Review: OOFOS Footwear

You know how you feel about your favorite trail? That’s how we feel about OOFOS recovery sandals and why they need to be in your gear bag.

Slipping on a pair OOFOS sandals or flip-flops after a long run is like walking on marshmallows. Only they don’t just make your feet feel better. OOFOS also reduce soreness and fatigue in the muscles and joints of your legs by absorbing impact to your ankles and knees.

The energy dissipation characteristics of the foam and anatomical shape of the footbed support recovery by reducing cumulative loading on the body.

Oofos Flex Sapphire The primary principle of training is to elicit an adaptation response by shocking the body with rigorous activity. But the recovery period between workouts is equally important - that’s when you repair the cellular damage caused by your efforts. As muscles repair, you become stronger and faster. Plenty of water, foam rolling, and stretching have all been proven to enhance recovery after strenuous activity. That’s where OOFOS come in.

A 2018 University of Virginia study showed that OOfoam™ technology absorbs 37% more impact that traditional foam footwear. Additionally, the patented OOFOS footbed has a unique arch support that reduces energy exertion in the ankles by up to 20% compared to other footwear, making recovery faster.

Past President of the American Academy Podiatric Sports Medicine, Robert Conenello, DPM, studied OOFOS and found that walking causes fatigue by storing and releasing energy through the ankle joint. Wearing OOFOS results in less energy storage and generation through the ankles, meaning that standing and walking in OOFOS footwear become easier on the legs and feet.

An additional study by the University of Massachusetts in 2018 found that the OOFOS design had significant kinetic effects for the ankle plantar flexion moment, the ankle dorsiflexion moment in late stance, and the knee adduction moment. What this means is that wearing OOFOS reduces strain on the Achilles tendon and calf muscles and decreases force across the knee joint. And this means a lot less pain and fewer injuries.

The idea of the kinetic chain is that an imbalance in one joint will lead to imbalance or injury in other muscles and joints involved in the same chain of movement. Therefore, by this theory, when fatigue is reduced or increased in the ankle, it can positively or negatively affect the knee, hip, low back, and related muscles.

Deanna McCurdy, elite XTERRA triathlete wears OOFOS sandals when she’s not on the trails or in the pool.

“My OOFOS are my go-to shoes to slip on after a workout or standing all day,” said McCurdy.

“By being able to diminish impact forces traveling up the kinetic chain, beginning with the feet and traveling up through the legs to the back, my body is able to facilitate repair to muscles and support tissues more quickly than when wearing other shoes. My OOFOS are as essential to my recovery from long training sessions and running around chasing my kids as stretching, foam rolling, and hydrating.”

OOFOS recovery sandals

OOFOS are available as OOriginal Sport Sandals and Slides, OOcloog Clogs, OOmg High and Low Shoes, and OOmg boots and booties for women.

“When I wear OOFOS, my recovery is definitely faster, and I believe they also prevent injury,” said Nozomi Wade, XTERRA Trail Run Age Group World Champ.

“Most of my injuries occur when I overtrain or when I’m tired, but since I started wearing OOFOS, I have been injury free. I used to experience foot pain on a daily basis and now I have no back, foot, or joint pain. As soon as I finish a workout, I slip on OOFOS and it’s golden.”