SOLE RUNNER® – German Brand for Handcrafted, Ergonomic Barefoot Shoes Since 2010

SOLE RUNNER® stands for barefoot shoes that bring healthy, natural walking back into everyday life. Since our founding in 2010, we have been developing barefoot shoes in Germany that are handcrafted, ergonomically designed, and awarded the prestigious Ergonomic Product certification.

We have won the Ergonomics Innovation Award multiple times.

Our mission is clear: to create shoes that do not change your feet – but help them move the way nature intended.

Behind SOLE RUNNER® stands me, Thorsten Ludwig, founder and owner of the brand. I have been rooted in the footwear industry since 1979. “Born in a shoebox,” my career began at Salamander and led me through various retail and field sales positions – including roles at Esprit and Ecco – and later to the US membrane manufacturer Gore. There, I managed numerous international footwear brands for GORE-TEX® and, as European e-Commerce Coordinator, built the European web presence for GORE®, GORE-TEX® and Windstopper®.

In 2005, I took the step into self-employment. I established brands such as the Italian labels Stonefly, Lizard and Kefas, as well as Joop footwear – and most importantly, Vibram FiveFingers – in the German market, marking a milestone for barefoot shoes in Europe. Convinced by the barefoot concept from the very beginning, I launched barfusslaufen.com, Europe’s first online shop for barefoot shoes, just one year later.

In 2010, I finally realized my vision: creating my own German barefoot shoe brand that truly respects the human foot. After extensive development, I presented the first SOLE RUNNER® models – the FX Trainer, the T1 Allrounder, and a prototype named Transition – at the Outdoor Show in Friedrichshafen in the summer of 2011.

These models, together with a certain Transition Vario, remain among our bestselling shoes today, now in their evolved generations.

What began with only a few models has grown into a comprehensive collection for children, women, and men – for everyday life, leisure, sports, and work. Our shoes are ergonomically engineered, handcrafted, made from sustainable materials, and fairly produced. They protect your feet without shaping, supporting, or restricting them. This way, you experience natural, healthy and free barefoot walking – with protection.

Retailers, scientists, physicians, and therapists rely on my expertise as a recognized specialist for barefoot shoes and natural foot health.

My articles such as “Our Foot, a Biomechanical Masterpiece” and “Deformed Children’s Feet – A New Widespread Disease?” have long highlighted issues that remain highly relevant today.

We at SOLE RUNNER® are also committed to digital education:

On YouTube – both on barfusslaufen.tv and our official SOLE RUNNER® channel – interested viewers will find comprehensive information about healthy walking, barefoot shoes, and the unique features of our models. On our website, we share in-depth knowledge and practical guidance from the world of barefoot living – from healthy children’s feet to heel spur recovery.

And of course, you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. I warmly invite you to connect with us.

SOLE RUNNER® is more than a brand. It is an invitation to trust your feet again – with barefoot shoes that offer freedom and style, are sustainably crafted, and support your natural movement.

SOLE RUNNER® – German Manufacturer of Barefoot Shoes Since 2010