Lovin’ Our Luna Sandals

Luna’s Over Mexico. Just Chillin’

I first came across LUNA Sandals in May, 2014 as I was planning the start of my journey around the world. I knew I would not be able to carry any more than a couple of very functional foot apparel. And being a long time runner I wanted to be able to continue running while traveling but without the need for specialized running shoes that I was used to.

Of course I knew I’d also need sandals since I would be traveling mostly in warm to hot climates (when your goal is to travel the world why not follow the sun, right?!). That is when I discovered LUNA Sandals. LUNAs are made for runners. And to me they seemed like they’d easily double as beach sandals, hiking shoes, really anything I wanted.

So I read all about LUNA Sandals, checked reviews, researched the company, and watched YouTube videos. I also felt a connection with the company right off as it is a Seattle-based company that actually manufactures its own stuff and my being a Seattleite I liked that. Anyway I got really excited about owning a pair.

I must say they had so many variations of their product that it was hard to decide on just what to buy. But I did decide and I placed my order. Back then they were a bit backlogged so I remember waiting impatiently each day for the mail hoping that my LUNAs would arrive. When they did arrive I had to go take them out for a test run right away. It was amazing. They really worked. I had a great run in them. It feels different and forces you to run with a different form that makes you feel like you are just springing along.

The style that I got has a long, red, leather strap that I must admit takes about 5 minutes to lace up for the pair. The advantage here is the obvious “cool factor.” I swear I now get to experience what women already know. You can get attention from your footwear. More people look at my feet now as I’m walking down the street in my LUNAs than I ever noticed in my previous 50 years. A thumb up from passersby is not an uncommon occurrence.

So now that I knew I loved my LUNAs I just had to have a pair that I could slip on in an instant. After all it would not be practical to have to take 5 minutes to strap on your sandals just to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night (note that I stay in hostels when traveling so going to the bathroom in bare feet is just not an option). Needless to say LUNA Sandals also makes a model for that. You get the same great functionality and light-weight sandal but with a strapping system that easy very quick and easy to get on and off. I ordered a pair right away.

LUNAs love water!

As mentioned I felt a really connection to this company. In addition to being a local Seattle company I think the feeling came from the interaction I had with the staff during the process of ordering my sandals and from the philosophy of the company as described on their fun website. So before leaving on my trip I just dropped by their place near the Space Needle in Seattle one afternoon. What a great experience. They are so welcoming there. You can just walk in and see them making the sandals right there in front of you. You can instantly tell that the staff are really into what they are doing and have a deep connection to the products they make. It was a great time with them and I even got a picture of it.

I departed on my trip through Central and South America with my motorcycle riding boots and my 2 pair of LUNA Sandals. Now that is traveling light-weight! In Honduras I ended up losing a pair of my LUNAs, the quick on quick off pair. That was a tragedy. You would have thought my motorcycle wouldn’t start as distraught as I was.

Visiting LUNA’s HQ in Seattle.

I immediately contacted the good people at LUNA Sandals (they call themselves LUNA Monkeys) and ordered a new pair. They expedited my order and got them delivered to my parent’s place in Olympia right away. They were then included in a “care package” that my parents had waiting to send to me.

I am now back in the Seattle area (May, 2015) recovering from the Americas leg of my journey and I have gone back to the LUNA factory and gotten reacquainted with the staff there. I am so, so excited about their products that I took Roy there to get a pair as well. Now Roy and I will be traveling together both sporting our LUNA Sandals. You’ll be seeing plenty of pictures on of us doing crazy things with our LUNA Sandals in the coming months.