The amphibious sandal, for swim-runs and rain-filled days.
Named after lake Zaros on the largest of the Greek islands Crete. Lake Zaros was created in wetlands with water originating from regional springs. Zaros in old Greek means a place with a lot of water.
The Zaros feature two-sided traction; a 2 mm grip top footbed pressure glued onto a 6 mm Vibram TANK Newflex rubber sole (3 mm profile on a total thickness of 6 mm). The footbed has a knob pattern to provide grip when your feet are wet, and to allow water to be expelled from underneath your feet, like the profile of a tire. The Vibram TANK sole has a multi-directional tread and is the rubber of choice when maximum grip capacity is required on slippery terrain.
The Zaros provide good grip on slippery and uneven surfaces, they protect your feet from sharp edges on rocky beaches and stony tracks and they virtually take in and retain no water. No surprise that they are finding their way into SwimRun races. Slip them under your pull belt, in your bag/pack, or stick them inside your wetsuit for the swims and quickly slip them on for the runs.
The Zaros are probably unlike any other sandals you've walked on. They need to be broken in to make them soft and flexible. Your feet probably need to get used to the profiled footbed. And they're barefoot sandals; they provide protection but don't provide cushioning. So obviously you also need to master minimalist natural running technique to unlock their benefits.
The Zaros are also available in a Plus version. They have the same footbed as the standard Zaros and a 2 mm thicker 8 mm Vibram TANK Newflex rubber sole.
The Plus version was developed for the toughest terrain where extra thickness is welcome - think scree slopes, talus fields and lava plains - and for steep technical running where high landing forces can occur.
