OOFOS sandals review for lightweight travel comfort

This traveler isn’t necessarily a flip-flop gal. Not enough support when you are beating back the miles exploring a city or park, or enjoying a museum or exhibit. The OOFOS sandals are a different breed, however: Super lightweight, supportive comfort for travel whether you’re putting in some legwork or loitering at a café.

Plus – here’s the kicker – compared to other popular “molded” type sandals, they don’t make you look like a geeky tourist.

Officially called “recovery footwear,” the OOFOS sandals line started out with one “OOrginal” model ($44.95) that was a bit thick in the underfoot area to be as all-purpose as I demand in my travel footwear. Any sandal that makes it into my bag better carry me over hill and dale comfortably, but still look cute enough to go out to a casual dinner that is more than fish-and-chips takeout.

I immediately fell in love with the same OOFOS OOriginal sandals’ generous arch support also in the OOlala. These don’t leave me or my feet and legs feeling trashed after an afternoon of traipsing about in warm weather. Seriously, this sandal cradles your foot yet envelops it in comfortable support. Or should I say supportive comfort?

Now, the line has expanded to include a women’s “OOlala” version ($59.95) that has a silhouette that is slimmed back just enough to not be clunks-ville; plus, it offers color shimmer on the straps to kick up the style just a bit. (There are now also slides and clogs, which we have not tried, but may be OK if you just need practical and not that dash of cute factor.)

The foam is moisture- and bacteria-resistant closed cell so you can take it into a shower or steam room too. I’ve found the OOFOS sandals great for shared showers and to wear around lodging and hostels too. And light? Did we say light? They nearly float out of your travel pack or suitcase.

There was only one minor issue when I tried the OOlala with the satin finish on the straps for color. If you smoosh down the straps for a period of time (e.g. in a closet or bag), you get little cracks in the color since it is basically a spray-on finish. These “cracks” don’t seem to break through the color and this ruin the sandal, and they do seem to “plump” back up after a bit, but there are still little hairlines if you look hard. Me, I’m not going to pack the OOFOS sandals like glass slippers so I’ll live with little hairlines if I must since they are so comfortable.

Too, some users have noted that the sizing can be small. I have tried on and even worn numerous pairs and have not had a single issue with irregular sizing. So either I was very lucky or any issue that did exist has been taken care of. So we are more than pleased to award OOFOS OOlala sandals with the HITT Seal of Approval for Travel Product Excellence.