I absolutely love my horse leather tabi ballet shoes from Woodchucksato. They are incredibly comfortable—the leather is soft, supple, and feels amazing right out of the box.
I actually ordered these alongside another pair from woodchuk (with a more structured fit) and a couple of pairs from another brand. While I initially preferred the sleeker look of the other brand, the toe shape just didn’t work for me. The toe area felt too long and ended up digging uncomfortably between my big toe and the rest of my toes. In comparison, the toe length and shape on the Woodchucksato pair are perfect for my feet. Combined with the softness of the leather, they’re easily the most comfortable of the bunch.
I really don’t have any complaints about the product itself. The only thing that caught me off guard—despite it being clearly shown in the photos and description—was that the soles are leather rather than rubber. If I had paid closer attention, I might have opted for a rubber sole for more versatility in different conditions.
That said, after intentionally scuffing the bottoms a bit to reduce the initial slipperiness, they’ve been great to walk in anywhere. One small nitpick is that once scuffed, the black leather soles start to show white marks, so they don’t stay uniformly black—but this is purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect performance.
Overall, I’m really, really happy with these shoes. Just be sure to pay attention to the sole options when ordering—if you want more grip or durability, you may prefer rubber. Otherwise, these are fantastic.