King of Soles Leather Rasta Shoes Review

King of Soles is Ireland’s first shoe label, and the company has come charging out of the starting gate – directly into the path of the burgeoning cannabis industry – with a line of colorful leather Rasta shoes. Featuring the 420-friendly visage of Bob Marley, these shoes are well-crafted, comfortable, and come at a surprisingly low price. But because each King of Soles shoe line is made in a limited run only, this Rasta shoe won’t be available for long.

 

Review Rating for King of Soles Rasta Shoes: 4 of 5 Stars!

 

[author-post-rating]Methodology of Review

I’m not really a sneaker or basketball shoe-wearing kind of guy. I like heavy-duty hiking boots, and form-hugging Italian leather shoes. I don’t like much else for footwear, but what I do like is high-quality materials and craftsmanship, and that’s what attracted me to King of Soles (KOS). While the leather Rasta shoes featured in this review are far outside my normal style, a hemp and cannabis festival in Maine, United States, that I attended called for a funky marijuana-themed outfit, and the KOS leather Rasta shoe was a perfect fit – pun intended, but also, the shoes I ordered did fit me quite well.

I wore a pair of these Rasta shoes for the first time while walking around the cannabis gathering at Harry Brown’s Farm up in Starks, Maine. It was blistering hot, and I spent the entire day, outside, on my feet – a fair enough methodology for a footwear review.

King of Soles Leather Rasta Shoe: Form

It’s clear right away that these aren’t your everyday big brand shoes; they’re strikingly unique, even from a distance. These Rasta shoes got a lot of compliments, looks, and double-takes at the hemp festival mentioned previously.

King of Soles has produced shoes that are free of the recent trend of sloppy gluing and cheap stitching that has been appearing in even the biggest shoe brands on the market. Yes, the shoes are made in China, but clearly with care. When I interviewed the owner of King of Soles – a smart, passionate young chap named Glenn – about this, he told me that he contacted more than 10,000 manufacturers in 17 countries before finally selecting the firm currently producing his fresh Irish design.

If you’re lucky enough to snag a pair of these Rasta shoes, don’t plan on being low-key while wearing them; everyone is going to notice them, and a lot of those people will want to talk to you about them. Hip kids will classify these shoes as “dope shoes,” and to old school guys like me, that will serve a double meaning. 😉

King of Soles Leather Rasta Shoe: Function

These shoes are for urban use, and for this purpose, they’ll work well and last a long time. They’re put together strongly, but you probably don’t want to go hiking in the woods or play basketball in them. They’re for street use, and, for some people, collections.

King of Sole’s Rasta shoes are comfortable and offer support similar to that of a low-cut hiking boot, which I appreciate. Overall, the fit was good and despite a long day in them, I experienced no chafing, pinching, blisters, or foul foot odor that sometimes accompanies new footwear.

The only flaw that I found with the Rasta shoes is that the ventilation could be a little better, although, in all fairness, I was wearing them on a brutally hot August day.

King of Soles: Customer Service / Staff

Glenn Heaslip, the founder of King of Soles and designer of each new shoe line the company produces, has an interesting story. He started KOS when he learned that sneaker and shoe companies generally mark up their product by 12 times the cost of manufacturing. He found that unfair, and, because he was seeking out entrepreneurial opportunities at the time, saw this as a clear indication that he could bring something new and unique to the market, at a price far below what most big brands charge.

KOS is a small company based in Ireland. If you score a pair of the company’s strictly limited-edition shoes, you probably won’t experience any problems with them, but if you do, you’ll receive personal attention from KOS customer service.

Conclusion

As Ireland’s only shoe label, King of Soles is offering something totally unique, that you can’t easily find elsewhere; durable, comfortable, trendsetting leather shoes at a price that nearly anyone can afford. Do you own a pair of these Rasta shoes, or another pair from the KOS line? Tell us about it in the comments section below! To get a pair, you can email the founder of King of Soles, Glenn, and tell him that you saw my review to get a special deal: info@kingofsoles.ie

 

Review Rating for King of Soles Rasta Shoes: 4 of 5 Stars!

 

[author-post-rating]