I Tested Two Pairs of Sneakers From Cariuma and Fell in Foot-Love

Welcome to Skimm Tested, where we put products to the test and then give them a report card. (Check out all of our tried-and-tested faves here.)

The assignment…

To test two pairs of Cariuma’s sneakers to see if they are comfy and durable. Yes, these sneakers are cute — but are they shoes that won’t cause my feet to ache after all-day wear?

What I tested…

• Cariuma OCA Low in Grey Canvas: A neutral canvas sneaker with a cap toe and fully-stitched lightweight outsole; $89

• Cariuma OCA Low in Triple White Premium Leather: Cariuma’s signature sneaker with lightweight cushion technology, a rubber sole, and cap-toe design; $139

Spoiler alert: I loved them so much that we teamed up with Cariuma to create a limited-edition collection juuust for Skimm’rs like you. Each style is extremely cute (yes, there is teal involved) and I personally believe they’ll be an inspired add to your collection.

Straight A’s in…

• Break-in time. Both pairs of shoes felt like they were made with my specific feet in mind. They fit well straight out of the box, and didn’t require multiple wears (or any intentional wearing around the house) to feel comfortable. 

• Comfort. These shoes are comffyyyyy. I wore each pair happily for many full days – and my days typically include chasing a toddler around, as well as about a 30-minute walk uphill to the arboretum near my house.

• Support. There was enough support so that my feet never felt achy after wear, and I felt equipped for wherever I ended up. I’ve occasionally had problems with my knees in the past after taking uphill walks in less-than-perfect shoes, and that wasn’t an issue with these. 

• Compliments. Multiple people asked me where I got these shoes. I am not making this up. 

• The OCA Low in Triple White Premium Leather. This pair wins the award for my favorite out of the two. While I genuinely love them both, the leather ones feel a bit more substantial.

Room for growth…

• Availability. I had to wait an extra month to start this test because the leather ones weren’t available in my size – and in general, they tend to sell out a lot. (Which really only proves that they’re so in demand.)

• Substantial feel. Note that this applies only to the canvas shoes. They started to feel pretty “worn” by the end of the month (for example, I’m now able to get my feet in without untying them). 

Plays well with…

• Night and day wear. These are the perfect casual shoes for errand-running, etc. But I also wore both pairs for nights out at a fancy-ish dinner and a concert respectively with great success. 

• Your whole wardrobe. These look great with shorts, a T-shirt, and a diaper bag at the playground. Throw on a dress or elevated accessories, and they absolutely rise to the occasion. 

• Your suitcase. I brought the leather pair with me as my only sneaker on two week-long vacations. I never regretted my decision, and was happy with how they felt on my feet all day (and, crucially, how they looked in pictures).

 Gets extra credit for…

• Sustainability. The canvas style is 100% vegan, made with organic cotton and natural rubber; the leather style is made with consciously-sourced materials.

• Eco-friendly packaging. These come in a single box (aka, not a shoebox inside another box), with 100% recycled and recyclable paper as cushioning. The coloring is done with soy-based ink, and the shoe filler (that stuff under the tongue that keeps the shoe in shape) is biodegradable. 

• Immediate comfort. I have to say it again – both pairs were comfortable straight out of the box. 

How I did my homework…

• I wore both pairs of shoes multiple times a week for one month. I took special note of how quickly they became my go-tos, when I found myself reaching for them, and whether I needed Band-Aids on hand (never 🙌). I’m something of a casual sneaker-head (as in, a huge fan of casual sneakers, not a casual fan of sneakers in general), and I was surprised at how often I chose these over other options in my large collection.

Footnotes:

• Cariuma OCA Low in Grey Canvas; $89

• Cariuma OCA Low in Triple White Premium Leather; $139 

• Cariuma has a 60-day return policy.

• The canvas comes in 16 color options; the leather comes in 4 colors: white, black, grey, brown, and also a mixed material in white with off-white vintage suede. 

• theSkimm x Cariuma collab is live now, but we have a feeling they’ll sell out soon. Don’t miss your chance to snag a pair of the limited-edition styles.