Enter to win a pair of our ‘Original’ barefoot running sandals by using the widget below. Contest ends next Thursday January 16th, 2014 at midnight. This offer is for U.S. residents ONLY. Sorry international friends but we will run contests for you in the future.

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Earlier this year I discovered GladSoles Barefoot sandals on Twitter. I had been researching a few barefoot sandal brands and was instantly interested when I read more about GladSoles. The fact they are custom made was impressive , the fit could only be perfect if they are custom made.

A couple of weeks later I decided to order some, I decided on the Original instead of the Trail or Lite models. Although I run on some trails, a good percentage of my running is on road so I thought the Original was the best choice for me. I filled my cart online and found what I thought was a large issue. Shipping not available to Australia. This was a disappointment. I sent GladSoles a tweet asking if they would ship to Australia, within an hour I had a reply telling me to email and I would be able to order and shipping would be available. Awesome result, I emailed and was promptly emailed back. The same afternoon I did my tracing and emailed it through, my work was done, it was all up to the GladSoles team now. The same evening I got an email from GladSoles saying ” Your sandals have been made and posted this afternoon, and I’ve thrown in an extra set of laces for you.” Overall, fantastic service which is refreshing from an online purchase and something all online retailers should take note of.

Unfortunately two weeks had past before I ultimately received my sandals, it felt like two months because I was very excited to get these sandals and start running in them. It is a long way from the US to Australia so the postage time is the standard time, my impatience didn’t help.

Very keen to try, I quickly watched the you tube lacing video available and got them on my feet. My first run in the was a little 3km jog around the neighbourhood and instantly I liked what I felt. My first thought was that these gave incredible feel on the ground. 6mm of Vibram sole under your foot is not a lot, but it is enough to protect your feet and give a pure barefoot experience.

Since this first run I have given the GladSoles a solid test over many terrains and a variety of running paces. I have given them a test on road, both dirt and rocky trails, on the beach and in wet off road conditions. On all surfaces they have responded well. On road they give a Pure Zero Drop experience, amazingly low to the ground. I have run in other zero drop shoes but these are a different world away in terms of a low to the ground running experience. Plus my feet enjoyed being free. They are cooler and love the wind and elements against them.

Over trails I found the Original very good, on uneven terrain your feet will splay on landing allowing you to grip the terrain when needed. With only 6mm of Vibram between you and the trail you can feel everything you step on, giving you amazing feel on the ground and the confidence to raise your pace. I would love to compare the Trail models 8mm sole over the same type of terrain but I found the Original very good on these surfaces.

Overall the one thing that stands out after running in GladSoles is that I now look forward to every time I run in them. I have 3-4 other excellent pairs of minimal running shoes I can put on when I go for a run but more often than not I choose the GladSoles.

For those looking at a barefoot sandal I would highly recommend the GladSole Original. The fact they are custom made will ensure you have a perfect fit. I haven’t needed to tinker with the lacing design at all, they stay perfectly on my feet across all surfaces.