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Shoe & Sock Reviews
07/22/2026
ZuZu Barefoot Drift Sandal Review:
I’ve recently started to transition into more minimal shoes and sandals (at the behest of my lovely girlfriend). The people at ZuZu Barefoot were generous and provided a pair of sandals to try and give feedback on.
The particular model is called Drift and I prefer this type of sandal because it does not have a thong that goes between the first webspace such as many other minimal sandal designs do. Instead, it has two straps above the foot and one behind the heel.
This is by far the most minimal sole’d piece of footwear I’ve ever worn.
It took a while to figure out the best balance in the straps. It seemed that the heel strap needed to be looser than I thought in order to keep my toes from sliding forward off of the foot bed.
After a couple weeks of walking around the neighborhood and going to the grocery store with these sandals, it’s become pretty clear that they have helped stimulate all the little tendons and muscles in my feet and legs. I feel spry and springy wearing them.
It feels nice to be more grounded and close to the floor. The sole is made of pretty robust rubber and I have not experienced any sharp pains from anything I’ve stepped on thus far.
I’ve learned how to carefully pull down the back heel strap to get in and out of the sandals without undoing the ankle velcro strap (mostly with the intention to preserve the longevity of the velcro).
I would endorse this sandal for anyone who wants a casual and minimal sandal to walk around in. I have not taken it on longer walks or on trails so far but I’m sure that day is coming soon.
It is probably wise to transition to a sandal like this slowly. If you’re currently not wearing zero drop shoes (meaning there is no built in heel lift like most conventional shoes have), it is probably a good idea to get a pair of shoes with no heel lift (such as the Altra brand) but with some built in padding. As the tendons start to stretch and readjust you can slowly transition to more minimal cushioned shoes/sandals over time. If you were to wear this sandal immediately after years of use with a conventional shoe it would likely cause tendonitis in the Achilles tendon and heel pain. With any of these type of minimal sandals and shoes it is a good idea to slowly incorporate them into your repertoire of shoes (ex: wear them on one walk a day vs all day).
As always, do what feels good.
Adam Cornejo, DPM
The Toe Doc