Exceptionally light — and get lots of compliments!
Fit
There are multiple options, including a sandal with a strap that crosses over the front rather than lacing between the toes. They're debuting some girlier styles with lace, and they don't excite me but take a look at their website to see if they are your style.
There are options for thicker soles as well as not everyone is going to like the ultra-thin sole on the Feather. In fact, because of the goatheads, it was suggested to me that I might want to go with the 6mm Sport Utility sole instead. Customer Service has been very responsive, very helpful and personable.
Function
I wear these around town and they’re comfortable, but for lots of standing while shopping, for instance, they aren’t as comfortable as something with a thicker sole. Because they’re so light, I sometimes walk a bit barefoot and keep them in my purse until I need shoes.
I also wore these on a hike. I started out in the Inov-8 Bare-X, but we were scrambling up some rocks and I just thought I could get a better feel in the sandals. The grip was decent, and I didn’t slide in the gravel any more or less than anybody else that day. I felt confident and comfortable on and off trail wearing the sandals. However, there was lots of cactus and the sandals, of course, offer no protection. I didn’t end up with the most stickers (that was Siobhan, wearing Vibrams Five Fingers, who stepped into one of those piles with the tiny stickers that get all over; fortunately, I had the Inov-8s with me so she could change out). I was especially careful, I suppose, knowing that there wasn’t much between me and the elements. I’d take them out for a hike again. That said, my feet were sore the next day. It’s a lot of work on the feet to climb up rocks. The super flexible sole allowed my feet to move and gave them a good workout.
I adore them for running. I run on asphalt. I run on sand and light trail. I never think about them. I adjust them once and that’s it. They don’t feel tight and the strap doesn’t feel like it’s binding. At first I worried that, because the sole was so flexible, that it would bend under and I’d stub my toe. It hasn’t happened (yet).
The thin sole means some goathead stickers get through, and that’s fine. I just stop and take them out. I also feel every rock underneath, so I have to stay light on my feet so I don’t bruise myself, much as I do barefoot. Since I’m new to barefoot running, I’m still working on my form and shedding my heel strike. Because the Feather is so light and thin, it’s the next best thing to barefoot and gives me lots of ground feel and feedback to help me with my form. It also ups the Fun factor a lot to run on the trail and feel the ground beneath me.
The sole is 5mm Newflex. It is extremely flexible (it can be rolled up into a ball) and has the best ground feel of any shoe or sandal I’ve worn.
I often run part of a run barefoot and the other part in the UnShoes. They’re light enough for me to hold in my hands easily as I run. I could stuff them in a pocket, but never do. There is a bit of adjusting when I’m taking them on and off during a run as the strap can twist a bit, but it usually takes under a minute to adjust them and get them back on.
Fun
I wore these to a race in spring 2013 and got several “wow, you’re running in sandals?” comments, which is fun. Even more fun: they really are cute sandals. I get a ton of comments from people asking where I got them. I was in a department store (TJ Maxx) and a stranger told me they were cute. These don’t look like athletic sandals on the feet. Now, pick them up, and they are clearly funky. It’s clear they’ve been hand-cut (in fact, mine were a tad long, so I cut a bit off myself, which, okay, to me is fun, too). I don’t know if it’s the pink strap or the oval buckle or the whole shebang, but these get plenty of excitement. Lots of my Nia students are asking about them for casual wear. I might suggest the thicker sole for someone who isn’t running and isn’t walking most of the day barefoot.
Ordering
It takes a while after you order to get your shoes. Be patient. They have a new system in which the buyer decides the best foot shape and size. I printed out all the patterns, and it took me a long time to decide which was the best shape for me. I order up in size (I don't want my feet hanging outside the shoes). Since the sole is so light, I can trim away excess.
Get yours at www.unshoesusa.com.