This post is sponsored by Tropicfeel. [What is this?]
When you’re packing for a trip, trying to figure out the right shoes to bring can be confounding. There’s your walking shoes, hiking shoes, and causal sneakers but what Tropicfeel have designed are one shoe to fit them all. Based out of Spain, Tropicfeel claim to be the most funded shoe on Kickstarter and that’s only the beginning of what make them unique.
All-Terrain Sneakers
Tropicfeel make three varieties of their shoe. Monsoon are made to be ultra-light and quick drying, since these shoes are designed to be work in water. The Sunset line are more casual but also made for long walks and handle water without any problems. Tropicfeel sent me the Canyon, which are a combination of the Monsoon and Sunset but with thicker soles made for hiking.
Having worn the Canyon for several weeks, they stand out in several ways.
What Makes Tropicfeel Different
Right out of the box the vibrant colors of the Night Blue I received stand out but there are four other color options you can choose from. The Canyon are light, weighing just 198 grams, with thick soles made from 80% recycled polyester. The top part of the shoes are a thinner, breathable mesh that can be worn underwater and will dry within minutes on a hot day.
The insoles are firm but soft and can be removed for hand washing and the rest of the Canyon can be machine washed, then air dried, as needed.
Streamlined Functionality And Comfort
There’s an efficiency to the way Tropicfeel have designed their shoes. First, the Canyon are comfortable to wear on hikes, long walks, or quick jaunts to the grocery store. There are no laces to be tied. Instead, the elastic bands make slipping the Canyon on and off fast; leaving you to wonder why so many other shoes mess with string laces at all.
To get the right fit though, you’ll need to account for socks. See, Tropicfeel’s shoes are meant to be worn barefoot but they can definitely be comfortably worn with socks. You’ll need to order a size up in European (e.g. 40 to 41) or half a U.S. size if you plan to generally have socks on. Once you’ve found the right fit, both barefoot or with socks, the Tropicfeel Canyon are comfortable, especially after they’ve been broken in over a few days.
For those of you wondering, to further prevent odors (whether you’re wearing these barefoot or not) the Canyon are lined with Agion, a silver antimicrobial to prevent odor. Tropicfeel says this Agion treatment should last the entire lifetime of any of their shoes.
Minimalist Footwear
In many areas of the design Tropicfeel have made the Canyon an impressively efficient shoe for daily use. Yes, these are shoes made for travel but versatile and stylish enough to be worn even when you’re not on the road. All of the clever features Tropicfeel have built into their shoes – like being machine washable – are useful no matter where you are.
Sure there are elements of the Canyon that show off its portable side, from the thin mesh than can be collapsed down for packing – but Tropicfeel haven’t made a shoe that’s a collection of travel gimmicks. Rather, the Canyon are a hybrid of several types of shoes you probably already own but this time with some clever enhancements.