OOFOS OOlala Sandals review
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It’s summer again, which means flip-flops (or sandals, or thongs, or plakkies, or teenslippers or whatever you want to call them). I used to walk on regular flip-flops, but they aren’t great for your feet and since I have quite a flat arch, or a basically non-existent one, they really weren’t great for my feet.
I think the first time I heard about OOFOS was on Twitter from some other runners on there. They were described as soft, with arch support and they help with recovery. What more could I want out of a flip-flop? To be honest, I hadn’t even considered the idea of having high expectations of a flip-flop, I just assumed they were all the same: flat pieces of rubber that weren’t so good for your feet.
So, I bought a pair to try them. This was back in 2017. OOFOS come in sandals (regular as well as smaller women’s sizes), but also slider sandals where you slip into, clogs and shoes. I got a pair of the OOlala sandals, which are for women, and have thinner straps compared to the regular version. I was a bit worried about the women’s size, since I have a bit of a wide forefoot, but since they are sandals, the sizing is pretty forgiving and it wasn’t an issue at all.
OOFOS are made with OOfoam which absorbs more impact and thus reduces the pressure on your ankles and knees. They are very light and they float on water and they also don’t absorb any water, so you can also wear them to the beach, the pool or in the shower. Which also makes them very easy to clean if they get dirty from wearing them outside or anything.
I liked my first pair of OOFOS so much, that a few weeks later I bought another pair in a different colour. I use them as regular flip-flops in summer and threw out all my other regular flip-flops. I also use them inside for recovery in the colder months. If they get dirty I just take them in the shower with me and briefly let them dry afterwards, but apparently you can also stick them in the washing machine.
They don’t weigh much, so I also put them in my suitcase when I go to a race. I brought them to Cyprus for the half marathon and also used them on the beach. I also brought them to New York for the Marathon. I had trouble standing on my feet after the marathon (a PB and all those bridges will do that to you) and I wore them in the shower to relieve some of the pressure. I like that they are soft and I like the arch support.
They also have really cool Marathon Major editions of their sandals and sliders at the expos and I’ve been tempted to buy them in the past, although I didn’t since I already have several pair. I decided I was going to buy them at the Boston Marathon expo this year, but that obviously didn’t happen.
Do they really help you recover faster? Well, it’s not a miracle product where you slip them on and you are fully recovered all of a sudden. Recovery is more than just a pair of flip-flops. How well you recover from a race depends on a lot of things: how your race went, your nutrition, how much time your take to rest etcetera. But the OOFOS are comfortable and do help your aching feet after a race.
I recently got a new pair in a new colour and I was curious to see if they would feel different compared to the other two pair that I’ve already had for three years now. But I hardly feel or see any difference between the two. And the fact that I now own three pair, probably says enough. I really like them. If they help your recover faster is hard to prove, but they sure are comfortable.
Note: I’ve bought two pair myself and one pair was given to me by
OOFOS Benelux for this review.
https://heartrunnergirl.com/2020/07/13/oofos-oolala-sandals-review/
