Unshoes: need advice

I haven't used them–yet–but keep looking at them and wishing they'd work out a design similar to the Chaco ZX2. Something with a lateral strap and a toe loop. Maybe he'd do something custom for you?

Maybe. They do offer custom work, but for a major change in design I'd want to see how the regular ones work for me. I have a family member in Las Vegas and the next time I go out we might extend our usual trip to Zion to include a stop at their shop. It's vaguely in that direction. :)

I have very wide feet, so have never been able to get Chaco's (their wide size only goes to 12, and I'm a 13). I bought a pair of the Pah Tempe Unshoes with the 10mm sole. I really like them, but they do take a little getting used to (at least for someone who has never worn sandals before – so I may be unique in that regard).

In terms of quality, they seem very simply constructed and solid. They have a MYOG appearance, in that you can see some tool marks on the sole where they cut it out around your tracing when you look closely. I'd guess they do the cutting with a sharp knife or scissors.

I've only put maybe 20 walking/hiking miles on them since receiving them, so no comment on longevity yet.

Overall though, I'd likely try a MYOG/DIY approach next time. I'm not saying my MYOG version would be higher quality or fit better, just that for the price of a pair of Unshoes, I'd rather have the experience of DIY and save a little money. I don't regret the purchase, though, because when I do attempt to make some sandals, I'll have a quality reference point.

Jim, thanks for chiming in. I have no interest in MYOG shoes but also am not much for appearances. Some work marks wouldn't bother me if I liked how they fit and they were reasonably durable. When you say they took getting used to, did you mean the sole was thinner/softer than you expected? I would be getting the Newflex, but whether to go with 5 or 10mm I'm not sure. I spend a lot of time barefoot (actually barefoot) in the summer, so my feet are reasonably tough, but these would be my first purposely minimalist shoes.

no personal experience with unshoes. Have a friend who swears by something similar made by luna sandals. I really like
Luna Sandals (use them for trail running and around town) but don’t typically backpacking in them because I
want a bit of fabric to give my foot a bit of protection from brush and to keep peddles (mostly) away from my feet.

–mark

Yes, I meant that going from normal to minimal soles took some getting used to, especially because I hardly ever wore sandals previously, much less minimalist ones.I'm guessing the reason my feet were sore the day after my first 5+ mile sandal walk had more to do with getting used to near-barefoot walking more than the sandals themselves. I didn't get any blisters or anything, more just general soreless in the in the spot where my arches should be (my feet are pretty flat). The 10mm soles are very flexible compared to regular shoes, but the thinner ones probably get much closer to feeling barefoot.

It sounds like it won't be that sort of drastic transition for you, so you may prefer the 5mm to get closer to a barefoot feel.