Kigo
Drive Shoes
Test Series by Kurt Papke
Tester Information
| Name: |
Kurt Papke |
| Age: |
58 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Height: |
6' 4" (193 cm) |
| Weight: |
235 lbs (107 kg) |
| Email address: |
kwpapke (at) gmail (dot) com |
| City, State, Country: |
Tucson, Arizona USA |
My backpacking background is a combination of the Minnesota area,
where I have lived most of my adult life, and Southern Arizona where
I moved about two years ago to Tucson for a new job. I have
been transitioning to barefoot-style running shoes over the last 5
months, and I am looking forward to trying my hand at hiking in
minimalist footwear.
Caveat: my transition to barefoot-style forefoot-strike
running has been fraught with calf cramps, Achilles tendon problems
and lately a flare-up of my Plantar Fasciitis. This has
greatly strengthened and toughened my lower legs and feet.
Readers of this review should not infer that all the results of this
test would be typical of someone who has not been through similar
conditioning.
Initial Report
Product Facts
Product Information
|
Manufacturer
|
Kigo Footwear
|
Photo courtesy Kigo Footwear
|
Manufacturer website
|
http://www.kigofootwear.com/
|
Year manufactured
|
2011
|
Model
|
Drive
|
Color tested
|
Grey - Yellow Stitch
(Black - Grey Stitch also available)
|
Size tested
|
US Men 12.5 (EU 44 )
Available in:
US Women 6-14
US Men 4.5-12.5
(EU 36-44)
|
MSRP
|
$91 USD
|
Weight
|
From manufacturer: 4 oz/shoe (113 g)
6.95 oz (197 g) Right
7.58 oz (215 g) Left
Total: 14.53 oz (412 g)
|
Material - upper
|
Post-consumer and recycled construction via CYCLEPET |
Material - soles
|
HD PLUS insoles and outsoles |
Note that the shoes weighed nearly double the nominal weight from
the manufacturer's website. Certainly I am measuring the
largest size made by the manufacturer, and the nominal weight is
perhaps derived from a shoe in the middle of the size range. I
cannot account for the substantial difference in weight between the
left and right shoe. I repeated my measurements several times
to make sure I was not making an error, and the results were very
consistent.
Key features as stated by the manufacturer include:
- Zero drop outsole
- 2mm flexible outsole
- Anatomical footprint
- Zero toe spring
- Adjustability via speed lacing
- ‘Low carbon output production via PLUS Compound Technologies
- Post-consumer and recycled construction via CYCLEPET uppers
and HD PLUS insoles and outsoles
- Certified non-toxic dyes, glues and water/stain resistance
Initial Inspection
On removal from the packing I inspected the shoes for any obvious
defects or workmanship problems. The stitching looked perfect,
but I did see a bit of glue oozing from the edge of the soles.
This can be seen in the following photo as a thin bead along the
soles in the toe area.
The Kigo Drive shoes (hereafter referred to as "the Drives") felt
incredibly light when held in the hand. They are also
extremely flexible. They remind me a bit of bedroom
slippers. I was a bit surprised, but not disappointed, that
the insole is removable. During the test I may try them out
with a few other insoles I have.
The fabric on the uppers appears to be a canvas-type material, both
outside and inside. The cording for the "speed lacing" system
is stretchy elastic. The soles are a fairly soft rubbery
compound. The tread pattern is visible in the above photo,
with very shallow tread depth.
First Impressions
Size: my foot is a US 12, midway between the 11.5 and
12.5 sizes (EU 43 and 44) available so of course I went with the
larger size. When I put them on with no socks (which is how I
prefer to wear minimalist shoes), they seemed a bit large.
With a pair of midweight wool socks they fit absolutely perfect, so
it looks like I will be wearing socks with them. It gets a
little chilly here in the Sonoran Desert during the Winter, so
nothing wrong with wearing socks.
Ease of on/off: these shoes go on in seconds with no
effort, and come off the same way. I like that.
Lacing: accomplished with the "speed lacing"
system. By pressing the button in the middle of the clasp the
laces can be easily tightened, though with the elastic cords I
couldn't get too much tension on them.
Trying them out: after lacing them up I walked around
the house on our concrete floors. These shoes feel very
light. Though I know they are not going to come off, they feel
like they are going to slip off my feet. I think I just need
to get used to that.
Looks: I felt at first like I was walking around in
slippers, but once I had a pair of hiking pants on and peered down
at them they looked remarkably like a hiking shoe.
The next morning I skipped my usual run and went for about a 4 mile
(6 km) walk on concrete/blacktop paths with the shoes. By the
end of the walk I was used to the feel -- no they are not going to
fall off my feet! They do have a little bit of
cushion to them, likely from the insole that has a little bit of
foam structure. I could not feel the tiny pebbles that I can
detect when running barefoot-style.
Summary
I am excited to get these shoes out onto the trail. I am
particularly interested to see how well they cope with the sharp
rock fields I often have to hike through, and how well the soles
grip the large granite boulders I frequently traverse.
Kudos:
- Excellent out-of-the-box stitching quality.
- Reasonably attractive. I won't be ashamed to wear these
shoes for casual use in-town, though I can't see wearing them to
work (at least where I work).
- Some amount of cushion and protection in the soles. I'll
definitely feel the rocks, but not the tiniest pebbles.
- Very lightweight, I hardly know I have them on.
Concerns:
- I'm a little concerned with traction given the shallow
tread. We'll see how grippy the soles are on rocks.
- The elastic laces and shape of the uppers initially gives the
feeling the shoes are going to come off my feet while walking.
Field Report
Field Use
I refer in this report multiple times to minimalist/barefoot-style
shoes. By this I mean footwear that is designed to be as
lightweight as possible, and to interfere as little as possible
between my feet and the earth. Specifically, this means no
heel, no arch support, and no cushioning in the soles.
Throughout this report I have attempted to focus specifically on the
attributes of the Kigo Drive shoes, and not to opine on the merits
nor the problems with the use of minimalist shoes in general.
In the following table I have differentiated the total distance
hiked versus the distance hiked with the Drives. One thing I
have learned during my transition to minimalist/barefoot-style
running shoes is to start small and gradually increase the
distance. I rarely run more than 4 miles (6 km) in my
minimalist running shoes. I plan to carry a backup pair of
hiking shoes or sandals when I use the Drives and transition to the
backup when my feet begin to tire to minimize injuries and pain the
next morning. Column four in the table lists both the Drive
distance and total distance hiked.
It is also worthwhile noting that all my hiking is done with
trekking poles. This takes a lot of stress off my knees and
feet, especially on descents. During my testing of the Drives
I certainly appreciated the relief the arches of my feet received
from using the poles.
Date
|
Location
|
Trail
|
Distance
Drives/Total
|
Terrain/ trail type
|
Weather
|
Altitude range
|
Socks
|
Insoles
|
October 9, 2011
|
Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain unit,
just West of Tucson, Arizona
|
Sweetwater
|
4.5/9.0 mi
(7.25/15.5 km)
|
Mix of rocks, gravel and some sand
|
Sunny, 65-75 F (18-24 C), 20-35% RH
|
2800-4600 ft (850-1400 m)
|
Midweight wool
|
stock
|
October 15-16, 2011
|
Galiuro Mountains, Coronado National Forest,
North of Wilcox, Arizona
|
Ash Creek
|
10/12 mi
(16/19 km)
|
Extremely varied: soft pine forest floor to
rocky ravines
|
Sunny, 50-80 F (10-27 C), dry
|
4900-7300 ft
(1490-2225 m)
|
Midweight wool |
stock |
October 22, 2011
|
Pinal Peak, Tonto National Forest, South of
Globe, Arizona
|
Pinal Peak
|
6/12 mi
(10/19 km)
|
Mostly forest, but stretches of rocks
|
Sunny, 70-85 F
(21-29 C), dry
|
4500-7500 ft
(1370-2290 m)
|
Midweight wool with Injinji liner socks
|
stock
|
November 6, 2011
|
Santa Catalina Mountains, Coronado National
Forest, Northwest of Tucson, Arizona
|
Samaniego Ridge
|
4/4 mi
(6.4/6.4 km)
|
Mountain ridgeline, trail is steep, rocky,
snow-covered
|
Part Cloudy, 45 F (7 C)
|
5000-6500 ft
(1520-1980 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner socks
|
stock
|
November 10, 2011
|
Tortolita Mountains, Northwest of Tucson,
Arizona |
Alamo Springs
|
6.6/6.6 mi
(10.6/10.6 km)
|
Rock, gravel and sand in canyon
|
Sunny, 60F (16 C), dry
|
2700-3900 ft
(820-1190 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner socks |
stock |
November 11, 2011
|
Dragoon Mountains, Coronado National Forest,
near Tombstone, Arizona
|
Cochise
Stronghold
|
4/4 mi
(6.4/6.4 km)
|
Rock, gravel and sand in canyon, smooth
granite boulders
|
Partly sunny, 65 F (18 C), dry
|
5100-6000 ft
(1550-1830 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner socks |
stock |
November 12, 2011
|
Silverbell Mountains, Ironwood National
Monument, West of Tucson, Arizona
|
Ragged Top
|
3/3 mi
(4.8/4.8 km)
|
Very rocky, little perceptible trail, strewn
with cactus
|
Partly cloudy, 60 F (16 C), dry
|
2400-3300 ft
(730-1010 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner socks |
stock |
November 13, 2011
|
Santa Catalina Mountains, Coronado National
Forest, Northwest of Tucson, Arizona |
Linda Vista to Pusch
Ridge
|
4/4 mi
(6.4/6.4 km)
|
Rocky, steps, steep scramble on wet &
muddy trail
|
Rain, 55F (13 C)
|
2700-4000 ft
(820-1220 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner socks |
stock |
November 23, 2011
|
Superstition Mountains, East of Phoenix,
Arizona
|
Lost
Dutchman State Park
|
3/3 mi
(4.8/4.8 km) |
Very rocky
|
Sunny, 65 F (18 C)
|
2100-2700 ft
(640-820 m)
|
Midweight wool with polyester liner socks
|
stock
|
November 24, 2011
|
Sedona, Arizona
|
Red Rock State Park and
Cathedral Rock
|
5/5 mi
(8/8 km)
|
Rolling hills in the state park and steep
slickrock at Cathedral Rock
|
Partly cloudy, 65 F
(18 C)
|
3800-4750 ft
(1160-1450 m)
|
Midweight wool with polyester liner socks |
stock |
November 25, 2011
|
Tucson Mountains, Saguaro National Park West
of Tucson, Arizona
|
King Canyon
|
7/7 mi
(11.3/11.3 km)
|
Sandy wash then steep rocky ridgeline
|
Sunny, 70 F
(21 C)
|
2900-4700 ft
(880-1430 m)
|
Midweight wool with polyester liner socks |
stock |
December 3, 2011 and January 1, 2012
|
Tortolita Mountains Northwest of Tucson,
Arizona
|
Alamo Springs
|
4/4 mi
(6.4 km)
|
Rocky canyon
|
Partly Cloudy, 55 F
|
2800-3600 ft
(850-1100 m)
|
Midweight wool |
Stock
|
December 11, 2011
|
Santa Rita Mountains, Coronado National
Forest, South of Tucson, Arizona |
Agua Caliente
|
5/5 mi
(8/8 km) |
Very steep canyon trail, snow on the upper
half |
Sunny, 32-55 F
(0-13 C) |
5000-7300 ft
(1520-2220 m) |
Midweight wool with polyester liner socks |
Stock
|
Field Usage Observations
Sweetwater Trail
For my inaugural hike with the Drives I chose a trail that I
remembered to be not too rocky. I packed my trail
running shoes with my orthotics in my pack as a Plan B in case my
feet gave me any problems.
My memory was too kind. There were long stretches of the trail
that abounded with fist-sized rocks, too big to not cause pain when
stepped on, too small to provide a flat surface for my foot. I
was able to navigate these stretches without any major issues, but I
had a couple of instances where I really had to bear down on my
trekking poles to avoid the sharp pain that I was beginning to sense
when I stepped in the wrong place.
Very early on I picked up a small pebble in my right shoe. Too
small to bother stopping and shaking it out, but too big to not be a
bit irksome. It seems ironic when wearing shoes that allow me
to feel every rock beneath me that I would be bothered by one small
pebble inside the shoe, but I think it's due to the fact that I feel
it every step in the same place.
The Sweetwater Trail leads to the top of Wasson Peak, the highest
spot in the Tucson Mountains. I was able to hike all the way
up to the summit in the Drives, but I could really feel my feet tire
the last mile (1.6 km) or so. When I sat down to have my rest
and snack at the summit I changed to my trail running shoes. I
felt like I was walking on pillows all the way down the mountain,
but I did end up forming a blister towards the end. The
blister was not from the Drives, I didn't even have a hot
spot when I took them off. I noticed how small a space the
Drives packed into compared to my trail runners.
When I checked my GPS log after the hike was over I was surprised at
the pace I was able to maintain in the Drives on the ascent. I
was a little concerned before the test began that they would slow me
down, but it looks like that was unfounded. During the descent
I was amused to see the distinctive swirl of the Drive's tread
pattern in the dust and sand that I left on the way up. I
naturally stepped in any flat areas and avoided rocks when wearing
the Drives.
Ash Creek Trail
This was my first-ever trip to the Galiuro Mountains &
Wilderness, so I really didn't know what to expect, particularly in
the way of water, so I loaded my backpack with 6L (6.3 qts) of
water. My pack felt really heavy at the start of the
hike, but when I returned to my vehicle the next day I had consumed
every drop. As I set off down the trail I was a little
concerned for my feet wearing the Drives with such a heavy pack.
What a great trail. This baby threw everything at me: pine
forest with soft needles beneath my feet, rocky ravine crossings
with boulder fields where the dirt is washed away, and fine gravel
along mountain ridgelines. Here's a photo of the shoes on one
of the not-so-pleasant-on-the-feet areas:
My destination on this hike was to head up Bassett Peak to see
the crash site of a B-24 bomber. I was able to see the
crashed airplane from a distance, but I'm not much of a rock
climber so I wasn't able to get up close. I turned around
just short of the peak, as I wanted to get back down to the
creek to camp by nightfall and my feet were getting very
tired. At about the 7 mile point (11 km) I changed into my
alternate shoes, as I didn't want to descend the canyon in the
Drives. I've learned that the transition to minimalist
hiking shoes is mental as well as physical: not only did my feet
hurt, but I was just plain tired of dodging rocks.
Several times during the ascent the shoes "rolled" on my feet
laterally when my foot pushed down a sharply angled surface,
i.e. stepping on a large flat rock that slanted steeply to the
left with my left foot, or angled to the right with my right
foot. My ankle naturally bends to accommodate the angle,
but unexpectedly the shoes slid laterally on my foot almost to
the point where they came off. I attribute this to a
combination of their somewhat loose fit and the inability to
really tighten down the laces due to the elastic in them.
That night I used the Drives for camp shoes. They fit
great into the shelf of my hammock (see my review of the
Blackbird Warbonnet). I've always been concerned since I
started backpacking in Arizona that I was going to step into my
camp shoes that had been sitting outside my hammock all night,
and find a scorpion the painful way. It was so
nice to slip on my shoes in my hammock before getting up with
the full assurance that they had been stored up off the ground
and inside bug netting.
The next morning I had only about an hour-and-a-half hike out to
my vehicle. It was a gentle descent along the creek so I wore
the Drives the rest of the way. I was pleasantly surprised
that morning how little foot pain I had, though by the time the
hike ended my feet were quite fatigued again. On the way
out I noticed the distinctive tread pattern of my hike up the
day before in the dirt:
Clearly if I was to commit a crime, I would
not wear the Kigo Drive shoes because the CSI would figure
out who the perpetrator was just by looking for footprints!
Pinal Peak
This was an unusual hike for me, as I intended to do an
overnight on the mountain, so I carried a full pack, but I
ended up completing my hike by day's end. This was in
essence a day hike, but with overnight backpacking gear and
load. The trails leading up the North face of Pinal
Peak are noted for their Fall color, and I was not
disappointed:
The photo also shows a foot-friendly section of the path
I trod that day. This type of soft dirt trail is
ideal for minimalist shoes such as the Kigo
Drives. By about lunchtime my feet were getting
very fatigued, and a recent flair-up of my Plantar
Fasciitis caused me to switch over to my Ecco Tahoe
shoes (see my review of those shoes on the BGT
website). As can be seen from the statistics in my
Field Use table above, this is
a very steep climb, as the trail has few
switchbacks. This is hard on my arches and
Achilles tendons.
Not all of this hike was on the soft dirt pictured
above. The trails crossed dry stream beds many
times which consisted mostly of rocks and
boulders. I was impressed when boulder-hopping how
well the Drives gripped the rock -- I had no slips.
I ascended the mountain on the Six Shooter trail, and
descended on the Icehouse/Telephone Line trail.
This was my first visit to this mountain, and I learned
that I should have done it the other way around as all
the great campsites were on the former, and late in the
day I didn't come across any spots with a view and a
breeze on the Icehouse trail. Also, my feet were
killing me, and I wanted to ice them up, and despite the
name of the trail the only ice to be found was back home
in my freezer so I pushed on and drove home instead of
camping.
Samaniego Ridge
I've hiked the Southern section of Samaniego Ridge
before, but the Northern section had remained beyond my
grasp as it can only be reached by a difficult Jeep
trail. The Forest Service graded the Jeep trail
last year, so thought I'd give it a try. It had
rained in Tucson two nights before, but it looked like
most of the snow in the mountains had melted.
After a bone-jarring one-hour Jeep ride up Charouleau
Gap I arrived at the trail head and noticed patches of
snow. Once I got on the trail the snow covered the
ground, with the depth increasing to about 3 inches (7.6
cm) by the time I turned around. Here's the Drive
shoes in the snow:
The snow was quite crusty, so my feet didn't really
get very wet. There was a little snow melt
around the soles that eventually seeped through the
shoes, but not enough to give me wet or cold toes.
I was surprised how well the shoes did in the
snow. The flexible soles allowed me to dig
into the snow with my toes for traction on the
ascent. The shoe soles did not feel slippery
on the snow, though with the crust it had a grainy
texture that added to the traction.
I did slip and fall once on the descent. I was
overly aggressive in stepping on a large granite
boulder that sloped down too steeply, and my feet
went out from under me, fortunately no damage other
than my pride. I wouldn't have expected any
shoes to stick to that rock in these
conditions. Overall, I was quite pleased with
the Drives on my first snow hike with them. In
fact, the snow cushioned the bottoms of my feet, so
I had little fatigue from walking on rocks and
stones.
Alamo Springs
Trail
Just a little leg-stretcher in the Tortolita
Mountains. I feel like my feet are starting to
adapt to walking on rocky trails with the Drives.
Cochise
Stronghold and Council Rocks
This was a Jeep trip to the Western Dragoon
Mountains. We explored the Council Rocks
historic area, then did a hike up the canyon on the
Stronghold trail. The Drives did a nice job of
gripping on the large granite boulders strewn
through the region.
Ragged Top
I knew this was going to be tough terrain for the
Drives before I left. There is really no trail
on this mountain, just some sheep paths. The
Jumping Cholla cactus litter the ground, and I
managed to get a few of them to stick into my shoes,
pants and hands. When I got back after the
hike I inspected the soles:
I had to pull the spines out with a
pliers. I was surprised none of the spines
penetrated to my feet. On careful
inspection, several of them were sticking
through the inside of the shoe, but none far
enough to really penetrate my thick socks and
cause a problem. Conclusion: the Kigo
Drives are not impervious to cactus spines.
Linda Vista
 The lower part of this trail is
fairly gentle, but midway there is a spur that
took me on a scramble to the top of Pusch
Ridge. Not exactly a good idea on a cold,
wet and rainy day, but I am not always
sensible. There I am in the picture at
left, no rain pants, legs soaked to the bone, as
were my feet in the Drives. There is
nothing waterproof about these shoes, but then
again I would not expect minimalist shoes to
protect me from much of anything, that is the
whole point.
The picture was taken at a nice flat spot at the
summit, but that is not indicative of the
hike. The scramble on the latter part of
the ascent was pretty interesting with the Drive
shoes on sandy mud and rocks, on a slope steep
enough that I left my trekking poles behind so I
could use my hands. The shoes actually did
quite well all things considered: I never
slipped, did not fall once, never felt like I
had unreliable footing.
By the time I got back to the Jeep I was ready
to turn the heat on and warm up my feet.
The Drives were fine for a couple-hour day hike
on a wet cold day, but I don't think I would
recommend them for anything more than a few
hours in these conditions.
Lost Dutchman
State Park
On a car trip to Jerome and Sedona Arizona we stopped along
the way to do a little hiking up the Flatiron in the
Superstitions. The trails were in good shape, but lots
of rocks. The Drives did just fine on this hike.
Sedona
On Thanksgiving Day we knocked around Red Rock State Park in
the morning, and Cathedral Rock in the afternoon. The
morning hike was along Oak Creek. It felt great to
actually walk in the Drives along a soft path with loamy
soil cushioning my feet. We also did a nice loop hike
into the surrounding hills where the Drives got a tinge of
red from the rocks and sandy soil:
The afternoon climb of Cathedral Rock saw the Drives
clinging to the Sedona slickrock on the way up and down this
iconic climb. They did a great job with traction, but
at times I wished my feet did not slip around inside them so
much on the steep slopes.
King Canyon
After consuming too many calories on Thanksgiving we decided
to do a calorie burning hike up Wasson Peak in Saguaro
National Park. This was the first hike where I can
genuinely say that my feet were becoming truly adapting to
hiking in minimalist shoes. I was able to make the
entire ascent and descent in the Drives, including some very
rocky sections. In fact at several points I loped
along in a slow trot, feeling like I was really in the
"zone".
Agua Caliente
 I
didn't expect as much snow on this trail as I
encountered. The top half of the trail had spotty snow
at first, then totally covered. This was not much of
an issue on the way up, but it was a little dicey on the way
down with the Drives - the upper part of the trail averages
about a 20 degree slope. I was lucky and never lost my
footing thanks to my trusty trekking poles.
I used a new piece of gear I had purchased a month ago for
the first time on this trek: a camera mini-tripod that also
attaches to my trekking poles, so of course I had to take a
picture of the Kigo Drives as seen from the end of my
trekking pole. That picture at right shows the shoes
on the trail about 1/2 down the mountain and illustrates the
typical surface where there was no snow.
Summary
I've really enjoyed hiking with the Kigo Drive shoes the
last two months, though I've had to resort to backup hiking
shoes to finish some of my hikes due to my feet getting
tired.
One of the issues I've had with the shoes that I seem to
notice more during indoor use on carpet surfaces is the
extra-long sole at the heel:
In the above photo my thumb is pushing in the back of
the shoe to where my heel is, and the extended sole can
be seen to the left of my thumb. This is an odd
fit for a shoe -- the heel seems to extend too far
back. The downside of this for me is my heel
catches on a carpet surface if I don't pick up my feet
enough, and I've even tripped a few times as a
result. It has not a problem while hiking, only on
indoor carpeted surfaces.
Kudos
- Extremely light weight. This not only minimizes
the effort when walking, but makes the Drives great for
camp shoes.
- Pack down very small.
- Soles gripped rocks and boulders very well.
- True minimalist design; I really feel the trail
details beneath my feet.
- Very attractive shoes; I've had several people make
positive comments on their appearance. They do not
attract undue attention as my "finger" shoes often do,
so I feel comfortable wearing them to work on "casual
Fridays".
- They are very comfortable, and I have had zero
blisters from them when hiking, despite the fact that I
blister very easily.
Concerns
- Inability to tighten the laces for a snug fit.
Caused the shoes to "roll" dangerously on some lateral
slopes.
- The "Keep Stuff Out (KSO)" factor of these shoes could
be improved. It was not unusual for me to get
small pebbles in them when walking in gravel or sand.
- The heel of the shoe is shaped too long for me, and I
don't think I have an unusually shaped foot. This
can lead to inadvertent "catching" on carpet surfaces.
Long Term Report
Field Use
Date
|
Location
|
Trail
|
Distance
Drives/Total
|
Terrain/ trail type
|
Weather
|
Altitude range
|
Socks
|
Insoles
|
| January 15, 2012 |
Santa Catalina Mountains, Coronado National
Forest north of Tucson, Arizona
|
Esperero |
7/7 mi
(11.3/11.3 km) |
Desert canyons & wash
|
Partly cloudy, 60 F (16 C), dry |
2700-4400 ft
(820-1340 m) |
Midweight wool
|
Stock
|
January 21-22, 2012
|
Rincon Mountains, Saguaro National Park East
Unit, East of Tucson, Arizona
|
Quilter
|
8.5/20 mi
(13.7/32.2 km)
|
Desert ridgelines
|
Mostly sunny, 29-65 F
(-1.7-18.3 C)
|
2700-5500 ft
(820-1680 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner |
Stock
|
January 29, 2012
|
Tortolita Mountains, Northwest of Tucson,
Arizona
|
Upper Javalina
|
6/6 mi
(9.7/9.7 km)
|
Desert ridgelines
|
Sunny, 50-55 F (10-13 C)
|
2700-3900 ft
(820-1190 m) |
Midweight wool with Coolmax liner
|
Stock
|
Feb 5, 2012
|
Rincon Mountains, Saguaro National Park East
Unit, East of Tucson, Arizona |
Wildhorse Canyon
|
5/5 mi
(8/8 km)
|
Sandy
|
Partly cloudy, 60 F (15 C)
|
2800-3200 ft
(850-975 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner |
Stock
|
Feb 24-26, 2012
|
Organ Pipe National Monument, and Cabeza
Prieta National Wildlife Refuge near Ajo, AZ
|
Charlie Bell
|
2.5/11.5 mi
(4/18.5 km)
|
Basalt and granite rock fragments on a Jeep
trail
|
Sunny, 50-80 F
(10-27 C)
|
825-1500 ft
(250-460 m)
|
Midweight wool with silk liner |
Stock |
Field Usage Observations
Quilter Trail
This was a 2-day weekend backpacking trip to a brand-new section of
the Arizona National Scenic Trail on the south side of the Rincon
Mountains in Saguaro National Park. It was an in/out hike, so
the distance was spread equally over two days. I did about
half the distance of the ascent on day one in the Drives, and about
1/3 of the descent on day two. My Achilles Tendon in my right
foot was killing me, and I just couldn't keep the pace with
minimalist shoes as I was backpacking with some folks from the
Tucson Backpackers Meetup group who are pretty fit and keep a rapid
hiking rate.
The trail has a lot of moderately sized rocks, too big to just step
on, too small and numerous to easily avoid so I had to step
carefully in the rocky areas, then break into a slow trot to catch
up with the group. Not an easy task with a 44 lb (20 kg)
pack that was loaded down with water. All the other hikers had
very sturdy hiking boots, and were quite shocked I was using such
unforgiving shoes.
Once again the Drives were great in camp -- really nice to step into
them when getting up to water the trees in the middle of the
night. After this hike the shoes were very dusty, so I threw
them in the laundry for the second time. They really clean up
nicely and came out looking brand new.
Wildhorse Canyon
This was a nice stroll in the bajada of the Rincons along a trail
much-used by horses, so the desert had been packed down very
well. As the above picture shows, this is the kind of trail
one hopes for with minimalist shoes!
Charlie Bell
This was a two-night weekend backpacking trip. On Friday
night I camped at Organ Pipe National monument in the park
campground and used the Drives as camp shoes. They were
great.
Saturday we drove as far as we were allowed up Charlie Bell pass
into the Cabeza Prieta wilderness, parked our vehicles and
backpacked into our campsite across the pass. This was the
worst trail for minimalist shoes I could imagine. We hiked
on a Jeep trail which had many decades to erode, leaving only bare
rocks behind. Backpacking on this was very painful on my
feet, and after the walk in I bailed on any more hiking on this
trip in the Drives and used my backup shoes. I did use them
Saturday evening and Sunday morning as camp shoes, and once again
they were perfect.
Summary
After the Charlie Bell trip the Drives were saturated with dust,
so I threw them in the washing machine and let them dry
overnight. The result is shown in the above
photograph. They cleaned up beautifully, and looked none the
worse for the distance I've hiked in them. In fact, the
soles had pretty much no wear at all, which is pretty
remarkable. I'd add the following summary to the list I
prepared after 2 months:
- The Kigo Drive shoes are very easy to clean, just treat them
like laundry
- They are quite durable considering how lightweight they are
I intend to keep using the shoes for the foreseeable future,
primarily as camp/backup shoes. I have tried many shoes for
this purpose, sandals, flip flops, Crocs, etc. I do want my
camp shoes to double as backup hikers in case I get blisters or
just want to treat my feet to some variety. It is nice to
know I can use the Drives in camp, and hike quite a distance in
them if I need or want to. If I can eventually condition my
feet to use minimalist shoes as my primary hikers, I would not
hesitate to use the Drives for non-technical trails.
Many thanks to Kigo and
BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product.
Read more reviews of kigo footwear gear
Read more gear reviews by Kurt Papke
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