RESPIRE Sandals REVIEW
My overall rating: ‘Good’, with a potential for ‘Excellent’ IF improved / redesigned.
Comments – as always personal and subjective - are a matter of perspective, mine being that of a mountain hiker, non-competitive runner and barefoot enthusiast of 15 years, with considerable experience, having tried and used most of the N. American and major European brands of minimal / barefoot sandals, shoes and boots.
Here are my comments and concerns:
- stack height: 13 mm is a little too thick (by 2 - 3 mm), and footbed a little too spongy, which is appealing, as it makes it comfy, but both these features reduce the ground feel and foot stretch / movement - positioning of the toe post causes the big toe to drift off the footbed from time to time, especially when running or walking downhill - the top straps seem too long / hang over when fully tightened
The above may not come up as an issue IF the sandals are used for casual walks along city promenades, parks and sidewalks.
Further comments:
- the soles pattern and material provide excellent traction
- grippy and stimulating, well shaped and ample footbed

Here are a couple of challenges I encountered right from the start (June / 25), before I finally decided to test Respire sandals in the mountainous, rugged terrain: - after several hours of walking and showing my friends (who brought Respire sandals from Europe) the city of my residence, I developed a bleeding abrasion. On close examination, I found that the strap leading from the toe post had a rough stitch, which persistently rubbed the sensitive, thin skin on top of my foot. As a result, I had to put away the sandals for a couple of weeks to allow healing. Meanwhile, I applied a piece of cotton tape to the rough spot of the strap, which not only ‘did the trick’ but to my surprise held well over the balance of summer, when I wore the sandals quite a lot. - often when walking fast, and always when running, the heel straps would drop / slip down, making it insecure to continue. I patiently tried to adjust the straps in variety of ways, but no combination proved effective. What worked eventually was the old fashioned approach: thread and needle - I sewed the back strap (on both sides) to the one that goes over the foot and pulls / holds the sandal up.
Since those adjustments and repairs, and having accepted the previously mentioned compromises, I enjoyed wearing Respire sandals a lot. They are now well tested, in all kinds of terrain. Except I haven’t yet made a point of verifying the ‘grounding feature’ - which to me represents a major benefit - trusting that it ‘works’ as expected.

Was so excited to try these sandals, as I have both Bahé's barefoot sneakers and the hiking boots. Anytime I can find a shoe that does both barefoot and grounding, I consider it a win. I have several pairs of earthrunners sandals which I adore, but I wanted to try a sandal with a material that would dry quicker than the canvas material on my other grounding sandals. I will say that I really appreciate these shoes for wet activities and I like the Velcro option, although they slip on just fine without having to undo everything. And although very comfortable, I will admit that this is definitely a different feel than earthrunners. It's a stiffer, sturdier, and thicker sole, which is totally fine depending on the activity. However, don't expect that same "oneness with the ground" feel. I would say that these sandals would be the perfect option for someone trying to transition into barefoot shoes if they're use to wearing bulky and heavy Chacos. All in all, I'm glad I got them!

These look great . However when I walk in them the inner of the front my foot won’t stay on the foot bed. I’ve tried tightening them but that just makes them uncomfortable . I’ve just come back from Europe where I bought some Shamma , the identical sole template and these are amazing - they have one more level of alteration , which really works for me.

Love the style and look, but after using them for a few hours the fit is problematic and the inner front foot ends up outside the sole on the inside, and is hard to adjust the straps for a better fit as they are maxed out- would like to see a solution or option with a regular front strap maybe as everyone has different feet and the mid toe string might not work for all, size seam bigger in comparable to the boots. I suggest go one size down.

i hate them. They dont stay on foot, the straps hurt my toes, terrible design.