With 20 years of experience in shoemaking, Hobibear focuses on footwear design and development with a sustainable philosophy and a focus on foot health!
Most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Customers frequently expressed frustration regarding the complicated return procedures, noting that getting a refund or contacting support for help turned into a massive headache. People also pointed out that orders often arrived in incorrect sizes or suffered from poor quality materials, leading to damaged items that felt uncomfortable to wear.
Some people were satisfied with the affordable prices and found specific styles to feature a wonderfully comfortable and wide toe box. Other buyers also shared positive experiences, mentioning that their shoes arrived looking great and held up nicely through regular daily wear.
Bought shoes from hobibear UK after seeing advertising online. The shoes arrived and you could not tighten the laces at all so they did not fit securely on my feet. I messaged hobibear UK asking to return for a refund well within 14 day returns policy on their website and customer service reps routinely fobbed me off and would not let me return the product to their UK warehouse, insisting that they be sent to Germany instead. I had been under the impression due to the name hobibear UK that this was a UK based company but emails came from reps in china. After countless fruitless emails and demands from hobibear to send photo proof I had not worn the shoes, I was told in no uncertain terms that if I did not pay exorbitant postage fees to germany I would not get any refund.
1) The quality of materials is awful. Made very cheap.
2) Wide toe box ones are not actually wide. They look like it but they're narrower than say Birkenstock. Not only the toe box but all the way.
3) Don't expect to get a refund. There's no clear return process. You'll need to send an email, after which they'll offer you £10 three times if you keep the shoes. You'll have to pay for delivery to some warehouse in Germany. And in the end your return will not be delivered for whatever reason saying "Delivery attempted - no answer". I don't know how it all will end and if I get my money back.
My shoes never arrived, when I tried to contact customer services, they were incredibly rude and told me that they could not do anything about this. They refused to send a new pair or offer me a refund. Never buy from this company!
Read the return policy then find another barefoot company. Sizing is all off. I wanted to return them. 5 emails later, and they refuse to send a shipping label. You must pay to ship product back. This is such an abnormal way to do business, it’s not something I read through before ordering. Customer service is a complete joke. Since sizing isn’t accurate for most ppl-I’m making the assumption this is why their policy is written in favor of the brand and not the customer. This was a complete waste of my time and money!
NEVER EVER trust this company. I bought online a pair of shoes. They don’t fit me and since I wrote saying I had to return them they have blocked me when I didn’t want to accept their proposal of keeping the shoes in exchange of 30% of the value..
They asked me to send pictures to give me the address and since then no more answers to my emails. And all my emails are returned. Really don’t buy them online or you loose your money
Awful, do not use this company. They're actually based in China, not the UK as they would like you to believe. Returns have to be sent to Germany at your own expense.
They try anything not to offer a refund including discounts or another pair as long as you agree you can't send those back either.
Scam - avoid!
Gaslighting, poor service, and refusal to accept responsibility
Hobibear sent the wrong item and then tried to make it my problem.
Instead of immediately correcting their own mistake, I was told I’d have to pay international return shipping and customs fees to Germany for an error that was entirely theirs. When challenged, they attempted to pressure me into keeping the wrong item, framing it as a “solution” and doing me a favour.
This is classic gaslighting… shifting blame, minimising the issue, and quietly ignoring basic consumer rights. There was no accountability, no apology worth the name, just deflection and pressure.
If you’re in the UK, be warned. If Hobibear get your order wrong, expect resistance, not resolution
Received my pair of Hobibear Birch 3.0 - Winter Barefoot Shoes. They look great. The grip on the sole is good and they are toasty warm, however the fit is tragic! The fit is like a loose welly. My feet slip around inside them. Going down hill my feet slide forward and my big toes hit the front. They may be waterproof but they are not breathable, so your feet soon get sweaty.
I would not recommend them.
⭐ 1 Star – Absolute Scam Behaviour
Hobibear is one of the worst companies I’ve dealt with. The shoes are shockingly poor quality, made from cheap materials, and look nothing like the pictures. Sizing is completely wrong and inconsistent.
Returns are deliberately made difficult to trap customers. Despite a UK return address being on the package I received, they refused to allow a UK return and insisted I send them to Germany. They then claim you only have 3 days to send the return or it’s void — an unreasonable and clearly obstructive tactic.
This feels like a company designed to prevent returns and leave customers stuck with junk products. Misleading marketing, awful customer service, and terrible quality. Avoid at all costs.
Returning the item is a nightmare. Contacted multiple times, through emails and calls. Still waiting for reply. It's more than a month now and it's not solved. Only thing they did,offered 20 percent on the item that doesn't fit! Don't buy from them. Absolute scammers!
This company is horrible. I jumped through the hoops to send back 1 pair of shoes including taking of pictures, letting them know my tracking # and adhering to all their rules for return. It has been 3 weeks and no refund. I wish I knew how bad they were before buying direct. Never again.
I bought shoes for my child. What surprised me after opening the package was that they are from China. The seller lists a UK address on the website, but from the beginning everything felt a bit suspicious. Despite that, I decided to place the order.
The shoes are made of synthetic material and in some places the stitching is uneven. On the positive side, they are flexible and wide, which is a plus for a child’s feet.
I’m worried about returning them because I’m afraid I might end up with neither the shoes nor a refund. The shoes are not terrible, but I didn’t expect them to be made in China or to be so synthetic and non-breathable. I won’t be buying from this seller again.
Shoes look just as described and appear to be ok quality. I wear a 9.5, these were a little loose and my heel slips when I walk. Biggest downside, they smell SO chemically, it’s room consuming.
i have found hobbibear to be really comfortable. Its does clearly state on there website that deliveries may take sometime , although my shoes arrived relatively quickly. I like the colour and style of the shoes and they are comfortable to wear. However packaging was just a green mail bag. I would expect the shoes to arrive in a box for the price I paid in case I needed to return them for any reason. The soles are flexible and the shoes have a good light weight feel. Im yet to wear them outside so that will be the real test . So far im happy.
The shoes are great but customer service are awful. I never received my shoes and they want proof of non-delivery. Thats impossible, i dont have them, thsts orrpf enough. They need to prove delivery. They were sent my signed for post, i never signed for them and they cant prove i did. Im a single parent and cant afford to just lose that amount of money so I will never use them again. Very unprofessional.
I would give 0 stars if I could. Don‘t order from them. Having a UK address, sending from China and if you want to return they are telling you, you should not because of many reasons and you have to return on your costs. The shoes are smelly, way to small and very uncomfy. But the company in China is the worst itself when it comes to a return. I am sure if I return them, that they will never arrive. Really, don‘t bother ordering directly with that company.
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