Approach Sandals/Flip-flops

rkrum wrote: Wow my poor choice in footwear is finally relevant.

Rainbow flip flops are awesome. There is a break in period, but after than, they are provide good support for a sandal and are the most comfortable footwear around as far as I am concerned. Stiff enough to edge too - I've led 5.8 or so in them and bouldered many cracks including an inverted squeeze roof lol. Although this is probably more than anything a testament to the poor choice in footwear I mentioned. They are not cheap, but last damn near forever for a sandal. If you break it before you have worn through the sole, rainbow will replace it for free.

Second that they can be climbed in, however wedging them in a crack is not advised unless one is proficient at trad. It may take a nut tool to dislodge them.  Pro tip: if you do have to leave the flop for booty, make sure to clip it into your system for extra protection. 

I've been working on and testing a huarache style sandal for several months now. Sticky rubber and all. It started when my lady who's an experienced ultra runner and climber was experiencing foot pain that miraculously disappeared when she took her shoes off. Coincidentally, I was reading Chris McDougall's book "Born to Run" and wondered if Huaraches could be the answer.

I've made about 8 pairs so far and we've been thoroughly testing them on steep approaches/descents, trail running and even those long approaches to nowhere. So far, so good but I'm not quite satisfied and continue to improve on the design and construction. 

I've been following this thread and just couldn't stay silent any longer. I'm wondering if anyone here has any advice or suggestions on turning this into a legit, legal business. Yes, the internet is great and I am using it. I've also got several books on the subject but I'm slow, the internet is vast and book take me a while. I'm just trying to get to where I can maybe sell this product, be legit and legal and maybe find a way to buy my materials at cost.

I want to get a few pairs out there so contact me if your interested. I can't do it for free as the material cost is all out of pocket, but let's make a deal.

As Señor Arroz said,  the Vibram Five Fingers carry well and are pretty light.  They have good grip. Their major downside is that they take a while to get used to wearing. I've been wearing them for 9 years now so they're my go to shoe.  I have a really wide toebox (4E on most sites) and can wear them well.  I've also picked up a pair of the New Balance mininus MT101v1 in 2E that have been working well for approaches and can be worn sockless.

I love my Source Gobi approach Sandals 

Mikey Wally wrote:

like these? xeroshoes.com/shop/product-…

Not exactly, I use cork and cork fabric in my design as well as 4 mm accessory cord, but it seems Xero did do a pretty good job with this one. A few people I've spoken to said they had durability issues with Xero, but the price seems right. I'm aware of the other companies out there like Bedrock, Xero, Luna, Earth Runner ect so most likely I missed the barefoot boat, but I still enjoy making sandals and loads of people seem interested. I can send you a picture to give you an idea of what the look like if you want Mikey but you got to promise not to steal my design ;)

Get some Sanuk's, and have Shredmands at Greater Tahoe Gripworks, glue some dot rubber on the soles.

I've got some standard Bedrock Cairn sandals (not the ones with megagrip) and they're great. They don't slip when scrambling and I've climbed a 5.9 lay-back in them. 

I’ve used some thin light Merrill running shoes(access 2?), better scrambling ability than any sandal I know of and lighter and roll up better than most normal running/approach shoes

Update on the Bedrock Cairn 3D Adventure Pro sandals (that’s a mouthful):
Been wearing mine everyday for the last 2+ weeks, for work, approaches and casual.

So far they are the most comfy and secure sandals I’ve ever worn. They take a bit of adjusting but the strap system makes it very easy to fit any shape foot. 

I find any type of flip-flop without a heel strap to be a tripping hazard when hiking on a trail, especially if you're caught in the rain. Not what I want when I'm scrambling down from a route. I have a pair of cheap chinese watershoes I got on amazon that won't win any style points but are about as minimal and light as shoes get. There are 100 brands on amazon selling variations of the same thing for $20ish. I also have a pair of New Balance Minimus shoes that are super-light and could easily be racked on the back of your harness. I'd say they're not as ideal as the water shoes 'cause they cost 6x more, and they don't ventilate as well so they get smellier without socks. The xero's look nice, but they're not cheap.

Earth runner sandals. I’m on my second pair. Clip easily to harness for walkoffs. earthrunners.com/

Bedrocks were a game changer for me

Love Bedrocks.   Just got a pair of their clogs but don't have alot of mileage in them yet.  They resole too.