Patrick's test review - Lizard Kross Urban Mid

Kross Urban Mid Review

First of all let me introduce myself quickly to give you an understanding for what I was looking for in a shoe.

I'm a Thai boxer and I live in Ireland, I was specifically looking for a minimalist shoe that would help me strengthen the muscles in my feet, I need to be up on my toes in the ring and so I like a shoe that will encourage that as opposed to discourage it in the way a traditional rigid sole would. I absolutely loved the Vibram Five Finger model and it is fine for the Irish summer but for the other 364 days of the year I need something that is water resistant and warm. 

The Kross Urban Mid, with its Vibram sole and insulated upper looked to fit the bill.

Performance

First off, I'd like to say this shoe is warm, extremely warm. I received my pair in the middle of an unusually hot summer for Ireland. I literally could only wear them for short periods as I would be sweating profusely otherwise, these are definitely not a summer shoe.

I was very interested to see how they would perform in the rain. It being Ireland, I didn't have to wait long. I was actually quite impressed with the water resistance of this shoe, to look at them, the upper appears suede and looks likely to saturate, however water seemed to run right off the leather similar to goretex and my feet stayed dry. You won't get away with wading through a stream but for day to day use they are dependable and the Vibram sole gives good traction even in wet conditions.

Comfort

The shoe is very comfortable. The flexibility of the sole was exactly what I was hoping for and the toe box is quite spacious and unrestricting. There is a removable foot bed which overall I'm not keen on as it tends to move around inside the shoe, however this is more than made up for by the added insulation. The upper, like the sole, is also lightweight and fully flexible so I have a full range of motion at all times which is exactly what I was looking for. This flexibility also allows the shoe to be packed down into a bag, taking up very little space which would make it an ideal travel shoe or as a base camp shoe.

Aesthetic

While not the most important thing, looks are still a factor for choosing footwear. The Urban Mid are nice and respectable looking. In a darker colour they could pass as office shoes, I would have no problem wearing them out in the evening while travelling. They look a lot heavier and more rigid than they are in reality so if you are a fan of a minimalist barefoot feel without the strange appearance or flashy colours that other minimalist footwear has then these are a very good option.

Overall

Overall I am extremely happy with my shoes. They look great and I suspect they'll be my first choice of footwear for the coming winter. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.