Disclaimer: I received a pair of Oofos OOlala Recovery Sandals to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Summer is officially underway. With summer comes prime racing season, beach days, family walks, backyard BBQs, and flip-flops. Let’s talk about the first and last items on that list: prime racing season and flip-flops. When we talk about recovery, we usually talk about it in terms of our legs and refueling; our feet are usually not high on our priority list. For example, we refer to the yoga pose as “legs up the wall” not “feet up the wall”. Runner’s feet (everyone can visualize what this means) are just a thing that we accept as a side-effect of running. I usually find myself testing multiple pairs of shoes to wear for the rest of the day after my races or long runs as my feet are usually achy and tired. I’m here to tell you, I’ll never reach for anything other than Oofos ever again! They are truly like walking on clouds, and actually help aid in recovery. Double bonus!

Oofos Excitement

I was introduced to Oofos last summer when they were recommended to me as the “most comfortable pair of sandals you’ll ever wear”, after complaining about how bad my feet hurt while being 36-weeks pregnant. I never actually got around to buying any, so when the opportunity came along to test them as part of being a BibRave Pro, I jumped and haven’t looked back.

I received my Oofos the week before Grandma’s Marathon, so timing was perfect to have them to wear after the race. I’ve been wearing them now for three weeks after runs of all distances (and I run a lot), and here are my thoughts:

What I love about Oofos:

• These sandals are truly built with recovery in mind. The foam in these sandals are clinically proven to absorb 37% more impact than other footwear foams. You’ll feel this as soon as you put them on. I haven’t put my foot in anything like it before wearing these for the first time.
  

  Oofos Foam Technology – why they are so comfortable and good for your feet.

• This foam is also clinically proven to reduce stress on your body while walking, and strengthens your feet by allowing you to use less ankle energy power with each step. If you’ve read my post about finding efficient ways to strength train, you’ll know that I’m all about finding creative ways to get stronger.
• They are the most comfortable pair of sandals you’ll ever find. I could walk a marathon in these and come away blister-free.
• 3% of all online orders goes to breast cancer research through Project Pink. There is a touching story behind the “why” of this donation to Project Pink on their website that I encourage you to read, but in short, their Director of Marketing was diagnosed with Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer in 2014. In an effort to support her, and all the women also affected, they are donating a portion of all sales to the under-funded research for this cancer. I love brands that give back!
• I’ve read that wearing these before your run helps warm up your feet with reflexology, so these aren’t just recovery sandals. I haven’t tried this yet, but plan to when I’m back to running next week (I’m still in recovery from Grandma’s Marathon).

What I don’t love about my Oofos:

• I don’t love the orange that I received, only because I want to be able to wear theseeverywhere. There are a lot of color options available on their website that I will be purchasing to make these sandals more universal (goal: find a way to make these work appropriate). Don’t get me wrong, I still find a way to rock these with basically any outfit I’m wearing.
• These sandals run a little large, in my opinion. I am planning on buying another pair (black) and will size-down on those. This might be my fault since I purchased them in my running shoe size, not my standard shoe size (I size up for running shoes).
• These sandals have a thick sole (rightfully so), so my already tall 5’10” self is even taller in these sandals. I embrace my height, but if you’re looking for a pair of “flats”, these are not it as they will add some height (1.5-2″).
• My 4-year-old daughter also loves my Oofos so I have to fight her for time with my sandals. She calls them my “squishy sandals” and she truly doesn’t care that they don’t even come closet to fitting her. Ok, this isn’t actually a con, as it is pretty adorable.

My 4-year-old fighting me for time in my Oofos

I don’t know what took me so long to hop on the Oofos bandwagon, but I am certainly going to be adding another pair to my closet. What are your go-to recovery shoes? Do you have any other recovery rituals that you can’t live without?