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i'm a die hard Rainbows fan. worn them for over a decade (even in my own wedding!) and only have needed a half dozen pairs. i love the durability and comfort, especially for their $50 price.
what makes these better? i want to try them and intrigued, but at almost twice as expensive, i'm hesitant.
@thejeremycarson (@david_el_achkar) Sure! William here designer of Maku.
From a quality and durability perspective, I can share with you what makes Maku unique. Though before I get to that, it's important to point out that each brand would attract its own fans. Particularly:
- Rainbows has arch support, Makus don't
- Rainbows has a stiff sole, Makus have a super flexible (you can easily bend it downwards and touch the ends together)
- Rainbows has a drop from heel to toe. Makus are zero-drop
- Rainbows give you zero ground-feel. With Makus we've worked hard to fined tune the rubber to give amazing ground-feel without any discomfort
- And Makus have minimal enough sock absorbance without introducing any sponginess in the sole
- Most Rainbow sandals are the flip-flop type. Makus have a heel strap that hold them in place and preventing them from flip-flopping. The strap effectively holds the sandals to your foot instead of your toes
- Rainbow sandal straps are not adjustable. With Makus, all of the 3 straps is individually adjustable to give you the perfect fit
On the quality and durability side, before selecting some of the best materials in the world, we're actually eliminated as many potential points of failure as possible at the design stage:
- The sole is a single layer, so there are no layers that can delaminate
- The strap is a single layer, and held at the toes with a unique plug. So no strap can pull out from anywhere
On the materials side:
- We've searched for over 1.5 years for the ideal fiber for the laces. Finally we've found a unique boutique manufacturer that custom produced laces to our specifications. They're made from spun filament polyester (a nautical fiber), that resists salt water and sun, that's abrasion resistant, color-fast, looks like cotton, and feels softer than cotton
- We weave the laces is a way that makes them compress just like memory foam, so they never separate the gap between toes. That weave makes than also slightly stretchy to cope with feet swelling throughout the day
- We tested 50+ types of rubbers and finally settled on a neoprene composite rubber that gave us the best combination of abrasion resistant, flexibility, light-weight, puncture resistance, versatile grip, and with just the right shock absorbance and firmness. And because of the physical properties of our rubber, they last for years without needing to be made thicker or stiffer.
Hope this helps, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
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@williamchoukeir very well said. the point about the arch is a sticking point with me. i have flat feet, so the arch is somewhat important. however these makus look super comfortable. i may try them out! thanks for the in depth comparison!
@thejeremycarson Thanks! You can always try them for 30 days, and if you're not convinced, we'll take them back for a full refund. Happy to help with anything else.
These look fantastic. Well done!!! Could you explain how one is supposed to clean them? (e.g., after a muddy road home, or even after the summer season)
@eytanbensoussan Thanks a lot! You can throw them in washing machine at cold temperature for a quick spin. The materials and durability won't be affected. The only downside with machine washing is that any red color anywhere may fade with time. We're working with our manufacturer to extend the color fastness of the red color in the sandals.
For convenience, I rinse mine with hand soap under running water. The Black on Black is obviously the easiest to care for because it doesn't have a leather footbed, and i often catch myself wiping it clean with Windex and a towel :)
Happy to answer any questions.
@alex_foster Thanks! Happy you're on board. You can even give them a try for 30 days, and if you're not in love, we'll take them back for a full refund
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These remind me of a hipster version of Xero Shoes. https://xeroshoes.com/ I own a paid of Xeros and they're incredibly comfortable. Would love to see the difference between the two brands.
@jasonmarkbeaton It would actually be awesome for you to try both and let me know :-) I think the obvious difference is the looks. But if you want to go into the technicalities, you can check out all the features mid-way down this page: http://kck.st/2cZzsOp. If you're up for it, you could actually try a pair for 30 days, let me know what you think, and if you're not completely thrilled, we'll take it back for a full refund. That's part of our Maku Triple Guarantee.
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Vibrams didn't stick for me, xero shoes were fun to make but easy to mess up the fit...I bet these are just the things I'm looking for!
@itscoreyb I know exaclty what you mean, that's a big part of why I kept on improving on them over the years. Would love to get your feedback on how they compare once you get a change to try them
Love the simple aesthetic. They look like they'll go with any occasion. Light and minimal like my flip flops, but they'll stay on better like my sandals.
@bradenhamm Thanks! Indeed, people seem to be wearing them for a diverse range of occasions. Even a casual wedding :-) Agree with you on the flip-flop point but held firmly to the foot because of the heel strap.
The main differentiating factor (among others) is that Makus have a very flexible sole that actually bends downwards, following the natural movement of the foot. Most flip flops are too stiff to do that. This simple difference contributes to reducing foot fatigue at the end of a long day.
(to use an exaggerated example: try taping your hand to a ruler, thus preventing it from bending inwards. How long before your hand gets fatigued? I know it's not a direct comparison, but similar dynamics are at play)
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