Flip-flops ruined him in the best way.
Matt grew up in California, where flip-flops gave feet space to act like feet. Then grown-up leather sneakers showed up with narrow toe boxes and started squeezing the joy out of the whole thing.
About Birchbury
The very official story of Birchbury.
Birchbury started because Matt wanted the comfort of barefoot shoes without looking like he was about to lead a wilderness retreat. The mission is simple: make wide, zero-drop shoes that feel natural and still pass as regular shoes.
Actual shoes, not foot-shaped crimes
Matt explains the whole thing in 78 seconds
Looks regular. Feels barefoot.
The Birchbury story starts with one very normal problem.
Matt wanted shoes that looked grown up but still let his feet feel like feet. Leather sneakers looked right and felt wrong. Barefoot shoes felt right and looked wrong. Birchbury was built to make those two ideas finally get along.
Barefoot shoes fixed the pain part.
Wide toe box. Zero drop. Natural movement. Barefoot shoes solved the pain almost immediately — which made regular shoes feel suspiciously rude.
Then he looked down.
The comfort worked. The styling did not. Big logos, wacky shapes, outdoorsy everything. Great for crossing a creek. Less great for the office or drinks.
Make barefoot shoes that look normal.
That became the brand rule: barefoot comfort, regular-shoe manners. More room, soft leather, subtle branding, and absolutely zero clown-shoe energy.
Matt · Founder of Birchbury“I couldn't find a good pair of barefoot shoes I could wear to the office or for drinks. So I made one.”
how we got here
The Birchbury timeline
From one cramped pair of leather sneakers to 100,000 pairs sold, Birchbury has kept the same simple promise: give feet more room without making people explain their shoes.
2019
The Bramford is born
Matt uses his mechanical engineering background to design the first Birchbury shoe: a leather sneaker with a wide toe-box, zero-drop feel, and a shape that still looks familiar.
2020
500 pairs sell before they land
The first batch of Bramfords pre-sells before it even reaches the USA. Turns out a lot of people were ready for shoes that looked normal and stopped squishing their toes.
2021
The Brenston dresses things up
Birchbury brings barefoot comfort to a leather dress shoe. Same toe room, same zero-drop feel, now with a look that works at the office, dinner, and weddings.
2023
50,000 people are wearing Birchburys
With two shoes in the lineup, Birchbury becomes a stable, profitable business by staying focused on one thing: better-looking barefoot shoes.
2024
The Carnforth chukka boot arrives
Customers ask for a chukka. Birchbury listens. The Carnforth takes everything learned from the Bramford and Brenston and adds a little more ankle coverage.
100Kpairs sold & counting
2026
100,000 lifetime sales
From one guy with foot pain to 100,000 pairs sold. Same mission: make barefoot shoes that feel natural and still look like regular shoes.
The rules we build by.
1
Give toes actual space.
Feet are widest at the toes, so the front of the shoe should make room for that instead of forcing everything into a point.
2
Keep the heel level.
Zero-drop construction keeps the heel and forefoot at the same height so your foot can move more naturally.
3
Use grown-up materials.
Soft leather, clean finishes, and familiar silhouettes make the comfort easy to wear with the rest of your closet.
4
Cut the weird stuff.
No giant logos. No wacky panels. No “are those water shoes?” energy. Just regular-looking shoes with a lot more room inside.
Regular shoes, secretly comfortable.
Shop the lineup
Three shoes. Same toe freedom.
Pick the silhouette that fits your day. Every pair keeps the wide toe-box, zero-drop feel, and regular-shoe look Birchbury was built around.
Barefoot Sneaker
Bramford
A versatile leather sneaker for everyday wear, minus the narrow toe-box nonsense.
Barefoot Dress Shoe
Brenston
A sharper leather dress shoe for the office, dinner, weddings, and long days standing.
Barefoot Chukka
Carnforth
A rugged chukka boot with water-resistant leather, toe room, and a clean profile.