FAQ + Support

Depending on what you'd like to use the sandals for, we have many different recommendations! Each sandal type is versatile and you may find specific uses for your sandals beyond our basic recommendations. That being said, we can make some baseline recommendations on where to start. You will notice under the sandals' product photos on their product pages, there is a description of the sole, the footbed, and the lacing system. We recommend reading all of these sections to help determine what's best for your needs. You are also welcome to email us at contact@shammasandals.com if you'd like a
more personal recommendation!

If you look at our dropdown menu in the top left corner, you can see the sandals organized by activity.

Whatever you decide, we think you’re going to love your sandals as much as we do!

While Shamma Sandals are amazing for running, they are also great for everyday wear. They are built for performance, but that doesn’t just mean running. Walk, hike, or just relax – Shamma Sandals are comfy as well as durable, and you'll find yourself wearing them everywhere!

Certainly! Any of our UltraGrip models will be great for wet conditions. UltraGrip is waterproof and dries quickly. For wet
conditions beyond normal foot sweat like stream crossing, swimming, rain, etc, we recommend the UltraGrip footbed.

Our Leather Edition sandals do well with normal amounts of foot sweat. However, no leather really loves water. In very wet conditions where the leather becomes
soaked, the leather will become slippery until it dries out again. Please also note that leather footbeds may change color in water as they are natural products.

In both cases, we also recommend getting Power Straps if you're planning on swimming, river crossings, and other conditions where you're fully submerged.

After a few days, you'll notice the toe strap soften, and then after about a week or so, the heel straps and laces will also soften and mold around your feet. Your soles will start forming to your footprint immediately, but it usually takes around 1-2 weeks to get a good mold to your feet going from a fresh pair. It will continue to settle and become even more comfy in about 3-4 weeks. You should notice your comfort zone when the sandals begin to “hug” your feet, like your place in the couch when you get comfy, and then you’ll know that the sandals have formed up.

If you aren't sure within a couple of weeks, be sure to note that we have a very generous Return Policy of 30 days! Check out the full policy here.
here.

No – the toe plugs are specially molded and counter-sunk so that you don’t feel them. Because they’re flush with the bottom of all our sandals, they also last the life of the pair and beyond. There is one exception to this. Toe plugs on sandals with the Warriors sole need time to break in. The sole will begin to form around the plug and you will no longer feel it.

Yes, our soles give you protection withou ttaking away “ground feel” where you can feel the ground naturally. Sandals with the Warriors sole will give you the most ground feel and the TrailStar Omegas will give you the most protection. The sole will mold to your footprint with use: your feet compress the soling material and the entire sole will begin to take the shape of your foot. This makes them more comfortable sandals to wear and creates a custom fit for your feet.

Our laces are quite tough. The laces should last the life of the sandal and beyond. They may make contact with the ground, however they will not wear out in part because we do not put much pressure down with that part of our feet, and because the sole raises the lacing off the ground as it forms to your feet. If there is abrasion to the lace, it is generally cosmetic.

Shamma Power Straps are accessory straps designed for high-impact activities. They give you that extra layer of being locked in and stabilized in your favorite pair of Shammas.

Shamma Sandals are high quality sandals that will last through almost any condition! That being said, you may want to clean or care for your sandals from time to time, especially after those intense trails.

For UltraGrip sandals, we recommend washing the sandals with cool water, and only if needed, a mild soap. Air dry the sandals in a place of moderate temperature, making sure to keep the sandals out of direct heat, sunlight, or steam.

For leather sandals, we recommend using Lexol Leather Cleaner + Conditioner. For cleaning instructions, please see container.

Please note - As with most materials, when our sandals are stored or placed in intense temperatures and conditions, there is a chance that they can lose their integrity or shape. Conditions such as direct sunlight, heat, cold, steam, or prolonged moisture may damage the sandals. These conditions are nothing to worry about when you're wearing the sandals - only if you store the sandals in any of these conditions or leave them in any of these conditions as part of the cleaning process, there is a chance they could be damaged. We recommend keeping your sandals in a dry, moderate place away from extreme temperatures and weather conditions.

Yes! To get started, please check out our Parts Page. If you have any specific questions, you can send a request email to contact@shammasandals.com with "Replacement" in the subject line. Please also include the sandal model, size, order number, and photos of the sandals in the body of the email.

We can easily exchange your sandals! Just fill out the form on our Returns Page, choose "Wrong Size" and we will reach out with the next steps.

Shamma Sandals are unisex, and use our proprietary Shamma Sizing. Check our Sizing Chart page to find your perfect fit!

Because we hand-make each sandal to order at our workshop in Santa Cruz, we have a 5-10 business day production period for all standard orders. (Business days do not include Saturday, Sunday, or Holidays) After we've finished making your sandals, they will be shipped using the method you selected at checkout, and you will receive an email with tracking information. The tracking number can also be looked up at any time by looking at your orders on your Account page.

Please note: shipping times refer to the time it takes for the sandals to be delivered after they are shipped. We cannot guarantee shipping times, and any shipping delays that happen after the sandals are sent out are outside of our control.

If you have any issues with shipping, or need your order by a certain date, please make a note on your order during checkout, or email us at contact@shammasandals.com and we would be happy to do all we can to help you!

When the carrier gets the shipment for your order, you'll receive an order notification telling you that your package has shipped. This notification also includes your tracking number. The tracking number can also be looked up at any time by looking at your orders on your Account page.

Additionally, for those who chose to receive Messenger update notifications, you'll receive your updates and tracking number in Facebook Messenger.

With any sandals purchase, domestic shipping within the USA is free!

For international orders, please look at our Shipping Info Page.

You can wear your sandals inside or outside for up to 30 days before making a return, so we encourage you to break them in and take your time to find the adjustment that works for you. For more information, visit Returns and Exchanges.

Domestic Orders

• Free USPS Ground
  (usually 3-5 business days)
• USPS Priority
  additional charge
  (usually 2 business days)
• UPS 2 Day.
  additional charge

International Orders

• DHL eCommerce Parcel Direct
  (usually 9-11 business days)
• DHL Worldwide
  (usually 2-3 business days)

Yes, we do ship internationally! For up-to-date information, please check our Shipping Info Page.

For international orders, we ship with DHL eCommerce Parcel Direct (usually 9-11 business days) or DHL Worldwide (usually 2-3 business days) and offer DDP at checkout. DDP means Delivered Duties Paid so you pay any customs, taxes, or other fees at checkout and then have a customs-cleared label so your order can go right through the border! DHL eCommerce Parcel Direct usually costs between $20-40USD and DHL Worldwide is usually $50USD or higher.

Please check out our store locations, which lists the physical and online stores that carry our sandals around the world! We are always looking to add more stores to our list in order to reduce shipping times and costs for our customers as well.

We do! Check our Store Locator page for up-to-date information.

If you have a coupon code, you'll be able to enter it at checkout as you're going through the checkout process. Just make sure to add it before completing your order.

If you are having any problems with your coupon, please contact us by email at contact@shammasandals.com and we'll help you out.

Yes. We thank you for your service and are proud to offer a military discount. Please email us at contact@shammasandals.com for more information

At this time, we do not offer a discount for physical therapists/fitness trainers.

We work with bloggers, gear reviewers, and brands to get feedback on our products and also to spread the word about Shamma Sandals. We have a certain amount of product reserved for this purpose for established blogs and brands. If you would like more information, please contact Daniel via email at daniel@shammasandals.com.

Occasionally, we will send coupons in emails to subscribers, or post coupon codes on social. We do not use coupon aggregate sites to posts our coupons - if you see coupons there, they are fake.

Athletic sandals and running sandals have only recently made a comeback in modern times. We all seem to have forgotten that humans relied on sandals for thousands of years! From marathon-running (and inventing) Greeks to warrior Romans to Inuit peoples to Japanese Samurai - sandals used to be made as more than "flip-flops". In modern times, cheap manufacturing processes and off-shoring have led to a perception of sandals as only something for relaxing in.

Luckily, that's started to change. There are a lot of benefits to having your feet in the open air - your toes can splay, you sweat less, swell less (looking at you, Athlete's Foot), don't get nasty blisters, and you can flex and pronate your feet more naturally. This provides a whole bunch of benefits not only to your toes and feet, but also to your legs, knees, hips, back, and spine, which all rely on your feet for balance and coordination.

Huaraches are a general kind of sandal in and around Mexico and are not always made as an athletic sandal. It's a term that became popular from the book, Born to Run, a book about the culture of running within an indigenous people group, the Tarahumara. It's also not a super easy word to say. We prefer athletic sandals or simply running sandals. You can certainly do more than run in them - we have people climbing mountains, dead-lifting in the gym, kayaking, camping, fishing, backpacking, and even competing in Spartan Races. But we figure that if you know you can securely run in them, you can understand how dependable they will be for other activities.

Shammas have been fine-tuned to create a secure hold on your foot while remaining so comfortable that you stop noticing they're there. We've spent a lot of time tweaking and adjusting until we've gotten sandals so minimal that they melt away and you don't have to worry about what you're wearing anymore. You just do what you want to do, and forget about the rest.

Founder and owner Josh Stiles was having back and knee pain after years of playing sports. He specifically recalled having a particularly bad softball game that threw him over the edge - and began trying all of the available footwear he could get his hands on.

After searching and not finding anything that worked for him, he began to create his own sandals, and discovered that many of his chronic sports pains began to go away. Many versions later, Josh began making sandals for friends and family - sandals that you could be active in, run in. It turned out that other people were interested. As more and more changes were made to make new sandals, Josh realized that he had to get serious.

Now, years later, we continue to take feedback from foot doctors, trainers, coaches, barefooters and more to constantly improve our products. The spirit of the sandals remains the same: sandals that are secure, comfortable, and allow natural movement of the foot - sandals that you can live in.

Fortunately there are a number of options out in the world for people these days! It wasn't always like that.

Because huaraches in general are pretty minimal, there's some similarities in how they look. But once you try different brands of sandals, you'll notice the difference immediately. With any good athletic sandal, what you want is something that allows range of movement but also securely locks your foot and the sandal together, comfortably. To be active, agile and balanced, you need to avoid slipping between your footwear and your feet - no flip-flopping! A lot of factors go into this - material composition, footbed, the lacing system, weight, thickness, connection points, even stitching. We refuse to sacrifice on quality even with our thread, which is military-spec. It comes down to the details.

Shammas have been fine-tuned to create a secure hold on your foot while remaining so comfortable that you stop noticing they're there. We've spent a lot of time eliminating hot-spots and manufacturing custom machines and parts to solve small problems. Once we solved enough of these small problems, it led up to a big total - sandals so minimal that you forget they are there. You just do what you want to do, and forget about the rest.

All of our UltraGrip top models are Vegan Find them here in Vegan Sandals and be sure to select the "UltraGrip" footbed option.