Review: Crocs LiteRide Lace

Crocs LiteRide Lace is priced at Rs5,995.

If you see someone wearing Crocs footwear, you know that they prioritize comfort. That is a sensible foundation for multipurpose activity shoes that you would want to wear every day to work, for a weekend errand run, or simply for the pre- and post-workout period.

But if you thought Crocs shoes couldn’t get any more comfortable, you were wrong.

The American footwear maker is using a material known as LiteRide in its 2018 line-up of footwear, including the LiteRide Lace athleisure shoes. The new material, which sits beneath your feet, is described as a “closed-cell material”—this means there are integrated pockets of air inside it, which provide cushioning by absorbing underfoot impacts.

In the LiteRide Lace, the closed-cell foam midsole offers great cushioning, very apparent the moment you slip your foot into the shoe. While robustness isn’t compromised, what you do get is a nice bounce-back feel while jogging on a hard surface, and cushioned protection for your feet as you walk.

The shoes have been designed with a fairly large toe box, and even someone with a wider front foot will have enough space without the fingers touching the inner circumference of the shoe. The same goes for the vertical space as well—the upper doesn’t brush against the foot. The side walls sit snug with the foot, and when the LiteRide Lace is laced on properly, the foot feels stable and nicely locked in, with no disconcerting foot slip movements inside the shoe as you walk or jog.

The upper, known as heather-knit, is soft, and offers great breathability too. This will be welcome in the summer months. The jean-blue and black colour options are quite restrained in look, and will work with most attire options in your wardrobe.