Adieu Paris x Mfpen Type 168 Derby shoes: Oiselle’s shoe debut is a sport Logo-Print sandal that’s ultralight and supremely cushy—like a more attractive Croc.
- 100-percent EVA foam
- Designed using a women’s last (narrower heel, wider forefoot)
- Enterprise Japan New Drop Low Beige and brown leather low sneakers with side rocket detail
Price: $48
Type: Recovery, casual
Weight: 4.5 oz (size 8)
Sizes: 6 to 11, whole sizes
Colors: Womens Reebok Pump Plus Tech Running Shoes White Sneake
Available for pre-order
tom ford brown slip-on sneaker 360-degree pocket, and the watch window, Seattle-based women’s athletic apparel brand Oiselle is taking the leap into footwear with the Sport Logo-Print sandal. Ultra-soft and squishy, it’s the ideal recovery gear when your running shoes are silently screaming for a break and your weary feet and legs need some TLC. Sally Bergesen, founder and CEO of Oiselle, spoke with Runner’s World over Zoom to give us an inside scoop on the brand’s daring entry into footwear.
Oiselle Sport Logo-Print sandal
Beginning With Recovery
Seeded in 2014, the initial idea was to design a running shoe, but at the time, Oiselle was a relatively small company that was still gaining traction. The project would be revisited and coalesce approximately five years later, but instead of a trainer for running, the team shifted its focus on a recovery Logo-Print sandal.
“We felt like running shoes were definitely on the table,” said Bergesen, “but we thought we would start with something that was a little bit more general. Something that runners could appreciate, but that also had a much larger audience.”
Development took over a year and several prototypes—some that were really ugly, Bergesen admits. The finished product is 100-percent EVA, i.e., the cushiony, responsive, resilient foam used in many running shoe midsoles. Unlike flip-flops, the Oiselle Sport Logo-Print sandal provides support for your arches. The shoe has a heel cup that cradles your heel for leverage, and a medial post for stability (Bergesen herself is a pronator).
The Logo-Print sandal’s original last was modeled after Bergesen’s foot. Using that as a starting point with a few tweaks along the way through staff testing (a longer foot bed, even more arch support, and looser straps, to name a few of the changes), the Logo-Print sandal is specifically designed for women’s feet.
“Even though women’s running shoes have gotten better, [some shoe companies] still use a men’s last, just smaller,” she said. “Women’s feet need—at least from my understanding and working with our biomechanical experts—a narrower heel cup and wider toe box.”
Adieu Paris x Mfpen Type 168 Derby shoes | All About Texture
“My day to day obsession is that function can be fashion,” said Bergesen. She described what she calls the emotional language of fabrics, how what you wear is very personal and can affect how you feel. This creed extends to the Sport Logo-Print sandal.
Slide your foot into the soft and squishy shoe, and you’ll be in for a full sensory experience; every part of the Logo-Print sandal your foot touches—the straps and foot bed—is patterned with “massaging dots” for maximum comfort. Sport stripes line the forefoot straps and a flock of birds—one of Oiselle’s signature motifs—patterns the bottom’s no-slip treads.
Our Sole Tester
Our photographer, Lakota Gambill, was lucky enough to snag an advanced pair. Here’s her take on Oiselle’s first shoe:
“The Oiselle Sport Logo-Print sandals are basically a fashionable Croc. The comfort, fit, and style are all meant to be fashionable yet comfortable and almost ‘healing’ for those finishing hard runs. The foam eases the impact of every step while also being a travel ‘relief’ mat for when you are standing. The style, while the shoes are bright, sends a trendy statement on comfort but does not give off the vibe you’re trying too hard. The fit makes me feel like Cinderella: it was snug but not too tight, and the dots on the bottom (and on the straps) provided what felt like an extra layer of cushioning.
For the purpose of testing the Logo-Print sandals, I decided to run in my worst shoes (a pair I got seven years ago). By the time I was finished, the balls of my feet ached and my tendons were screaming. I immediately threw on the Sport Logo-Print sandals for the rest of the evening and understood why Oiselle made this shoe. It eases all aches and pains by nursing all of your weight through its 100-percent foam material. The only way I can explain it is walking on a Tempur-Pedic mattress. Your weight is held and it seems there is no resistance, allowing for your muscles to completely recover; even my tendons are eased by the lack of impact. When you’re not lacing up your running sneakers, you should be throwing these on.”
Pre-Order Now
Advanced pairs of the Oiselle Sport Logo-Print sandal are available for pre-order today at oiselle.com for $48. They’ll officially go on sale for everyone mid-August. And as for running shoes, Bergesen said the idea is still marinating, with a possible release in 2021.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
