Just beyond the drab grey walls of your office cubicle, there’s a world waiting to be explored. Whether your adventure involves scrambling alongside the mountain stream, or simply taking a new route to your local convenience store, there’s an ever increasing number of barefoot styled shoes for the minimalist adventurer to choose from.
If you’re looking for a comfortable, eco-friendly option, the minds behind kigo are working hard to create minimalist footwear that is attractive enough for everday wear, durable enough for athletic endeavours all while being constructed in a way that makes them as good for the Earth as they are for your feet and body.
Since their founding, kigo has worked relentlessly with customers, doctors, biomechanics specialists, athletes and others in an effort to create a better barefoot-styled shoe.
The drive is a lightweight (4 oz) unisex shoe that features a zerodrop 2mm thick outsole with an anatomical footprint intended to mimic the natural design of the foot.
For our gumption gal team member, who puts in long hours as in the grown-up work world wearing foot-cramping high heels, the kigo drive proved to be a solid anywhere but work shoe that returned her feet to a more natural state.
On Fit and Performance…
The kigo drive proved to be ready for any adventure. With its true to size fit, this minimalist shoe offers a thin and flexible sole that places the foot into a more natural position with the ground. This aids in the foot’s proprioception and helps to restore that natural undisturbed balance that only those barefoot runners know.
For those seeking a modicum of support or cushioning, the kigos are probably not for you. In fact, outside of the removable insole the drive is designed without the overinflated hype and unnecessary support offered in some “minimalist” shoes. The kigo drive strips away all of the unnecessary materials down to basics, just the way our minimalist crew member likes it.
While it might seem that a full day of standing in minimalist shoes would be uncomfortable, quite the opposite is true. After spending hours on her kigo clad feet while volunteering at local mountain bike festivities, come the days sunset, her feet felt great.
Part of the reason our crewmember’s day long comfort is the drive’s anatomically-designed toe box which is roomy enough to allow the foot to rest in its natural position thereby properly supporting the body.
The other comfort factor stems from the CYCLEPET uppers which enclose the foot while offering better than expected airflow. The CYCLEPET uppers start out on the snug side, but over time conform to the foot providing a more secure fit. According to kigo, if the shoes start to feel as though they are stretching out, simply run them through a gentle washer and drier to tighten the fabric.
The outsole uses the company’s signature fingerprint pattern. Solid on slick floors and asphalt the fingerprint outsole also offers greater traction that some other barefoot styled shoes out on the trail. The downside is that while it’s easy to wipe dirt and other debris on the doormat, the outsole does show a tendency to gobble up small pebbles which can become a nuisance if not removed.
Room for Improvement…
The fact that this is kigo’s third iteration of the drive demonstrates their relentless passion to constantly pursuing the perfect product. That being said, our gumption gal still had a few issues worth noting. On fit and finish, visible glue lines around the outsole along with some slight imperfections in the stitching left us a little underwhelmed on our first impression.
Second, while the the width of the shoe was the perfect accommodation for our gumption gal’s feet, those with a narrower foot might find the kigo drive not quite snug enough for more active endeavours.
Finally, our reviewer noted that the tongue tends to bunch up when you first put them on, but does stay in place when the speed lacing is tightened.
Bottom Line…
For those looking for an all-around minimalist performer the kigo drive is an excellent shoe. While the drive didn’t provide the performance punch of other barefoot styled shoes on run days, our crew member found herself reaching for her new drives more often than any other minimalist shoes in her closet.
MSRP: $91
MANUFACTURER: kigo footwear https://www.kigofootwear.com/
AVAILABILITY: Purchase from kigo footwear directly here.
COLORS: Black with Grey Stitching / Grey with Yellow Stitching