I still can’t believe it took me three years to learn about Crosskix, an EVA shoe company in my home state of Oregon. Perhaps that’s because I haven’t spent a lot of time perusing the shoe market lately, and I especially hadn’t been shopping for an EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) shoe since I’ve always found those with a leading share of the market (Crocs) to be quite, well….hideous, to put it nicely. So when I received my Crosskix 2.0 Atlantics and learned the company’s goal was to make a waterproof running shoe that was also stylish, I agreed completely with the motto that comfort does not (and should not) be ugly. In short, Crosskix combines my fashion girl roots with my love of the outdoors quite well.
I took my new Crosskix to the lake…
My Crosskix 2.0 Atlantic in the lake.
where they performed nicely on both rocky and sandy undersurfaces.
I took them on the trail…
My Crosskix 2.0 Atlantic out on the trail. (Why is it so hard to get a non-blurry photo of my own foot?)
where they weren’t bad but less than perfect. The drainage holes let in a rather large amount of dirt and pebbles, making the tender footed limp, but that’s to be expected.
And I took them running on pavement.
I tried first with socks, since I knew the rubber design would be squeaky after my feet started to sweat, but I found them to be too tight for comfort. I do have a wide foot, so I doubt this is something the majority will need to worry about, but it was so painful I removed my socks in order to run back. This allowed a nice breeze to rush in between my toes as I ran, which was nothing less than amazingly refreshing…but then that squeak began, and it was all I could do to get back to the house and take them off. So, I’d personally have a hard time recommending them for long-distance running, but those with thinner feet would likely fail to have any issue at all. And it’s possible some of the several other designs are wider.
Overall, I love my Crosskix as water shoes, and will continue to take them to the lakes and rivers. I will even take them camping for a comfortable change after hiking. Next stop — floating the Deschutes River in Bend! They will be perfect.
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Reasons to LOVE Crosskix:
- The company is based right here in Oregon, and I love supporting local. They’re headquarters are in Portland.
- They’re versatile.
- They have many stylish colors and designs.
- They’re priced fairly – the 2.0 Atlantic is just $69 USD
- They’re easy to clean
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received Crosskix 2.0 Atlantic for free from Crosskix as coordinated by Outdoor PR Gear Review in consideration for review publication. All opinions are my own.
