Honey Soles were designed to help people be more comfortable in their shoes while not wearing socks.

When you wear your shoes without socks, you'll likely be confronted with one or maybe all of the following problems: pain, discomfort and odor. Simply put, most insoles that come with your shoes are not effectively designed to deal with these issues. And over-the-counter insoles can rarely solve all three problems at once.

The idea for Honey Soles came from a desire to eliminate these problems and make any shoe feel like a comfy pair of flip-flops.

Design Team

Designed by Honey Soles in partnership with Impel Studio

We hate wearing socks.

But there are sometimes drawbacks to a life without socks: pain, discomfort and odor. With Honey Soles, we set out to address these problems.

Most common insoles are made of leather or fabric that absorb sweat like a sponge and trap moisture against the skin, causing the growth of fungus and bacteria. After experiencing these issues firsthand, it became very clear that most insoles are not designed to properly fight fungus, bacteria and odor.

We spent months exploring different materials and fabrics that would be best at helping with odor. We tested everything from silver threads to bamboo charcoal. After hundreds of smell tests, we found that cork was most effective at wicking away perspiration and naturally eliminating fungus and bacteria. Cork is an amazing material with a honeycomb cell structure. The cells of the cork are polyhedron and filled with air with an extremely strong and flexible membrane that's waterproof and airtight. Cork also contains a waxy substance called suberin. This material is able to naturally repel the growth of fungus and bacteria and promote a healthy environment in your shoes. The top layer of Honey Soles is made of a sustainably harvested natural cork.

While the cork layer wicks sweat away from the feet, an open-cell proprietary foam (just below the cork) is designed to absorb any excess vapor inside the shoe, further preventing bacterial buildup and odor. This is the perfect compliment to the top cork layer. Since moisture is wicked away from the cork, excess vapor doesn't get trapped next to the skin, which is the main cause for the buildup of fungus and bacteria in many shoes.

We also found that many of the shoes we love to wear without socks are often flat and offer little in the way of comfort and support. So, we're using a thin layer of shock-absorbing foam to help disperse harmful vibrations caused by hard surfaces. This layer also helps Honey Soles mold to the shape of the wearer's foot over time.

To maximize the support factor, Honey Soles have a contoured design. This means they're engineered to help with things like posture, alignment and arch support. This can also help with over-pronation which is the leading cause of plantar fasciitis.

We are currently raising funds on Kickstarter.

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