Rainbow Sandals Review - Best Leather Flip Flops
An in-depth review of one of my absolute favorite pieces of footwear
In 2011 after sporting my leather flip flops at the pool for those long summer days as a lifeguard, one of the managers came into work with a brand-new pair of leather Rainbow Sandals. Being a lifeguard who is constantly looking for ways to pass the time, we all naturally discussed his new sandals. He claimed that these sandals were somehow superior to other leather sandals. Working as a lifeguard for several years, he claimed that after his many years of being a flip flop connoisseur, he had struck gold with this pair of sandals.
After that summer ended and the time to buy a new pair of sandals came around, I thought back to the summer days by the pool and the simplistic design of the Rainbow Sandals. After spending nearly a full summer in various different pairs of sandals, I felt that I had become somewhat of a flip flop expert myself. I decided to trust my old boss and pick up a pair of Rainbows to see what they were all about. Immediately after I picked up a pair, I was beyond disappointed. The first few days of daily wear were terribly painful. I remember walking around in the stiff and tight sandals that nearly gave me blisters and thinking, “how did I just let myself buy these, there is no way these are the best pair of leather sandals on the market.” After the first few days of everyday use, the leather was badly rubbing my arches, and the strap began to irritate the top of my foot. In fact, it was actually so bad at one point that I contemplated to email Rainbow about my experience.
At the time I had no idea, but apparently these flip flops were supposed to have an extremely snug fit until the leather forms to your feet. I was unaware of this, but as I wore my sandals more and more, I slowly began to notice them becoming much more comfortable. Eventually, they slid perfectly onto my feet, and I would soon forget the brief break in period. From the first few weeks of wearing these sandals, I went from one of the most aggravated customers to one of the happiest customers solely due to the increased comfort over time. The most noticeable thing that happened as I wore the sandals more was that less and less rubbing occurred on the sandal strap. When I first bought the sandals, the leather was very light and grippy which made it almost stick to your skin. After a few weeks of everyday use, these contact points slowly become more and more smooth, allowing for a much more enjoyable experience. Additionally, the footbed of the sandals began to darken with time. This not only made the overall feel much more satisfying, but I also think that it makes the sandals look better.
Over time, I watched these sandals transform from a painful and wretched blister machine to one of the most comfortable articles of clothing I own.
Okay, it is obvious that these sandals take time to break in, but what makes them so special once they start to form to your feet? From a durability standpoint, they claim that the glue used to adhere the leather to the foam will never become detached. This same glue is also used to glue that rubber sole to the foam. Additionally, they claim to use the most durable double stitching pattern for the leather strap to ensure that it will last as long as possible. Not to mention, if all else fails, there is still the ‘lifetime Rainbow guarantee.’
Even with all this, Rainbow Sandals is committed to the environment, as all of their sandals are sourced from environmentally conscious materials. Not only do I truly enjoy wearing my Rainbow Sandals, but I also can have the peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to enjoy their sandals at the expense of the environment. It's no secret that these are the key factors that have contributed to their success since their founding in Laguna Beach, CA in 1975.