Luna Mono Sandals – Absolutely Great

Running in Sandals! Skeptical? So was I, NO WAY IN HELL was I going to try and running in sandals. I had read the book Born To Run and learned of the Tarahumara running in homemade sandals. I finally met a friend who was a sandal runner and she convinced me to try it out! 

 First impressions

I had never run in sandals much less a zero drop shoe before, my break in run consisted of 7 miles in Arches National Park.  The terrain consisted of hard pack trail, sandstone, and super sandy washes. I feel free, unbelievably free. The transition to sandals was almost flawless, I began to correct my form and it felt more natural. The following day, HOLY SMOKES my calves are sore. Adjusting to zero drop took a little while but I feel my legs getting stronger and stronger!

Traction

The Luna Mono is equipped with a Vibram Morflex sole and provides excellent traction. I’ve only slipped on ice so far. Surfaces tested on vary from the Deserts of Utah, The muddy wet trails of Oregon, and All over the Colorado Rockies. I was surprised at the wide array of terrain these sandals perform well in. I’ve been toying with the idea of running some screws through a pair for ice!? I should also mention I’ve done some minor rock climbing in them (not advised) and the vibrate soles are rad!

Construction

The Luna Mono is handmade in Seattle. They are lightweight at 5.9 oz each for a men’s size 9. The materials are holding up well to a lot of abuse as I wear them daily as a casual sandal as well. The 11mm base with 4mm of tread soaks up impact from sharp rocks without hindering the natural feel. The design is simple “ everything you need, nothing you don’t.” So far I have roughly 150 miles on these and they are getting good and broken in. Oh and I should mention they are VEGAN! No animal products are used in the production of these sandals.

Luna Mono Sandals – The Nitty Gritty

These sandals are downright fun. An absolute blast to run in, once you get them laced and adjusted to your feet properly it makes running such fun! I can’t help but smile every time I sprint off in a pair. I’m a luna customer for life. I’ll still run in varieties of trail runners and mix up my running schedule but I am excited to run an ultra in these. If you’re looking to run free, or just a sandal that’s downright comfortable and confident in varying terrain. Also one of the best parts is when running people always exclaim, “Woah you run in sandals” and you can’t help but smile!

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Will Coleman

Hi, I’m Will, I’m currently living the van life in Colorado. I enjoy mountaineering, splitboarding, climbing, trail running and type 2 fun! I’m 28 years old and spend as much time outside as possible. I moved to Colorado in 2014 from Mississippi and grew up in the mid-south. I have been snowboarding since 2000 and the mountains have had my heart ever since. You can find me anywhere from riding Colorado’s high peaks to climbing desert towers, to climbing in the PNW!