Ahnu Parkside Review

How do you put a pair of shoes to the ultimate test? You walk down the streets of New York with them on – in the rain.

My day started at 4:00 AM. I got ready, put my Ahnu Parksides on, got in my dad’s car and headed for the city. I would be going museum hopping, but you could say the trip doubled as a test for my shoes.

The Parksides were comfortable to wear while walking several blocks and had good traction even on the wet sidewalks. What makes the Parksides different from most other shoes is that they’re like zorses, in the way that they’re neither dress shoes nor sneakers, just like a zorse neither completely a horse nor completely a zebra.

These casual oxford shoes have a nubuck and canvas-embossed suede upper with a Vibram® Morflex sole, which is both comfortable and durable. A pair of Ahnu Parksides in size nine weigh 1.6 lbs according to my David’sBeenHere luggage scale.

I’ve tested out a pair of the Ahnu Parkside in size 9 in the color ‘Carbon’.

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Easy to put on and off while going through airport security
• Good traction
• Durable
• Versatile

What’s great about the Parksides being both casual and smart casual is that they are appropriate for almost all scenarios. While in Mendoza, Argentina, we visited some vineyards during the day, which involved a lot of walking then decided to go to the world renowned Francis Mallmann 1884 Restaurant that same night. I didn’t have a change of shoes, so wore my Merrell trail running shoes to the Michelin starred restaurant. I stuck out like a sore thumb. If only I had the Parksides then…

As we all know, going through the TSA security checks can be a hassle but the Parksides can make it a bit less annoying. If you don’t tighten your laces too much you can easily slip the Parksides on and off, preventing the need for you to take your carry-on belongings off to the side while you tie your laces.

The sole made by Vibram and is comfortable and has good traction. The lugs prevent slippage, however small pebbles can get stuck between them.

The entire construction of the shoe feels solid, however I haven’t been wearing the Ahnu Parksides for very long, so I’ll update this post if anything ever comes up regarding durability.

Fit:

From my experience, the Ahnu Parksides fit true to size. I’m a size 9 in Nike, Saucony, Keen and also Ahnu.

The Parksides are quite wide and give your toes lots of room to spread out. The shoes are comfortable to wear for long periods and feature removable squishy Dr. Scholl’s-esque insoles. Although they’re comfortable, I wouldn’t walk very long distances with them on, but they’re still more comfortable than your average oxfords.

Cons:

I don’t have many gripes about these shoes, maybe except for the fact that they’re a bit on the heavy side. Other than that, I really like these shoes.

The Verdict:

The Ahnu Parksides are a good choice for the versatile travelers who expect the unexpected. These shoes are well suited for city tours, dinners at fancy restaurants and everything in between. Match them with jeans, khakis or shorts and you’ll be ready to take on the world.

These shoes cost retail $125 and can be found on Ahnu.com or on Amazon.com. In my opinion, the price is reasonable compared to similar shoes.

Where to Get it:

• You can find the Ahnu Parksides on Ahnu.com
• Also here on Amazon.com

The Ahnu Parkside shoes were provided for this review. As always, this Ahnu Parkside review contains only my honest views and opinions. Some links found in this review are affiliate links, meaning that we get commission if you decide to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. This helps to fund the site. 🙂