Review Summary

Looking for the best sandals this summer? Check out Earth Runners!

Nothing feels better than getting out in nature and exploring when the weather is beautiful.

After all, it’s basically what humans were intended to do! However, humans were not necessarily intended to wear hot, heavy hiking boots.

A couple of hours up a back trail in mid-July is all it takes to prove this theory true. Finding the right shoes for nature can be incredibly challenging. So what are your options?

If you hate the restrictive feeling of hiking boots but also can't get your flip-flops shifted into four-wheel-drive, you have to check out Earth Runners.

Earth Runners masterfully fuse trail running shoes and sandals into one stunning solution! Invented by Mike Dally (an avid trail runner himself), Earth Runners are innovative sandals that allow you to tackle all kinds of rugged environments.

These minimalist sandals offer plenty of comfort, freedom, stability, durability, and control. Not to mention, the thick soles won’t let sticks and pine needles stab your feet.

They even look cool. It’s a win-win!

In this in-depth review of Earth Runner grounding sandals, we will go over everything you need to know. Then, you can decide for yourself if these sandals are a good fit for your unique exploration (or vacation) needs.

Overview of Earth Runners

Earth Runners are minimalist sandals made out of vegan-friendly materials.

These shoes are flexible, waterproof, secure, and incredibly durable. Every single pair of Earth Runner shoes are handmade.

They have different color options, sole thicknesses, and design features.

Earth Runner shoes are comfortable enough to wear essentially anywhere.

Better yet, they're durable enough for rafting, hiking, and, yes, even trail running.

Earth Runner Benefits:

  • Made using vegan materials and earth-friendly practices.
  • Each pair of Earth Runners is handmade.
  • Versatile features to match your needs naturally.
  • Gender neutral designs and patterns for everyone to love.
  • Adjustable sizes with replaceable straps.
  • These shoes are based on the ancient Tarahumara Native huarache sandals.
  • Canvas footbed and performance lace additions add comfort and functionality.
  • Select copper grounding rivets and various thicknesses.
  • Earthing Plug & Conductive Stainless Steel Thread with Grounded Conductive Laces.

Sandals Inspired by Native Tradition and Natural Motion

Earth Runners were designed to strengthen your connection to nature in the form of a durable and comfortable footwear solution.

These shoes were inspired by the world-renowned sandals made by the Tarahumara Natives of the Copper Canyons.

Their huarache sandals were made using a simple, time-tested design ideal for free motion and trail running.

Earth Runner sandals let you traverse all of Earth's hydrologic and geologic features comfortably and securely.

These sandals are balanced and offer exceptional grip to provide terrain protection underfoot.

They allow you to experience maximum proprioceptive awareness on-demand!

As minimalist sandals, they are ideal for giving you heightened awareness without sacrificing dynamic long-range motion.

This creates the closest thing to being barefoot you could ask for without the risk of destroying your feet on harsh trails.

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Great Durability and Wear

Perhaps one of the biggest selling points of Earth Runners is the durability factor.

These shoes last and last! You can wear them constantly, and they'll still look relatively new.

The cotton flatbeds tend to fray a little bit at the edges over time.

However, even if fraying occurs, everything still holds together well.

Moreover, Earth Runner straps have a lifetime warranty if they break prematurely.

If the straps need to be replaced because of normal wear and tear, you can buy new ones and switch them out in about a minute.

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Awesome Comfort and Fit

The Earth Runners strapping system is infinite.

This means that one continuous strap can be adjusted in any direction.

You will enjoy a completely custom fit that accommodates any foot type.

This is true if you have high arches, flat feet, wide feet, or anything in between.

Most minimalist sandals can not compete with the comfort and fit of Earth Runners.

Superior Barefoot Functionality

Earth Runners are a type of barefoot sandals.

This means that they don't inhibit how your feet function when you move.

Your toes can spread, and your feet can bend naturally.

This is how human beings were meant to travel!Other hiking sandals have a tendency to be overly restrictive and stiff.

While this stiffness helps to protect your feet from the ground, it also inhibits your natural muscular movements.

Minimalist sandals and barefoot sandals keep your feet strong and supple by letting them flex and move as nature intended.

This is very important for those seeking healthy footwear solutions.

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Various Sandal Types with Versatile Styles, Materials, and Construction

If you want to find the perfect Earth Runner Sandals for you, you’ll quickly find that there are many different styles to choose from.

You can choose between Lifestyle or Adventure sandals in varying thickness levels.

Options for Earthrunner's elemental, lifestyle sandals.
Earthrunners Elemental sandals Source: earthrunners.com

Each style within the Adventure and Lifestyle series is slightly different, providing plenty of versatility to shoppers.

three styles of EarthRunners adventure sandals
EarthRunners adventure sandals Source: earthrunner.com

The Earth Runners Adventure Series implements Vibram sole material and can get dirty and wet.

These sandals are burley and tough with performance laces for maximum comfort and security.

These sandals are ideal for free-running, trail exploration, and other high-impact outdoor activities.Earth Runners also offers Lifestyle laced sandals.

These shoes are designed to offer maximum comfort and style in an array of situations.

They’re well suited for moderate adventure applications. These minimalist sandals come in styles for men, women, and children.

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Elemental Sandal Series

The thinnest sandals are Earth Runner Elementals. The Elemental Sandal Series has an 8 mm thick sole.

These shoes are ultra-flexible and designed to be thinner than other variants.

Elemental sandals only come with a single layer of Vibram material inside.

This makes it easy to keep them clean. However, these shoes are also slightly slipperier than some of the other options.

The Elemental Series is best if you're looking for sandals that let you feel as if you are barefoot.

  • Thinnest sandal
  • 8 mm thick Vibram sole
  • Flexible and comfortable
  • Closest thing to barefoot feel

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Circadian Sandal Series

Next up are the 9 mm thick Circadian Series Sandals. Circadian Series Earth Runner Sandals are made with a cotton footbed and a Vibram outsole.

They are very secure and make it easy to keep your balance. This is true whether you are traversing wet or dry terrain types.

However, these shoes are slightly harder to keep clean and need to air dry if they get wet.

  • Great middle ground barefoot sandal
  • 9 mm thick Vibram sole
  • Cotton footbed
  • Fine for wet or dry terrain
  • Perfect for light-duty or mid-range activities
  • Many styles to choose from

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Alpha Sandal Series

Earth Runner Alpha Sandals are the thickest option, with 12 mm soles. Like with the Circadian series, these sandals have cotton footbeds and a Vibram outsole.

They are extremely durable and quite secure.

These sandals are ideal for intense hiking, crossing hard ground, rocky terrain types, or long walks.

However, they are also less flexible than Elemental or Circadian sandals.

  • Great heavy-duty trail sandal
  • 12 mm thick Vibram sole
  • Cotton footbed
  • Fine for wet or dry terrain
  • Perfect for mid-range or heavy-duty trail activities
  • Many styles to choose from
  • Maximum impact protection

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Earth Runners Sandals for Kids

If you have kids, you know that their feet seem to always be growing.

The footwear you choose for your little ones will either weaken or strengthen the way their feet grow. Earth Runners offers minimalist sandals for children that promote healthy foot development.

EarthRunner's kids sandals.
Earth Runner's for kids!

These sandals encourage mobility and balance naturally.

They come complete with conductive laces and flexible soles so kids can easily explore and grow.

These shoes can be slipped on and off in seconds, are flexible, and have zero drop designs.

About Earth Runners Straps

You can choose between the Lifestyle and the Adventure strap with Earth Runners.

There are a few different color options to choose from within each category.

The Adventure strap is a little less comfortable than the Lifestyle strap.

However, the Adventure strap is also more secure and better suited for high-impact activities.

The Lifestyle strap is thinner and more comfortable but not necessarily ideal for climbing or trail running.

Earth Runners Style and Aesthetic Design

Earth Runners go with pretty much anything.

These casual shoes look just as good on the trails as they do at the beach.

They’re subtle and understated yet classic and natural. These are timeless shoes based on traditional designs.

With options for men, women, and kids, and plenty of neutral styles, it is easy to find the perfect pair of sandals for pretty much anyone.

Final Thoughts on Earth Runners

Overall, Earth Runners sandals are some of the best minimalist shoes out there.

They look amazing and feel even better.

Earth Runners are durable, dependable, and incredibly flexible.

With various styles, these are some of the most versatile barefoot sandals you can get.

They're made of vegan-friendly materials in the United States and even come with strap warranties.

If you want the ideal barefoot trail running solution, Earth Runners barefoot grounding sandals are one of the best options of all time!

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Price: $73+
Where to Buy: https://www.earthrunners.com/
Discount Available: FJBLOG10 for 10% OFF

*The Fitness Junkie’s primary source of revenue is affiliate links in articles like this one. This means I might receive a small commission on purchases at no cost to you. I was not paid to write this review and I only recommend products I feel are of high quality, worth the investment, and beneficial to my readers, friends & family. Thank you for your continued support!

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