I believe Camper is the most famous brand among non-barefoot shoes wearers as they've built an empire spreading worldwide. I know it’s not a favourite of the barefoot shoes community, but I absolutely love the Peu line. (They qualify as barefoot shoes once you take out the insole.) This love goes way back to 2005/2006, when I bought my first pair of Camper Peu (which I wore without removing the insoles) because I loved the way they looked. I had never heard about the ‘barefoot shoes’ concept but I always liked the wide toe box look. I am on the-wider-the-better side, in terms of aesthetics. I have absolutely no problem with my feet looking like ‘clown’ feet. In fact, I remember that when I bought the shoes I accidentally bumped into a friend and I was so excited that I bought them (it cost me a lot of money back then too) that I took them out of the box and showed them to him. And he said ‘these are the ugliest shoes I have ever seen!’ and I said ‘I know! And I love them!’. We’re still friends. In fact, my daughter is his goddaughter. Life has mysterious ways.
Fast forward to present times.
I own two pairs of Camper Peu - low shoes and boots. They both have TPU outsole with contact earth technology for abrasion resistance. The boots have leather upper and the shoes have Nubuck upper with elastic laces.
I’ve been wearing them on repeat this year, after removing the original insoles. For the boots, I took the original insole out and I replaced it with one made of lambskin - warm and soft as well.
They are both size 40 and there is no difference in the fitting. Their size guide says that 40 is suitable for feet 25.1-25.7cm. Mine are 24.5 & 25cm and 40 is what makes me feel comfortable. I ordered them both directly on their website on a 50% sale, with free delivery. They have frequent sales and once you subscribe to their newsletter, you become part of he Camper Family and have early access to sales and even exclusive sales sessions (and other perks like free delivery).
They are flexible and friendly with my feet. I was afraid they were too tight for my toes, but they soften more and more with every wear and I remembered that the old ones were basically moulded on my feet from all the wearing. They lasted 15 (yes, fifteen) years until the sole broke last autumn but the leather was still impeccable. I regret not taking pictures of it, you just have to take my word for it.
I think that the one thing that gets on my nerves with Camper is putting them on my feet. The boots have a zipper on the side, but the shoes don’t, so I always have to use the shoehorn. Which is ok at home, but if you go anywhere where it is required to take your shoes off, it’s not such fun anymore.
I like to wear them with Vibram socks and I have room for them. I don't use Correct Toes (yet) but I would say there's no room for those.
They are fun and reliable and good not only for transitioning. You should give them a try.