standing around all day waiting for the right shot was a proper trial by fire.

As long as you’re moving, getting cold from your feet isn’t usually such a risk. But hours of shuffling on the spot in chilly weather and unpleasant drizzle – that’s practically asking for a cold.

As it turned out, the insulation worked brilliantly, and I managed even without sheep’s wool socks – the kind my friend stocks me up with every year for teaching during these months.

Alongside the warmth, I also appreciated that even after a full day on my feet, my feet didn’t hurt, I didn’t find a single blister or pressure mark, and my feet felt cosy all day long.

Final verdict

Switching to autumn shoes has always been a nightmare for me. Moving from comfortable, open summer footwear to closed shoes never happened without blisters and discomfort.

Lacing up and pulling on ankle boots while bundled up in warm clothes before leaving the flat felt like an acrobat’s performance – after which you’d sooner want a shower than to head out into a cold day.

And because I’m someone who feels the cold and always has chilly feet, finding shoes that are both comfortable and warm has never been easy.

GROUNDIES CAMDEN WOMEN Dark Brown are, for me, the ideal autumn city shoes that solve all of those issues in one. They’re extremely comfortable boots that are quick and easy to pull on (which I especially appreciate when I’m in a rush).

They work with skirts and trousers, for work and for going out, and they keep my feet warm even in cooler weather. And if you use waterproofing spray, you can even head out in light rain. Blisters and sore, rubbed feet? For me, those are finally a thing of the past.

Jana Kupčáková, originally from České Budějovice, is a graduate of – and since 2013 also an instructor at – the School of Creative Photography in Prague. She has been more actively involved in photography since 2008. Over that time, she has taken part in several group and solo exhibitions at home and abroad, and her photographs have been published in a number of photography books. In 2012, she received the FotoVideo magazine award Photographer of the Year; her photos appeared in the prestigious Nikon calendar, and she is an active member of the global photography community WOMEN STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS.

She was drawn to photography through her second passion – travelling. And it’s these two biggest passions that she actively tries to combine. Although people around her see her as a versatile photographer, her work focuses mainly on humanist photography and scenes from everyday life.

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