OOFOS OOriginal Sport - Women's Review

The OOriginal Sport is a simple yet comfortable platform flip flop perfect for wearing around the house or when backyard gardening. They may not be the most stylish but they performed surprisingly well across most of our metrics.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

If there is one thing these shoes do right it's comfort. The OOriginal Sport is thick and soft, yet also firm and supportive — similar to a Tempurpedic mattress. The thong straps are thick and puffy so they don't dig into the skin and they offer a little stretch to ensure they fit wide and narrow feet alike. Right out of the box these flip flops offer peak comfort with no break-in time. The patented footbed absorbs impact with every step and little details like how the toe post tapers into the footbed help mitigate pinching. There is even a slight bevel on the bottom of the shoe to help encourage a proper heel-to-toe stride. The only thing worth noting regarding comfort is that these shoes run ever-so-slightly large so if you're between sizes, we suggest sizing down.

Support

At first glance, we did not think that the OOriginal would offer much support but it didn't take long for our opinions to do a 180. The thick thong straps meet the footbed at the arch so they remain very close to the foot with every stride. The straps also offer a small amount of stretch ensuring that the shoe fits snuggly. Even though they are generally flexible and soft, the soles are super thick, which keeps rocks and sticks from penetrating.

The OOriginal also has nice arch support. It is somewhat minimal, but the squish means that the heels of those with larger arches will sink lower into the shoe, therefore providing more significant support for the arch. The curvature of the footbed paired with the general fit gives these flip flops a leg up in the support category.

Traction

Traction is another category where we were pleasantly surprised. The bottom of the OOriginal has some small canals to help with traction but generally speaking, it doesn't appear to have enough texture to offer solid grip on uneven ground. However, after slipping our feet into these puppies we found that we were sorely mistaken. Hiking around on uneven terrain is a breeze because of how soft the shoe is. The squishiness allows for them to form around whatever obstacle you are walking over, offering optimal surface area contact. That said, we did find that on steep terrain with smaller, looser obstacles, the shoe isn't quite as sticky.

When the OOriginal is wet, the bottom of the sole as well as the interior footbed can become a little slippery. While these are water-resistant shoes, they may not be the best for something like boating due to this lack of traction. The footbed is also better if you size down, ensuring that the thong straps are snug and hold the sole close to the foot.

Versatility

These flip flops are perfect for long walks on uneven ground as well as around-the-house chores and gardening. They are completely water-resistant so moisture simply beads off of them. They are also extremely lightweight, so are an easy choice to pack for an outing or for travel — though they aren't the most low-profile due to the thick sole. But if you're headed out on a backpacking trip and want an extra pair of lightweight flip flops so you have something easy to slip on and off, the OOriginal is a great option.

While these flips offer surprisingly good traction, the lack of a heel strap makes hiking up steep terrain a little challenging. That being said, as long as the size you choose fits snuggly, the squishiness paired with the grippy rubber won't have you sliding feet first if you come across a surprise hill.

Style

You can't win them all, or maybe you can, but the OOriginal surely aren't in this category. They are not a hideous eyesore, but compared to the other models in our test suite, they simply cannot measure up. This flip flop falls somewhere between sporty and practical looking. It comes in a few different colors including some with metallic details. The solid black option is the easiest to dress up or down, but generally speaking, these pair better with your gardening jeans than a cute summer dress.

Value

At first glance, we assumed these flip flops were on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Surprise! They are not. They are actually one of the more expensive options in our test suite. However, if you don't mind the style, then the comfort alone makes these shoes worth every penny.

Conclusion

While the OOFOS OOriginal Sport are not winning any fashion awards, we sure do love wearing them around the house. From the firm yet soft footbed to the thick sole, these shoes are both supportive and comfortable. If sized properly, they fit snuggly and offer support to a wide range of feet from slim to thick, and their shape encourages an organic heel-to-toe stride. If you are looking for the perfect house chore or gardening flip flop, you've found it.