CRAVE LONDON Review: Shoes for the city and the classroom

CRAVE LONDON Review: Shoes for the city and the classroom CRAVE LONDON Review: Shoes for the city and the classroom

Stories and Brands Selecting and Maintaining Barefoot Shoes Reviews

Testing the Crave London barefoot shoes. Quality materials, comfort and a stylish design make this brand a great choice for any occasion.

Tested model

CRAVE LONDON Cognac

Intended use

city shoes designed for the office as well as walks on hard surfaces

Upper material

suede – leather brushed on the reverse side, or smooth leather (depending on the model)

Lining

soft leather

Sole

5mm flexible, non-slip and abrasion-resistant natural rubber sole

Fit

wider fit in the toe area that follows the shape of the foot; suits medium to wider feet; wide anatomically shaped toe box

Colour options

black, sand

Available sizes 

37–46

Price

3 490 Kč

Testing conditions

one month of intensive wear while teaching indoors at school

Manufacturer

handmade in Portugal by Crave

The Crave London shoes are designed mainly for spring, summer or autumn, and they reached me at the end of 2022 – in December. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d do with them, but it didn’t take long to find the answer. I teach part-time, and since late autumn I’ve been dealing with the problem of winter shoes at school.

More specifically: spending the whole day teaching in the winter boots I arrive in. It’s not exactly comfortable (and I wear Angles Orpheus), because they’re insulated. So for the whole of January I took Crave London to school – and I have to say, they did a brilliant job.

Main pros:

  • they look stylish and go with almost anything 
  • they’re comfortable, roomy and fit well on the foot
  • after a full day of “running about” on hard surfaces, your feet don’t ache
  • thanks to their low weight and packability you can throw them in a rucksack as a spare pair
  • they follow the ground well and protect the foot
  • no blisters – they’re soft and supple 
  • thanks to good breathability, your feet don’t get sweaty

Main con:

  • if you forget you’ve got them on and head out into a wintry Prague, you’ll notice pretty quickly; on the other hand, they’re not made for frost or slushy snow (you can boost warmth with winter insoles)

Key features and technical assessment

The Crave London shoes are low-cut city shoes designed mainly for spring, summer and autumn. They can be worn by both men and women and they work well with pretty much any style of outfit. They’re minimalist and lightweight, yet still sturdy and comfortable.

You can tell the Portuguese maker put real effort into the design – and into the shoes themselves too, as they’re handmade. The fit is aimed at medium to wider feet; barefoot beginners will enjoy them as well, thanks to the wide, anatomically shaped toe box. The shoe has zero drop and a shape-neutral insole, so it sits beautifully on the foot and feels great to walk in.

The upper material (sand-coloured suede) looks great, is durable and easy to care for. The soft leather lining, on the other hand, gives the shoes a cosy, slipper-like feel. The flexible 5mm natural rubber sole provides enough cushioning on landing, while still keeping that barefoot walking feel and ground feel; it doesn’t slip and offers solid support.

Testing in the classroom and around town

Šternberk Travel Festival

I tested the shoes over winter, but I thought I’d pretend it was spring for at least one weekend, put on the Crave London shoes and head to Šternberk for the Travel Festival. And it worked out – for the first time in ages the sun came out, lit up Šternberk, and my partner and I enjoyed a great walk, even if it was a bit frosty.

I put the shoes on early Saturday morning – it was my first time wearing them – and headed out for a walk around town. In the end we covered several kilometres. Just before midday I moved to the festival hall and started my talk. That went brilliantly, and more talks followed. I managed to stay at the festival until late at night.

In the evening, when I got back to the hotel, I took the shoes off for the first time after a full day and there was not even a small rub anywhere. They were a fantastic help all day long, outdoors and indoors. I have to admit I wore thick socks on the walk around town, but they did the job perfectly. Indoors I barely noticed them and felt like I was in slippers.

A full day in the classroom

I was looking for quality, comfortable shoes for school – and I found them. During a day of teaching I can easily clock up a few kilometres just walking around the classroom (alright then, I just like walking). On days like that, I want shoes that feel comfortable and pleasant, shoes that don’t leave my feet aching and where I don’t feel like I need to change my socks every five minutes.

Even though Crave London are city shoes, you might think it’s enough for them to look good if you’re sitting at a desk all day. That might be enough for some people, but not for me – I need a bit more.

I spend the whole day at school on my feet. I don’t sit at the teacher’s desk much; instead I try to stay in contact with the students, walk around the classroom, have a chat. It’s much nicer and feels more natural to me than just sitting and talking. Plus, I’m moving around the school building. You could say that for me, Crave London means pleasant, comfortable movement – movement I can keep up all day, and genuinely enjoy.

Final verdict

The Crave London city shoes absolutely meet my expectations. As someone who’s in the spotlight all day – and honestly, secondary school students can be very observant – I appreciate their stylish look, quality workmanship and the colour, which suits me perfectly. Even though I’m not running marathons, I still walk kilometres during the day around the classroom and the school, so I really value the comfort these shoes offer. I’m looking forward to taking them properly outdoors for a good walk.

To wrap up: Crave London are brilliant for walking at school and out in the city – comfortable, pleasant and lightweight… basically stylish slippers for outdoors.

CRAVE LONDON city shoes were tested by Jiří Kalát. A travelling writer who gives talks for people who love to listen. He loves the Middle East and North Africa, but he’s happy to roam anywhere you can find adventure or discover something new. He’s the author of the books Všichni tady lžou and Černobyl na kolečkách, collaborates with several magazines and travel websites, and speaks at festivals and various venues across the Czech Republic. He also tries to help, which is why he supports projects such as 1000 statečných, Nadace Leontinka or Domov sv. Josefa in Žireč.

 

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