Selling barefoot sneakers from Catalonia across the world

Manel Garcia and Hanna Buschmann started their footwear company while expecting their second baby. At the time, their older son was learning to walk, and they realized that all baby shoes are "respectful" for their feet.

After Garcia looked for some "respectful shoes” for himself, he realized he could not find a pair that he liked, he told Catalan News in an interview. He used to collect sneakers, and that is when they decided to design barefoot shoes that he felt comfortable wearing.

Barefoot shoes are intended to match barefoot walking or running conditions, in comparison to traditional shoes, providing minimal interference with the natural movement of the foot. 

After launching a crowdfunding campaign in 2023, the couple started producing small quantities in Elx, in the province of Alacant, in the Valencian region. Since that first order, the company has "started to produce in larger quantities" and is now looking to add different styles of footwear to its collection, such as boots or dressing shoes.

Garcia and Buschmann live in Caldes de Malavella, in the county of Selva, near the northern city of Girona. They have been organizing the company "from home; we do not have an office," Garcia told Catalan News. At the moment, "everything is a little bit like a homemade project, but that is something beautiful too," he added.

Ohne Project was created to "bring more normal-looking shoes into the barefoot world," Garcia told this media outlet. The idea is to "have all of the benefits of a barefoot shoe but while also considering the style of the person," he added.

Last year, Spain's Queen Letizia was seen wearing Ohne Project sneakers.

At the moment, they want to "bring all kinds of shoes to the people, such as boots, sandals, and sneakers" and to "make them available to as many people as possible," but "without losing the essence of the brand: to manufacture respectful shoes that follow the current fashion trends locally and that people feel comfortable wearing."

Until now, they have manufactured around 20,000 pairs of barefoot shoes, but they are aware of the prices and the difficulties some people may have acquiring them. Prices range slightly, but most of the models cost around €160, both online and in third-party stores in Spain and Europe.

"We have been contacted by stores outside of the EU and also in Asia, which are two markets that we would like to be a part of, but it is a very organic approach at the moment, we do not have a step-by-step plan," Garcia said.

Garcia considers barefoot as "the shoe of the future" as it "makes sense as it is good for the wellbeing of your feet."

He recommends walking around the home without shoes so that the body gets used to wearing barefoot shoes.