When I was at CES checking out this year’s upcoming cooling technologies, I was offered the opportunity to test a unique brand of shoes from Kizik, a company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. These shoes are different from most in that they have a unique “technology” which allows users to quickly slip them on and off without ever touching the shoes.
I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would ever review a shoe, I’m generally the sort of person who buys cheap shoes and wears them out only to replace them 6 months or so later. I had never even considered purchasing premium quality shoes until speaking to Kizik, so I’ve spent 8 months using these shoes to really test these shoes in every way I could conceive of to make this review worth half a damn.
The shoes arrive in a plain brown box, like any other pair.
The main part of the shoe is a soft, breathable fabric which allows for breathing. The soles are removable and offer a soft cushioning.
The “killer feature” of Kizik’s shoes are it’s integrated “technology” which allows one to easily put on – or remove – the shoes without touching them.
The heel of the shoe has a patented rubber brace which bends as a person inserts or removes their foot which enables the ability to quickly slip the shoes on or off without bending down or touching the shoe. Kizik states that each brace is designed to work for at least 30,000 compressions – i.e. it shouldn’t wear out unless you’ve put the shoe on or removed it over 30,000 times. I would imagine that’s quite a long time for most folks, longer than anyone would need it to last.
For the last 8 months, I’ve been abusive to these shoes. I wanted to see just how “high quality” they really were, and if it might be worth the asking price for their products which are usually over $100 USD. (They do offer cheaper shoes, starting at $79 USD)
I’m pleased to say that Kizik has convinced me that it’s worth investing in quality shoes. The image shown below shows the product after 8 months of usage with no cleaning or other care, and there is very little wear of the unit. Some discoloration from soiling and minor wear on the front of the unit is the readily apparent “damage” to the shoe.
After washing the shoes, they look almost as good as they did out of the box.
While I can’t say with full certainty, I fully expect these shoes to last for at least another year before they require replacement. These are very high quality shoes that will last a long time, even under abusive conditions.
They provide for an extremely pleasant walking or running/jogging experience, with a soft landing and bounce in each step. My only “complaint” about these shoes is that they’re not fully ideal for hiking because they can slip in certain odd angles – but if you’re going to mountains and other areas like that you should invest in a good pair of hiking boots.
I’ve tried to cover every relevant aspect of these shoes in this review, but if there’s something else you would like me to go over in detail send me a DM on Twitter and I’ll update this article.
Conclusion
I’m not a shoe reviewer, in the past I’ve generally purchased cheap shoes. These shoes offer a supremely comfortable experience and are made with high quality manufacturing which ensures the shoes last a long time before requiring replacement.
I didn’t expect to be impressed, I have simple tastes when it comes to shoes. Kizik has changed that. They’ve turned me into a lifelong customer because in the future, they’ll be the first brand I consider for new shoes.
For their high quality shoes with unique ease of use, I’m awarding Kizik’s shoes our Gold Award. If Kizik’s shoes interest you, they’re available from Amazon and other quality retailers or you can order directly from them at https://kizik.com/
The model tested in this review was the Cobalt Blue Athens model, which is currently available for $99 USD.
