Reviewer Jordan Flowers is primarily a road runner who lays down 30-40 miles per week, consisting of 4-7 per day during the week and a 12-18 mile long run on the weekends. He tries to get into a race at least once a month, and currently is training to run his first marathon in December 2011. He plans to run in minimalist shoes, but has yet to determine the exact footwear.
Jordan recently spent time testing the Invisible Shoes TrueFeel Contact huarache sandals, which are described as “a modern spin on the traditional barefoot running sandal — durable, stylish and affordable — and so light and low-profile it’s like you’re not wearing anything.” Based on this review, it’s quite possible we know what he’ll be wearing for that race.
Shoe Specs
For this review, Jordan stuck to a traditional lacing method.
The Invisible Shoes, by Steven Sashen, are a thin, rubber-soled running sandal. Similar to other huaraches, the sandal can be custom cut to match the unique shape of the runner’s foot and is held in place by a single lace. Lacing methods range from simple and efficient to complex and ornate. Most tying methods begin with a lace between the first and second toe. Some runners have developed alternative tying methods that avoid lacing between the toes.
Design
The TrueFeel Contact is 6mm thick and has a simple tread pattern that offers adequate grip on most surfaces. Invisible Shoes also offers a 4mm TrueFeel Connect sandal. I put in a couple of runs on the Connect and enjoyed how light and thin they felt, but have focused most of my time and mileage on the 6mm Contact.
Fit
Outsole The TrueFeel Contact is the first minimalist sandal I have seen that has a very slight curvature around the edge of the heel. This molding creates a perfect heel cup that helps to keep the sandal from sliding. The Contact also come pre-formed with two small lacing tabs (one on each side of the ankle) that keep the laces off the ground. The advantage with this design over other huaraches is that you will not be rubbing your laces on the ground and wearing them out. The downside to this approach is that the pre-determined ankle lacing tabs are not adjustable, so you cannot move the lacing point forward or back based on the size and shape of your foot. In my testing, this did not have any adverse impact on the comfort or functionality of the sandal. As with many huarache sandals, getting the lacing right makes all of the difference when it comes to fit.
Lacing The included laces have almost no stretch to them. I had concerns about this before testing them, but am now finding that stretchy laces lead to rubbing, which eventually leads to pain and blisters. Other manufacturers are advertising their stretchy, comfortable laces. I think Invisible Shoes has taken a much better approach.
Toe Box You can cut the toe box as wide or as narrow as you like. You also have the option of sending in a tracing of your foot and letting the professionals at Invisible Shoes cut them for you. In either case, you’ll have no limitations when it comes to toe box. Your toes are completely free to stretch and splay naturally.
Vamp The vamp is just a thin, round lace. I chose black, but Invisible Shoes has several color options to choose from.
Footbed There is no leather footbed like you might find on other huaraches. I thought this might make the sandal sticky and uncomfortable, but found that I actually had less foot pad friction in these sandals when compared to other leather-lined sandals.
Heel 6mm of rubber, just like the front. This is a true zero-drop experience. The rubber is quite flexible, so when tied correctly, it really shapes to the bottom of your foot. It’s almost like having rubberized paint on the bottom of your foot.
Style Black, simple, light and effective. These sandals embody everything that minimalist is supposed to be. No neon light, no reflective stripe, no flashers; just a simple, effective running sandal.
Road Test
After a painful experience with some other sandals, I had planned to run about a mile for my first road test in the TrueFeel Contact sandals. I laced, unlaced and laced again until I felt like I had just the right amount of tension to hold the sandal in place without cutting into my skin. In all, I probably tied them a half-dozen times before trying to run in them.
Once I got out on the road, I ran VERY lightly for the first half mile. There was almost no rubbing between my toes. I could feel the rocks beneath my feet, but it was never painful. Even the biggest and sharpest stones did little more than push into my foot.
At one mile, my feet were not even starting to warm up like they had in other sandals.
I broke my own rule, as I have a tendency to do, and kept running. At two miles, I was finally starting to notice just a slight rub on the inside of my big toe. It wasn’t painful, but I knew that running a lot farther would eventually cause a blister.
I turned around and headed back home, still running quite comfortably. I had absolutely no blisters or pain any
where on my feet. There we just two noticeable marks on my foot. One was a line across the back of my heel where the lace had held the sandal in place. The other was a slight pink spot near the base of each big toe where the lace had rubbed a bit.
Having now run quite a few miles in the sandals over the course of several weeks, I now have developed a slight callous where the lace rubs between my toes. It is not painful, but it does provide some natural protection from blisters. I no longer have any trouble running in the sandals 5+ miles at a time, several days each week.
Overall Impressions
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PROS |
CONS |
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Light weight Good traction Toes are free to move Great laces Heel cup for improved fit No fabric or leather than can mold or deteriorate over time |
Lots of tying options, so it takes some time and practice to figure out what works best for you The lace between the toes causes some discomfort, but subsides as callouses are formed. |
I absolutely love these sandals. For the price that Invisible Shoes charges for a pair, you’d be crazy to pass these up. In comparison to other options on the market, I believe they could charge twice the price and still be competitive.
After discovering these, my previous pair of running sandals have been taken out of my rotation and converted to casual walking sandals. While they are similar in appearance, the quality and attention to detail make the TrueFeel Contact a fantastic sandal.
Parting Thought
Beyond the shoe, the service and communication from Steven Sashen and his team were fantastic. I immediately got the sense that I was working with someone who was passionate about barefoot running and developing a superior product. While I love this sandal, I also expect Invisible Shoes to continue to improve their product. I am not sure what they can do to make this sandal even better, but I am looking forward to seeing what they have up their sleeves.
Jordan Flowers
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Jordan,
Thanks so much for your detailed review. And, contrary to your “suggestion,” we won’t be doubling our prices
FWIW, getting any callousing between the toes isn’t something we’ve heard of and, after 2 years of wearing almost nothing but my sandals, not something that’s a “feature” of the product. My hunch is that if you pay attention to one of these three things, that will go away:
1) Tying tension (the toe strap MAY be a bit too tight)
2) Toe strap angle (you can adjust the angle left/right with the tension of the ankle straps)
3) Form (you *may* be applying some braking forces that cause a bit of friction)
Or… you can ignore everything I’m saying since you’re enjoying your Invisible Shoes
A great review of a good product. I have been using the sandals all summer and haven’t put the running miles on them. I have one of the older soles so it doesn’t have the heel cup so it flops around a little bit more then I would like. Thanks for the great review
Great review. I also have been running in the 6mm FeelTrue soles all summer and love them. They are a great compliment to my barefoot running.
I was having some issues with the laces, so I modified my sandals to use 1/2 nylon webbing and a buckle instead. I realized that for most people, the nylon laces will do just fine, but for me, the webbing works much better.
The great thing about huaraches is that this simple little collection of parts can be changed around and mixed up to fit each individual person. I think Steven hit a home run with these huaraches.
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