Earlier this year Kigo Footwear ran a contest to select the names for their next generation shoe models. Contestants were supposed to submit a name for a active/sport model and a feminine/casual model. I submitted a few name ideas and one of them was selected for the women's shoe: the Curv. The prize? A new pair of shoes.

In our house, some members of the family still hold Crocs in high regard despite all of my preaching on the benefits of minimalist footwear. Crocs (and their knock-offs) still have a leg up over many minimalist footwear options from a practicality standpoint: They are affordable, they are easy-on/easy-off, easy care, and can handle pretty much all weather conditions. They are equally at home in the garden as they are running errands around town.

Kigo Curv

In an attempt to de-throne Crocs from their place in my 11-year-old daughter's wardrobe, I decided that she would be the recipient of the contest prize winnings. My only requirement was that she provide an assessment of them as a homeschooling assignment. Here are her impressions:

Likes

  • She likes the way they look. She finds the Mary Jane style attractive and green is one of her favorite colors. Celine also likes the toe bumper and the way it curves up the front.
  • She likes the fact that they have thin flexible soles and don't have big heels. (Mommy says, "Yay, my girl doesn't want to wear high heeled shoes!")

Dislikes

  • Celine does not like the way they feel with bare feet. The seams and interior edges of fabric rub on her feet.
  • She finds them difficult/awkward to put on. In order to put them on she has to fold down the back of the shoe, push her foot in, and then pull up the back around her heel. Celine complains that this process hurts her fingers.
  • In order to get a good fit she had to remove the insole. With the insole, she found that her toes were too tight yet the strap over the foot was loose.

Suggestions

  • Make the shoe easier to put on. Celine suggests making the strap stretchy or having it fastened with Velcro.
  • Make a nice lining so that they are more comfortable to wear with bare feet.

Being incredibly sensitive to the way things feel (especially seams), Celine has found that she doesn't wear these shoes as often as she would like. That being said, they would probably work fine for those who aren't as sensitive or who prefer to wear socks.

In the meantime, I am still on the lookout for that minimalist Crocs-killer...