Ultralight sandals…?

very interested in more details. How much grip do each of the soles provide? How long will the shoes last? What were rough costs?

I'm really excited about these and am looking how to into how to adjust my materials choices(read: thicknesses) as well for when I make a pair of my own.

they look great

Those are awesome! Great job. They look kind of like Chacos.
I'd be interested to hear what the durability is like on the pair without the rubber outsole.

Glad you like them and may find the design useful!

The two different sole styles seem to provide about the same grip. That is, I've never noticed a difference between them while wearing them, but that's obviously a highly unscientific answer. I'm actually surprised that I've never had any issues with traction – I can't recall having ever slipped while wearing them. There's not really any "tread" to speak of, even on the rubber-soled one. It's just a lightly textured surface.

Here's the one that's just smeared with Shoe-Goo. I expect this one won't last as long as the rubber-soled one, as there are already a lot of cracks showing up and it's peeling in some places.
:

I can't say how long they will last, because I haven't worn out any of the current design yet. I can tell you the rubber-soled one is basically "like new", while the other one has cracks and peeling in the sole, and has an imprint from my foot in the foam. I guess the plastic and/or rubber layers help distribute pressure better so the foam doesn't wear out as quickly.

I think the cost came out around $25 if you were to make a pair with the plastic layer and rubber sole.
12"x12" piece of:
1/2" thick foam: ~$8
1/64" hard plastic: ~$5
1/32" rubber: ~$5

You also need velcro, webbing, and plastic loops. Probably about $5 for the small quantities you would need. Quest Outfitters sells all of those parts. Note their lightweight webbing would be great for these. I didn't use it because I had some other stuff around, but I bought some for another project, and it's quite nice.

As you go about choosing your materials, I can tell you about some other densities and thicknesses of foam from McMaster Carr that I have used for shoulder straps and hipbelt padding. A 1/8", denser EVA foam, (part# 8647K411), would probably work well for a really thin and light version. Unfortunately I didn't weigh it before cutting pieces out, so I don't know the exact density of it. If I get real ambitious I might try to make a good approximation of the area of the piece I have left and figure the density. They also sell the same thing I mentioned in the previous post in 3/8" and 1/4" thicknesses, which might work well too. Obviously it's a balance between weight, comfort, and durability, and I haven't tested enough foams out to say definitively what is the best. I think the ideal would be something like cheap commercial flip flops, but I've never been able to find exactly that. Another tidbit from testing though: I found with an earlier version which was just foam, no sole or Shoe-Goo, that when crossing a stream, moving water would fold the toe section way back under the foot. It was annoying at best, and perhaps dangerous at worst, because it made it a little harder to maneuver a foot through the stream.

Lastly – speaking of looks, another benefit: my ladyfriend thinks these make me look like a gladiator (…?). Next I will begin work on my ultralight sword and shield…

I’ll be trying my own pair soon. I’m planning on using my Surefoot insert as a template. I found what would appear to be a lighter and more resilient foam compared to the parts you list (85175K77). Some 1/2″ grosgrain and 1/2″ velcro should make sure some very lightweight Chacos!

Edited to make the link handle McMaster’s evil linking system.

I like the 1/2" web idea. If you go with grosgrain, you probably want to go the route of having 5 pieces of webbing, rather than 3, since the grosgain is probably not flexible enough to wrap smoothly around the necessary angles on the footbed. You can also work it out to be lighter with the 5-webbing route, since you eliminate the unnecessary webbing running under the footbed. Just make sure to anchor the ends solidly so they don't pull out.

I don't know if grosgrain would be that comfortable though, both because of the stiffness and the kind of "sharp" edge against your skin. If you go that way let us know how it works.

As for foam, I realized the product number above doesn't point to the denser foam I bought – try 8647K41 (the extra 1 was I think for 1 foot). That should bring it up. I did measure and weigh the piece of that that I have, and it comes in right about 10.0 lbs/cu ft (it is listed on the McMaster website as 7-11 lbs/cu ft).

I did the same for the lighter, softer foam (mentioned in the first post and out of which my sandals are made), and it comes in at 2.4 lbs/ cu ft (listed at 2 lbs/cu ft).

Finally, if you're still looking for grams to shave, maybe try a different adhesive. The Shoe-Goo is pretty thick, and I ended up with a thicker-than-necessary layer. Maybe you can thin it down, or use thinned-down Seam Grip, or maybe some kind of contact cement even.

I appreciate your feedback since you've actually built these things and I'm just spit balling. I'm always looking for grams to shave. While I realize many would consider this item optional (and thus able to be shaved to 0) it seems a good bit of comfort for a tiny weight penalty.

You mentioned that you didn't want specialty socks but what when i run long distances in my VFF's or wear them hiking i wear Injinji brand socks. Work out just great.

http://www.injinji.com/tetratsok/performance.htm

There's another couple comparable brands but i haven't tried them.

http://www.livingbarefoot.info/2009/08/toe-sock-review-injinji-toe-toe-feelmax/

http://www.cobblersupplies.com sells vibram soles. I realize they may not be the lightest…but you could make these last a long time with these soles on the bottom.

http://www.cobblersupplies.com/servlet/the-151/VIBRAM-1330-Newporter-Slip/Detail

Cool find! Like you said, they won't make the lightest sandals, but if you wanted to make a more durable pair for everyday wear, that's the ticket.

Has anybody out there gotten around to making a pair of these yet? I'm quite curious to hear about results and modifications.

Wow you did a great job. The people on the huraches google group would be interested in your design.

I like where you are going with this. Sure beats +1lbs Tevas.

I found these on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160460736115&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Supposedly 6 ounces per pair at size 13.

Along these same lines I wanted some camp shoes to wear at the end of the day that would keep my feet warm and dry. I assumed that my trail runners would be wet from afternoon showers or stream crossings. At camp I remove the insole from my day shoes and let them dry overnight. Meanwhile in camp I wear a fresh , dry pair of socks and tyvek booties with 3/8" closed cell foam (Camp pad foam) inserts for comfort. These are not adequate for walking very far or stream crossing but do keep my feet dry and warm in camp. Each bootie weighs about .75 oz
I also made some wicked ugly closed cell moccassins that weigh 1 oz per moc.

Cool ideas, David! Who are your suppliers for the tyvek booties and 3/8" foam?

Grainger sells Tyvek booties all day everyday. We buy them all the time for training courses where I work.

Linky

The only problem is they are way too expensive for MYOG.

Uline Source

Better but 20 is probably still too many for MYOG.

EDIT: Single Pairs Available Here

I got the tyvek booties from http://www.usplastic.com They have a version with non slip vinyl soles for about $2-$3 a pair.
I cut up an old 3/8" foam camping pad for the insoles

EDIT Upon field use the tyvek punctured far to easily. I then glued the foam to the outside of the tyvek and added some no-slip self adhesive rubber (usually used on stair steps) to the foam soles. This change brings the weight up to 1.5 oz per shoe.