Have you heard of KURU Footwear? Nope. I hadn’t either when they reached out. When I visited their website, their motto was “heel better”. That’s it. Ironically, my chronic hip and ankle injuries have also been causing a lot of heel pain in my left foot recently. So I took them up on the opportunity to pick out a pair of running shoes to test out. KURU also offers a variety of everyday fitness, walking, hiking shoes and boots for your outdoor adventures as well as sandals and slippers for your indoor lounging.
I selected the KURU Flux in Orange Sherbert and Calypso Blue. This running shoe is also a great walking shoe and works well for all fitness activities that move your body in all sorts of ways and directions. The color combination I chose is a lot of fun and was the brightest of their five more muted options.
I always suggest that clients make the effort to go into a local running store to get fit properly for running shoes. Especially when they are new to running or getting back into activity after a break or injury or big life change. I have been professionally fit myself many times and have landed nicely in my go to stability shoe over and over again. But with this nagging heel pain, I wanted to give these a try. I figured at worse, that they would be a nice indoor shoe for teaching classes and personal training sessions. The KURU website helps you select the proper shoe for any issues, limitations or injuries that you may have, like: high or low arches, bunions, plantar fasciitis, or nagging heel pain (like me). You can also search their site for other specialized footwear for a variety of occupations that may have you on your feet all day and participating in various active, work environments.
Weighing in at only 9.3 oz, the Flux is KURU’s lightest and highest-performing running and athletic shoe. The light EVA foam is claimed to last three times longer than other running shoes on the market and will stay like those initial fluffy pillows under your feet (fresh out of the box!) – giving you about fifteen percent more bounce in your step when running or walking. It should get you more air time, less impact – and therefore less pain.
The 8mm heel drop, heel-cupping design and targeted heel pad – help to comfortably support your arches as well as your heels. After much research, the soles were developed to hug and protect your sensitive heels with a perfectly curved, heel-cupping design. Laces can be tucked in or tied. I preferred to tie mine. I would feel comfortable wearing them with low running socks or go sockless – as they are a sock-like fit and level of comfort. There is also a handy heel tab for easier on and off. I also find the shoes to be pretty breathable when I wear socks or go without.
I loved these shoes and how light they are. They felt very different from my Saucony Ride – as expected. They claim to have a very roomy toe box, which I did experience first hand. But it may have been a little too roomy for me. I always wear a size ten running shoe and all regular footwear. I never have to size up or down, like some brands sugget. I immediately found my KURU Flux size tens to be too large for running. I unlaced, relaced and tried a variety of my trusted lacing methods. But nothing cinched my foot appropriately, creating a little too much space in my bounce. It made my runs a little hard, but I still really enjoyed my experience with these athletic shoes. I have enjoyed them walking the local trails and it significantly DOES reduce my heel pain when walking. I still have pain afterwards, but it reduced the pain during my walking sessions. I have also worn them in the studio while teaching classes and they have worked well for walking around with lateral movement - and in all directions.
If you have a fit problem, like I did, the nice thing about KURU is that they offer free shipping and a convenient 45 day window for returns and exchanges. Payment installment options are also available online -- if funds are limited -- because you just sent the kids off to school with a whole new wardrobe and school supplies.
If you are experiencing heel pain like me, I would suggest giving them a try. Just size down a half-size.
