Struggling with painful bunions? The OOFOS Unisex Original Thong Flip Flop might just be the answer to the issue. While they’re not necessarily advertised as sandals for bunions, our extensive research suggests that their intuitive and ergonomic design makes them the perfect choice for reducing the pain and discomfort caused by your bunions.
The sandals work by reducing the pressure under and around the joint of the big toe. This gives the bunions time to heal, and makes it possible for users to walk in a more natural way to avoid overworking the bony growth.
There are lots of great features to the OOFOS Ooriginal Thong Sandal that put it at the top of this list as the best sandal for bunions, and here you’ll find out just what sets them apart based on what I found out during my research.
An Ergonomic Shape for Easy Walking
One of the things that tends to aggravate a bunion is an improper gait. The pain that radiates from that area often causes individuals with painful bunions to compensate by assuming unnatural walking patterns that could cause even more problems in the long run.
The OOFOS Ooriginal Unisex Thong incorporates a responsive and ergonomic shape that makes it the ideal footwear for extended periods of standing and walking. The straps clear all the bony prominences around the toes and the dorsum of the feet, preventing anything from digging into your skin and causing unnecessary stress and pressure.
The sole is shaped like a rocker, allowing a natural and effortless step that conserves your energy and reduces the effort you’d have to exert to take a stride. It’s this feature that reduces most of the pressure on the bunions, keeping you from having to step too hard on your forefoot to avoid aggravating the bunions.
Finally, the design also uses a soft, pliable material that perfectly cradles the arches and contours of the feet. It also provides superb support underneath the area of the arches, raising them slightly to reduce the pressure on the bunions. This makes for a comfortable design that accommodates bunions for speedy resolution.
Shock Absorption Keeps Your Bunions from Stress
Using shoes or sandals that don’t provide sufficient shock absorption could put stress on your bunions with each heel strike. This repetitive pressure can result to exacerbation of pain, and may even cause further growth of a bunion.
The Ooriginal Unisex Sandal from OOFOS uses a soft, pliable, and responsive material that absorbs up to 37% of shock. By keeping the pressure of heel strike from traveling through your foot at full force, the sandals effectively keep your bunions safe from pain and discomfort.
It’s also worth mentioning that the shock absorption is also particularly impressive at helping you achieve a more natural step. Without the reverberating jolt traveling through your lower extremities, the sandals can make you feel like you’re effortlessly walking barefoot on a soft comfortable surface.
Excellent Safety with Textured Outsoles
While the entire sandal is made from synthetic materials, it does incorporate texture where necessary to improve its performance overall. In the case of the outsole, the design features a crisscross design with two deeper lines that intersect to create traction on both wet and smooth surfaces.
For individuals with painful bunions, this can be particularly beneficial especially if they’re trying to nurse a more advanced case back to health. That’s because even with a pair of ergonomic sandals, individuals tend to compensate simply because they know they’ve got overgrowths.
This compensatory gait is known to cause accidents and injuries, especially when using footwear that doesn’t provide sufficient traction. So the OOFOS Unisex Thong can reduce the odds of injury with ease and efficiency.
Dependable Material Lasts Much Longer Than Others
The entire sandal is made from a single molded piece of synthetic material, so there’s no need to worry about pieces of uppers falling off or stitching wearing away. Plus, this one-piece design allows it to impressively resist damage, giving you a long-lasting sandal that efficiently stands up to the test of daily wear and tear.
With that, the OOFOS Unisex Thong is definitely the ideal companion for everyday use, especially if you’re still just recovering from bunion pains. Lots of users claim to have used the footwear for hours every day without seeing any signs of usage. It’s also capable of keeping its density, texture, and shape over several months and even years of use, so you can enjoy the same functionality long after you pop them out of the box.
Pros of the OOFOS Unisex Ooriginal Thong Flip Flop
- Ergonomic design reduces the pressure on painful bunions to allow them to properly heal.
- Rocker heel preserves energy and makes walking naturally more effortless.
- Shock absorption reduces the jolt that travels through the joints to prevent exacerbating bunion problems.
- Traction is impressive despite the design being made solely of synthetic materials.
- Capable of keeping its density and shape even after several months or even years of daily use.
Cons of the OOFOS Unisex Ooriginal Thong Flip Flop
- A lot more expensive than other choices on the list, but ultimately, you get what you pay for.
A Few Other Honorable Mentions
Not sold on the OOFOS Unisex Ooriginal Thong Flip Flop? There are other bunion sandals on the market that might be right up your alley. Personally, I don’t think they match up to the OOFOS. But they do bring some design features to the table that make them formidable choices. This is especially true if you’re looking for something a little more budget friendly.
Vionic Unisex Wave Toe Post Sandal
Made from a combination of mesh, neoprene, and rubber, the Unisex Wave Toe Post Sandal from Vionic features a waving design that gently contours against the arches of your feet. This provides just the right support to help keep pressure from stressing out your bunions.
In terms of construction, traction, and comfort, there’s really not a lot to complain about with the Vionic. In fact, the design would have made a great choice if not for its textured insole and neoprene material. Unfortunately, the patterns on the insole in combination with the material used encourage a lot of sweating. So the sandals can develop bacteria and foul odors over just a few months – even with its open design.
Nonetheless, they are a lot cheaper than the OOFOS Flip Flops. So if you don’t mind getting your feet sweaty, then these might be a better choice for your budget.
Pros of the Vionic Unisex Wave Toe Post Sandal
- Durable construction keeps all the different parts of the sandals together even with daily wear and tear.
- Comfortable design makes them easy and effortless to walk in.
- Superb traction on a variety of surfaces gives greater confidence with each step.
- Ergonomic shape reduces the pressure on the bunions to help encourage faster healing.
Cons of the Vionic Unisex Wave Toe Post Sandal
- Encourages the feet to sweat, making the sandals prone to bacteria build-up and foul odors.
Telic Unisex Energy Flip Flop Sandal
Looking for something that’s really within budget? The Unisex Energy Flip Flop Sandal from Telic may just be your best bet. At less of the cost of the OOFOS, this sandal offers an impressive design that makes it something of a steal.
The entire design is made from synthetic material, just like the OOFOS. And in the same way, the sandal was constructed with a mold that shaped it to create a single-piece sandal design.
Shaped to contour against your feet, the anatomical insoles offer impressive support that significantly reduces the pressure on your bunions. The straps angle far back to clear the surface of your feet so there isn’t any material that digs against your skin.
The only issue with this design aside from encouraging sweat production, it also lacks the appropriate sole tread patterns to help reduce slipping and accidents.
Pros of the Telic Unisex Arch Support Recovery Flip Flop Sandals
- Substantially comfortable thanks to the pliable and soft synthetic material.
- Durable with a single-piece construction that prevents parts and pieces from falling off or wearing out.
- Anatomically correct footbed contours perfectly against the soles of your feet.
- Straps angle backwards to give you more room to move your toes for better recovery.
Cons of the Telic Unisex Arch Support Recovery Flip Flop Sandals
- Promotes the overproduction of sweat.
- Doesn’t have substantial traction, making them a hazard to use over wet or smooth surfaces.
Orthaheel Tide Slide In Orthopedic Sandals
The last option on our list of the best sandals for bunions is theTide Slide In Orthopedic Sandal from Orhtaheel. The design uses synthetic, neoprene, polyurethane, EVA, and TPR. With this high quality combination of durable materials, the sandal effectively gives you impressive comfort, durability, and traction.
The design performs great in terms of pressure reduction, keeping your feet properly protected against further complications. I’ve found though that the problem with the design is that the padded neoprene uppers can dig into the skin, especially along the sides of the feet. This can cause irritation and even blisters in some cases when the foot tends to run a little wider.
Pros of the Orthaheel Tide Slide In Orthopedic Sandals
- Uses a combination of materials that improve durability and overall comfort.
- Traction is a lot better than other choices on the list. This makes it ideal for users who often find themselves slipping on different surfaces.
- Contoured footbed cradles the arches of the feet, keeping stress off of your bunions.
- Solid construction lasts years without showing signs of wear and tear.
Cons of the Orthaheel Tide Slide In Orthopedic Sandals
- Padded uppers tend to dig into the skin, especially for users who have wider feet.
- The footbed may lose its pattern over a few months of use.
The Bottom Line
The OOFOS Unisex Ooriginal Thong Flip Flop proves to be the best sandal for bunions. That is of course if you’re willing to spend that pretty penny for a pair of these. Sure, they may cost more upfront, but in the long run, they do give you your money’s worth. The sandals provide you unbeatable comfort, durability, and relief, which are things anyone would want.
Of course, there are other options for the budget-buyer. In my opinion, the Vionic Unisex Wave Toe Post Sandal, Telic Unisex Arch Support Recovery Flip Flop Sandal, and the Orthaheel Tide Slide In Orthopedic Sandals all make suitable choices – despite their minor design flaws. It’s all a matter of deciding which ones you find to be most forgivable depending on your own preferences. Otherwise, they all offer great value for your money’s worth.
