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4.6 oz
Sole thickness: 12mm
$75 / www.lunasandals.com
The Dirt: Founded by Barefoot Ted (of Born to Run fame) and made in a small workshop in Seattle, Luna Sandals come in a broad variety of styles and models. Our testers tried out the Mono (Spanish for “monkey”), an all-purpose adventure sandal that Luna says is designed for “gardening, hiking or running a 50-mile ultramarathon.”
When outfitted with Luna’s Monkey Grip Technology footbed, the Mono is an entirely vegan shoe. (Alternately, it is also available with a Pittards high-performance leather footbed.)
The laces are made with climbing-grade tubular nylon, with an elasticized heel strap and quick-adjust buckle that allow quick on and off.
Best For: Running any distance on mild to moderate trails, hardpack or even pavement. The thick footbed offers excellent cushioning for longer endeavors.
Rave: The lacing system keeps the footbed snugly close to the foot at all times, and the sole boasts a cushy, “flexible but not flimsy” 12mm of rubber. Together, these highly-praised aspects help prevent the Mono from flopping around on the foot—a problem our testers have experienced with other huarache brands.
Rant: In wet, muddy conditions, be prepared to slip and slide.
Tester-Monial: “A nice combination of old-world huarache styling and modern materials for enhanced fit and performance … the fit of the laces and overall comfort of the Monos are a significant improvement over the original Lunas I tested a couple years ago.” –Donald Buraglio, Carmel Valley, CA
Athlete Inspiration: Luna’s sponsored athlete, Patrick Sweeney blogs about his burro races, ultras and other adventures at: http://bourbonfeet.blogspot.com