Xero Shoes Kelso Review
A full review of the sneaker- or "court" style leather everyday "barefoot shoes" from Xero Shoes.
Back in April, I noticed the Xero Shoes Kelso was on sale from Xero Shoes: The normally $119.99 shoes were half off. I like free shoes but struggle to pass up a good deal, so I ordered a pair of the Kelsos in the black with white accents.
These:
Xero markets the Kelso as "a fresh take on the classic court-style shoe."¹ You might recall I am a fan of the HFS Original (also $119.99). Could the Kelsos combine the HFS comfort with a bit more style?
To find out, I have been wearing these Kelsos in many different scenarios over the last four months for walking, even running, on casual outings, and also to work. What follows is my full review.
Xero Shoes Kelso materials and design
The Kelso from Xero Shoes combines a familiar-feeling look with Xero's well-known approach to barefoot-friendly design. That means it has a wide toe box, flexible outsole, and is (overall) pretty lightweight.
The upper of the Kelso is made of a mix of full-grain leather and suede. The full-grain leather has a glossy look to it. I am no leather expert, but this leather looks to me like a semi-aniline full grain leather. And to my untrained eye, the Kelso's full-grain leather has a low-quality look to it, which may or may not come across in the photos. The Kelso's suede accents add welcome texture against the sheen of the full-grain leather.
The combination makes the uppers of the Kelso flexible out of the box, meaning the materials are pliable and get out of the way of the movement of your foot. These are minimal-to-"xero" break in shoes.
The outsole of the Xero Shoes Kelso is a 6mm rubber, their "6.0mm FeelTrue®" sole. It has zigzag tread pattern, the kind that you'd expect to use on a flat surface. (More on how this sole performs in a bit.) The sole is stitched to the uppers at the front of the shoe. I appreciate this build detail for longevity. It also adds to the look of the shoes.
The Kelso also has Xero's huaraches-like shoe straps. These straps, which are white on my pair, connect from the sole of the Kelso on either side of the midfoot and run up to the laces, at times running beneath suede leather in the process (or through, as is the case with the "Xero" on the outside of the shoe). In theory, this design makes it possible to cinch up the fit of the shoes. In practice, it does little for my feet. (If this works for you, let me know. I'm curious!) Speaking of the laces, they are flat, unwaxed laces that feel a little too long and a little too wide for the shoes.
The shoes have a removable insole, similar to other Xeros like the HFS Original. The insole is about 1mm thick. Combined with the material attached to the outsole, my measurements put the total stack height of the Kelso to around 11mm.
The Xero Shoes Kelso looks
I mentioned how my black leather plus white strapped pair of Xero Kelsos reminded me of Adidas Sambas, and this was validated by my 16-year-old goalkeeper daughter. (However, the black and white Kelso has a bright white sole compared to the tan sole of Sambas.)
My oldest likes the look of them similar to me. However, the first several times I wore the Kelso shoes around Mrs. BirthdayShoes, she didn't much care for the Kelso.
But I didn't give up. Like most minimalist shoes, the fashion can take some tinkering to figure out. The trick with the Kelso is in finding complementary clothing and in particular pants. When I asked the missus about the following outfit, she thought the Kelsos looked good:
The grey straight leg jeans work well. Dark straight leg jeans (seen earlier) also seem to work.
I think the contrasting design of the black/white colorway is what makes them work — or fail. The stark combo stands out. For that matter, the bright whites of the straps stay clean despite plenty of wear.
However, for a subtler option, the "stormy weather" suede with a gum (tan) sole or the all-black suede with tan lower both have a nice clean look to them. I saw the grey pair in a local shoe store and, given the choice, might even prefer them over the ones I got. So if you like either of the all suede versions, they're currently on clearance from XeroShoes.com here.)
Left, the white/tan Xero Shoes Kelso can be found here (alongside the colorway reviewed in this post). Right, "stormy weather" and black/tan Kelsos, both of which are all suede, and both of which are on clearance at this link. (Note once you click the second link, you'll have to click the black/tan thumbnail to reload the image of the black/tan.)
No matter what colorway you get, the shoes are unlikely to bring too much attention to your feet.
Overall, I think the Kelso works best with jeans or casual khaki or jean-style pants. I've worn mine with shorts plenty of times too, and if you like the minimalist shoe plus shorts style, you'll like these well enough. For me, when I wear shorts, I wear sandals almost exclusively.
Xero Shoes Kelso fit, comfort, barefoot feel
For sizing, I went with my usual Xero Shoes size 11, which is consistent with the sizing for my HFS Originals (and, not reviewed, Scrambler-Mids). The fit of the Kelso was as expected.
Again, the Xero Shoes Kelso is comfortable out-of-the-box for day-to-day wear. The wide toe box that lets your toes splay naturally, and while wearing them my feet and toes can spread out as much as I want them too. Compared to mesh uppers as with the HFS (for example), the leather of the Kelso upper adds structure to the shoes, so the Kelso is firmer rather than floppy (like the HFS Original).
The Kelso's zero-drop sole gets out of the way of your biomechanics. As mentioned earlier, the total stack height is about 11mm. The Kelso has just a touch of cushiness while staying responsive. Wearing the Kelsos to get around man-made surfaces is comfortable, and you can wear 'em all day long.
The Kelsos capture the "court-like" experience when worn on certain smooth surfaces. Any quick pivot will generate that "squeak" or "skid" sound like you'd hear on the basketball court. This usually happens when you least expect it, for example when you're wearing them inside a quiet office. It's kinda funny.
Out in nature, the soles transmit lots of ground feel, as you would expect them to. However, the Kelso provides enough cushiness to keep you from feeling like you have to prance around, minding each and every step. Rocks, gravel, cracks in the asphalt, twigs, grass ... all are communicated well through the Kelso sole.
Most often, I wore my Kelsos with socks. However, I've also gone full days sockless in them too. The difference comes down to the leather upper being less breathable than mesh sneakers, so these shoes run a little warmer. Socks can help here in my experience, wicking away moisture.
Xero Shoes Kelso for walking (and running)
When I got them, I first tested the Kelso on the plain old treadmill both running and walking. This gave me a direct comparison to my HFS Original since I'd put hundreds of miles on the HFS Original on the treadmill.
Well, you guessed it. The Kelsos feel heavier and hotter than the HFS Original's mesh upper. The leather and additional material trap more heat in the shoe, and if you are coming from shoes meant for running (or huaraches), you're going to want to shelve the Kelsos ... unless it's cool outside, of course.
To that end, the seasons have started changing here in Atlanta, making it cooler in the morning (mid-60s). As a result, I've donned my Kelsos several times on my morning two mile walk. They've been great, very comfortable on my feet and I haven't thought once about the heat. Bear in mind that up until this recent switch, I've been doing my morning walk in sandals, from the Lems Switchback to the Camino to Earth Runners, Bedrock Cairn 3D Pros, and Shamma Trailstars (Ibex).
If you want to use the Kelso for activity, you can, especially in a pinch. And for casual wear, the Kelso can easily be your daily driver. Paired with jeans, they’re great for work, errands, or knocking around town.
Xero Shoes Kelso durability ... and value
After four months, the Kelso shows no significant wear. Leather holds up to abuse pretty well, so that brings some comfort for expectations around longevity. And like other Xero Shoes, the soles will last a long time.
What about value? Well, for me, getting them at half off due to a sale, I think the value for the Kelso is great. However, at full price of about $120 ... that's going to be a hard purchase for me. I love leather products, and at $120, I'd expect the leather to be high quality, as conveyed by the look and feel of the material. It's not $120 quality for me.
When I contrast the Xero Shoes Kelso to my old VivoBarefoot Primus Lux, the Lux leather is luxurious. For a more recent Vivo comparison, I picked up a pair of VivoBarefoot Gobi II Premium Leather (I plan to try these next), and while I can't yet say how they perform, the quality of the materials is way higher.
Unfortunately, the full price of the Gobi II is $210 (cheaper if you shop around).
Everything is expensive these days, and minimalist shoes are no exception. I would recommend doing what I did: If you like the Kelso, grab a pair on sale. To that end, while you can't get the black and white or white/grey/blue Kelsos on sale today, you can get the all suede black/tan or grey/tan versions here (for $84). As of mid-September, it looks like most all sizes are available too.
I would not pay full price for these shoes. If you know Xero, you know you can afford to wait.
Conclusion
The Xero Shoes Kelso is a comfortable, style-forward take on a sneaker shoe with foot-friendly benefits: wide toe box, zero-drop sole that's flexible (with a lot of ground feel), flexible materials. Its biggest "bug" is its feature: leather means less breathability. Bought at the right price, you're likely to be happy with the feel and wear of these everyday minimalist shoes.
Got a pair? Let me know what you think.
¹ If you ask ChatGPT to imagine a "classic court-style shoe" it one-shots a description that you can then reprompt for a photo that seems pretty accurate.)
