The Earth Runners sandal is a grounding all-purpose sandal inspired by the running sandal design originated by the Raramuri indigenous people in Mexico, popularly known in the barefoot running community as huarache style sandals. They move with your feet due to the secure fit and adjustable lacing, and are incredibly durable. Perfect for barefoot style running, but you can wear them all summer long. Some of our customers wear them to hike the escarpment, while others dress them up for a patio lunch.
Sizing
We find most of our customers take their regular size in this model. You can try Earth Runners reliable sizing printouts here.
Earth Runners are incredibly adjustable:
- suits most foot widths, and if you have a wider heel you can move the inside hindfoot lacing to the edge of the sole for more room
- suits a wide variety of foot volumes, once you've found the right tension in all areas of the lacing, which is actually a single long ribbon
- suits all foot shapes
- Earth Runners have a thick triangular footprint shape, and have a generous width at the toe end that slightly narrows at the heel end
- Earth Runners uses a unisex American sizing system, so a men's 8.5 is also labeled as a women's 10.5
- it takes some time to figure out the lacing for your unique feet— we recommend adjusting one side at a time so you can use the other sandal as a map to put it back together
Lacing Resources
There can be a bit of a learning curve getting your lacing right, take a look at this video to learn how to customize the lacing to your unique feet. Here's an alternative lacing method you might like if the heel strap is sitting too low on your sandal. When you're completely satisfied with the lacing, you can trim off any extra using this guide. Please note that we cannot accept modified sandals for return, nor exchange.
Ground Feel
The Earth Runners model we carry is a combination of the Circadian sole (Vibrams 8mm sole with 1mm of canvas amphibious footbed) and the Lifestyle laces (a casual lace that breaks in more quickly than the performance version). It is not a cushiony feeling sole, but it will move with you well.
The Circadian sole provides lots of sensation through the sole, and feels very close to the ground. They are not at all forgiving of heel striking on hard pavement, and cue the wearer to move with a soft barefoot style gait. If you are new to minimal shoes and used to cushiony, supportive soles, you may prefer starting off with a more forgiving model. If you enjoy when shoes feel as close as possible to being barefoot, this would be a great model for you.
Care
Spot clean as desired. To wash your Earth Runners, our favourite method is to hose them down and air dry. We do not recommend putting the Earth Runners in the washing machine or dryer. If your laces wear through eventually, replacements are available and only require a pair of needle nose pliers to un/re-install.
Best Uses
These sandals have a steep learning curve, but they have a highly loyal following for a reason: they're fantastic gait teachers! The sole and lacing will give you sensory feedback about your gait habits, and the forefoot design helps encourage the toes to participate in walking and running with the option to fully splay as needed. If you want to take your barefoot style walking and running to the next level, these are a perfect choice. Wet or dry weather, the design is so simple and effective that you can wear them for any activity or occasion.
