These beautiful barefoot sandals are inspired by two things I absolutely love. The first is going without socks or shoes: those who know me are well aware that I rarely wear anything on my feet, and my wedding day was no different! I wore some lovely lacey barefoot sandals, and wanted to recreate some crochet-style ones for more everyday use.

The second is the movie Tangled – in particular, that scene when Rapunzel paints a stunning sun mural on the tiles while the song Kingdom Dance plays. I’ve tried to capture some of the flaring sundrop flowers, the swirling twists and turns of the painting and the dance itself in these delicate barefoot sandals.

They’re worked in one piece so they’ll be nice and sturdy as well as simple to create. It’s a super speedy make, and if you’re unsure about any of the stitches used, you’ll find a step-by-step photo tutorial on pages 5-9 and a crochet stitch diagram on page 12 to help you through.

The starting chain of each round does not count as a stitch so the first stitch will go in the same stitch as the chain. When closing the round, the slip stitch will go into the top of the first stitch, not the chain.

Finally, sizing is achieved by using different hooks. There are three sizes:
1-4 (UK), 4-7 (UK) and 7-12 (UK). You’ll be using light DK yarn (I recommend using cotton for its softness, strength and breathability) so whichever size you go for will still offer that breezy summer elegance.

I hope you enjoy making and wearing them as much as I have!

– Sizing & Yardage:
Different sizes are acheived by using one of three different hooks:

Shoe sizes 1-4 UK (4-6 US) 2.5mm (C/2) hook 11cm body
Shoe sizes 4-7 UK (6.5-9.5 US) 3mm (D/3) hook 12cm body
Shoe sizes 7-12 UK (7-14 US) 3.25mm (E/4) hook 13cm body

You can also measure the distance between the centre of your inner and outer ankle bones (malleoli), which should be roughly equal to width of the sandal body that will fit you best!

You’ll need approximately 25-50g / 60-120 yds of yarn depending on your chosen size, tension and yarn weight. That’s just one 50g ball of yarn in total!

– Gauge:
When working your gauge, it’s essential that you crochet a square larger than the measurement you’re checking to be sure you have the right dimensions. The size of a stitch can vary a lot at the edges, and the height of the first or last row can be particularly different to those in the middle of your swatch.

Crochet your swatch using hdc and the hook for your chosen size:

With a 2.5mm hook, 2” x 2” = 14 stitches x 11 rows.
With a 3mm hook, 2” x 2” = 13 stitches x 10 rows.
With a 3.25mm hook, 2” x 2” = 12 stitches x 9 rows.

Fortunately, these Tangled Barefoot Sandals are very forgiving so most sizes will fit all (even if you’re gauge isn’t spot on or you’re in a hurry)!