KyBoot, what are they?

KyBoots

I had never heard of KyBoot before I walked down the cobbled street in Koblenz, foot sore from walking on the uneven pavement for 8 hrs a day and saw their store.   My American ‘sneekers’ were inadequate for this adventure and there were 59 more days of walking 8+ hrs a day.              

The advertisement claimed to be ‘revolutionary’, in my mind you would be walking on ‘clouds’ of some type of foam or gel filled soles. 

Photo from the KyBoot web site, My pair is a similar style

I did not find the extensive web site information until I returned to the USA and did more Internet searches.  There were very few stores in the countries I planned to visit and the lure of having an unknown product to write about and a solution to the thin soles of my current shoes, I returned when the store was finally open.  

Sticker Shock  I had no idea what the shoes cost but expected them to be over $100.   I could do nothing but laugh when I saw they were priced higher than a Niki Air Max or an I phone 5!

Trying on a pair I felt as if I had space shoes on with 3 inch soles on my feet.    Even worse I kept falling off center.  The sensation was strange.    But to give them credit I could NOT FEEL THE COBBLESTONES!

Off I went trying to learn to walk.  People may have thought I had, had wine over lunch as I lunged down the lanes practicing ‘walking’.   Each step was similar to a ‘bounce’.   

Over the next 6 weeks the shoes performed as advertised:

"Nothing like other conventional shoes"

"Your feet will not be exhausted after a day of walking"

But and there is always a but, I developed blisters.
Any traveler and tourist too, knows that you can not afford to have blisters when you have to travel between points of interest, down lanes where buses do not travel and plan to drag you suitcase the ½ mile to the train station.      After years of travel I do NOT get blisters.
KyBoot gave me several.

Thinking they were too ‘roomy’ I doubled up on my socks.    This did not solve the problem.
After 2 weeks your feet adapt to abrasive points of contact and the trip continues.   

In summary
I was disappointed with the results of wearing KyBoots for two months.  

Yes they solved the problem of cobblestones felt through conventional soles, but the fit caused blisters that were painful.
They are also very heavy so I wore them on days I took the train or had to handle a suitcase.

Maybe the sandal style Kyboot offers, are an alternative for the hot summer months.

If you have KyBoot, what has your experience been?