Our feet withstand a hell of a lot. We may take this constant support system for granted, but these guys are troopers; from jogs, hikes, and walks around the block, to running errands, dashing to work, and playing with the family, even a normal day can wear them down. That’s where Propét Shoes come in.
Propét knows that feet go unnoticed way too often for their own good, so the company has taken on a mission to give them some much deserved TLC. Developed in coordination with podiatrists, Propét’s shoes work to keep feet comfortable, cushioned, and aligned. Their claim to fame comes from a focus on restoring a natural range of motion and preventing walking quirks that add unnecessary stress.
The Leila walking shoe is one of Propét’s most versatile. It manages to combine several different styles into one multifaceted design: simultaneously comfortable and supportive enough for a full day’s wear, sleek and subtle enough to match an everyday outfit, and athletic enough to take a decent beating.
I even took them on a recent climbing trip and used them as approach shoes between boulders. They were perfect for my little weekend romp through the woods: lightweight, sturdy, and reliable on both dirt and sandstone. The Leila’s rubber outsoles actually made them a great alternative to traditional approach shoes in straightforward situations like this one. Sticky and stable, they held their ground without all the extras that are crucial on more aggressive trips but wholly unnecessary in the middle of a simple boulderfield. Plus, they looked good from the rock to the restaurant – major points for versatility.
Propét’s forté lies in their specialized Rejuve Motion Technology. The Leila shoe, in accordance with Rejuve, pays particular attention to the heel bone of the foot. I can’t say that I’ve ever given my poor heel bone much thought before, but luckily Propét is here to reverse the damage that most of us are, apparently, guilty of.
Propét shoes feature four separate layers that combine to build a sole that realigns our heel position and boosts foot support. My neglected heels finally got some love. After way too much time squeezed into tight climbing shoes (“torturously small,” as my mother would say), hiking boots, and the occasional high heel, they definitely noticed the difference. I got the feeling Propét had helped me play a trick on my own feet – they were still ready to keep on trucking at the end of that long climbing day as if I hadn’t just spent all those hours walking from rock to rock lugging a pile of gear on my back. I like a shoe that lets me feel devious.
One unexpected result was that it was also much easier to keep a good posture, and that’s a big deal. Climbing is famous for slowly morphing its disciples into hunchbacks due to all those uneven shoulder muscles. I really should do more yoga, but in the meantime, the Rejuve system built into the Leila shoes does its job in reseting the heel to reduce back pain and reinforce our ideal posture.
