One of the most important aspects of barefoot shoes is the ability to secure them to your feet so your feet can work as intended, rather than having to grip to keep the shoe on. I gravitate toward these sandals for that reason, and am happy to see that Zeazoo joined this segment with the release of the Sahara model, giving women the ability to have style and security in one foot-healthy package – something mainstream shoes rarely do.
Disclaimer: The Sahara model is new for Zeazoo in 2021 and was gifted to me for testing and review. All thoughts are my own. I am an affiliate and have reviewed several Zeazoo models already, including the crazy-soft and amazing Dingo boots. You can check out all my reviews here. If you use the discount OWBSHOES you will save 5% from Zeazoo, it will cost you nothing extra, and a small portion will go to support this blog. Purchasing from Zeazoo and retailers is discussed in detail later in the review.
Sections
Technical specifications
- Upper: Leather
- Lining: Chrome-Free Leather
- Footbed: Leather
- Sole: 6 mm light flat Vibram Superflex
- Closures: Nickel-free Metal Buckle and Velcro around toes
- 5 Standard Color Options, but you can request additional leathers from their available options, like the ones pictured here in Golden Beige
- Extensive customization options to straps and more
Company
Zeazoo is 10 years old in 2021 and is located in Bulgaria. They’ve always been a barefoot/minimalist shoes company and that’s all they do, for kids, women, and men. They make all their shoes in-house and their mission is to give their customers “comfort, freedom of movement, warmth and beauty.” They are customization kings and queens and have a large range of designs with many different leather options and colors. Read all about their history here and check out their team on this page.
Appearance
The Sahara is an understated / classic design and can go very casual or very classy depending on your leather choice. The 5 standard options – Black, Beige, Red, Green, and Blue – can meet your casual or business needs, or you can amp it a bit like I did and get a metallic look.
This is probably one of my top-3 favorite looks:
The velcro is not obvious and works well with the shape, and I like the V cuts they’ve added to the front to open it up visually. For my metallic leather, I would love a lighter buckle, but I think they have a standard one across the leather options, so keep that in mind if you’re looking to customize your color choice on the lighter end of the spectrum.
I really wanted to give you all a pants look and some ‘normal’ colors, but I just noped on it. I slightly regret the red wrap, but more that I didn’t make it thinner on my head so it didn’t look like a full wrap, not that I wore it at all.
Rest assured that these can go with pants or neutral colors fine, but metallics are crazy fun and I enjoy the pairing with color.
For a more sedate look, check out my Nymph review.
Fit
With the velcro at the front, you can get a custom fit by adjusting it, and that is so important for your feet. It’s not an endless length, however, and is on the lower end of available volume when compared to similar sandals. I was actually concerned with my high volume feet that I would never be able to wear them without velcro showing, but they came along beautifully:
Fit can be customized in several areas, including the one adjustment I requested in longer strap length at the ankles. I provided my measurement and they made the assessment of the optimal length to include and they did a great job, with my ankles using the 2nd or 3rd hole out of 4 available. Be aware that this doesn’t change the orientation or height of the straps, just simply adds length at the front.
The pictures shoes are the Standards/Regular sole and are the widest I’ve seen at the heel at the heel but the narrowest at the front of similar sandals. You can see a previous comparison I did to Tikki and Be Lenka. Can check their sizing information for complete details and talk to them about customization needs for straps or sole (these options vary by model) to get your perfect fit. The slope of the sole at the toes is not rounded or severe, but in the middle when compared to other brands, leaving me with some extra at the big toes, but not a ton, and less extra at the outside.
My foot and especially my toe splay is exactly the width of the sole, but the straps allow me about 80% of full splay and have a slight inward tilt at the big toe, so I recommend keeping them at the maximum opening that keeps them secure on your feet. Pinky toe is held against other toes by the straps.
Sizing
If you’re used to companies giving you a length only, and one that might not even be correct, then you’re in for a treat with Zeazoo. They know every segment of their shoes in detail and give you many pieces of information right up front:
When someone asks me what size I wear, I say 43 usually, but anywhere from 42 to 46 depending on the brand (these are EU sizes, which tend to be more reliable, but you can see that brands still don’t all match up). Show me the charts, always, so I can compare measurements, add my space, and get the optimal fit. For Zeazoo, that is size 42 and many people will find themselves similarly looking down the sizing chart at a smaller size. If you need help measuring your feet, check out this post.
It’s really important for Zeazoo sandals, and even more so if you go with an option that doesn’t have velcro, that you check both your width and your volume at the toes. They give you both for a reason. I’m under the max volume and my width is the width of the sole itself, not the width of the space between the straps, which is what’s included on the chart. This is why I don’t have max splay. I had a discussion with Zeazoo before they sent the sandals about this issue of regular versus wide soles and my measurements, and went with their recommendation of the standard sole.
If you think about your feet for a moment, what you see from above when looking down at your feet, not all of that actually connects with the ground. Some of it is extra fleshy bits. So your tracing (least accurate) or wall-to-book width (more accurate) is a bit above what you actually need under your feet. And the straps are not a box, they don’t go straight up, rigidly, and then wrap around your feet. You have some leeway, but not much. I’m living in that leeway zone on these and my other Zeazoo sandals. If I was past the width of the sole, however, I would not make this choice. You can play with uppers to a point (though not a literal point – love your big toes!), but not soles.
How do they feel?
With a squishy Vibram under your feet, you’re walking in comfort, full stop. Tikki uses the same Vibram and both are the most comfortable sandals to walk in.
It is fully rollable and squishable in any direction:
The leather under your feet is fine. I don’t have a big positive or negative about it. It’s smooth, does not seem to mark up easily, and is comfortable. It’s a completely flat piece with no visible stitching, but there are slightly raised areas at the attachment points of the leather upper. I don’t feel these at ALL but if you’re very sensitive to this, know that they exist. The color is a medium taupe.
The upper leather of these shoes is very soft but without feeling too thin or floppy. It was not uncomfortable on my toes for any breaking in period thanks to the softness. It is possible and even likely that different leathers will feel different and sometimes 2-layer velcro sandals like this do feel thick at first and may ‘push in’ on your toes. I do not recall that here. The leather feels soft and light.
Cleaning and Care
Zeazoo has an extensive leather care page here. They have left no stone unturned and cover all their different leather types, waterproofing, color care, and more. They want your shoes to last and continue looking good for years to come.
If you need help selecting product(s), I have a list compiled here.
Purchasing and Returns
The main way to purchase Zeazoo, especially for customizations, is directly from zeazookids.com. They have 5 standard colors for the Sahara but if you see another leather on the site you like it does not hurt to ask if the Sahara can be made with it. That’s exactly what I did with this lovely Golden Beige, which you can see on a different sandals model, Coral. A standard Sahara model is 68,00€ + shipping, which is available worldwide via DHL Express. Customizations are extra and make models non-returnable. You can ask about customizations for different parts of the shoes, but not all models offer the full customizations to sole width or length. The strap customization on mine with added length is an extra 5€. My affiliate discount code OWBSHOES saves you 5% on any purchase directly from Zeazoo.
The retailer 100barefootsoles sells the standard Tan and Black models of Sahara and ships to the US and Europe. The same affiliate code OWBSHOES saves you 10% there. Current price at the time of writing: £68.00 reduced to £55.00 before the discount and shipping is an additional cost.
Final thoughts
I’m very pro sandals with velcro fronts. It does make them thicker once you stack leather, velcro, and leather, but it means that you can get a personalized fit and that even if the leather stretches you can continue to keep them secure.
But beyond the technical aspect, these are very pretty sandals! I love the custom choice of the metallic leather, and I love how they can go with anything. My only struggle has been to wear them with something sedate. Metallics keep me rolling in colorful glam mode, 24/7.
Check out Zeazoo for a wide range of sandals for women, kids, and men.
Want more reviews?
Check out All the Barefoot Shoe Reviews for more in-depth looks.
Love color or need a specific type of shoe?
Check out the BIG lists here.
