Need some new sandals

scedastic

Barefooters
Oct 7, 2011
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Any suggestions? I'm a little jaded with wokova feather unshoes; the last pair broke within a short period of time, though they were quite comfortable.

Generally, I like the thinner, flexible soles for most surfaces and trails. Rocky trails would be rare (though there is one near where I live) but I might be more inclined to find a close toed shoe for that.
 
I haven't tried the other newer brands of sandals, mainly some homemade versions and Luna's. The Luna's are very nice and do have a very long life in my experience.
They work ok in mud, as long as its not too deep. I think if you wore some injini socks it should be ok in almost all situations, except english spring trail running.
I've only used the MGT footbed, the leather is supposedly more slick when wet.
The venados and monos are very slick in mud, leaves, ice, cobblestone etc....and as much as I like both of the models for any trail running in these conditions I use my oso's.
The oso's are very thick so if you have a desire for groundfeel (which I feel is overrated) there is very little. the range goes like this from most ground feel to no ground feel, venados/monos/osos.
Also I have a tube of shoe goo I use to add some thickness to the sole where the straps comes through. I probably have 400 trail miles or so on my oso's and they are alive and kicking.
I was hesitant to spend the money initially, however I have been very pleased by the quality of the Luna's. The new elastic straps and trail straps are fantastic. The elastic venados are very easy on and off and make a good complement to running barefoot but having backup.
 
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About luna,
I would avoid mono and oso, they are the sandal version of cushioned shoes.
venado is for raod only (I love them when my barefeet are tired), leadville or leadville pacer (thiner) are perfect for trail.

I didnt like them for wet / muddy trails, but I should try with socks as Abide just said.
I tried the traditional ribbon laces, never managed to find a proper way to use it, always too loose on the ball of the foot, always to tight on the ankle. but some people told me they had no problem with it.

xero are cheaper, and unbreakable.
the feeling is different, dont know how to explain
I once had a problem, a sharp stone cut the lace, you should always go with some laces in your pocket.
 
I just received the Amuri Z-Trek from Xero. http://xeroshoes.com/shop/amuri/ztrek-men/
Haven't run in them yet, but they fit great and looks like they will stay on my feet without moving around. It's still chilly here, so I'll be wearing them with socks for awhile.


I bought a pair last year, but the ones with the rubber toe thing in the middle.
The heel cup is awkward, and purposeless, imho.
The rubber thing between the toes has a seem that gives me terrible blisters, so I can't wear them for anything.
 
Enjoy them. They are my go-to footwear most of the year (but I still seldom run in them!)

My running sandals end up as my every day all day no matter the occasion shoes.
Hey, I didn't even check if they are elastic anywhere so that I can just slip them on. Hate wasting time on tightening/loosening and having to get the fit just right.
 
Ordered the venados yesterday with the mgt footbed, although I'm intrigued by the leather footbed. Never tried one.


I have tried different sandals, and the best so far are the Luna's, I use them for every ultra, the only problem is the high price, I'm preparing my homemade sandals with the same quality laces that the luna's (you can buy them on internet, 10 ft for 18 usd) have and they work perfectly, to be honest I think every sandal brand is overrated, most of the time, the simplest thing works...

Either way, Luna's are your best choice.
 
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You made your decision so I won't try to talk you back into Unshoes, but I have had very good luck with them. If I would have caught this sooner I would have talked you into trying the Wokova. Much more durable than the feather model. I like the feather for ease of getting into, but it is just not enough sandal for running. I believe the feather came out when the demand at the time was to get as minimal as possible, but I found with my trials, the thinner the sandal, the more floppy it is and the greater the risk of the straps pulling out. For a time, Unshoes was experimenting with rivets holding the straps on. These did not last long on mine and Unshoes was able to fix the problem with their new attachment system. The new sandals with the footbeds and new sole material are much more durable. I checked out Pat Sweeny's Lunas at a race and I really liked the looks of them. They were thick but very light. Someday I would like to try Lunas, but right now I have a quiver of Unshoes.

I agree with Abide. Ground feel - over rated. Get a thick sandal that lasts.