Mukishoes Igneous – Review

The popular Igneous winter model from sustainable brand Mukishoes returns this year in a redesigned version with a thicker, warmer wool lining and a casual winter boot design.

Mukishoes models are known for their ultra-thin soles, soft uppers and ethical and sustainable production. The Igneous leather model is no exception here.

The model is available in two versions – in black leather look which I’m reviewing here and in brown cork model called Quercus, which is a new model this year.

Disclaimer: I was sent these shoes as a gift to review and all opinions expressed here are my own. I’m also proud to be a Muki shoes affiliate and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using my discount code  UNIVERSEMUKI  (at no extra cost to you).

♥ Get 10% discount on Muki shoes with my affiliate code  UNIVERSEMUKI ♥

1. General

• Brand: Mukishoes
• Model: Igneous
• Colour: black
• Tested on: woman, medium-wide feet, 26.3 cm long and 10 cm wide, low instep, skinny ankles with narrow heel, fin-shaped foot (see my how to measure guide and foot type) – wearing size 43

| Made in the EU | Adults | Leather | Ship worldwide |

2. Material characteristics

2.1 Upper

The Mukishoes Igneous is made of chrome-free leather in black. Due to its rather raw appearance, the leather looks like a mix of suede and smooth leather and is also very difficult to photograph due to its matt appearance and texture.

The thicker round laces are made of cotton and only need to be adjusted the first time. A zipper is added all along the inside for easier putting on.

A strong red-orange loop is sewn at the top of the shaft to make it quicker and easier to put on your shoes. The loop adds a sportier look to the boots.

2.2 Lining

The boots are lined with a thicker layer of very soft and cosy wool. It is also possible to buy their wool insoles, which I consider to be a must-have if you plan to wear the boots in winter.

2.3 Sole

The sole is made of 100% natural rubber and is very thin and flexible. They have great ground feel, but offer less insulation in winter due to the very thin sole.

Although Igneous is a winter boot, it is easy to roll, thanks to the extremely soft leather and sole.

Also check the video for the close-up.

3. Sizing information

3.1 Length

The Igneous model is available in sizes 36-44. Mukishoes is targeting a female audience with this model, so they are not available in larger ‘men’s’ sizes.

My feet are 26.3 cm long and I usually wear a size 42 in Mukishoes. For this model, I opted for a size larger shoe to ensure enough room in the width when wearing them with a winter insole and thicker socks.

The internal length of the shoe corresponds to the value indicated in the size chart, i.e. 28.1 cm for size 43. The extra insole and thicker socks take away some of the length, width and volume in the shoe, so this size is not too big for me even though I have 18 mm of space in the shoe.

More length for me is needed to ensure sufficient width, and less space in the shoe can be chosen by those with narrower to average wide feet.

See the post How much space do we need in shoes if you want to know more about that.

3.2. Toebox shape & width

The toebox shape of Mukishoes can vary slightly from model to model, so some models may appear wider, others narrower.

Mukishoes have a milder slope towards the little toes, which makes them best suited for foot shapes 2, 4 and 5. They can also be worn by people with the longest big toe with a stronger slope towards the pinky toe (1), but in this case more space is left in front of the smaller toes. Squarer foot shapes (3 and 6) will need more space in front of the toes to ensure enough space for all the toes.

More about different foot types you can read in post What is my Foot Type?

The Igneous are best suited for narrower and medium width feet, but by choosing a larger amount of space in front of the toes (I chose 18 mm), they can also fit slightly wider feet, but not very wide.

The toebox shape fits my foot shape well, but to ensure sufficient width, I need a size bigger shoe than usual in the Igneous model. In this way, I am guaranteed enough space in the shoe even with a winter insole and thicker socks.

3.3. Fit around the instep, heel and ankle

The Igneous model has a specific fit. The opening at the top is narrower and the shoes fit narrower calves best (the laces are also shorter), while they are wider in the ankle and heel area and will fit wider heels and ankles better.

You can see a slight bulge where the zipper is located, which is more noticeable on the right shoe than on the left. However, the shoes fit my foot well because I wear them with insoles and the laces are tightened well around my calves. In the future, I would like to see minor adjustments to the design at this point to make the shoes fit more different foot types even better.

4. Comfort

The boots are extremely comfortable to wear and I have no complaints about the comfort. The leather is soft, as is the thicker wool lining. For greater comfort on winter days, I recommend buying the wool insoles, which are available for purchase on their website.

5. Water-ressistance and warmth

The shoes are not waterproof, so Mukishoes recommends waterproofing them to increase their water resistance. I haven’t done this yet because I wanted to pre-test them without waterproofing. After two hours of walking in the snow, the shoes didn’t get wet, but the thinner sole did make my feet start to feel cold, despite the extra wool insole.

I would recommend them for temperatures around 0°C or slightly below zero. At even lower temperatures, the shoes are not warm enough for me.

6. How and when to wear them?

The matte look of the leather and the red loop on the heel ‘influence’ the more casual look of the Igneous model, but the shoes are very easy to pair with many different clothes. I prefer to wear the shoes with jeans and a sweater or with sporty leggings.

7. Price & where to buy

Mukishoes shoes can be purchased on the official website. The price for the Igneous model is 150 €.

Buy Muki shoes with 10% discount with my affiliate code  UNIVERSEMUKI .

8. Shipping info

Mukishoes ship worldwide. The shipping costs for Europe are 7,72€ (VAT excluded) -free on orders over 200€, UK 16€ (free on orders over 300€) and for international shipping 25€ (free on orders over 400€).

9. To sum up

Igneous are extremely comfortable winter boots which, in addition to natural and sustainable materials, have an extremely convenient design that, despite the narrower opening, makes them easy and quick to put on. You just need to pay a little more attention to choosing the right size, especially if your feet are not among the narrowest.