Our Story

Onif was born out of a barefoot convert’s frustration with available shoe options. Erika, a barefoot runner who worked in the corporate world for 15 years, noticed a huge gap between what was comfortable on her feet and what was stylistically acceptable for work. She noticed that her options were to wear barefoot sneakers and be comfortable, or wear nice looking shoes which ruined her posture. Frustrated with her lack of options when attending conferences, off-sites, and everyday office days, she decided to solve this problem herself by making the first beautiful barefoot shoe.

Onif makes "nicer occasion" shoes that are inconspicuously barefoot. You don't have to be barefoot to appreciate a more foot-shaped shoe, but we guarantee once you try it, you'll never go back.

Erika believed then, as she does now, that: 1) most shoes on the market are not designed by and for women, and 2) most barefoot shoes are not made with an eye toward impeccable design. Onif seeks to solve this problem by delivering beautiful shoes to women, which happen to be barefoot.

Our Founder

Erika is a seasoned veteran in every domain except footwear. She started her career in law, got an ivy-league MBA and went into finance, and then transitioned into strategy and digital partnerships. With 15 years of experience trying to figure out "what to wear" to work, and three closets full of shoes, Erika has firsthand knowledge of how difficult dressing for the workplace can be. Her vision for Onif is to solve every woman's need for style and comfort, so they can be happy in their own feet no matter where they go.