I purchased two pair of the Soft-sole Shaolin Monk Shoes and used them for 1 month for this review.
I. First impression: Wow!
You know when you buy your new running shoe and it fits perfectly in store and you feel like you're floating on air? Thats the feeling putting these on. I immediately thought, "oh, boy, i should have ordered more. When i need them, for sure they won't be availble; they're sure to sell out quickly." Yep, THAT GOOD!
A. THE DESIGN:
* The upper shoe, I believe, is perhaps a Nylon and Cotton Twill mix. (Don't hold me to it - this is my guess given my experience with both). Its a tight weave with a twill pattern and rubber sole that connects top and bottom.
* The instep has very little rise (if any) and while in motion, the foot strike feels relatively flat. However, it is not totally level. There is a gentle slope from back to front - this results in the wearer leaning slight forward. This can be good for your knees and ankles. Over time, the rear will wear down and you will "balance out". (But the front sole will wear thin quicker because of this.)
* The insole is quite unique. It's designed with massaging one's pressure points in mind. So, when you are in motion, it's designed to impact your internal organs resulting in improved health. Your mileage will vary with this -- i have sensitive feet from years of wearing Dafu and TopOne Feiyue (which are flat, well balanced, with a bit extra rubber sole for lateral stability.) So, while i am getting used to the little raised dimples on the insole, you might love the feature right away, or you'll hate it.
* Underneath, the (perhaps) recylced material, or at least man-made material creates a nice grippy rubber outsole. That is, on carpet, ground, clean/waxed wood floors or linoleum floors, you will grip solid and won't leave marks. I have not tried using this show on wet surfaces. I would not recommend it - its relatively flat, and you WILL slip. Additionally, as mentioned above, due to the design and the sole being "soft", the forefoot of the sole will wear thin much faster than the rest of the shoe. After one month of daily use, the sole shows signs of wear. Depending on how often you use your shoes and if you use it for martial practice or just walking, your soles will wear out sooner or later - and the upper shoe will still be perfectly intact. (But a local shoe repair will easily be able to add another sole for you.)
* I wear a US side 11.5"; 29.25cm; UK 11"; EU 45.1/2; KOR 279; Chinese size would be 46 1/2. However, while BCC didn't have any sized 46 in stock, we went with sized 45 because the insole was actually about 29cm. This means they run a little larger than anticipated. This turned out to be fantastic for me. They were a size 45 that fit like a 46. Both pair.
B. The Function
* These Soft sole Monk shoes will keep you comfortable with a full-length midsole... kind of like adidas-bounce insoles.
* If there's room for improvement, it would be they need to be reinforced for extra stability during sideways movement. While they are supremely comfortable for walking, and excellent balance for forward movement (helping your lower back and knees), the couple-layer mesh upper is all that wraps around your foot. The rubber does not rise above the side of your foot (except in the toe area) so you will NOT have a rock-solid lateral movement lockdown. In practice, this means if you thrust sideways starting from a planted position (like a gongbu stance), or lunge sideways (as a pubu stance), there is nothing to stop your force from rolling over the shoe - so your foot slides off the rubber. To put it plainly, i wouldn't advise this shoe to be worn to play tennis, dodgeball, or even SOME martial art style practice.
The CONCLUSION
These Soft-sole Shaolin Monk shoes are wonderfully comfortable and very functional. You'll love the look, you'll be happy with the performance, and you'll likely buy others - sooner or later depending on how actively you use them.
