Dude Shoes: A Review

(as featured in the BHbeat newspaper, 16th September)

As a wearer of mostly smart boots and lace-ups, a pair of casual shoes from Poole-based footwear company Hey Dude would have generally gone unnoticed. But having put these, as they have been dubbed, “super light shoes” to the test, they have proven to be the lightest and most comfortable shoes I have so far experienced.

The DuPont sole is the not-so-secret magic that makes Dude Shoes so light, as well as giving them the strength and elasticity to endure and absorb rough terrain. Their special engineering means a pair of Dude Shoes can weigh as little as 150g a pair.

However, it is not the shoes' lightness or sturdiness, but rather the spongy leather in-sole that really sells this brand. Dude Shoes make walking a comfortable affair even after several hours of rambling.

Hey Dude's headquarters are located in Poole, but their shoes are sold on a nationwide level – their biggest stockist being multiple shoe retailer tReds. Trish Martin, senior buyer at tReds said: “It is one of the best-selling brands in-store, and we are glad to be supporting a fellow independent Dorset-based company.”

Hey Dude produce a range of alternative styles, with quirky names to match, like Farty and Wally. Designs include fur-lined logger boots and suede desert boots, all with the same lightweight materials and comfy soles.

Yet super light does not necessarily equate to super cheap – the Wally, for example, retails at £40 a pair. But for the sheer comfort of the in-soles and the convenience of their near-weightlessness, Dude Shoes are definitely worth considering.

(To visit the Hey Dude website, click here)