Review on Astral Loyak Barefoot Outdoor Travel by Mark Glass

I just received these shoes and am impressed so far. They are slightly larger than some of the other shoes offered by Astral, like the Donner or TR1 series. (I wear a size 12 on most sneakers, but these shoes require a size 13. However, I am a size 12 on this Loyak and it fits perfectly). One thing that surprised me is that the shoe doesn't have a tongue; Instead, they opted for the sock-like design popular these days. This means that the lacing effect is secondary to the natural construction of the upper, so the shoe really needs to be the right width for it to work. I have a medium foot and I find the shoe to be very comfortable. It's a minimal shoe, almost barefoot, without much midsole, so the shoe relies heavily on the insole to provide cushioning. I have flat feet and appreciate a little more arch support than insoles, so I use a third-party insole with a little more arch support. When the shoe is on it is very comfortable with a snug, roomy toe box that allows the toes to splay naturally. The heel is soft and I'm not sure if it's meant to be foldable, but it definitely feels like it could be foldable. I have sensitive skin so I wear a pair of socks to avoid chafing and socks keep my heel from slipping. (Without socks, there isn't much slipping either, but the sense of security isn't the same). Visually, this shoe is incredibly versatile. For the average young person, I see Loyaks as the only required footwear (the only thing I wouldn't do in them is run or hike, but they're perfect for everything else. ok maybe you're expecting a wedding, it always is still pretty common). Remember these shoes are made for water. So if you step in a puddle your foot will get wet so this is clearly not a winter shoe. But here in Hawaii it's excellent and I plan to wear it on my summer travels as well. Update: It hasn't been a day yet and the heel tab has to be used to rip the shoe apart. They are going back. Rating from 5 to 2 stars due to low durability. Update: I decided to try the hemp version of the same shoe as it has a tongue that I can slide back to make room for my feet. I'll update on the Revain hemp releases page on how to do it.