Can Fancy Crocs Help You Recover from Workouts Faster?
I think the world is mostly over hating Crocs. Much like Guy Fieri, they’re silly looking, but if you give them a chance they’re tough to hate. Comfortable, functional, affordable, and long-lasting—Crocs are a solid shoe for everything except looking good and athletic performance.
So when I first stumbled into Kane shoes—called the Revive—I was annoyed and intrigued. How dare it err so close to the fabled Croc? But Kane Revives promise even more: to improve muscle recovery after hard workouts. Given the market for tools aimed at gear-minded gym types (foam rollers, massage guns, stretching equipment, and more) it’s not hugely surprising to see a fancy gym Croc pop up. But does it actually do anything special? I wore a pair around for a month to find out.
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What Are Kane Revive Shoes?
Kane Revive shoes are Crocs’ younger brother than cleans up a little better. Yes, they are still something of an eye sore and have that affable aw shucks! look to them, but they’re a few steps removed from the objectively unfortunate look of the original Croc.
The Revives were designed as shoes that promote quicker muscle recovery—recovery being soreness from running, biking, weightlifting, and so on—but there are features included that make them more of an all-around shoe as well. We’ll get into those and more now.
What’s Good About Kane Shoes?
Incredibly comfortable
Shut up a minute about how Kane shoes look, alright? They’re incredibly cozy to wear virtually anywhere.
There are a few key differences that make them more comfortable than even the veritable Croc. Chief among them is the footbed shape, which—instead of being mostly flat—offers significant arch support. Whether you’re somewhat flat-footed or have high arches doesn’t seem to matter either. My feet lean flatter while my partner has incredibly high arches, and we both found the support on offer sufficient and comfortable enough to, well, never take off.
The material itself is ever so slightly more rigid than Crocs as well, which translates to a more supportive posture in general. And, critically, the toe box (the width of the front third of the shoe) is very wide. This may not sound like a big deal, but most athletic shoes, and shoes in general, narrow as they transition from midfoot to the toe box. That is simply poor design if the goal is comfort and stability. Your feet work and feel best when the toes aren’t crammed on top of each other, which is why most gym shoes have relatively wide toe boxes, too.
For some context, when I got these shoes I wore them primarily after big leg day sessions. A month later, and I wear them literally all day working from home, and to the gym on days I’m not hitting legs (they’re definitely not performance shoes in that respect). I even walk my dog in them. They’ve fully replaced my house slippers and they genuinely feel like they relieve my feet after a day snow skiing.
In that sense, they have become a part of my recovery routine, even if I don’t think their design necessarily enhances my recovery. The fact that I own a pair of shoes meant for recovery means I have a more solid routine in the first place, which means I am paying more attention to my body in the hours I’m not putting it through hell at the gym.
Thicker sole
This one’s pretty straightforward: the sole of the Kane Revive is a smidge taller than Crocs. I didn’t expect this to make a serious difference in value or wearability, but it did. The extra lift means they’re better suited for outdoors than Crocs, and they just have a slightly more athletic flair to them (they look a tiny bit less like frogs on your feet).
Better fit, more versatile than Crocs
Because there’s a real heel on Kane shoes, they will, by default, fit better than a pair of Crocs. This makes them great for just walking around, but also as a slightly outdoorsy shoe, perfect for river and lake days, or even some light hiking. If you want a firmer fit, size down slightly, if possible. I’m usually a 10 but the 9 wound up hugging my heel more comfortably. The fit has been sturdy enough to walk short hikes to waterfalls, river dipping spots, and more remote parts of the lakes near me.
Easy to clean
Because I’ve taken to wearing these things pretty much everywhere I go, they do need the occasional dust-off. Luckily it takes maybe 10 seconds under a sink to get dirt, snow, ice, dog poop, or anything else off of them. The brand says you can wash them in a washing machine on the cold cycle as well, should you need to.
Train Like an Adult
What’s Not Good About Kane Shoes?
Obnoxious looking
Listen, despite the more athletic look, the Kane Revive shoe is still an ugly duckling. I find it charming in the sense that my feet feel good wearing them, so maybe they have an ugly-cute appeal, but that is the extent of it.
Squeaky
My first couple weeks of wearing Kane shoes were filled with vitriol from my partner directed at the very quiet squeak noise the shoes would make with each step. Mercifully, the squeaking is in the past now—it took about two weeks to mellow out—but I could see it bothering some buyers.
The Bottom Line
While I don’t think Kane Revive shoes will replace any other facets of your workout recovery routine, I do think they’re incredibly comfortable post-exercise slip-ons, and might even become your default house and outdoor shoes, too. For $70, they’re absolutely worth it.
