OKA spa slides: Jasmine/Grayson

If you are tired of bulbous, crayon-colored rubber-molded clogs and slides, these basic one-piece, rubber, non-slip, non-marking Spa Shoes may be for you. Actually the “spa” part of the name is a bit misleading. We found that we really liked to wear them after exercising or playing sports, while traveling, visiting the gym, going to and from yoga, or wherever and whenever we wanted wash-and-wear shoes that weren’t clunky. Heck, we even had male testers say, “Hmm…wow!”

In a nutshell the Jasmine women’s slides (men’s style: Grayson) that we tested are slightly cushy, rubbery, slides that can take water, dirt and heat. But in contrast to others, they have a rather sleek profile, a cushier sole and an arch support that really does support. They even boast slightly raised massage beads in the forefoot and arch that give the footbed a bit of texture that provides some gripping (less sliding about) and do add a bit of feel-good foot massaging while walking.

With the sportier slide styles that were new in 2009, our testers did actually use them to walk to and from massage appointments and other treatments at a spa, but also found them lightweight and adaptable to tuck into a suitcase for quick treks to fetch coffee or go to a hotel lobby, for slipping on after biking or running, or for going to and from a club workout or yoga class. With socks or not, they actually looked like sandals, not clown feet. And they were comfy enough for a side trip to the market or bank on the way home.

And yes, every sandal needs cleaning, so how about using the dishwasher? Yep, the Grayson and Jasmine are both top-shelf, dishwasher safe. Talk about making it easy.

Our only critique is that they run large, especially if you have narrower or lower-volume feet. We mostly either sized down one level or, if on the cusp, chose the smaller size for best fit. And if you have feet that are hard to fit, you may have trouble since they don’t come in single sizes but rather come in small to large (through XXXL for men) with each fitting a short range of shoe sizes. That said, the hard-to-fit may also find there is more leeway since narrow heels, wide forefeet or bunions won’t over-complicate the fit.

SNEWS® Rating: 4.5 hands clapping (1 to 5 hands clapping possible, with 5 clapping hands representing functional and design perfection)

Suggested Retail: $25



For information:www.ShoesThatLoveYou.com