Review of Kuru Shoes

Hiking on Kodiak Island, Alaska

Baby boomer travelers, are you looking for a pair of comfortable shoes that are suitable for hiking, yet easy to pack? Well, look no more. I have just the shoe for you.

When the folks at Kuru asked me to try out a pair of their Kuru Womens Shoes, I knew I’d found my lightweight hiking shoes to bring along on our Vancouver to Singapore cruise. I chose the “Chicane” style in a brown color (Java) with turquoise lacing. The look of the asymmetrical lacing system, meant to follow the top line of my foot, took some getting used to; but I appreciated the secure fit it provided. The collapsible uppers made the shoes especially easy to pack.

Although my Kuru shoes felt light as a feather on my feet, they provided the sturdiness that I needed when I hiked on Kodiak Island in Alaska. I liked the way the soles gripped the slippery surface at Nalychevo Nature Park on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. And in rainy Juneau, the water beaded up on the surface of my Kurus, proving their water resistance.

No wet feet for me on a rainy day in Juneau, Alaska

What makes Kuru shoes different from their competitors? According to the Kuru website, Kuru shoes are designed with an ergonomic and anatomically correct active midsole. The patent-pending technology custom molds to your feet providing orthotic quality support. “The thermoplastic HeelKradl™ orthotic keeps the fat pad where nature intended, under the heel bone and reinforced to support the arch.”

What do other hikers and travelers think about Kuru shoes? Check out these reviews:
SectionHiker.com
The Adventure Blog
Mom Most Traveled
Gear Diary

Resting with my Kurus near a smoking volcano in Russia

If you think Kuru might be the shoe for you, be sure to use this coupon code: ITCHYFEET10 for 10% off your order at the Kuru site. Along with your purchase, Kuru donates a portion of profits to a charity that you choose. Don’t be jealous, boomer guys. Kuru produces shoes for men too.

Would you like to win a pair of Kurus? Post a comment after this post telling me where you would hike in your Kurus for a chance to win a pair of Slipstream, Draft or Rapid models of Kuru shoes. Please include your email for contact purposes. Contest ends on Thursday, November 12, 2009 at 11:00 p.m. Arizona Mountain Standard Time. Winner will be announced as soon as possible after Monday, November 16, 2009. Remember, according to my general contest rules, the winner must be a U.S. resident and respond within 48 hours of receiving the notification email, or I chose another winner.

Disclosure: Kuru Footwear provided a pair of shoes for me to try; however, they did not pay me to write this post.

UPDATE: November 13, 2009. This contest has expired. As soon as the winner acknowledges receipt of my email, I’ll make the announcement.