RUIVO PLUS / the best barefoot monk sandals for run and hike

[@chrishbeatboxing2291]

Just got a pair of the 10mm ones and they are insanely high quality and stylish at its price point (62 usd + 9 usd shipping). The brown color also pairs really well with my outfits.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I love my Monk sandals! Really can't beat the design, price, and quality. Enjoy!

[@weew0e767]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH I HAVE HAD MINE FOR MONTHS FROM YOUR WEBSITE!

[@AndrewFolts]

They're crazy good! The toebox is so wide, the buckle is great, and the leather feels soft...AND they have a Vibram sole. Basically sent down from the barefoot heavens. (:

[@weew0e767]

Its the same sole as the softstar primals which funny enough was my first dream barefoot shoe but i dont have any atm

[@AndrewFolts]

@@weew0e767 Yea, hopefully they'll be sending me some next month. Stoked to try them.

[@alienatedbeing7513]

Gonna order some of these, they look awesome

[@AndrewFolts]

Nice! Monk's are so underrated with the Vibram sole and low cost compared to similar high quality sandals. Enjoy!

[@holdenmcgroin3995]

Found this from your shamma warrior review and am elated: finally a sandal that has all I want! Clip and crosswrap! I can't handle a big toe wrap

[@holdenmcgroin3995]

Saying that, thanks for the tip about pah tempe, they seem perfect

[@AndrewFolts]

Glad to hear it, Holden! Monk's one of my fav barefoot brands and toebox shapes too. Enjoy!

[@Zam432F]

Love these videos.

[@AndrewFolts]

Thanks, Z.. Cheers! (:

[@drygnfyre]

Nice, these kind of look like a minimal Teva sandal.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, I used to wear Teva's growing up, and I wish I'd known about barefoot sandals like twenty years ago!

[@leecourt8509]

Great comparison. Thanks!

[@AndrewFolts]

You got it. Thanks for dropping by, Lee!

[@2jzpower760]

Hi nice review, monk sandals offers one specifically for running called RUNNING SANDALS MONTE SILENTII VEGE. I was concidering them because the sole is made for better traction and they are running style. Would love a review on them from you!

[@AndrewFolts]

Unfortunately, the soles are like 10mm, which is just too thick for me. I find my feet tend to hurt and feel clunky with anything above 7mm or so.

[@Smattyy]

Looks great. I need these asap.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, they're my fav's now. Thinner than the Z-Trek and classier than the Genesis with a wider toebox than both. Perfecto!

[@qiqerod]

I am happy I found this video. Out of all the sandals I’ve looked at this is the one that interests me the most. for some reason I can’t get English translation in their website and I have a question on sizing. MY foot size is 8.5 (I think 26.6cm), and width is about 4”? What size would you recommend? Should I size down or up? Thank you in advance and happy new year 👍🏻. Great channel! Just getting into barefoot shoes

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey there, I'm a 44 usually and the Monk 44's fit me perfectly, but you can also check their size guide with printable templates: shop.monksandals.com/gb/content/6-sizing

[@qiqerod]

@@AndrewFolts thank you 👍🏻

[@qiqerod]

@@AndrewFolts I noticed these printable scale sizings are for two other models. I’m assuming it won’t matter and it’ll be also for this specific ruivo plus sandal?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@qiqerod Yea. The owner Alex is really helpful as well, so you can reach out to him via the contact form in you're unsure.

[@qiqerod]

@@AndrewFolts thanks again 👍🏻

[@GabeKramer-yh9fg]

Not me watching this after getting z-treks and finding them uncomfortable

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, Xero seems to use a thicker rubber, which is more durable but also not as flexible/soft. Definitely prefer the leather on the Monk's now that I've tried both.

[@C18H19NaO5S]

I’m excited to order these. I tried (both) zero sandals. I didn’t love the minimalist one and the thicker one has the worst footbed I’ve had. It feels like a $1 flip flop. I was with xero shoes since they sold a diy huarache kit but I’m not thrilled where they ended up. I hike in a pair of their shoes currently but ‘vegan shoe’ means plastic you’ll toss in six months. I’m never buying a shoe that isn’t resolable again.

[@weew0e767]

We both have ruivos, jayas, flying foxes and v-treks haha

[@AndrewFolts]

No way, ha! Like the Fantastic Four of barefooting!

[@person737]

I think im gonna buy the 10mm veg version, but I gotta ask, is the size chart accurate cause im ready to order

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, it's exactly the shape/size of the soles, just make sure you've got the scale right when you print it or look at it on a monitor.

[@person737]

@@AndrewFolts the printer is not working so I cant print, I tried to print it but it was unsuccessful. would looking at it on a monitor be more accurate than measuring foot length and selecting based on that ?

[@AndrewFolts]

@@person737 Yea, what you do is increase the size until the scale marker they give you is the appropriate length (check it using a ruler). Obviously you need a screen bigger then your foot, ha.

[@Paul9]

PANTA sandals 😙 Not sure if they ship to the US but they are awesome.

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, they do look nice. Do you have some? Which pair?

[@Paul9]

@@AndrewFolts I have a little family of them now 😊 but the PARNOSAS are the thinnest and my favourite. Would highly recommend as after some breaking in really shape to your feet, get thinner and have amazing ground feel. Great for running even steep or off camber trails. They are only around 100g each also🦶 🦶

[@AndrewFolts]

@@Paul9 Cool, I'll see if I can get a pair to review!

[@BrandonWentland]

Have you tried earthrunners? That is my go to, wonder I they would compare.

[@AndrewFolts]

I would but their thinnest sandal is 7.5mm thick and I usually wear 5mm max for better flexibility and ground feel. I did ask them if they'd consider making thinner sandals, so hopefully we'll see something in the future.

[@NoOne-yb8wj]

Hey, how do they compare to bedrocks sandals? Did you try monk sandals models for running? Thanks

[@AndrewFolts]

Haven't tried them, but they're quite similar with Vibram soles, although Monk. has thinner 5mm options, where Bedrock's thinnest is 8mm and they don't have cross-strap styles. Haven't gotten any rubbing in the Monk's.

[@NoOne-yb8wj]

@@AndrewFolts sorry not rubbing, i edited the message I meant Monk sandals have a dedicated model for running with 10mm vibram and additional locking system. Thanks for answer

[@Adiusza]

Hi, i have the same model but with cordura padding , i saw on the vidoe that you are running in them , how they works ? great video

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, they work great for trail running. At 5mm they're ok for road running, but I generally prefer ultra thin around 3-4mm, so I mostly use them on trails and for casual city walking..

[@frantisekbachraty7827]

Hi, I also tried to make some huraches and it was the string that bothered me the most, or the strap stretched lengthwise around the thumb, which rubbed very painfully in the space between the thumb and the next finger, so tying with the primary strap crosswise seems like a good idea. So they hold up well when running uphill/downhill? 😉

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, the Vibram Omniflex sole is best hybrid tread in the world with good grip, plus lots of durability. For trail running, the Ruivo's work pretty well, although one of their huaraches might provide better horizontal stability with the toe thong.

[@frantisekbachraty7827]

​@@AndrewFolts Thanks for your response and I have ordered two pairs 😉

[@lelesiculo]

Hi Andrew! I was looking for a new pair of sandals and found this review of yours, great product…i have a little question: is the basic difference between this model and the MANASLU (same company/brand) simply the thickness of the sole (5mm vs 10mm)? Have you tried them both? Thanks a lot and have a lovely day, Daniele

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, the thickness and it's also got a different tread pattern that's meant to handle larger/sharper rocks. I usually prefer thinner, unless I'm on really rough terrain.

[@lelesiculo]

@@AndrewFolts Thanks a lot!

[@chrisdeheij4507]

I’m in the market for my first pair of barefoot sandals. This is the best looking of all the sandals I researched! Is it hard to get the straps adjusted just right? I’m still in doubt between this and something from Shamma

[@AndrewFolts]

Hey Chris, for casual and walking or light hiking, the Ruivo's are nice and simple. For faster more technical hiking and trail running the Shamma's have more support, but are a little more finicky setting up the strap system at first.

[@chrisdeheij4507]

@@AndrewFoltsThanks for the response, will be putting my order in. No real technical trails in my area, so these will do just fine i guess. Can’t wait to try them 😀

[@quentin8330]

Are these better than the Geniale sandale 3 mm one?

[@AndrewFolts]

Hadn't heard of them, but they look great. Just sent Anika a message to see if I can get a pair to test. I've found cross straps to be more comfortable for casual, but haurache thongs are better for trail running. The Monk Vibram sole would more durable, as well.

[@PabloSanchez-lw9cb]

Hey Andrew! I wanted to ask how you purchased these because in the store I see they are in Polish zloty. I was going to go for the DLD Perceptions but they are a little out of my budget and since these are a bit cheaper, I would like to know how you went about converting USD to zloty.

[@AndrewFolts]

Just Google "Cz to USD." I think they were like $50-60. It should automatically convert when you pay with PayPal, etc.

[@PabloSanchez-lw9cb]

@@AndrewFolts Thanks man, I'll check it out!

[@jonahmfunk9744]

Any tips for ordering? Clearly they aren’t a US company, and I’m not sure what currency they use so I can tell what price they’ll actually cost.

[@AndrewFolts]

Last I checked they were around $50-60. They're Polish, so you can just Google "zloty to USD" for the exact price.

[@jonahmfunk9744]

@@AndrewFolts fantastic! Do you know if they accept returns for a full refund? I’ve had bad luck finding sandals that fit

[@weew0e767]

Are you going to try and get a pair of fg all weather shoes?

[@AndrewFolts]

Yea, toward fall probably. I have some Gobi's to review and a regular FG on the way from Vivo.

[@SuperJTthunder]

What size did you end up going with? I love my z-trails but the sizing is so wonky, and I would love a leather insole.

[@AndrewFolts]

My feet measure 10.5 in, and I went with the EU 43. Usually I'm either a 43 or 44, so I'd say they run slightly longer. Although this could just be because they're very wide and I have somewhat narrow feet.

[@SuperJTthunder]

@@AndrewFolts Big help, thank you! And it looks like pricing is in Polish zloty? These come out to just $60 USD after shipping, so pretty good pricing overall.

[@AndrewFolts]

@@SuperJTthunder Yea, when I did the conversion I was like, wait...this can't be right. Lot of leather sandals cost upwards of $120.

[@SuperJTthunder]

@@AndrewFolts Yeah I was super shocked! Especially after paying a premium for the Z-trails. Thanks for the review

[@lukepaulson3428]

Does anyone make a barefoot style “flip-flop”? I’m not a big fan aesthetically of all the straps.

[@weew0e767]

Yes theres A Lot

[@AndrewFolts]

Check out the Toetem Coyote: toetemsandals.com/collections/coyote

[@lukepaulson3428]

@@AndrewFolts Thanks!!!!

[@rubencohen2936]

Monk Andrew, how's your chanting ? Namasta 🪬 👣

[@AndrewFolts]

I brought a 42" gong with me on my run at 6 am this morning, and my neighbors absolutely loved it!

[@rubencohen2936]

@@AndrewFolts I've always heard the rumors you have a really big gong. 🌞

[@AndrewFolts]

@@rubencohen2936 Lolol. Yes, that's exactly what they say.