Hands-On Koio Capri Review: Better than Common Projects?

The Koio Capri is a go to for guys interested in minimal leather sneakers. In this review, we’ll see if this sneaker is worth the hype (and price tag).

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of minimal leather sneakers here at The Modest Man. Their streamlined, handsome looks work with so many outfits, and the style is classic.

I’ve compared several pairs of minimal leather sneakers, but I haven’t done a full-on review of the Koio Capri — one of my favorites — as of yet. I wanted to put together this full overview of this pair of sneakers so you can decide if they’d be a good fit for you.

Before we go any further into this review, I want to point out that while these shoes were a gift, Koio is not sponsoring me, and they aren’t paying for this review.

Koio: The Brand

Before we go over the sneaker, let’s take a second to talk about the company. Koio manufactures all of its sneakers in Marche, Italy. When I say “all,” I mean every bit. From the leather and soles down to the shoe boxes, everything comes from the region surrounding Marche.

Each pair of shoes is hand-finished, so the brand prides itself on the craftspeople it employs, as well as how it treats them. Values like “competitive wages, fair working hours, and a community-oriented working environment” matter, according to the Koio website.

Does all that pinch the profit margin a bit? Sure. But it also ensures that you’re getting a quality sneaker made with attention to detail.

Koio Capri Review

Now let’s get to the review…

The Design

The Koio Capri is a streamlined, minimal leather sneaker. It has a luxurious feel and a very pleasing silhouette. It’s a slim, low-profile sneaker with a clean design. These sneakers have a classic look that will stay in style for as long as you own them.

The Capri’s upper features full-grain chrome-tanned leather sourced from the Marche region in Italy. It also features Margom outsoles, which are some of the best quality outsoles you can put on a sneaker.

Not only are these shoes the product of two top-quality materials, but Koio actually stitches the soles to the leather like you might see in a boot or dress shoe — a massive improvement over sneakers with glued soles.

As far as the small details that matter so much with minimal sneakers, the Koio has some nice, subdued touches and features. It has a six-eyelet open lacing system, and it comes with waxed cotton laces.

It also features a suede heel counter to prevent the shoe from slipping off the back of your foot, as well as a bit of subtle padding around the collar. The tongue is pretty thin, and the lace loop helps keep it in place. 

The Capri’s branding is pretty low-key. It has an embossed Koio logo on the tongue and an embossed wordmark on the heel. There isn’t any contrasting coloring to make either of these stand out, so they create a really clean, sleek look. 

The Comfort and Fit

Style is great, but if a pair of shoes isn’t comfortable or doesn’t fit well, you’re not going to wear them. 

Typically, leather sneakers require a break-in period to loosen up and take the shape of your foot. This period can be uncomfortable, and you might experience some blisters on your heels or around your ankles. The sneakers might even squeak.

I’m happy to say that I didn’t experience any squeaking with the Capris. Right out of the box, the leather felt soft and luxurious, and there wasn’t much of a break-in period to deal with. I didn’t experience any blisters, and I think that’s mostly due to the plush leather lining around the collar and on the tongue. 

Achieving the perfect fit did require a bit of a workaround, though. I usually wear a size 7 in dress shoes and sneakers, but Koio’s size 7 felt too large for my foot.

The issue is that men’s sizing only goes down to 7. Luckily, the Capri is a unisex shoe. I went over to the women’s side of the site and purchased a size 8. 

Guys, it’s seriously the same shoe, so don’t get worked up over which section of the website you got it from.

The Price

Let’s talk about the price. Depending on sales and timing, the Capri costs between $190 and $240. Yes, that’s a lot of money for a sneaker, but it pales in comparison to other minimal leather sneakers like the Common Projects Achilles.

If you can find the Capri on sale, you can buy two pairs for what you’d spend on one pair from Common Projects.

Pros and Cons

I’ll explain what I like about the Capri and what I’d improve upon if I could. 

Pros:

I really like the low profile, slim look of the Capri. Its dramatic taper fits well without looking clunky or chunky like other minimal leather sneakers might.

The Capri just feels like a high-quality, luxurious product. The soft leather, suede lining, and stitched Margom soles give it a premium look and feel.

If you take care of the Capri, it’s going to age well. Not only will the full-grain leather patina nicely, but its simple, clean aesthetic isn’t going to fall out of style anytime soon.

Cons:

The sizing is somewhat of an issue. The Capri runs large, and I couldn’t find a size in the men’s section that would fit. It’s not a big deal for me, but some guys won’t purchase a shoe from the women’s section — even though it’s the same shoe.

The big issue I have with the Capri has to do with the leather. I haven’t mentioned it yet because it needs some focus and explanation. 

Koio makes the Capri with “Vitello calf leather,” which is proudly listed all over the site. The thing is, it’s not calf leather.

My friend Nick from Stridewise dug into this and found that the leather used is actually from mature cows — a byproduct of the meat industry. They call it “calf leather” because it’s soft and has a fine grain, which are characteristics of that leather.

I even asked a rep about the leather, which they confirmed is from calves. To the rep’s credit, they did admit they were wrong when I showed them Nick’s review.

Personally, I don’t care which leather it’s made of, but they should be a little less misleading about it. In fact, I’d argue that some people would prefer their sneakers not consist of calf leather, but that’s just me.

Other than my awkward sizing situation and the calfskin leather debacle, I don’t have any other complaints.

Final Thoughts

As far as minimal leather sneakers go, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Koio Capri. It’s a stylish, sleek sneaker with an attractive silhouette and lots of high-quality materials. It’s also the product of experienced craftspeople who know the company they work for appreciates them. 

As far as fit, comfort, design, and quality, there’s really no compromise. Even if you have the budget to pay for a pair of Common Projects Achilles, you might want to consider checking out the Koio Capri first.