PaperKrane takes barefoot shoes to a fun, fantastic level with their designs, while also giving us the sole flexibility and light shoes that are great for feet. Read on to see if they’ll work for you.
Disclaimer: The shoes sent pictured in this review were sent to us as a gift by PK, but all thoughts are our own. If you plan to get your own PKs, save 10% with the discount code OWBSHOES (affiliate) and support reviews like this.
Sections
Company Information
No other company is like PaperKrane. They’re based in Melbourne, they’re women-owned, and if you like sedate they can cover you with a model like that, but if you like colorful and creative, you can have everything from bananas to leopard print to rainbows.
Read all about Kate and Zara here, and the company here.
Technical Specifications
- Upper: Chestnut Suede
- Lining: Microsuede
- Outsole: Natural rubber Flexi sole from size 22-42, with Midi Sole in lower sizes
- Sizes: EU 19-42
- This lace-up boot style comes in 4 colorways, including an all-black model many use for school uniform requirements
Appearance
Most of the lace-up models like this fall on the sedate side of PaperKrane, where they will go with casual or dress-up outfits without a problem. This medium brown is very pretty, and the white off-sets it nicely.
He’s 4 and while we didn’t expressly pick an outfit for this, he followed his brother’s choices with his Military Velcro PKs and wore this for some joint pictures when they first arrived:
But beyond that, he’s worn them all over the place with pants or shorts and even his Halloween costume. They’re very easy for him to put on and he has never complained about wearing them, though does fine the stylized laces that aren’t meant to be tied a bit confusing.
Fit
Normally, I feel the need to extensively describe fit to you because companies don’t do it, but PaperKrane is different, and has a detailed Fit and Feel guide on their website, covering the differences between different types of shoes they offer.
This lace-up model is the most generous model they offer, with an opening that’s easy for thicker feet to use, an instep that’s great for high volume feet, and the forefoot has the most space of their model options.
Width-wise, PKs are wider for their length the further you go down the sizing chart and will top out at medium width at most (some styles like the Chelsea boot are tighter at the forefoot than others). At his size 31, with the flexibility of the upper and sole, and the overall thinness of the materials, he’s not actively restricted, however he could still use more width and I will keep him at the highest of available interior space without tripping to make sure he gets the most width he can. (We compromise sometimes because my kids can go days without wearing shoes – check out detailed sizing info before you do the same, especially if your kids would wear theirs every single day.)
The shape and overall trend toward being one of the mid-range options in with means that those with very squared-off toe shapes or slower slopes may run out of room at the outer edge for 4th and 5th toes.
Sizing
Like Fit and Feel, PaperKrane has also gone out of their way to make a detailed sizing guide and will happily provide additional measurements on-demand using the lasts they have at hand. That link will take you to all the charts and they recommend the same thing that I always recommend – measure and compare. There are tips on the page. The only part I would argue is that you should err on the side of giving yourself extra room. They recommend 7-12 mm of extra space, but I advocate for 12-17mm, the higher number being especially important for growing feet to continue having enough room for a few months.
How do they feel?
4-year-olds are not the best at giving detailed, articulate information on demand. He’ll happily detail an entire Peppa Pig episode, but the most I get out of him when I ask how the shoes feel is “Good!” and a giggle.
Feeling around myself, I think they have a little bit of cushion for enjoyment and the inside is smooth. There’s no official break-in on these, and the upper is generous, especially at the instep. We did have one incident where his heel was a little marked up when he wore them sockless, and we haven’t done that again. Nothing feels particularly rough in there, but I do feel the stitches and the fact that the upper is pretty open may have let the shoes move too much at that time, rubbing his heel. But not once did he say that they bothered him and since something a small as an itch can make a young kid think their life is over, it seems to be something random.
Aside from that, they are fully flexible:
and have worn in nicely, with only a little creasing and no big shiny streaks like you can get with some suede shoes over time.
Cleaning and Care
The suede upper should be protected with a spray compound to prevent water damage and staining. I have options here. For cleaning, I’ve always found it best to let mud dry on suede and then brush it off with a soft or medium firmness brush. You should not soak these shoes if you can avoid it (a lightly wet cloth would be better for deeper stains) and do not machine wash or dry them.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Returns
To see the latest from PaperKrane, check out their website, which ships internationally. Prices are below-average for many kids barefoot shoes and you can save 10% with my affiliate code OWBSHOES. You’ll do best to stock up more than 1 pair at once from here. Shipping 1 pair runs almost $30 USD, but shipping as many as 5kg of shoes is less than $65, dropping the per-shoe shipment down to about $10/pair.
PKs are available at stockists around the world. In the US, check out PedTerra where you can also save with OWBSHOES (this link applies the code automatically) and in the UK check out Happy Little Soles.
Final Thoughts
The style of these is perfect for a young kid, especially with thicker feet, to put them on quickly without help and run wild. It doesn’t stop there, though, and adults can style them easily as well. I would wear them with tons of outfits, especially pants, if they went up to my size and had more width.
For him, I took advantage of the Black Friday sale and stocked up on some higher sizes. Not alllll of them, because as you go up the charts the width-for-length decreases, but I want him to keep enjoying these even as they are somewhat of a compromise where we run at the top end of available space and he wears thin or no socks with them.
For me, I’m just waiting on PK to come out with a model with a wide forefoot. I love the variety of their styles – both easy to integrate like this and wildly colorful – and would happily get in line for their light, soft, and flexible shoes.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
Want to check out other lists, such as color and type breakdowns?
Check out all the BIG lists here.
