When you have rheumatoid or any inflammatory arthritis, sometimes one of the biggest challenges of the day can be all the effort and energy that’s required just to get up and out the door.
After “spending your spoons” on basic hygiene and getting dressed, the last task before you head out the door is putting on your shoes.
Depending on which joints are affected, this can be one last painful procedure before leaving home. Bending over, squishing your fingers into the heel of your shoe to guide your foot in, or fumbling with the laces….it can all lead to frustration and unnecessary pain.
When we saw the new hands-free Kizik shoes, we had to try them for ourselves to see if it’s really as easy as they make it look.
Kizik “Hands-Free” Shoes
Since hands are commonly affected with rheumatoid arthritis, the more ways we can lighten the load of their day-to-day burden the better! Hands-Free shoes sounded like a perfect fit.
I was delighted to be gifted a pair of Kizik shoes in exchange for my honest thoughts on them.
The shoes arrived with minimal packaging (love that!) and when you open the box it reveals the tagline “Step into Freedom“.
I accepted that invitation and easily slipped right into the pair. There was no learning curve or having to position my foot in a particular manner. The shoelaces were already perfectly tied and I didn’t need to adjust anything.
My Kizik Shoes Experience
To test out the shoes I wore them for several weeks at home. I work part-time from home and also do my exercise at home so I got to wear them during a variety of activities.
The shoes are lightweight, breathable, and comfortable. I wore them with the original insoles for a few days and then switched over to my custom orthotic insoles since I normally use them in any shoes I’m wearing. I was thrilled that they were compatible with my insoles and they did not interfere with the spring action heel in any way.
I love that the shoes are stylish and don’t draw any attention to them as being an “assistive aid”.
Having the shoe available in a wide version definitely added to my comfort. I have some deformities and a bunion on my right foot as a result of my RA so this shoe was very accommodating of that.
I normally wear Sketchers or Nike shoes, and I found Kizik shoes to be comparable in quality and comfort, with the added bonus of being much easier to get on.
Kizik Shoes Pros and Cons
PROS
- Hands-free spring back heel
- Easy to use, no learning curve
- Available in wide sizes
- Available in many styles and colors
- Compatible with orthotics
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Models available with no-tie shoe laces
- Competitive price
- Free USA shipping and returns
- 30 Day Refund Policy
CONS
- Ships to Canada, but shipping fees apply
- This particular model has laces that may eventually need tieing up again, however they have other models with no tie laces to be truly hands-free
Conclusion
If you are looking for a simple solution to make putting on your shoes easier, Kizik definitely does the trick!
I love being able to slip Kizik shoes on without giving it a second thought. I love the pair I have and will definitely be getting more in the future. It will be hard to go back to “normal” shoes after enjoying the freedom and simplicity these bring to my daily routine.
If you would like to try out a pair for yourself you can click our affiliate link here and use the code RALIFEHACKS10 to save 10% off your order.
We would love to hear about your experience with the shoes so please be sure to share in the comments your thoughts!
