Review by Michael Ellenberger
Available now, $69. Other styles also available.
First Impressions & Use Case(s)
They don’t call them “influencers” for nothing, and after hearing regular shoutouts of Velous by the Citius Mag team on their (terrific, you-should-definitely-listen) podcasts, I reached out and the team at Velous graciously sent me a pair for review.
Velous is a Portland, Oregon-based company that makes footwear for recovery - an aspect of training that we don’t cover as often here on RTR, but one that is clearly quite crucial.
Even better? The Pacific Flip arrived at the perfect time - I had just finished my PR effort at the Chicago Marathon (2:22:18, Strava linked here) and was hoping to gear up for a sub-2:20 effort at Indianapolis Monumental (which unfortunately didn’t come to fruition, as we battled some really nasty conditions, but I trudged through to a 2:23:49!). All that to say - I had a lot of need for recovery, as I tried to tape my body together for two hard marathons in a month, and the Velous Pacific Flip became an integral part of the process.
A few notes, as we get into it - I’m a pretty true men’s 8.5; usually I tend towards something smaller (because I hate feeling like I’m swimming in my footwear), but the Velous team suggested I go to 9 here (there aren’t half sizes), and that was undoubtedly the right call. These fit perfectly, and I had no issues with blistering, slipping, etc.
I also got the black/black color, which I think looks terrific - can be worn in basically any situation where sandals are appropriate (I’ll leave that to the reader to decide!), though mine have basically been slippers, as I work from home.
There are a few more extreme colors available, if you prefer something a bit more exciting.
Upper
Obviously, there’s not much to the “upper” here, but, I do often wear flip-flop or “thong” sandals in the summer, and I usually encounter that nasty break-in period where you’re dealing with mild blistering or just irritation from the strap as your foot adjusts to the shoe. Not so here. The Pacific Flip has a wide enough strap across the top - with some ample padding - that I had no issues wearing these all day, every day, and basically right away.
Midsole and Outsole
This is where Velous deviates from a “standard” flip-flop, and becomes a recovery sandal. In reviewing their website beforehand, I assumed much of this was marketing jargon, but in practice - there really is a noticeable benefit to wearing them, compared to usual post-run sandals.
Velous highlights s their recovery features - stability, arch support, toe spring, traction, flexibility (among others) - but the through line here is their patent-pending Tri-Motion Technology, which facilitates heel strike, transition, and toe off while providing cushion, arch support, and flexibility for full flex.
It’s hard to independently evaluate each of those elements while just walking around, but the flexibility in particular stood out to me - I don’t think I’ve ever had a sandal that was so heel-to-toe flexible (without feeling hyper cheap, or like that flexibility was at the expense of stability).
There’s also a decent chunk of cushion here, which shouldn’t go unnoticed - just looking at the shoe, you can tell it isn’t going to be as bare as the $9 Walgreens flip-flop you might have in your closet, but even compared to a running shoe, I was impressed by how stable and cushioned the Pacific Flip felt.
The outsole, too, was sufficiently grippy. I can’t claim to have tested these in any super intense scenarios, but I’m confident that these can survive a slick boardwalk or sprint to your car in the rain.
Conclusion
I fully recommend the Velous Pacific Flip! Like I said, these came to me at exactly the right time to test them for recovery - in the month between two hard marathon efforts - and while I wish I could say that the Velous helped me slip under 2:20 in the marathon… I can say that they helped me recover sufficiently to give an all-out effort twice in a short period.
I think the platform that Velous has developed here just helps your legs feel good, day-after -day - even if that means during the off-season, for casual runners, or just for those who want a cool looking sandal that’s a little sturdier than what you’ll find at Target.
At just under $70, the Pacific Flip isn’t inexpensive, but I wouldn’t hesitate to pay that if I were in need of a new sandal!
Comparisons
Topo Revive: Topo makes a $120 recovery slide called the Revive, and they have become my cold-weather slippers around the house (even though Topo suggests them to be worn outside, which - while hyper comfortable - may draw some looks). Both are great - I think an ideal rotation may have you wearing the Revive all winter, and the Pacific Flip all summer - but I do think that the Velous does a little more with a little less (both in materials and in price). The insole (non-removable) of the Topo is a little nicer, to my foot, than that of the Velous, but I prefer the cushion and overall on-the-foot-feel of the Pacific Flip, especially when the temps allow it. Both are truly great choices, if you’re looking for recovery shoes - but if I could have just one, it’d be the Velous.
Birkenstock Boston: Michael, what are you doing? A Birkenstock, on RoadTrailRun? Well, I have to say that for essentially as long as I’ve been running, the Birkenstock Boston clog has been my go-to post-race or post-run slip on shoe. It’s comfortable, has an open heel, and just generally easy to wear when your foot may be beat up from whatever effort you might have thrown at it. I don’t think you can directly compare the Pacific Flip to a Birkenstock clog, but I will say that the Velous had me feeling similarly comfortable and relaxed, post-hard efforts.
The Velous Pacific Flip is available from Velous HERE
Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'
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