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Thursday 25 November 2010

Bruce Trail - One Year Later

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A full year has passed since I completed my epic four month journey up the Bruce Trail from Niagara to Tobermory.

Read more here...

Wednesday 3 November 2010

Kigo Edge

I am happy to be chosen as a product tester for a new shoe company. Kigo footwear, Founded in 2006 by Jan Kuramoto has created a new outdoor activity shoe which falls under the “light shoe” category (also known as minimalist footwear)

The shoes were designed as a “backup shoe” or “camp shoe” and are easily compressed and foldable to fit into a backpack. They are also a great all around activity shoe. Kigo footwear is eco-friendly. The upper sole is created using recycled milk jugs. The glues are made from cornstarch instead of animal products. They are suitable for vegans!

Arriving in a plain white envelope with no tags or fancy packaging, I was impressed. There was nothing to throw away but a shipping envelope. This is a definite plus to Kigo.

My first correspondence with Kigo was encouraging and friendly. The e-mails I sent were responded to quickly and the company made a **perfect** size conversion when I said that I take a size 41 WIDE.

The grey Kigo edge looked and felt like a set of deck shoes, or wetsuit shoes used when scuba diving. They felt like neoprene. The underside had a fingerprint design which was quite sticky. “This is great for bouldering and rocks” I thought to myself. The shoes looked very narrow and I was concerned they would not be comfortable for my wide, constantly bare feet.

Most companies choose me as a product tester because I take my equipment to some of the most harsh conditions the planet has to offer. The environments I visit are rarely gentle on equipment. Especially shoes. As a barefooter I wear shoes in only the most harsh environments such as mud, snow, and in the cold weather.

Slipping on the Kigo Edge for the first time I was surprised how comfortable they were. The narrow looking shoes felt very good on my feet. The removable insole had a little bit of cushioning, but you could still feel the ground below.

As a Scout Leader I took my Kigo Edge shoes on a backpacking trip to Kelso, Ontario for a weekend and was very pleased with the results.

Kigo Edge were quite sticky on large rocks while hiking, they kept me warm in the cool weather. I was surprised they held up very well through the cold, wet rain and mud. They also had great grip on wet grass.

The next weekend I took Kigo edge to Algonquin Park – and it snowed. The Kigo Edge shoes worked fantastic in the snow and slush.

100km of the toughest snow, mud, and even rocks had no effect on the Kigo Edge. They took everything I gave them.

Would I recommend Kigo Edge's to minimalist hikers, campers, boaters and runners? Absolutely!

Just be careful with the sizing as I normally take a 41 and took a 43 Kigo Edge.

I did not post photos of my Kigo Edge shoes because at the moment they are completely covered in mud





Kigo Edge



Pros:
  • North American Owned & Designed
  • Versatile
  • Compact
  • Light Weight
  • Warm in the snow
  • Great colour
  • Environmentally friendly construction


Cons:
  • Narrow looking