Icarus Ascent Gen 2 Review: A Barefoot Sneaker That Actually Looks Normal

A leather sneaker that works for dinner, a business meeting and the next day's city walking is a useful thing to pack. After three weeks in the Icarus Ascent Gen 2, that's what I've found myself using it for.

How I tested them

Icarus sent me the white/gold and black/gum pairs in UK 9.5 / US 10.5 to try, with an honest opinion welcomed.

I’ve worn the shoes for about three weeks so far. My use has been deliberately ordinary: a business meeting, dinner, city walking and general casual wear. Those are the situations where this shoe makes the most sense to me.

I haven't used it as a running shoe, technical hiking shoe or serious gym trainer. I haven't worn it long enough to make a serious durability claim either, but so far it's been great.

The thing I like most: it just looks normal

There are barefoot shoes I love wearing that still look unmistakably like barefoot shoes.

The Ascent Gen 2 is different.

From the side, it looks much closer to a conventional leather court sneaker. The proportions are familiar, the leather upper feels premium and the toe box doesn't look comically wide even though there is genuinely useful space for your toes.

I've worn these to a business meeting and to dinner without feeling like I needed to explain my shoes. Then I've used the same pair for walking around a city the next day.

For me, that's the real versatility here. Not "do absolutely everything" versatility. Lifestyle versatility.

If you want one barefoot shoe that can cover travel, city walking, dinner and a reasonably relaxed business-casual setting, this is one of the more convincing versions of that idea I've tried.

It still feels properly barefoot

The conventional styling would be much less interesting if the shoe only looked the part but felt like a normal padded trainer underneath.

It doesn't.

With the 3mm insole, the Ascent Gen 2 feels flexible and thin underfoot. The toe box gives my toes real room, and the shoe still has the sort of ground feel that made me move into barefoot footwear in the first place.

The 5mm outsole bends easily and keeps me close to the ground. With either of the two thinner insoles, my heel and toes sit level: the familiar zero-drop feel I want from a barefoot shoe.

The three insoles are the standout feature

My white/gold pair with the packaged 3mm and 4mm insoles.

I wasn't expecting to care this much about the insoles.

Each pair comes with three options:

• 3mm, zero-drop;
• 4mm, zero-drop;
• 4-9mm, with 5mm of heel-to-toe drop.

I spend almost all my time in the 3mm version. I've worn barefoot shoes for long enough that I prefer the thinner, more direct feel.

But if I know I've got a very long day of walking ahead, I can put the 4mm insole in and get a little more cushioning without changing the character of the shoe very much.

That is surprisingly useful when travelling. Instead of choosing a different shoe purely because I expect a lot of pavement, I can change the feel of the same pair in about thirty seconds.

I also think this makes the Ascent Gen 2 unusually interesting as a first barefoot shoe. Someone who doesn't want to jump straight into the thinnest zero-drop setup has more room to experiment with cushioning and fit.

Having three genuinely different setups in the box is much more useful than a spare insole usually is.

Fit: true to size for me, with real toe room

I'm wearing UK 9.5 / US 10.5 and the fit is right for me.

Length feels true to size. The heel is secure. The tongue stays where it should and hasn't wandered around during the day. Most importantly, the toe box gives my toes actual room rather than just looking wide in a product photo.

I don't have particularly high-volume feet, and switching between the 3mm and 4mm insoles hasn't made the shoe feel either sloppy or cramped.

The thickest 4-9mm insole takes up more internal volume, so I'd be a little more cautious if you have a very high-volume foot or an especially broad midfoot and plan to use that setup. That's a fit consideration rather than a problem I personally experienced.

Measure both feet before ordering, then check Icarus’s size guide. The Minimal-list foot size and shape calculator helps you work out your measurements; use those to choose a size from the brand’s chart. My usual UK 9.5 fits me well.

This is also one area where Gen 2 seems to have moved in the right direction. Icarus says the original Ascent ran large, while Gen 2 was made slightly wider, moved to a more true-to-size fit and added half sizes. On my pair, the true-to-size part checks out.

The leather and construction feel premium

The leather, stitching and tongue lace loop on my white/gold pair.

At $144.99, this isn't a cheap barefoot sneaker.

It needs to feel like a premium product, and so far I think it does.

The full-grain leather upper feels substantial without making the shoe rigid. The stitching and general construction on both pairs I received look clean, the heel hold has been good and I haven't had problems with the tongue moving.

After three weeks, I also haven't seen meaningful scuffing on the leather.

The initial quality impression has held up well in everyday use.

Gen 2 looks like a real iteration, not a colour refresh

Looking at the changes from the original Ascent makes me feel good about both the shoe and the brand. Icarus has worked on the everyday details: half sizes, a wider and more true-to-size fit, a tongue lace loop, a protective leather finish and revised insoles.

These are the things I notice when I wear a shoe. My tongue stays put, my heel feels secure and the sizing feels right. The insoles give me a useful choice of cushioning without needing another pair of shoes.

I like seeing a brand keep improving a good idea. Gen 2 feels like that kind of progress.

Where it works for me - and where it doesn't

The Ascent Gen 2 makes most sense to me for city and town walking, travel, everyday casual use, dinner and business-casual settings where a clean leather sneaker is acceptable.

Travel is probably the use case I find most interesting because I'm often trying to reduce how many shoes I carry. A shoe that looks normal enough for dinner, feels barefoot enough for me to enjoy walking in it, and can gain a little cushioning for a long day is genuinely useful.

Icarus also markets the Ascent as something you can wear to the gym.

You probably can. I wouldn't.

For light, casual work it would be fine, but if I'm running, lifting seriously, doing cross-training or choosing footwear around a specific sport, I'd rather use a shoe built for that job.

The leather upper is another limit. It can run warm, which I noticed in normal use. In very hot weather, a lighter mesh or knit shoe would be much more appealing to me.

That doesn't make the Ascent less versatile. It just defines what kind of versatility it has.

Grip has been good for the use I actually tested

I wore these while walking around the city in wet conditions and found the rubber outsole reassuringly slip-resistant.

The full-length herringbone tread makes sense for pavements and flat everyday surfaces, and I haven't had a moment where the grip worried me.

I'm not going to tell you it has amazing grip on wet rock, steep trails or climbing approaches because I haven't used it there and don't plan to. For the city and travel role I'm recommending it for, the grip has been perfectly adequate so far.

One tiny styling complaint

I really like how understated the shoe looks when it's on the ground.

Then you lift your foot and there is a big Icarus logo across the outsole.

This is entirely personal, but I don't love it. I tend to prefer branding that disappears into the product rather than asking for attention, and the outsole logo feels louder than the rest of the design.

It is a tiny complaint because, most of the time, the bottom of your shoe is on the floor.

Socks and looking after the leather

If toe-on-toe rubbing bothers you on longer walks, Creepers merino toe socks are worth a look. I've worn Creepers for walking, hiking and running; the light wool blend and separate toe sleeves suit roomy barefoot shoes. Start with one pair to check the toe fit.

For cleaning, start simply: Icarus recommends a damp cloth for the leather. You don't need to buy a care kit just because you've bought new shoes.

Is it worth $144.99?

For me, yes, if you're buying it for the right reason.

I wouldn't pay $144.99 because it is the cheapest way into barefoot shoes. It isn't.

The value comes from getting a well-made leather sneaker that can cover several normal-life settings, plus three insole setups that genuinely change how the shoe feels. For a frequent traveller, or someone starting with barefoot shoes who wants more flexibility around cushioning, that package makes more sense to me than the price alone suggests.

Try MINIMALLIST10 at checkout, and compare it with any current Icarus offer to see which gives you the better price.

You can see the Ascent Gen 2 here.

Who I'd recommend it to

I'd shortlist the Ascent Gen 2 if you want a barefoot shoe that looks like a conventional leather sneaker, works for city walking and travel, gives you a genuinely roomy toe box and flexible feel, and lets you alter cushioning without changing shoes.

I'd look elsewhere if your priority is running, serious gym work, cross-training or maximum breathability in hot weather.

If you have a very high-volume foot, I'd also pay particular attention to fit if you want to use the thickest insole.

Final verdict

The question I wanted to answer was simple: can the Ascent Gen 2 replace a normal leather sneaker without giving up the things I like about barefoot shoes?

For me, yes.

It looks normal enough that I've worn it to a business meeting and dinner, but with the 3mm insole it still feels flexible, thin and properly barefoot. The toe box has real room. The heel feels secure. The construction feels premium. And the three-insole system gives it more practical range than I expected.

It isn't a running shoe pretending to be a dress shoe. It is an everyday leather sneaker with barefoot geometry.

That's exactly why I like it.

Check the Ascent Gen 2 at Icarus for the current price, colours and sizing guide.