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Tips and Troubleshooting
To clean the Earth Runner Circadian and Alpha sandals that feature our Earth-Grip footbed, we recommend spraying them with some water to get them saturated and then let them sit for a few minutes to loosen up the dirt. Then spray them with your hose nozzle on the ‘sharpest’ setting (Power washers are not advised) and slowly work your way across the terrain of the sandals. We have determined this to be a very effective way to clean off the dirt that accumulates on the Earth-Grip footbed.
Things NOT to do with your sandals:
- Leave them in a hot car
- Leave them in the sun for extended periods of time
- Put them in the washing machine
- Wash them with bleach
- Leave your dog alone with them (trouble!)
Smell is a result of sweat and bacteria getting locked into the footbed material. Sandal smells can be best maintained with a regular cleaning in the shower to avoid accumulation of sediment, bacteria, and odor. We recommend taking your sandals into the shower once a week for a scrub and rinse. Fingernail scrub brushes have proven to work best given their size and bristle strength.
A strong garden hose nozzle offers a deeper clean, which we recommend using once a month to achieve a full cleansing of the footbed material. To keep odor under control: Brush 1x/week & Nozzle 1x/month.
Baking soda is a known odor-eliminator. Sprinkle your sandals with a nice coating of baking soda, gently rub into the footbed, and let sit overnight.
If combatting a more persistent odor, sun dry (for no longer than 30 minutes) after cleaning, and then spray them with a strong antibacterial essential oil & water blend (lavender or tea tree).
We recommend staying one step ahead of the smell with regular footbed cleaning to prevent the inevitable build-up of dirt & sweat.
The Earth Runner laces that feature a locking buckle may require a few tweaks and adjustments over the course of your first few outings. Don’t worry, the ultimate sandal experience is well worth it 🙂 Soon enough your Earth Runners will feel like an extension of your foot!
Follow along is this instructional video to help you make any adjustments. Or, check out the guide below.
Pull some slack through the outside loop A to make the thong strap (1) looser and then pull slack through the inside loop B to tighten up the heel strap (2). You can expect this to happen over the first 5-10 hours of use while you break in your sandals.
Like most new footwear, the Earth Runner sandals can take some wear to break-in and become much more comfortable. The laces are new and a little stiff, it can take about 10-15 hours to break in the thong portion of the laces before they get much more comfortable. Sometimes getting the thong a bit wet can help speed up this process. Another trick is to twist the thong attachment away from the area of discomfort (between the toes or on the second toe). Or, try putting a small band aid in between the toes to prevent friction directly on your skin, while also wearing the sandals and allowing the laces to conform to the shape of your foot.
Scoot the buckle forward so it is closer to where the laces passes through the sandal, down closer to the the bottom of the sandal. This will help prevent the buckle from contacting your ankle bone and creating any discomfort.
DO NOT: route the ankle strap over & under the thong strap before feeding it through the buckle.
BE SURE TO: route the ankle strap under & over the thong strap before feeding through the buckle. This will hold the buckle further away from your foot and ankle.
Adjust your thong strap to 85% (at-least) its max tension.
It may seem counter intuitive, but the angle of linkage between the ankle and heel strap, as determined by the routing around the thong strap, is what holds the heel strap up (after locked into the buckle).
Watch this video for an alternative buckle adjustment to help hold the heel strap up if the above adjustment didn’t do the trick. This is best suited for people with smaller sandals due to the different geometry of the straps.
In the video it’s shown how to slide your buckle backward and away from the outside criss-cross junction, 1/8″ (3-4mm) will help to increase the angle at which the heel strap is held up by the thong and ankle strap.
Sizing
We encourage people to go with a snug fit like you see in this diagram here.
This enhances the minimalist experience and reduces the chance of catching debris in your sandals while out on the trail.
Shoes are one of the most intimate articles of clothing we use on a daily basis and we understand your dilemma in trying to order the perfect size. We have heard the questions asked in every combination: What size should I get? How should the sandals fit? Does this size fit me? Is this size too big? Is this the right size? What do you think of this size on me? Is this how it is supposed to fit? Which size looks best?
The Earth Runner sandals are true to size, a snug fitting shoe size should correlate with snug fitting sandals in the same size. On our sizing page you can print out our sizing templates in actual size to compare with your foot and confirm your fit.
Because Earth Runner sandals don’t have upper material (i.e. the parts of a shoe that cover the toes, the top of the foot, etc) your feet can cover much more of the sandal’s surface without bumping into any upper material. If you don’t like your shoes to fit snug you will most likely need a smaller sandal size than your shoe size. Printing out templates from our size chart it’s the only way to be 100% sure of your fit before ordering.
Measure the length of your foot from the tip of your longest toe to the back edge of your heel and refer to the LENGTH column of the sandal sizes on our chart:
1. Select a size 1/4” shorter than your foot length for a SNUG fit.
2. Select a size 1/8” shorter than the length of your foot length for a MEDIUM fit.
3. Select a size the same length as your foot for a bit of a BUMPER around the perimeter of your foot.
Earthing Sandals
Earthing Sandals
Yes! Earth Runners sandals have stainless steel lined laces, which are grounded via a copper ground plug exposed on the outsole, allowing electrons to flow freely between the body and Earth. Generous surface area connecting your foot and the grounded conductive element in the laces, allows for ample electron transfer: anywhere the laces touch your feet you are grounded to the Earth’s healing energy.
The Earth Runner sandals are designed to keep you grounded to bare Earth. Nature is the ideal place for this, as natural surfaces connect you to the native circadian rhythm and Schumann Resonance of the Earth.
Earth Runners worn on bare Earth allow the copper lace plug featured on the outsole to make effective connection with the ground, facilitating electron transfer between your body and the Earth through the stainless steel lined lace circuit. This effectively grounds the body via intimate connection of lace and foot–similar to that of being barefoot.
Yes, earthing shoes are a simple technology which offer the primal experience of living grounded to the earth, same as all life has evolved on this planet throughout time. Most shoes and sandals have insulated soles that prevent us from connecting to the earth through earthing. Earthing shoes work by having a conductive element through the sole, allowing electrons to flow freely between the body and Earth to keep you grounded.
Just Socks: Yes, you are able to ground to the earth wearing just socks. Socks are not inherently conductive, but socks become conductive as a result of perspiration from the foot working its way into the socks, aided by the weight of your body pushing through the fabric into the earth This has been shown to test about 90% as effective as compared to going barefoot.
Socks + Earthing Shoes: Yes, you can also remain grounded wearing socks with grounded shoes due to the accelerated perspiration from the foot (that happens in shoes) working its way into the socks, aided by the weight of your body pushing through the fabric into the sole of the shoe or the conductive laces securely wrapped around your foot causing perspiration underneath. This has been shown to test about 90% as effective as compared to wearing the earthing shoes barefoot.