The Xero Kelso is a foot-health-positive minimalist shoe that seamlessly blends sporty style with formidable function. Known for their ultraminimalist approach to footwear, Xero has, in the Kelso, created a court-style hybrid that’s equally at home in the gym as it is at the coffee shop. With a combination suede and full-grain leather upper, the Xero Kelso boasts an attractive look that we think most wearers will find compelling. A 6 mm FeelTrue rubber sole provides exceptional grip on firm surfaces, and the spacious interior of this wide toe box tennis shoe affords your foot ample room in which to operate at its best. We found ourselves reaching for the comfortable and classy Kelso on busy, errand-filled days that kept us on our feet, as well as for court sessions ranging from playful pickleball matches to more vigorous bouts of squash and tennis. Casual athletic shoes that meet our criteria for foot-healthy footwear are quite rare, but thankfully the Kelso fills this niche to perfection.
Read on for our full review of the dynamic Xero Kelso!
Before we get rolling with this Xero Kelso shoe review, though, an important caveat: In this article, we are reviewing the men's version of this shoe, which is what we recommend all users purchase (to ensure maximum toe box width). More info about men's vs. women's models and sizing suggestions for all will appear later in this article.
What Are the Best Attributes of the Xero Kelso Shoe?
When it comes to beneficial design inclusions, the Xero Kelso possesses an absolute abundance of them. This is a shoe that, at its core, honors the inherent brilliance and integrity of your foot largely by staying out of its way—and by providing your foot with an in-shoe environment that permits it to splay and articulate the way that nature intended. This might seem like a simple achievement, but in the world of active casual footwear (or what we might call athleisure footwear), it's actually quite a rare thing, and it deserves to be celebrated. Based on our extensive wear-testing of this minimalist court shoe, here are the top attributes we found the Xero Kelso to possess:
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High-Quality Upper: One of the most standout features of the Xero Kelso is its high-quality full-grain leather and suede upper. Indeed, Xero has cleverly (and successfully) incorporated into the Kelso's upper materials that are often reserved for dressier options, and the company has added patterned pinhole vents at various points throughout to assist with breathability. The leather sections provide durability and protection, while the suede overlays impart a stylish flare. Adjustable midfoot tension straps and a moisture-wicking mesh lining only serve to elevate further the fit, feel, and function of the Kelso's agreeable upper. Also, on the intangible side of things, the attractive nature of this shoe garnered our wear-tester a number of compliments from passersby.
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Anatomical Toe Box: As with all of Xero’s offerings, the Kelso has a wide toe box that comfortably accommodates Correct Toes for most sets of feet (more on Correct Toes later in this review). But the toe box of the Kelso, in particular, has the widest feel of any Xero model that we've tried and tested to date, and it also possesses the most anatomically shaped toe box as well (which is essential for ensuring that there is no encroachment by the shoe on any aspect of the toes). In the Xero Kelso, your toes have ample room to spread, which contributes to this shoe's overall barefoot feel. Based on our own experience, we believe the Kelso will be comfortable in the forefoot for a wide range of foot shapes and foot volumes.
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Zero-Drop Platform: With no change in elevation (or “drop”) from heel to toe, the Kelso's relatively thin yet protective 6 mm sole provides a level support platform for your foot to act upon. A zero-drop sole is a key component in any foot-healthy shoe, as it helps enhance foot and ankle stability and, along with a sufficiently wide toe box, is an important player in promoting natural arch support. A completely level sole, such as that contained in the Xero Kelso, is also helpful in preventing a variety of common ball of foot problems that frequently occur in those who wear conventional footwear with heel elevation and toe spring. The Kelso's flat support platform also encourages a more natural gait, which is important for whole-body musculoskeletal health.
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Highly Flexible Sole: The Kelso's 6 mm FeelTrue rubber sole is thick enough to absorb impact and protect your foot from sharp or prominent objects, but it also (and importantly) flexes with your foot as you move about in a weight-bearing situation. This permits your foot to flex, bend, and propel you in a natural way, which is what the foot requires to become stronger and maximally functional. The Xero Kelso's highly flexible outsole also incorporates a thoughtfully designed herringbone pattern (seen on some other models throughout the Xero product line), which helps compliment the flexible nature of this sole to keep you upright and moving forward on a variety of surfaces.
Thanks to the above attributes—and thanks to the superb ground feel it affords as well as its lightweight overall nature—the Xero Kelso has a lot to offer users, especially those who are interested in restoring optimal foot health using natural means and methods. Indeed, bearing all the hallmarks of a foot-healthy shoe—wide toe box, flat and flexible sole, low total stack height—the Kelso is an easy pick for those seeking happier, healthier feet while still looking cool. With the most salient features of the Xero Kelso now delineated, we'll turn our focus to the kinds of activities this shoe is most suitable for, as well as examine the impact it may have on your foot form and function and whether or not you may need to transition to wearing it full-time.
What Activities Is the Xero Kelso Shoe Suitable For?
As mentioned earlier, the Xero Kelso is a casual athletic shoe you can use for a variety of court-centric activities, everything from tennis to squash to volleyball to pickleball to handball. While the Kelso is indeed more than suitable for a wide range of recreational court sports, it tends to lean more toward the casual end of the footwear spectrum, in our opinion. This shoe does have a moisture-wicking liner that helps manage sweat, but the leather outer can, in some cases, make them feel a bit warm in hotter temperatures. As an alternative to an ultra-breathable, fully mesh tennis shoe on colder days, the Kelso certainly excels. And when we broke a sweat in this shoe, the material inside dried quickly, giving the Kelso some serious athletic merit. Overall, we feel that the Kelso is most suitable for standard gym workouts, day-to-day use, and recreational athletic pursuits that incorporate a racket or paddle. This shoe even dresses up quite well, pairing nicely with jeans, shorts, or skirts for a sporty look that permits you to stroll in comfort.
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Is the Xero Kelso Shoe Good for Your Feet?
A healthy shoe allows your foot to essentially function like a bare foot inside of it, and it does not, in any way, attempt to dictate the motion of your foot or try to “improve” your foot mechanics. The less a shoe does to your foot, then, the better it is for your foot. The Xero Kelso is a shoe that promotes the optimal functioning of your foot by allowing it to act in a natural way. And when donning this shoe, you can feel confident that your foot health will be well preserved as you move through the world. The combination of the Kelso's wide, anatomical toe box, level, flexible sole, and low total stack height ensures maximum foot and ankle stability, promotes a more natural gait, and allows you to develop a stronger, more robust foot with each and every step you take. Also, the very conscious decision by Xero to reject the deleterious design elements that often appear in conventional footwear (e.g., tapering toe boxes, toe spring, heel elevation, rigid soles, etc.) means that the Kelso can help prevent or address a number of common foot and toe problems, including bunions, capsulitis, crooked toes (including hammertoes), flat feet, ingrown toenails, neuromas, plantar fasciosis, sesamoiditis, and shin splints, among other issues.
Do I Need to Transition to Wearing the Xero Kelso Shoe?
With only 6 mm of rubber between your foot and the ground and a highly flexible outsole, the Xero Kelso is a prime example of minimalist footwear. This shoe has a true barefoot feel, and you’ll certainly feel the contours of the ground beneath you (in the form of pressure on the underside of your foot) as you walk. This is a big plus in our view because the heightened ground feel contributes to higher-quality footfalls, which is a boon to the musculoskeletal system as a whole. But if you haven’t already transitioned to minimalist footwear and plan on using the Kelso for workouts or court sports, we'd recommend easing into use, wearing them for shorter periods at first, before gradually increasing wear-time. For strictly casual or day-to-day wear, the Xero Kelso will still take some time to get used to but may not require the same level of judiciousness after adoption. These are not transitional shoes by any means, but the comfort and flexibility could make them a great option for use around the house as you adjust to the barefoot feel.
We want to share a few additional thoughts about the process of transitioning from conventional footwear to minimalist footwear, like the Kelso, because it's an important topic that frequently comes up in the realm of natural foot health. There are a number of strategies you can employ to help ensure a successful transition, which for most people involves gains in foot strength and function without any accompanying discomfort or injury. Moving too quickly into minimalist footwear can, for some—especially those who've worn conventional footwear for decades—spur the development of Achilles tendon issues and other problems throughout the foot. To help prevent this from happening, we've usually found it best to take a slow, progressive approach, proceed in a step-wise fashion, allow time for adjustments to occur, address gait changes, use supporting footgear (more about this footgear in the next section), add barefoot time to your foot care regimen, and perform key homecare exercises. You can find more detailed info about all these strategies in our article entitled How to Transition to Minimalist Shoes.
Is the Xero Kelso Shoe Compatible With Other Footgear?
The Xero Kelso shoe is highly compatible with a variety of other helpful footgear, the most significant of which—when it comes to repairing the damage done by conventional footwear—is Correct Toes. Correct Toes is a medical-grade silicone toe spacing device that slots in between your toes to help re-approximate your toes to their intended alignment, which is directly in line with their corresponding metatarsal bones. Most people who have worn tapering toe box footwear experience some degree of toe deviation or crooked toes, and using Correct Toes on a regular basis can, over time, help rehabilitate your toes, enhance your balance and stability, prevent excessive pronation, and restore optimal foot and toe circulation, among many other benefits. To learn more about the impact of Correct Toes on foot health and function, we recommend that you check out our article entitled Top 10 Benefits of Correct Toes.
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In addition to Correct Toes toe spacers, the Xero Kelso also works great in combination with other beneficial footgear, including Injinji toe socks, Pedag metatarsal pads or Strutz Pro foot pads, and Naboso proprioceptive insoles. You can use these items, which are all helpful on an individual basis, in conjunction with the Kelso to encourage optimal toe splay, restore balance between your toe flexor and extensor tendons, and stimulate the mechanoreceptors in your foot, respectively. Additional supporting items you can use in combination with (or alongside) the Xero Kelso include Tuli's heel cups, BlackBoard training tools, Human Locomotion training tools, Zensah compression sleeves, and the Naboso Neuro Ball. The heel cups may be particularly helpful during the transition phase, as they can help thwart any point tenderness that may develop beneath the heel. You can use the other items mentioned here on an ongoing basis to help speed foot rehabilitation and build a more resilient foot.
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What Size Xero Kelso Shoe Should I Choose?
Xero recommends ordering your normal US shoe size in the Kelso, and we have found this to be sound advice based on our own experiences with this shoe. If you’re not yet used to shoes with a wide toe box, the Kelso may feel overly roomy in the forefoot area at first, but as your natural toe spacing improves with Correct Toes use, you’ll come to love the foot and toe freedom this shoe provides. In fact, those who make the jump from conventional footwear to wide toe box footwear like the Xero Kelso almost never go back to tapering toe box shoes, both for comfort and foot health and function reasons. Those who have relatively wide feet won’t have to worry about ordering “wide” sizes, as these shoes are already quite wide (wider than conventional shoes in wide sizes, certainly). While offering a healthy-foot-shaped toe box for your toes, the Kelso is sufficiently snug in the places where it needs to be snug; that is, around your heel and throughout your instep. The laces and tension straps do a great job of ensuring your foot remains in place on the footbed while your toes have ample room to spread out.
How Do Men’s vs. Women’s Versions of the Xero Kelso Compare?
Xero manufactures their women’s models to be relatively slimmer in the toe box than their men’s options, and the Kelso is no exception here. The difference, in our experience, is slight but noticeable, and it can be particularly impactful for wider-footed individuals who don the women's versions of these shoes, who are more likely to experience encroachment by the shoe on the first and fifth toes. To achieve maximum space for your forefoot and toes to operate, we recommend that both men and women order the men’s version of the Xero Kelso. Women interested in this lightweight court shoe can simply adjust the sizing down by 1.5 to determine the comparable size in the men's version. So, for example, if you normally wear a women's US size 8 shoe, consider ordering a 6.5 in the men's Xero Kelso instead. Apart from the difference in relative toe box width, the styling of this shoe is exactly the same between men's and women's options. It's possible that women who have exceptionally narrow feet may do fine with the women's model, but we always recommend trying the men's version first and then going from there.
Is the Xero Kelso Shoe Comfortable?
Comfort is a subjective assessment, but we feel that most people who try on the Xero Kelso will agree that this shoe is highly comfortable. In fact, across the various foot-healthy minimalist shoes we have tried and tested over the years, the Kelso ranks as one of the most comfortable models. With a plush mesh tongue, ample padding around the ankle, and a lacing system that allows you to achieve the perfect tension—not to mention the incredibly accommodating in-shoe environment the Kelso offers wearers—this shoe is easy on the foot and a joy to wear. Even after a long day of urban walking during which our tester logged over 25,000 steps, the roomy Xero Kelso kept his feet in fine shape and ready for more the following day. If comfort is an important consideration for you when shopping for shoes—and for many foot-healthy footwear enthusiasts, it is—then you'll most certainly want to consider the no-break-in-required Kelso as a top contender.
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How Durable Is the Xero Kelso Shoe?
Thanks to its high-quality materials and thoughtful construction, the Xero Kelso scores top grades when it comes to durability. All upper materials, including the full-grain leather and stitched soft suede accent panels, are inherently resistant to wear and tear, and the Kelso's FeelTrue rubber sole is designed to hold up well on a variety of hard surfaces. This shoe also incorporates a reliable toe cap that will protect your foot—and the shoe itself—from stubs and scrapes. Another aspect of the Xero Kelso that helps enhance its durability is the fact that it possesses foot-healthy footwear design elements, especially a zero-drop sole. The Kelso's level and flexible sole, along with its relatively low total stack height, ensure a more natural gait and healthier movement patterns that lead to more even tread wear over time. This differs from conventional footwear, especially cushioned athletic shoes, that, thanks to their raised heels, develop aberrant wear patterns and need to be replaced frequently.
Are There Any Additional Considerations for This Shoe?
Thus far in this Xero Kelso shoe review, we've highlighted the many beneficial qualities of this flexible court shoe and explained how it can assist you in building a better foot. And, indeed, from its generous toe box to its level support platform to its minimal stack height to its lightweight design, the Kelso delivers a foot-health-positive shoe-wearing experience that is hard to top. That being said, it's necessary to dig a bit deeper and examine any aspects of this shoe that may be less than optimal for certain users. None of these things may be dealbreakers per se, but it's important that you're aware of them so that you can make the most informed shoe-buying decision possible. Some additional considerations for this shoe, then, are the following:
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Upper Flexibility: The flexibility of a shoe's sole is well considered when it comes to its impact on foot health and function. Less considered is the flexibility of a given shoe's upper, which can affect how your foot functions within the shoe and how accommodating the shoe is for different foot shapes. The nature of the materials used to construct the Kelso lends itself to a somewhat stiffer upper compared to other minimalist models, and some users report that the relative “bulkiness” of its upper makes this shoe feel less minimalist than might be preferable. The flip side is that with sturdier materials comes greater durability, enhanced foot protection, and less water intrusion, so we leave it to you, the user, to decide how significant a factor upper flexibility is in your shoe selection process.
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Ankle Collar Height: An ankle collar is the top-most part of a shoe that wraps around your heel at the back of the shoe, and its purpose is to hold your heel in place. Some users report that the topline of the Kelso's padded ankle collar sits relatively high, such that it contacts the prominent bumps of the ankle (the medial and lateral malleoli) in an uncomfortable way. This wasn't our experience in wearing and testing the Kelso, but it's possible that you may encounter this depending on your unique anthropomorphic measurements. It's very challenging for any company to mass produce footwear that perfectly accommodates the many anatomical variances possible in human beings, but Xero, in our experience, handles this as well as any other company out there.
In addition to the above-mentioned shoe construction considerations, there are a couple of additional things you might want to contemplate before deciding if the Kelso will fit your needs ...
The following points concern how your foot resides within the shoe and may be most relevant to the subset of users who are seeking a high-performance athletic shoe for competitive situations. Here, then, are a couple of additional considerations regarding the Xero Kelso:
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Ventilation: Due to the nature of the materials used to construct the Kelso, this shoe is simply not as breathable as other airier options (which is not to say it doesn't breathe, though). The Xero Kelso does incorporate pinhole vents that are strategically positioned atop the toe box and on both the medial and lateral aspects of the shoe, and these vents do play an important role in permitting airflow into and out of the shoe. The moisture-wicking mesh lining and the general roominess of this zero-drop tennis shoe also help maintain a comfortable environment for your foot, but if you intend to perform vigorous physical activity that generates significant heat, this may overwhelm the Kelso's ability to keep your foot cool and dry. Side note: We have found it helpful with most shoes, including the Kelso, to periodically sprinkle in some Dr. Swaim's Medicated Body & Foot Powder to keep the in-shoe environment as fresh and dry as possible.
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High-Intensity Athletics: After testing this shoe on a variety of courts and for a variety of athletic activities, we've found the Xero Kelso to be an excellent option for low-to-medium-intensity endeavors or recreational-level sports. The grippy sole provides good traction for maneuvering around the court, while the soft mesh tongue adds comfort when executing fast footwork. When it comes to high-intensity bouts of exercise or competitive athletic situations that require ballistic sideward cutting movements (and the associated lateral support or structure), though, there may be other shoes that are more well-suited for the job (the Xero Prio is one that comes to mind). Also, when it comes to sole flexibility, some athletes may find the outsole of the Kelso to be a bit less responsive (or foot-conforming) than other Xero models, such as the super pliable HFS and the aforementioned Prio.
The above points constitute, in our estimation, the primary considerations associated with the Xero Kelso. These points revolve, by and large, around how the foot and the shoe interface, and they have little to do with more subjective measures, such as appearance (though we do find the Kelso to be a rather attractive shoe). Certainly, it's important to weigh all aspects of this shoe before determining whether or not it's right for you and your unique requirements, taking into account its many merits as well as any areas of potential improvement. All that being said, it's clear that the Kelso is a great option for a wide range of users, who will enjoy the incredible foot freedom it affords.
Xero Kelso Shoe Review: In Summary
With a wealth of foot-healthy design features presented in an aesthetically pleasing package, the Xero Kelso is difficult to beat as a casual footwear choice to complement an active lifestyle. The Correct Toes-compatibility of this minimalist shoe allows you to use it on a regular basis to strengthen your foot in its natural position, and the bendable, zero-drop sole will work wonders all the way up your kinetic chain. If you’re considering the Xero Kelso for fitness classes, gym workouts, recreational sports, or casual use, we’d highly recommend it. Indeed, the Kelso's sleek and classy look is ideal for work, dinner out with friends, and every stop in between, and you’ll most likely get compliments if you pair this shoe with a nice outfit during your outings around town. Thanks to its durable design that holds up well to fast-paced lifestyles, its many laudable features that keep your feet and musculoskeletal system in fine working form, and its grippy nature that will have you roving your neighborhood courts with ease and grace, the Xero Kelso is a superb choice for foot-conscious and athletically inclined individuals alike.
The Xero Kelso scores 4.5 (out of 5) on the NFAR scale, which puts it in the “excellent” range for foot-healthiness.
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