Whether you run marathons or stand on your feet all day at work, Oofos foam sandals and slides are designed to give your tired toes (and arches) the relief they deserve.

As the designers point out, most athletic shoes are constructed to give you a spring in your step, a return of energy that helps you rebound when your foot hits the ground.

“What was missing was a material that could do the opposite: actually absorb shock after a workout,” say the designers, all footwear industry pros and friends, explaining why they launched their business. “Two and a half years of tireless development later, we had a breakthrough on our hands: revolutionary foam technology combined with a biomechanically engineered footbed.”

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Oofos footwear absorbs 37 percent more shock from every step than traditional footwear foam does, and that gives your ankles, knees, hips and even your lower back extra cushioning and protection. Think of it as wearing your own shock absorbers. The shape of the patented footbed is designed to support your arches, too. Flip-flops can’t match that!

And when you move wearing these puppies, you’ll discover that they flex with both your foot and the ground. The shoe’s biomechanical design and soft foam lets your foot move naturally. Science in action!

The foam cushioning holds its shape and — well — cushy-ness, the company promises, and since it’s “closed-cell foam,” it is fine to wear in the shower or toss in the washing machine. The Oofos team say their footwear is water-friendly in a day-to-day way, too: “Another wonderful feature of our shoes is that on wet surfaces, our shoes have a fantastic grip, so they are great around pools and/or on boats.” Moisture- and bacteria-resistant? Check and check. Oh, and if they are caught by the rising tide at the beach when you’re snoozing or fall off the deck of your luxury yacht (hey, these things happen), they float, so you can recover them!

While all of the design features add up to a thoughtful, practical product, who does the company have in mind as its prime customer? Everyone enjoys comfortable footwear, but Oofos is billed as a runner’s friend. As a society, we tend to focus on the physical and mental health benefits of running, but of course, the repetitive pounding as your feet meet road or track can lead to pain and long-term injuries such as plantar fasciitis, stress fractures and tendonitis. Oofos footwear is designed to help feet recover by providing arch support and shock-absorbing cushioning, soothing those achy feet.

The sandals come in men’s and women’s sizes, and there are several styles to consider. There are OOcloogs, if you want to keep your toes warm or covered, and the OOaah and OOlala slides. If you’re a flip-flop fan, you want to go for the OOriginal or OOlala with the toe piece.

As for colors, there’s fail-safe black as well as fuchsia, melon, Bermuda blue, seafoam green, cranberry, satin latte, and cosmic pink in the women’s range. Men’s choices are more limited (black, navy, marsala red), though they do have the option of limited-edition sport versions instead!

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