After reading several reviews stating these sandals require a break-in period, I figured, "I'm tough. I can handle it. I live in flip-flops year-round. How bad can it be?"
Well yeah, I'm still handling it after wearing these sandals daily for over a week. The good news is, my arches are getting some relief. Not nearly as much as I'd hoped, though.
You guys were not kidding about breaking in, were you? Breaking the skin, too, bleeding all over the straps because they have rubbed the skin raw. Bandages help a little, but much more of this and I am going to be running around with mummy feet. Anyone know how to get blood off leather? Or are bloodstains supposed to be some peculiar badge of honor for these things if I can endure long enough to grow some oh-so-(NOT)sexy calluses on the tops of my feet?
Whether these sandals are worth the high price -- at this point I would say no. I was hoping the arch support would be enough to justify the price. But the support is really not that great; and the chafing and pain of the straps, the thick rough sinew-like thread they used for stitching, and the sharp, skin-cutting double layer of stiff grosgrain ribbon used for the thong, are all much more severe than I expected. There are sandals out there that have better arch support and equivalent cushioning for less money, that are not exquisite instruments of torture during some unspecified-length break-in period. Pain notwithstanding, I'd rather pay less and replace cheaper sandals a little more often, than shell out big bucks for long-lasting sandals that require the patience of Job to endure break-in misery and don't even do the job very well.
