Whether you are traveling halfway across the world running from one plane to the next, taking a long drive along the coast or simply walking around town – wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes can ruin your trip.
Enter the Aalto Chukka from Kuru. The Aalto Chukka is Kuru’s travel and walking shoes featuring an anatomical last that allows your feet to splay naturally; a patent-pending custom orthotic midsole for arch support and an upper covered in soft leather giving it a retro-stylish look. Nominated as a Finalist in About.com’s 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards for the best Comfort Shoe, we were excited about the opportunity to put the shoe to the test.
Headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT, Kuru is a web-based, direct-to-consumer footwear brand. Kuru Footwear can only be purchased from their website – sorry brick and mortar stores you can’t touch these.
At the heart of Kuru’s footwear is a design aesthetic that “draws inspiration from timeless Scandinavian design and echoes its best elements combined with the purity and honesty of nature.” According to a quote cited by Kuru – Alvar Aalto, one of the most influential Finnish designers, taught “we should work for simple, good, undecorated things…but things which are in harmony with the human being“. This inspiration shows through in the design, look and feel of their Aalto Chukka line of footwear.
On Performance …
The best way to test the comfort claims of a shoe is to live in them… and that’s just what our Gumption Gear guy did. Hours became days; days turned to weeks as we let the Aalto Chukka guide our feet – from the solitude of the Sierras, to the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco – all in an effort to learn whether these shoes are as comfortable as they are classic an whether or not they are worthy of a Gumption Gear recommendation.
At first glance, the Aalto Chukka’s brown suede leather upper and light-colored crepe sole rubber outsole has a retro look reminiscent of the classic WWII leather and sheepskin bombardier jackets worn by pilots and trendsetters alike – the clean design and simple, yet utilitarian aesthetic is the essence of cool.
Knocking out the miles in these stylish and unmistakable shoes, you’ll notice two things: a spacious toebox and a gently caressing heel cup. Thanks to the use of an anatomical last, the toebox is nice and wide, giving your forefoot permission to splay naturally so your feet can rest, relax and breathe.
The snugly countering heel cup is the result of both Kuru’s patent-pending KuruSole™ midsole has a high-quality, thermoplastic orthotic molded into the midsole which properly aligns your heel and over time forms to the shape of your feet customizing the shoes fit just for you. Add to that a custom-molded anti-microbial sockliner and you have a shoe that is made to support the most delicate of feet and provides out-of-the-box fit and comfort.
This great video from Kuru will give you more insight into the KuruSole and other technologies utilized by the Kuru design team.
And, if a supportive and stylish shoe is still not enough, those who wish to make a social statement with their purchases can. Kuru’s Consumer Empowered Sustainability™ program lets you choose from a handful of pre-selected charities where a portion of Kuru’s profits will go.
Room for Improvement …
There’s a lot to like about the Aalto Chukkas, but there are also a few critiques worth noting. The first note is more of a point of information. As noted on the Kuru Footwear website, you should be aware that due to the characteristics of the natural crepe sole rubber on this shoe, the sole will pick up dirt, residue, and other signs of wear very quickly. So the rubber outsole won’t stay beautiful for long, but the performance factor remains long after other signs of wear make their appearance.
In terms of actual critiques, first, the stylish leather used to encase the high-tech orthotics scuffs with ease. Some may like the look of scuffed, worn leather reminiscent of a well-used leather briefcase, but for others the scuffing will take the shoes out of aesthetic prime quickly. Considering the $119 price tag, we’d like to see some protective element added to the shoe to help prevent unnecessary scuffing and keep the shoes looking prime longer.
Our other critique centers around the amount of cushioning provided on the inside of the shoe. Although the inner custom-molded liner is comfortable, we found the amount of cushioning to be lacking. In future iterations, we would like to see (and feel) a little more cushioning around the inner sidewalls of the shoes.
Bottom Line…
Light and casual, the Aalto Chukkas have a clean, stylish aesthetic that will add an element of style to your globe trotting adventures. While our review team was not fully convinced that the Aalto Chukka was any more or less comfortable than other shoes in its class, there’s no doubt that Kuru’s innovative designs and patent-pending technologies will keep your feet happy for the long haul.
MSRP: $109.97
Manufacturer: Kuru Footwear
Manufacturer’s Website: Kuru Footwear website; http://www.kurufootwear.com
Availability: Both Men’s and Women’s
Colors Available: Rust Brown and Sandstorm Cub in Men’s
Warranty info: KURU will warranty your purchase within 6 months from the date of purchase for a replacement product, if available, that is the same style, color, and size of your original order.