El Mono by Luna Sandals: A Review.

Today I will be reviewing my newest pair of Luna Sandals, El Mono which is Spanish for...The Mono.

Mandatory Cliche Instagram Shot

El Mono is marketed as Luna's new jack-of-all trades sandal or as they label it, "...our do everything, go everywhere sandal. When your hiking, traveling, lounging, camping, running, spelunking, or anything else-ing, this is your go-to footwear"

I won these sandals in a giveaway from Patrick Sweeney's blog, The Running Lunatic. Upon wining the sandals I was given the choice of laces, and the foot-bed of my preference. As you can probably see I went with the ATS (All Terrain Strapping) laces and Pittard's Premium Leather foot-bed. Luna also had a copy of my custom footprint on file so I was able to get a custom sized/shaped huarache as well. 

This model of sandal is advertised as having 12mm of total thickness when adding together the foot-bed and Vibram rubber sole. This might seem a bit thick especially if you compare it to the Venado but I really haven't found it to be much of an issue for me and I feel it would only be an issue for the extremists who are looking for 100% maximal "ground feel".

With that in mind I chose the ATS and leather foot-bed for maximal versatility combined with maximal comfort. I debated getting the MGT foot-bed because I have been a big fan of it on my Leadvilles but if I know I am going to be getting wet and muddy on more intensive trails I would probably choose to use that sandal instead. I have also read that the leather foot-bed helps the sandal to conform/mold to the foot better.

I wanted these to be my sandal of choice for regular daily activities but also as my go to sandal for outdoor activity that could include running, walking or hiking on a variety of terrain. Especially if I were to run a route that might incorporate street and trail terrain. I already own a pair of the Venado(Street friendly) and Leadville(Trail friendly) models from Luna so this style of sandal fit perfectly in my need zone.

Construction Quality:

I have always considered Luna Sandals to be a premium huarache maker, especially compared to huaraches like Xero shoes. I would also extend that premium level over regular flipflops/thong sandals that you would find at any regular old store. These sandals look and feel like they can take a beating and are built to endure repeated beatings. There are minute details ranging from the quality of the straps and ribbon, to the buckets and fine stitchery, to the cut and finish of the sandals. It seems that either no corners are cut and they have a really great system set up at their shop. Its also a great bonus that this is a limited(but growing) person operation located here in the United States. I am really happy with and impressed how their is now a recessing for the side straps as they pass underneath of the sandal.

Daily Performance:
I really enjoy wearing these so far for daily tasks while out and about. I have not had an issues with the heel strap falling off my heel like I did when I first tried the ATS laces with my Leadville sandals. I attribute this to experience gained from the Leadville sandals to help find the ideal tension and placement of the laces for your own foot and gait. I have not had issues with the sandal slipping or becoming uncomfortable and I barely notice that I am even wearing footwear half of the time. The only time my sandal sticks out or is noticeable is when I catch people staring at them or have people inquire about what it is I am wearing. I hate wearing socks and I definitely hate wearing shoes most of the time so these sandals have been a great medium for me. Sometimes I feel bad that I have an occupation that requires professional dress because I would love to wear these while I work as well.

Running Performance:
I have now put in over half a dozen runs on these puppies. I wish it was over two dozen but I feel with my daily wear of them outside of running I feel prepared to fully review them. I may update or post a follow-up months from now as my time in them accumulates. I have worn these sandals for runs on the road and on the trails. I currently live in central Illinois so the trails are mostly packed single track with man-made obstacles made for mountain bikes and nature made obstacles like roots, rocks and logs.

The topography is about as flat as a pancake in this area so I can't wait to put these guys to the test in Colorado at the end of the summer. Regardless, I have run in rain, sleet, cold, mud, and now muggy heat with these sandals. In this area of the world you can experience all of these in the same week or sometimes day! I have not had any issues with the sandals moving around or causing me to slip and fall down. I wear my laces with a very moderate to loose tension and only really tighten them down for muddy conditions but I question if that is even that necessary. I have yet to try these sandals out in a wet, muddy and uphill scenario so maybe I should refrain from commenting.

If I had to ascribe a certain quality that sticks out when running in these sandals I would say that they have a feeling of "pop" or "springiness" to them. I do not get this sensation when running the same routes/trails with my Leadville or Venado sandals. However, I must note that I have been incorporating drills to develop more "spring" to my running gait and as of late I have only been running with the Mono.

Appeal Factor: Fun
Besides the "spring" and "pop" sensation felt while wearing these there is another overwhelming emotion that stands out. Fun. Whenever I wear Luna Sandals I feel like I am enjoying the experience one step further. I mentioned catching people staring earlier but that's nothing to the stares of incredulity that I get when running in my Luna's. I found myself smiling while running today in the Mono and the raw emotion of having fun. This is similar to how I felt when I was younger while "playing" and I feel like "play" is a major component missing from the daily lives of many adults. I enjoy that this lack of "play" is becoming more recognized and is being promoted by many health and fitness figures such as in this nice little video by Chip Conrad.

Conclusion:To a person who is looking to enter the world of huaraches or minimalism I feel that this is a very middle of the road model and I feel like it would be a great starting point. Especially when you consider the thickness of the model compared to the Venado or a Xero shoe which might scare some people away from trying a huarache. I have seen the description that this is the "Swiss-army knife" of huarache sandals and I would agree. I would especially agree if a person were to chose the MGT foot-bed. I feel that this would perhaps sacrifice a slight amount of comfort for maximum adaptability to all conditions (potentially even winter time conditions).

I would not describe my own MGT foot-bed sandals as uncomfortable because that would be a false statement. There is something to say about a leather or suede foot-bed broken in and molded to your foot over time with the help of oils from your own skin. It just feels great. The fun factor and springy sensations that I associate with this sandal have secured it a permanent spot in my running rotation as well as major player in my daily footwear.

This sandal definitely has its own niche and is distinct from the other models made by Luna. I feel that runners should rotate their footwear on a daily basis to allow varied/different stresses to the body to allow for maximal adaptation. I really enjoy running in huaraches and I feel the Mono is distinct enough to be used as a tool for various situations and is different enough to vary the stresses/strain placed on my body while running. I look forward to breaking in this sandal more to my foot and abusing it as hints of summer have begun to show here in Illinois.

I also want to thank Patrick Sweeney and Luna Sandals for the pair of sandals that I won in their giveaway. It was my first time ever winning anything in a giveaway and I have definitely enjoyed them. I wasn't given these to review and I am doing this all on my own. However, I will admit this review could be considered biased because of my previous experiences with their sandals which I summarize into three words satisfaction, enjoyment and fun.

Luna Sandals also has some great shirts that I like. This is my newest one thanks to my GF.

Categories: barefoot sandals, barefoot shoes, Barefoot Ted, Born to Run, El mono, Huarache, huaraches, luna sandals, Minimalist, Nike huarache