August 15, 2023
The best outdoor slip-on shoes for active lifestyles
Written by: Chris Fry
Life keeps us busy. When it comes to daily living, it’s important to find shoes that can keep up. Plenty of shoes are great for indoor use–be they cozy slippers for home or heels for special occasions.
Not every shoe holds up well to active lifestyles, though. More to the point, not every shoe is perfectly situated for regular outdoor use.
That’s the reason why Kizik has gathered this list. Below, we’re going to explore what makes the ideal outdoor shoe. These will help you with everything from athletics like hiking to long walks outdoors on vacations.
Plus, a small bonus: Every single shoe on this list is slip-on. With hands-free footwear, comfortable, high-achieving shoes have never been so accessible.
Preface: Why slip-on shoes
Your time matters. Your comfort matters. Your style matters. All three are reasons to try slip-on shoes.
Some things can only truly be appreciated once you try them. With Kizik slip-on shoes, you can practically eliminate the time spent putting on your shoes. If you’re quick, you might even get them on faster than the time it has taken to finish this sentence.
Next up is comfort. Every shoe on this list is designed with comfortable materials and can be easily slipped on, thanks to something we’ll discuss later. Regardless, Kizik slip-on shoes don’t suffer from the crushed heels that so much traditional footwear suffers from.
Kiziks are also laceless. Because there are no laces to deal with and no heel to adjust, Kizik shoes are super easy to put on.
Are you pregnant and want to stay active, but your newfound baby and changing flexibility have different plans? You won’t have to worry about bending over or stretching your arms. All you have to do is slide your feet into these shoes and go out.
Since Kiziks can be put on just by sliding your feet in, they are accessible regardless of age or ability. If you’re older and want to stay active, which can have positive health benefits, you won't be constrained by flexibility or dexterity. If you have little ones who love being active, then these shoes are easy to put on and keep on.
You’ll never have to worry about laces coming undone. Slip-on shoes are made to perfectly fit your feet. Because of this, you won’t have to worry about re-adjusting your laces in the middle of your day.
In short, slip-on shoes are an excellent choice. We’ve talked about Kizik shoes. Now it’s time to actually list off the individual shoes.
Roamer
Looking to the past, 2022 was a phenomenal year for Kizik. It was a great year for anyone who chose to purchase a pair of Roamers. Most Kizik shoes take their names from cities inspired by rich and complex cultures around the world. The Roamer is different in that it is named after a desire for and a love of active living.
The Roamer is also different in that it won a major award. In 2022, the shoe was honored with a CES Innovation Award. These awards are given in honor of outstanding design in consumer technology–everything from home electronics to new footwear concepts.
It’s not even the only one we won. Not to brag, but we also got some recognition for our kids’ line of shoes.
The Roamer might be an award-winning shoe. However, it couldn’t have made it all this way without the support of everyone whose feet it supports. Now that we’ve given it a grand introduction, it’s time to focus on those details.
The upper of the shoe is made from a two-toned knit fabric. The pattern is designed to be comfortable and breathable, offering more structure close to the midsole and shoe’s bridge. In some cases, the upper is all one color. In the case of the Bahama, there is a gray and navy upper with coral internal laces and outsole.
While Kizik shoes do technically have laces, these are in the shoe’s interior and do not need to be tied. They exist only to offer structure.
The Roamer has a unique Unified™ entry technology. Here, the heel and the outsole come together in one piece. You slide your feet in, your heel slides with you, and then it bounces back once you enter.
With the Roamer, outdoor action is seconds away.
Athens
For thousands of years, Athens has been a cultural and international hub of the world at large. We’re sorry to say your Kiziks probably won’t last thousands or even hundreds of years. For the time being, though, they can be a supportive and stylish addition to your wardrobe.
The hands-free technology in these shoes has the same effect but operates a bit differently. The heel of the shoe is helped to stay vertical thanks to the Cage™. This is a latticed piece of material that sits above the knit fabric of the heel.
When you put the Athens on, the heel “crushes” inward to allow you to slip in. In regular shoes, you’d have to then pull out the heel and adjust it. Thanks to the pliability and sturdiness of the cage, what happens is this: The heel bounces back.
Did we mention that these shoes are ridiculously breathable? Or that they provide just the right amount of airflow, like having the heat or AC on the perfect setting? Or that this breathability can also help with odor and sweat retention?
Oh, we didn’t? Well, now we did.
We have a proprietary outsole in the design of the Athens. Our Rabbit Foam™ outsole is designed to offer superb comfort and offer great support for your feet. Like a rabbit, it bounces back again and again in response to all your movement. Aesthetically, the outsole is further highlighted by a honeycomb-like pattern towards the rear of the shoe.
The sole is made to help maintain traction thanks to rubber pods to offer a better grip. You pivot, trek, change directions, and chill out at home afterward while staying securely on your feet.
Lima
Lima is named after the major Peruvian city, a South American hub situated near an expansive coastal desert. Just as an oasis offers refuge from the heat, our Lima offers a change from regular footwear.
The Lima is a shoe of subtle contrasts. With the exception of its black and mint colorways, the upper uses the same base tone to contrast the outsole. The Cage™ of the shoe is stitched directly on the heel and features a subtly different tone compared to the rest of the piece.
The same breathable knit that made the Athens wonderful is back, only here we have some other comfort options. With the Lima, we’ve put extra cushioning in the ankles and extra room in the toe box. Say goodbye to blisters and hello to spare room for your toes. Especially when you’re active, you may splay your feet more, and this way, you won’t have to worry about not having enough room.
Something else important: Removable insoles. All the movement you get up builds up sweat. Sweat builds up into odors, and not pleasant ones, at that. With the Lima, all you have to do is take them out and toss them in the washer. Put them back in, and you’ll have a fresh smell all over again.
Madrid Eco-Knit
It’s only fitting that a shoe built for the great outdoors be built to help preserve it. The Madrid Eco-Knit is made with partially recycled materials, meaning every pair means a little less waste in the world.
The breathable, recycled knit upper provides a unique and eye-catching pinhole pattern. Meanwhile, the crush-proof heel has a matte texture to provide visual contrast with the rest of the shoe.
All the best features of Kizik shoes are represented in this pair of shoes. Responsive cushioning for a better, long-lasting feel the moment you slide them on? Washable insoles to keep your new shoes at their best and best-smelling for longer? Room in the toe box for better foot health and better comfort overall?
Check, check, check.
But there’s one last box to examine: Intentionality. In a way, all Kizik shoes have a mission. By positioning ourselves at the forefront of accessible footwear, we hope that others will follow suit.
Even among Kizik shoes, however, this particular shoe has a special purpose.
The Madrid Eco-Knit’s mission is a simple one: Increase the number of recycled goods in the world. Less than ten percent of plastic is recycled, and of those, many single-use plastics can’t be domestically recycled. If we do our part, though, then small group efforts can have a positive long-term impact.
Choosing the best outdoor shoes for you
With this, you’ve made it to the end of our exploration of outdoor shoes. Whether going out on trails, exploring distant cities, or just to the store, these pieces will easily support active lifestyles.
Each of the above shoes has its own special features which merit recommendation. The Madrid Eco-Knit has an environmental mission, while the Lima has uniformity of color in hand. The Athens has all the usual comfort features and special technical designs, while the Roamer signifies the current peak of our designs.
Most importantly, all are slip-on and hands-free, expediting your prep work every single day you wear them.
Why not take inspiration from Kizik? You can take your activity across the globe or feel free to roam about your own environment. Whatever you do, it’ll be easy with Kizik.
Sources:
Exercising More Than Recommended Could Lengthen Life, Study Suggests | News