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Kizik Shoes Review: Hands-Free Shoes With Style
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March 28, 2023
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Tying your shoes can be frustrating, especially for the millions of Americans who struggle with arthritis. To boot, most laceless or pull-on shoes are either casual slippers or marketed toward children. Kizik Shoes hopes to disrupt that with comfortable and stylish sneakers that slip on completely hands-free.
After weeks of testing these shoes around the house and on the go, I can safely say they live up to their claims. Time and time again, I slipped them on without using my hands, and they provided comfortable support.
FYI: To learn more about our favorite innovations in senior tech, read our guide to this year’s most exciting technology for seniors.
Kizik Shoes was founded by businessman Mike Pratt to offer truly hands-free shoes. In 2019, Kizik entered into a licensing agreement with Nike, which was impressed by Kizik’s technology. Based in Utah, Kizik invests in the idea that you do not have to sacrifice style for comfort.
The first thing I noticed about Kizik shoes was how stylish they are. Unlike other slip-on brands that have a stereotypically geriatric appearance, Kizik shoes would easily blend in with the likes of Nike, Adidas, or New Balance. Their foam and fabric outsole is stylish, at least as far as sneakers go. (Full disclosure: I’m more of a dress shoes kind of guy, but I wear sneakers to the gym.)
The first thing I tested with my Kizik Roamers was putting them on and taking them off. Aesthetics aside, the main draw of Kizik shoes is that you can put them on and remove them with no hands. I’m happy to report that the mechanism worked flawlessly.
To put on Kizik shoes, you essentially step into them. As your foot presses down, the foam outsole compresses and then snaps up around your heel. To remove them, you can simply slide them off with your other foot.
That approach would typically ruin the outsole of your shoes by forming folds, scratches, and tears. With my Kizik shoes, however, that was not the case. After repeatedly putting on and taking off the shoes by essentially crushing the outsole, they still look as good as new with no visible folding.
Kizik delivered on its promise to require no hands to use its shoes. I can definitely see this being useful for people who struggle to bend over when putting on their shoes. The only time you may need hands is when you need to tighten the laces.
The price of Kizik shoes ranges from $99 to $129 before shipping, and the cheapest adult model is the Madrid Eco. That’s cheaper than other high-quality laceless shoes from brands such as Allbirds or Nike, which can run from $110 to over $200.
There are more affordable brands of slip-on shoes you can find on Amazon, but Kizik definitely delivers a higher level of durability. I could even wear my Roamers to the gym and on runs.
Kizik shoes are available on the company’s website, as well as from Amazon and Walmart. Kizik allows exchanges and returns within 30 days via its website, but only for shoes in original condition that have not been worn outside.
If you have trouble tying your shoes and you want a durable sneaker to wear throughout the day, Kizik’s offerings are comfortable and stylish. They’re not the cheapest slip-ons, but you won’t find similar quality in the same price range as Kizik.
The decorative laces make them look like “normal” shoes, but their colorful aesthetics do not lend them to dressier occasions. As an everyday, hands-free sneaker, you would be hard-pressed to find a better option.
To learn more about our favorite tech for seniors, read our helpful guides.
Kizik makes comfortable slip-on shoes with decorative laces for men, women, and children. The shoes’ totally hands-free design makes them attractive for active seniors who may have trouble with laces.
Kizik shoes are returnable via the company’s website within 30 days of purchase, but only in “original condition,” meaning they weren’t worn outside.
Kizik shoes are available online through the company’s website, Amazon, and Walmart.
Like many shoe brands, Kizik manufactures its shoes in China and Vietnam.
