One of the more important endeavors you can commit to in order to optimize your health is exercise – we all know this to be true! When people exercise, they typically wear a shoe from such popular Mar-Lou brands as HOKA, Brooks, or New Balance. Our customers also wear walking shoes from SAS, Merrell, Dansko, ECCO, and other fine companies to get out and exercise, too. But what happens when you push your body too far during a workout, on a long walk, or simply throughout daily activities? Do you experience achy joints? Sore ligaments? Plantar fasciitis flare-ups? Generally sore feet? We hear you! Such ailments and more can ruin your whole outlook (particularly regarding exercise) and make for a very bad day indeed. Well, that’s where OOFOS footwear comes in!

OOFOS are designed for ‘active recovery’ and relief. And what matters most is your own definition of ‘recovery’ – after all, the process starts and ends with you. Any activity that you feel you need to recover from counts… and OOFOS are the shoe for recuperation, restoration, and relief. The real magic of OOFOS starts with their proprietary OOfoam technology – their specialized foam actually absorbs 37% more impact than traditional foam materials, which quite literally relieves the stress on your feet and joints in a truly beautiful way – instantly. An OOFOS designer proudly proclaims, “This one-of-a-kind soft-surface simulator initiates recovery by enhancing mobility and reducing load rates up to 88%, so you're protected from the ground up.” You can quite literally feel the thick, plush, supportive ‘OOmph’ of the OOfoam the moment you touch it – it’s magical, really!

Certain OOFOS styles are actually designed to look like flip-flops – but the similarities end there. OOFOS sandals are most certainly not flip-flops! Flip-flops can be extremely difficult to wear as they are very much lacking in structure and support. But not OOFOS sandals – they’re engineered to be easy to wear. Your toes don’t have to do the work they normally do in a traditional, flat flip-flop; OOFOS sandals cradle and support your arch and your entire foot and, in turn, reduce foot stress and stress in your knees and back, too. Additionally, the OOFOS footbed is designed in such a way that it evenly distributes pressure exerted upon it, which provides both luxurious support and superior stability.

Dawn Staley, the legendary head coach of the USC Women’s college basketball team, loves her OOFOS! She states, "I find that being a former athlete, we are creatures of habit. I wake up in the morning – I slide into my OOFOS. If you have knees and ankles like I have, it creates such a comfort... that they become my habit." Former NFL quarterback, Alex Smith, who suffered a severe spiral fracture of the leg in 2018, also stands by his OOFOS. “I still push myself physically every single day on what I can go do. And the harder I push myself, the more I find myself drawn to wearing OOFOS. And I know what it's meant for me pre-injury and certainly even more since.”

But OOFOS aren’t just for former NFL quarterbacks and world-renowned coaches – they’re for anyone who requires a bit of relief following a workout or the person with sore feet resulting from, well… everyday life! Here at Mar-Lou Shoes, we carry several styles of OOFOS sandals, including the OOahh sport slide sandal, which is available in sizes 5-18 for women and sizes 6-16 for men. We also have several other super supportive styles in slides and thongs for women and men – all featuring the remarkable OOFOS technology we’ve been discussing – in a variety of nifty colors, too!

The owner of Mar-Lou Shoes, Daniel Ungar, swears by his OOFOS. Ungar says, “I won’t so much as stand at our stove to cook without something on my feet. My plantar fasciitis hurts so much! My go-to shoe is my OOahh slide – whether I just finished exercising or not. It is literally instant relief!” OOFOS are a game-changer for SO many around the world – it’s time for YOU to try on a pair (and FEEL the OO) at Mar-Lou!