I'm Alin
Ciocan.

I write BareTread, a barefoot shoe review site for UK readers. I'm based in Northern Ireland.

Published reviews: 37
Minimum wear: 30 days
Writer: 1
Publishing since: 2022

A bit about me.

I started wearing barefoot shoes in 2016, when I was a keen runner. BareTread followed in 2022. I write the reviews and take the photos myself.

I wear them on long restaurant shifts, and outdoors. A lot of the everyday wear behind these reviews happens on walks with my dog, Santa.

Fit comes first.

A wide toe box is only part of the fit. A shoe can still slip at the heel or feel tight over the instep. I explain how each pair fits and where it falls short.

I usually wear a men's UK 9, with average-to-wide feet.

Worn brown barefoot boots on a fallen log, with Santa the dog in a coat standing behind them — Worn in.

Alin and Santa together beside a woodland waterfall — Out walking with Santa.

Alin Ciocan running the 2014 Bucharest Marathon — Bucharest Marathon, 2014.

Santa lying in the grass in sunshine, wearing her pink harness — Santa.

How I review a pair.

Close-up of stitching and an elastic panel on a Freet Mooch upper — Stitching on the Freet Mooch.

I wear each pair for at least 30 days before publishing a review. Depending on the shoe, that can include hours on my feet at work, dog walks or hiking. Each review explains where I wore that pair.

I keep a wear diary, adding notes when I notice something new. Before settling the verdict, I inspect the shoes again and go back through those notes.

If longer wear changes my opinion or a fault turns up, I update the review.

I buy most pairs myself. If a brand sends a pair, I say so in the review.

What the score means.

I score each pair out of five after wearing it. The number is for comparison; the fit notes are the useful part.

1: Avoid
2: Serious flaws
3: Usable, with a caveat
4: Strong
5: Exceptional

Get in touch.

Have a question about a review, or spotted something I've got wrong? Send me the page and let me know.

Contact me