Can a water shoe pass for a barefoot shoe? I asked myself this with the Jackshibo Aqua Shoe and ordered directly. With a price of almost 10 € you can’t do much wrong, can you? Whether the purchase was worthwhile and whether it is also worthwhile for you, you can find out in this barefoot shoe test.
Bulletpoints
- Looks like a sneaker sock
- Properly Processed
- Feels like a sock
- Very authentic barefoot feeling
- Slippery on wet cobblestone
- The sole weakens in durability
- Consists of 100% plastic
- More suitable for leisure time
- Unbeatable price
First impression and appearance of the Jackshibo
Jackshibo Water Shoes
I honestly didn’t expect much from this shoe. After all it was only 10 €. When I held it in my hands, I was not surprised. The Jackshibo comes in a simple zipper bag.
When opening the bag, a very light plastic smell comes towards you. Fortunately this smell disappeared fast.
From the appearance I can only say one thing. It looks like a normal sneaker sock. Only made of neoprene with a thin rubber sole. My patients often ask me if I only wear socks.
How is the workmanship of the Jackshibo
Even though I didn’t expect much for the price, the workmanship is quite decent. No threads stick out and every seam is neatly finished. Also, there was nothing warped on my pair of Jackshibos. That was also very nice to me.
Fit and wearing comfort
The Jackshibo not only looks like a pair of socks, it also feels like one. I could just slip in and he was sitting.
I had ordered two sizes. Once 2Xl for shoe size 42-43 and 3XL for feet from 44 to 46. Normally I wear 46 shoes. With the iguanos I had to fall back to 47. With the Jackshibo 3XL was too big for me. It was much too loose. The Jackshibo in the size 2XL fits me like a glove.
The wearing comfort with these “shoes” is very good. After a short time I do not feel them anymore.
Barefoot feeling in Jackshibo
The barefoot feeling in the Jackshibos is the best I have ever experienced in shoes. When I wrote earlier with the Sole Runner you feel every stone, with the Jackshibo you feel every grain of sand.
The sole is very thin and incredibly soft. It is also very stretchy and flexible. For me this sole is the epitome of a barefoot shoe.
Slip resistance of the sole
Does one even have grip on every surface in such a shoe? The answer is yes, as long as the ground is dry. That sounds funny with a water shoe. But that’s how it is. As long as the ground is dry, you have a good grip under the sole. And the smoother the better.
I took the Jackshibo for a walk downtown on cobblestone. Everything was good! Then it started raining and it got slippery. Not that I slipped, but still unsafe. I wouldn’t have dared to run.
But in practice it is really slip-proof on our plastic floor. Even if the cleaning lady has just wiped through.
Material
The shoe is made of 100% plastic. The upper material is 92% polyester and 8% elastane. The sole is 31% neoprene and 69% rubber.
So what do these numbers mean in real life?
The Jackshibo is only partially breathable and completely water permeable. At the sole the foot can sweat because it does not let anything through. Nevertheless, even after a long working day in practice it never becomes uncomfortable to wear them.
Unfortunately, the incredible barefoot feeling of the soft sole has the big disadvantage that the sole does not promise a long life. The soft rubber rubs off quickly. If you only use the shoe sporadically, you can enjoy it for a long time. With daily use, the shoe is unlikely to last longer than 3 months.
What are the possible uses of the Jackshibo Aqua Shoe?
Now you can already think from the pictures that the Jackshibo is not suitable for every situation. So you can forget the visit to the theatre and the dinner party. The Vivobarefoot Ra is more suitable for that.
The shoe is perfectly suitable for sports. So it is perfect for weight lifting and weight training. I had the feeling of safety with every exercise. Everything was safe when I did deadlifts This was also the case with more demanding exercises like push press, clean and snatch.
After the training came the stretching. Everything was great here, too. The hold in the shoe is very good and I had the feeling with every yoga exercise that the feet can’t slip away at all.
But in Crossfit it can come to problems. When it is about being fast outside. You really feel every stone, especially when you sprint. Rope jumping can also be painful because the shoe is so thin. Every time I get stuck with the rope on my foot… . Everyone who has ever jumped a rope barefoot knows how it feels.
For the daily walk you can also use the Jackshibo wonderfully. A very good training for the feet.
At work, you can wear the shoes only conditionally. For the office or the sales area unsuitable. In practice, it is super comfortable for it. I am often asked and approached, but it is never a problem for my patients.
