My right heel was giving me grief, it had a crack in it that wouldn’t heal well.

(Side note: heel is part of the foot, heal is when something gets better, healthier. I see people mix these up online all the time.)

One day an intriguing email showed up, offering me the chance to test a pair of the TRIPLE MAX Ion by KURU. It mentioned in the marketing copy “Our shoes focus on pain relief, especially when it comes to heel pain and Plantar Fasciitis.” I thought to myself, “well, I’ve had some heel pain. Let’s give it a try!”

Even upon initially opening the box, I was greeted with the message “Heel Better so you can live life.” This product was all in on the heel, so it was time to test them out.

I liked the color combo I received. This is the Twilight Blue/Lavender combo. But the size of the sole was definitely present and impressive. And when I lifted them out of the box, I noticed the heft and the crash pad was substantive.

I felt like I grew about 6 inches when I put these on. That’s exaggerating, but I am definitely at a minimally higher elevation when wearing these. And they’re heavy, weighing in at 13.2 oz. My typical running shoes at only 5.3 oz. Wearing these feels like I’ve strapped on some ankle weights!

I tried running in them, but I felt like I had bricks on my feet. That was not my favorite experience. I don’t mind walking the dog in them and I can definitely feel the difference in how it cradles my heel and actually helps it feel better.

KURU is an interesting brand that definitely seems focused on foot health. They have indicated that 81% of Americans have experienced foot pain at some point in their life, with most dealing with it for an average of 6.3 years. And 24% of respondents in a survey they did reported missing work due to foot pain. I can see that, my husband has stopped walking the dog with me due to foot pain. (My non-MD guess is a Morton’s neuroma, cause my dad had that issue.) I would add the stat that 100% of my spouses with foot pain (he’s the only one) complain and don’t take action, even when you find a doctor on your insurance and send him the details.

KURU has an interesting line of shoes, and while this one hasn’t become my go-to shoe, it’s a quality shoe. Their ATOM model seems like it might be better for me. But they also have sandals and flip flops.

I also appreciate that they have a whole trade-in program where people can earn store credit when returning their old KURU shoes.

My heel is feeling better, by the way. I just had to use extra moisturizer and Vaseline and keep wearing socks/slippers while in the house. The crack is still faintly visible, but not painful now!