Sunnystep Balance Runner Review: Comfortable, Lightweight & Versatile Enough to Fit Every Occasion

However, while they excel in functionality, walking shoes often fall short in the style department, where people would have to compromise on aesthetics for comfort, ending up with shoes that may feel great but don’t match their fashion sense.

Enter Sunnystep, a Singaporean shoe brand founded to focus on comfort and style through its diverse range of shoes.

A step in the right direction

It all began when Ting Mao, a former data scientist, faced a life-altering experience when a wrongly taught Pilates class left her with a severe spine injury.

Ting said, “I could hardly walk after the class and couldn’t sit down for more than one year.” After a slow, rocky, and unbearably painful recovery journey over the years, she discovered how a good pair of shoes can help ease the pain.

“Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to heels and flats as heels exert too much stress on the spine and flats do not provide any support. However, I was also unwilling to resort to traditional orthotic shoes, which are not only very expensive but also clunky and heavy,” she explained.

Ting added, “I’ve learned that the right shoes can improve our posture, provide balance and stability, allow us to walk or stand for longer, prevent injuries, offer support to our entire body and improve our quality of life. I wish more people would have known that.”

With that in mind, she developed the first Sunnystep shoes, which she started selling out of a booth in 2019. Fast forward five years later, the brand has just opened its 14th outlet and first overseas one in The Exchange TRX.

Minimalist and stylish

Upon attending the launch of Sunnystep’s first Malaysian outlet, we were grateful to be able to bring home one pair of their shoes out of the variety they have in store.

Although there were other more unique colourways and variants, such as the Balance Oxford, and laceless ones, such as the Balance Walker and Balance Mules, we opted for the original Balance Runner, Sunnystep’s best-selling product in a Natural Tan shade, which we thought was a unique shoe colour compared to the standard beige, black, and white variants.

Although there were other more unique colourways and variants, such as the Balance Oxford, and laceless ones, such as the Balance Walker and Balance Mules, we opted for the original Balance Runner, Sunnystep’s best-selling product.

The shoe features an upper crafted from single-layered premium vegan leather for a stylish and sustainable choice, along with an outsole with a clean-cut design made from a blend of EVA and rubber for enhanced durability and performance.

The Sunnystep Balance Runner are also water-resistant and quick-drying, so you can effortlessly maintain your shoes with materials designed for low maintenance and long-lasting wear. The upper is easy to clean; you only need a wet wipe to wipe off any spills and drops.

One of the demonstrations set up at the store was a pair of Balance Runners in a jar of water. You can dip and dunk them into the water; the shoes will appear completely dry.

Another key feature of the shoe is how ultra-lightweight they are. A size 37 shoe only weighs 150g, which is super impressive!

Comfort bar none

Although its design features are already impressive, their comfort makes the shoes stand out.

The toe box and the heel area, often the usual spots for a blister to develop, feel buttery smooth in the Balance Runner and require no break-in period. As a testament to this, after leaving the store with the shoes, I quickly changed into them and went about my busy day with no aches or pains.

In terms of the outsoles, Sunnystep has opted for a specially formulated anti-shock outsole that is slip-resistant and provides durable traction that naturally absorbs shocks for smoother, more stable steps. However, the true secret to the heavenly comfort the shoes are known for is thanks to their proprietary acupuncture insoles.

The insoles feature:

• Acupressure massage points mapped to the major muscle groups to gently relieve muscle tension all day.
• Polyurethane material that will not sink over time and is flexible yet durable.
• Stable arch support improves balance, body posture, and skeletal alignment.
• Gel cushioning at the forefoot and heel cushion for natural shock absorption.
• The deep heel cradle stabilises your foot to counter potential problems caused by overpronation and supination.

What’s even more interesting is that the sole results from a collaborative effort between Sunnystep and MIT Sports Lab, which uses cutting-edge technology and leading scientific research to minimise stress on your body and support your movement from heel to toe.

Ting told us that the insole was something she takes enormous pride in and that they had been working for years and years to get the perfect insole. And after stepping into the shoes, we can understand why it’s as good as they claim it to be.

Perfect for every occasion

With its perfect blend of style and comfort, the Sunnystep Balance Runner could be used for anything. Depending on your desired color, you could use it for work and leisure.

We also tried going on leisurely walks and participating in light workouts. We found no issues with them thanks to their fantastic comfort and other features, such as their water-resistance and anti-microbial and anti-odor properties, keeping the shoes feeling and smelling fresh.

We think that it’s the perfect shoe to bring on holidays as you could use it for literally anything you need plus, them being lightweight and flexible make them super easy to pack.

The Sunnystep Balance Runner cost RM475 and is available in eight different colourways in Malaysia.