OOFOS OOriginal - Women's Review

With a patented footbed design meant to reduce stress on your knees, ankles, and other joints, the OOFOS OOriginal is unique in terms of both its style and function. Simply put - it is a recovery shoe, and it does the job extremely well. The footbed is meant to absorb impact, thus providing your arch with the perfect amount of support and cushioning every step you take. Built from closed-cell foam, the shoe is machine washable and fairly durable, with surprisingly good traction.

Comfort

In terms of comfort, these flip flops truly can't be beat. These were the shoes we chose after every long run, big day in the mountains, or hard workout in the gym. One of our testers wore them in the days following a summit of Mt Whitney, and reported that the flip flops took away her achilles and calf soreness, and felt better than walking barefoot. The uniquely shaped footbed with extra cushioning in the middle provides the perfect amount of arch support, no matter the shape of your foot. The wide straps keep your foot secure without rubbing the tops of your feet raw.

The footbed of the OOFOS Ooriginal is quite squishy, but not so squishy it lacks support. It provides the perfect amount of stability and softness to keep your feet happy. The toe post can feel a bit big when you first put the shoes on, but our testers quickly forgot about this, as the post is soft enough to mold to your toe shape.

Almost every review we read about the OOFOS Ooriginal mentioned how comfortable they are. People claim to have less back pain, plantar fasciitis, and sore feet while wearing these flip flops. Our testers agreed, having nothing negative to say about the comfort of these flip flops. Anytime our testers have sore legs, feet, or backs, these are the shoes they reach for.

Support

The uniquely-shaped OOFOS footbed looks strange at first, but as soon as you take your first step, you will understand the hype. The footbed is thicker underneath the arch of the foot and tapers out towards the toes and heels. This creates a bit of a rolling step, but also gives the foot the perfect amount of arch support. The footbed molds to your foot shape with every step, while providing support exactly where you need it - no matter how big or small your arch is.

The wide strap secures the foot in place and keeps it from sliding around on the footbed without creating hot spots on the tops of the feet. When the shoe is wet, your feet might still slide around a bit on the footbed, but we didn't notice this too much, as the strap works quite well at holding the foot in place.

The OOFOS footbed is thick enough that we didn't feel rocks and sticks underneath our feet when we stepped on them. Our feet felt confident and supported on a wide variety of terrain, including uneven ground, river rocks, and gravel roads. The online reviews we read celebrated these flip flops as having “fabulous support” and being “unbelievably comfortable.”

Traction

While traction is not what the OOFOS Ooriginals are known for, we were pleasantly surprised by how well they performed in our traction tests. The grip was quite good on dirt hills, wet river rocks, and muddy hillsides. They definitely didn't excel to the highest of standards when it comes to grip, but considering they are meant for lounging and recovering, they did better than we expected.

The closed-cell foam material of the footbed does become mildly slippery when wet, but the wide straps mitigate this fairly well by holding the foot in place. Our testers definitely aren't reaching for this flip flop as their go-to for walking around on difficult terrain, but they do get the job done if needed.

Versatility

The OOFOS Ooriginals are recovery shoes. They are not for wearing to a date night or to a casual wedding. They don't work great on hikes, and they aren't going to be your go-to for looking cute. All that being said, they do their job of being a recovery shoe beautifully. This means they are not the most versatile flip flop out there. But if you want the most comfortable flip flop we could find, this is it.

The one way the OOFOS excelled in versatility was with our water tests. The closed-cell foam beads off water with ease, and does not impact the performance of the shoe in the slightest. They float high above the surface of the water and are lightweight on the feet while wet.

Style

Simply put - these flip flops are not stylish. They put function over fashion and don't win any awards for style points. In fact, most of our testers found the look of these shoes to be pretty weird. We don't think this should put you off from this shoe though, as they are very clearly not meant to be stylish. They are meant to function as recovery shoes, and they do that extremely well.

They look good with sporty outfits or while lounging around in sweatpants, but otherwise, they don't go with a wide variety of outfit options. Our testers reach for these flip flops when they are resting at home, out for casual dog walks, or going for quick grocery store runs.

Should You Buy the OOFOS Oorignal?

These shoes are for you if you need a comfortable shoe to slip on after a long day in the mountains, and you don't care what it looks like. They will work well for people who spend a lot of time at climbing crags and need something cozy to wear in between climbs. They will also work well if you have issues with your feet, like plantar fasciitis or chronic foot pain, and simply want something to ease your pain while walking around the house. These flip flops are lightweight and are some of the most comfortable shoes our testers have worn.

What Other Flip Flops Should You Consider?

If you are looking for something similar, that is good in water, comfortable, but a bit more stylish, consider checking out the Birkenstock Gizeh Essentials EVA.