Kigo Curv Mary Jane style shoe review

  Rachelle at Kigo sent me a pair of the Curv Mary Jane style minimal shoes to try out and I am so glad that she did!  Rachelle is one of three ladies that make up the Kigo Team of chics that decided to take an idea and make it into a reality.  The need for a minimal shoe arose one day and from that a stylish minimal foot wear option was born.
  The first day I wore them I was given two compliments in the first hour!   There are six color combinations available.  I received the gray with orange stitching.  Love it!  I am a big fan of the Mary Jane style.  These are shoes that you will want to take with you everywhere.  I see myself having them in my backpack in the warmer months for when I am not barefoot.

   The fit is a little loose in width but comfortable over all (see below for upcoming changes!) and keep in mind that I have fairly narrow feet.  The added width does accommodate socks.  The Cuvs run small , in my experience it has been small in length, so make sure and read the sizing information on the site before you order.   At $70 they are reasonably priced and as you keep reading you will find more reasons to think so.

 They come with a removable, contoured, EVA anti-microbial insoles.   I took the insoles out for a better fit and a better ground feel.   The foot bed is not as smooth as I imagine most would like, however this is not an issue for me being a barefoot runner and other barefoot runners will appreciate the texture!

  The rest of the inside of the shoes are smooth with no seams rubbing and they also have a convenient fixed webbing loop at the heel tab for quick and easy on and off.

These shoes are very lite at 5 ounces each and incredibly flexible.  As you can see they totally pass the roll-it-into-a-ball test.   This is a simple test to assess a shoes ability to move and flex with the foot.

  The soles are thin with measurements of 3.5 mm at the heel and 1.5 at the center.  There is a heel toe differential of 1.5 mm which I cannot detect when wearing them.  The rubber sole is grippy and suitable for on and off road wear.  Speaking of wear, these are like that great pair of jeans that just keep getting more and more comfortable the more you wear them.

  When walking my foot is allowed to splay naturally.   Even though I am not running in these shoes, it is still an important feature for any shoe regardless if its used for active or casual wear.
  The upper is water and stain resistant of which I tested unintentionally.  The black bean soup I spilled on them wiped right off.  The stain resistance treatment that kept me from ruining my shoes is eco friendly.

  Knowing that a company is Eco Friendly makes the shoes seem even more attractive to me.  I look at the Curvs and I see the CYCLEPET uppers that are made from post consumer recycled plastic bottles and not only think they are cute but smart.  The recycled nylon lining and non toxic dyes just adds to the attraction.

  When I received a package with a note saying that Kigo uses seconds for their sample pairs to send out to testers I thought this was fantastic.  They don't look like seconds to me at all.   Even the foot print looks good as well as being light on the earth.  Ah, let the cleverness abound.

  Kigo has some exciting changes coming this year.  The fall line will be boasting a lighter weight, adjustable strap, and zero drop.  This is amazing since these shoes are impressive as they are.   I look forward to trying the new line.    Living Barefoot has the official dibs on first review but I will keep up to date on that and will be posting my own review since I am uber lucky and get to be in the test group.

  There are other styles in the Kigo line that are unisex.  Check out MissZippy's  review of the Edge style here. 

  I am testing a couple of other Mary Jane style minimal shoes that have already come out with the changes that Kigo will have in the new line, so their competition is fierce,  however the way the company is run and all of the Eco Friendly details go beyond fashion to make Kigo a company I can get behind and want to support.