I feel somewhat guilty and conflicted
about Luna Sandals, because on the one hand, I'm not recommending
them, but on the other hand, I use them all the time.
It's all about the price.
I want to like Luna Sandals, because
the company was started by Barefoot Ted, one of the runners featured
in the mythic book Born To Run by Christopher MacDougall. I
bought my first pair from him, when it was still a “one monkey
operation,” and his huaraches were super thin and rubbery.
All of the Luna Sandals now are
thicker, at least 6mm or more, and some now with some hardcore
treads. My first Lunas are long since gone (the knot at between the
big and second toes finally wore through the rubber. I now own a pair
of the 'regular' 6mms with the leather laces. Actually the leather
laces are from my first pair. I ordered this pair with the hemp
laces, thinking, that since hemp supposedly tightens up when wet,
that they would be good for Portland, Oregon running. But the hemp
laces just never felt good, despite not ever having to stop and
relace like with leather laces, and actually broke off at the toe
joint area on a long cold rainy run, and they are almost impossible
to re-thread when wet, and when one's hands are cold, and when one is
dehydrated, and losing sunlight.
My other pair of Lunas are Leadvilles,
slightly thicker, though also slighty more spongy—I'm not sure of
the exact composition. And it's this pair that I've actually used on
two trail marathons in Forest Park, where the gravel fairies have
been busy on the trails, and also Leif Erickson road is just awful
with gravel and rocks. I opted for the Leadvilles because of
thickness, to just give my feets some sturdy cushion. And they
performed well, because both races were during dry weather.
All huaraches do poorly in wet
conditions. If the tops get wet, then my feet slide all over the
place, causing the laces to dig into flesh, and making any kind of
incline, up or down, hard to get traction on. For wet conditions, my
go-to minimalist footwear is still Vibram Five Fingers, the KSOs.
They cling to the feets well, wet or dry.
The best thing the monkeys at Luna did
was come up with a cool, practical, new sport lace, the _____, which
is partly elastic, so stays snug, and doesn't need re-tying, and
makes slipping huaraches on and off easy. As with everything at Luna,
it seems pricey, at $15, and if it were the only option I'd pay it.
But Xero Shoes now offers a similar sport lace.
That said, there is something to be
said for the tradition leather laces. I just like the gladiator look,
and it tends to make people do a double take. And, when tight, the
leather wrapped up around the ankles seems to provide some stability,
which most minimalist runners shouldn't need, really, I guess. I do
always have to stop on a run with them, and re-tighten the laces. The
leather just stretches out. So, if using them for a race, try and
wear them with plenty of time before hand, and may even go for a
light job, then readjust right before the race start.
Many people like the look of Lunas,
especially with the sport lace, and use them for a more sporty casual
look around town. They look kind of like Tevas or Chacos, say, but
with a way thinner sole. You can get some models with an additional
leather top, which make them look more traditionally sandal-ish, and
may make them less slippery (I've even heard of people putting
surfboard wax on them to prevent slipperiness). And, I do like the
look, and sometimes just walk around in them. But I find, for some
reason, I'm not sure why, that when I walk around with them on
pavement in the city that my heels get a soreness, almost plantar
fasciitis-y. Maybe it's something to do with the sponginess, or maybe
the thickness lessens my foot sensitivity and I lapse back into
longer strides and heel-striking.
The main, and best, way I've used my
Luna Leadvilles (with sport laces) is for backpacking. I wore them
for my two recent epic trips down into the Grand Canyon, with great
success. With an extra 40 pounds on me, I can't be as nimble-footed
as I'd like, so still wanted some thicker soles, while also, because
of the heat, being able to have natural air-conditioning on my feet.
I did manage to both freak out and impress my hiking companions, all
of whom still opted for boot-coffins. Again though, on the one trip,
in which there was some wet muddy trail, when my Leadvilles got the
least bit wet, my feet would slip all over the place in them.
So, with all these good things to say
about Lunas, why am I not recommending them. Well, the price: Almost
a hundred dollars, or more, for most models. And, Xero Shoes offers
some equivalent models for almost half the price. Xero also still
offers a thin-soled huarache, and Luna does not. Xero Shoes now also
even has a sport lace similar to Luna's. Some of Lunas more hardcore
models do have some super tread, but if that tread is supposedly for
maybe wetter muddier conditions (though may just be about looking
gnarly and cool) then your feet are going to be slipping around on
top anyways.
But, I bought my two pairs of Lunas
before Xero Shoes was even in business I think, and they're still
basically good, good products. Which counts for a lot. But I think
also the mystique of Barefoot Ted and Born To Run counts for
their popularity too. There are other huarache brands out there—Xero
Shoes are the only ones I've bought and used. As someone with a
limited budget, I just can't afford to buy all of them, nor even opt
for the 'cool' expensive ones.
If you buy Lunas, you won't be
disappointed. Just know that Xero Shoes huaraches, for example, are
almost half the price.
[also note: the best way to learn to
run in huaraches is to run barefoot first. Do NOT run in huaraches
like you would in 'regular' running shoes. Keep a shorter stride,
smaller and quicker steps. Just go slow at first, and use them on
trails. For pavement, you're better off barefoot anyways]
