These ‘Active Recovery’ Shoes Revive My Tired Feet

I wore my Revives (which I got in the charcoal and black speckle colorway) on several dog walks and gym visits, in order to get a feel for them outdoors and indoors. The first thing I noticed was how cold my feet felt—I mean, these shoes are riddled with holes, so that should have been expected. This made my walks a little uncomfortable, as it was the middle of winter in New York, but it also got me excited to wear them out and about in warmer weather. They were so easy to slip on and definitely kept my feet cool, so they’re sure to be my go-to summer shoe when I just need to pull something on and head out the door.

When I wore them around the gym in between and after my workouts, the Revive’s cooling effect was extremely welcome. My feet normally sweat a fair amount, and that only gets worse when they’re in a pair of rubber climbing shoes for an extended period of time. The Revives felt super breathable and helped my toes relax and unclench after my sessions, and they have a nice amount of cushioning. They’re made from a Brazilian sugarcane-derived EVA foam (branded as RestoreFoam), which felt dense underfoot and blessedly didn’t cause any blisters around my heel and ankle. I didn’t think I’d notice or appreciate the noded footbed in any real way, but it turned out to be my favorite part of the shoe: It has a very subtle, pleasantly kneading effect that engages my feet more than a standard insole so that they feel more “awake” and less fatigued. 

Climbers actually spend a lot of their time at the gym sitting around, taking long pauses in between trying routes at their maximum effort, and normally I just pull my climbing shoes off and walk around barefoot while I’m resting, but it was really nice to have a pair of comfy shoes that I could wear during those breaks to refill my water bottle, say hi to friends, or just sit and scroll on my phone. I was letting my body recover, and it felt like I was doing something truly helpful to get my feet to do the same. 

Although this isn’t what they’re marketed for, I also wore the Revives for a few quick pre- and post-climb workouts, during which I did some dumbbell, kettlebell, and bodyweight exercises on a pull-up bar and a mat, as well as some hangboarding. I probably wouldn’t have worn them if I was strictly weightlifting, as a training-specific shoe is better suited for that activity, but since I spent the majority of these workouts either sitting, laying down, or hanging with my feet off the floor, I figured I could fudge the post-workout rule a little. Frankly, I just didn’t want to switch back to a pair of sweaty sneakers after slipping these babies on. 

I can’t credit these shoes with improving my athletic performance in any substantial way, but they took my mind off my feet and let me focus on resting, which is just as helpful, if you ask me. And the longer I wore them, the better my feet felt—it was a true delight to slip them on after putting my feet to work.

How they fit

In my experience, the Revive runs pretty big. Kane actually provided me with another pair in one size down from my regular shoe size to find a good, secure fit, which could partly be because I have very narrow feet (Kane recommends that people with narrower feet size down and people with wider feet size up if they wear half sizes or are in between sizes). You can wear it with or without socks, but I vastly preferred wearing it without—it felt better from a breathability standpoint, and it seemed to fit better and slip less when I wasn’t wearing socks. In addition to being narrow, my feet are extremely flat, so I can’t speak firsthand to how the shoe would support high arches. 

Should you buy them?

If you’re looking for a shoe that’s lighter and more casual than a sneaker but fits more securely than a clog or a slipper, the Kane Revive shoe is a great option. Not only do I think it’s fantastic to have on hand after workouts, but I believe it fills that all-important wardrobe gap of a shoe that you can wear to grab the mail, pick up takeout, catch a flight, or window shop around town.  

And, if you deal with angsty feet like I do and want a shoe that can alleviate some of those aches and pains, I would say the Revive is an excellent option. No shoe on this planet will make my feet look less gnarly, but the Kane Revives can certainly make them feel several shades better.

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