OluKai Mea Ola Review

The Mea Ola was an absolute joy to test, with a great blend of performance and style. The high arch and all-leather construction kept our feet happy and supported, especially after a couple weeks of breaking them in. Continue reading to learn more about these well-made sandals and whether or not they're the right option for you and your needs.

Comfort

Comfort is a priority for most shoppers, so we paid extra close attention to the performance of the Mea Ola in this metric. After logging weeks wearing this pair of flops, we're happy to report top-notch scores and consider comfort a big plus of this model.

The Mea Ola offers a sculpted footbed with a supportive arch and cupped heel that cradled our feet very well. The all-leather construction and a compression EVA midsole also gave us some break-in customization, with an improved fit after about a week of wearing these sandals. When compared to other models from this manufacturer, we actually found this option to have a more modest arch height that worked for a wider variety of feet, though the width was narrower. Fortunately, the strap is also made of leather and stretched out throughout the break-in period, but if you have wider feet, we suggest looking elsewhere.

Support

The Mea Ola boasts a stiffer midsole and, as previously mentioned, has a generous arch. This collectively makes it a very supportive flip flop and we scored it very highly in our review, coming in towards the very top of the charts. While some flip flops had too much arch support, this model finds a nice middle ground that'll work for many different arch shapes and sizes.

With raised outside edges on the footbed, the Mea Ola kept us from rolling our ankles or having our feet slip off the footbed. When also considering its arch, this model was dubbed an all-day flip flop, and we highly recommend this as your next sandal if support is a priority.

Traction

Traction was a particularly fun metric for us to test, taking the Mea Ola into terrain that's debatably not appropriate nor recommended for flip flops. Our team bravely scrambled and climbed across granite rock slabs and went on lengthy hikes to see how this option scored in this metric. Ultimately, the Mea Ola offers decent traction in many settings, though it's less ideal on gravely trails.

The Mea Ola has a unique leather-wrapped outsole with rubber traction pods that do most of the traction's heavy lifting. The rubber is non-marking and we found it to perform very well across a variety of surfaces, from wooden decks to slickrock sandstone. It also did well when the surface was wet, but please keep in mind the Mea Ola shouldn't be actually submerged in water. This option's scores went down when hiking on more chunky, gravel-riddled trails, with the leather wrappings coming in contact with the trail surface and causing us to slide in steeper terrain. Besides a few specific surfaces, many shoppers will find the traction of the Mea Ola to be confidence-inspiring for their day-to-day (or vacation-to-vacation) use.

Versatility

The Mea Ola is an aesthetically stunning sandal, but its all-leather construction limited its versatility. While other options can handle dry and wet settings, this option is really meant to be kept on dry ground.

Prolonged contact with a river or ocean will cause irreversible damage to the Mea Ola. Water bonds with natural oils found in the leather, pulling those oils out as the sandal dries, leaving behind a dry and brittle leather. Fortunately, the Mea Ola's aesthetics make it ideal for more formal occasions where open-toed footwear is still appropriate, and it can still handle long days outdoors…just keep it from getting wet. OluKai advertises this model as a flip flop designed for sandy beaches, and while we agree that it's great in those settings, we think it's great for many more applications.

Style

The Mea Ola is among the most stylish flip flops we've had the pleasure of testing here at GearLab. The quality leather construction and intricate canoe whiplash stitching really stands out, and we were able to even wear these with dress slacks.

While we all recognize how subjective style is, the Mea Ola was continually voted as “most aesthetic” from our review team and their respective communities. The whiplash stitching and high-quality leather made for a mature, dressy look.

While it's hard to see the laser etchings on the footbed while wearing it, we loved the artisanal flair of the entire flip flop, with the leather-wrapped outsole even offering a nice look.

Should You Buy the Olukai Mea Ola?

If you're seeking a flip flop that offers style and functionality, this is a worthy option if it's in your budget. However, if you need a flip flop for watery activities, we would strongly steer you towards another option.

What Other Flip Flops Should You Consider?