Come mud or water, Loom Footwear are a pair of low tops that you can put through their paces! They're the perfect all season, weather shoes for running and walking. Loom Footwear shoes have slip on sock style tongue design with a narrow mouth (10cm wide) similar to surfing slip on shoes. The slip on design isn't as easy to fit as regular trainers but, once you have them on, they're comfortable to wear even without laces.

Speaking of shoe laces, the Loom Footwear shoes come with standard flat shoe laces, which loop around the wing side panels. The wing panels are made of thick rubber and integrate eight punch holes on either wing for fit adjustment. Loom Footwear shoes have softshells, although the back heel tendon area has been reinforced with a thick layer of suedette material. The wing side panels also provide some reistance against side impacts. There are two long pull tabs: one on the back of the collar and the second pull tab, running acrossthe top of the tongue.

The main selling feature of the Loom Footwear it's its waterproof resistance, which performs really well, stopping water from penetrating inside the shoe. Water does not bounce off or bubble up on top of the shoe like with other waterproof footwear. It just sits on top but doesn't penetrate. There is apparently no DWR (durable water repellency) coating so, no chemicals have been sprayed on. The shoes use a merino wool inner layer and a close-knit fabric outer layer to stop water ingress. This should make the waterproofing performance permanent, which is a plus. The merino wool fabric performs really well too, keeping the feet warm (without heating up) and preventing the shoes from becoming smelly.

As long as water is below the ankle and doesn't come over the top, spilling into the shoe the feet stay dry. Wearing long waterproof trousers and cuffing them tight at the ankle also helps prevent water getting in. Alternatively, you can pair the Loom Footwear trainers with hiking shoe gaiters and turn the shoes into wellies (rain boots). Shoe gaiters are designed to be worn over the ankles and vary in length and design. You can get over the foot gaiters and long ones too that protect the calf area, giving you the same lower leg protection as waterproof trousers. Shoe gaiters are great also because they are adjustable and usually integrate a hook and TPU instep strap that helps the gaiters hold the ankles.


The rubber soles (outsoles) of the Loom Fotwear shoes have been glued (vulcanized) to the upper of the shoe without any stitching. The outersoles are thick and bouncy and have a flat "road" thread pattern similar to skateboarding and tennis shoes, making them very grippy on concreate and tarmac. Because of their lightweight (247 grams per shoe) and flexible midsole and flat thread pattern, the Loom Footwear shoes are not suitable for hiking trails or rugged terrain.

Being low tops, the Loom Footwear shoes fit below the ankle. The height of the back heel is 10cm from the bottom of shoe to the top of the collar. The thickest part of the sole measures 3.5cm (1.5 inch) high. The width of the shoe is approximately 9cm wide. Total weight of both shoes is around 500 grams. Loom Footwear looks and feels like a well constructed trainer throughout that should last a long time, depending on wear, of course. 

 

The main obstacle facing the company is credibility. Loom Footwear will be virtually unknown to most people. The shoes feel quality but it would massively help buyer confidence if the shoes came with some type of footwear certification as well as shoe label tag with information of materials used, construction, etc. like shown on Loom Footwear's online website.


Minimal branding is great for a minimalist look, although it's a little too minimal on the Loom Footwear shoes. The only branding is located on the insole, which is glued on to the shoe. It would be a good idea if Loom Footwear added more branding to reinforce their brand and increase buyer reassurance. 

 

A better branded shoe box would help too. Loom Footwear shoes come inside a generic white box with a photo sticker of the shoe but the brand Loom Footwear is nowhere to be seen. Loom Footwear doesn't seem to have a specific written guarantees and/or warranties for their shoe brand either. Offering 12 month guarantee (at least) would give Loom Footwear more credibility against more popular shoe brands. You can buy Loom Footwear from their website.