Adjusting Your Sandals

Thank you for choosing Deliberate Life Designs Sandals. Meet your new minimalist sandals: Each pair has been hand-built from the ground up, in the Green Mountains of northern Vermont.

Note: As you adjust your new pair of sandals we suggest you put your foot in place on the sandal to gauge fit, then remove the sandal to make the necessary strap adjustments. This “deliberate” way of adjusting puts much less stress on the sandals than just pulling from above with your foot in place.

Start Here

The strap system is one continuous strap. You will start by adjusting the segment that is connected to the toe thong, then the heel, and finally the strap that goes over the instep and into the buckle. 

  • Step 1 - Toe thong strap adjustment. First adjust the strap that comes out from between your toes. With your foot in the ideal position on the sandal, the strap should lay over your foot with a slight amount of slack, not tight! To adjust this, pull the webbing up or down through the sole of the sandal as needed.

  • Step 2 - Heel strap adjustment. The heel strap should be taut to keep your heel from sliding back, especially when going uphill. However, do not use this segment to try and make the sandal fit “tighter” because it will just force your foot forward too far on the footbed. Instead, use the heal segment as a means to POSITION the foot where you want it.

  • Step 3 - Final instep strap adjustment. The final step is to take the remaining strap that goes over the top of the foot, pass it under the toe-thong strap, then with a half twist in the webbing, pull any excess slack through the buckle on the heel strap. Pulling this taught will tension the first (toe plug) strap in the process. Tuck the remaining webbing end into the stretchy keeper loop and/or trim the excess strap making sure to leave at least a couple of inches. Seal the end of any trimmed webbing with a flame to keep it from fraying.

Note: If you are using these sandals for trail running, or hiking, you may consider the optional ankle strap to get a little added security. This optional strap isn't likely needed for most people, but it can help in some cases depending on your gait and personal preference.

Care and Feeding

Your sandals are going to get DIRTY! To clean them, soak your sandals in warm soapy water (any mild soap is fine) long enough to saturate and soften all the grime. Using the recommended nylon bristle brush available on our website or an old toothbrush etc, scrub the footbed to remove any dirt or dead skin. Scrub the straps in the same way. You can also “floss” the straps through the slots in the sole to remove any sand or grime hidden inside, which will lengthen the life of the straps. Do not wash your DLD sandals in a washing machine or dry them in a drier.

Leave to air dry, out of direct sunlight. Sunbathing can melt the glue.

Do not store your sandals in places that get really hot such as in a car or in direct sunlight for long periods in the summertime. As with any shoes, this can overheat the glue and cause it to melt or break down prematurely.

I hope you love your sandals. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I am happy to help. After you get a chance to wear them around for a while, I would love to hear your feedback. Email me with a review and/or tag me on Instagram.

-Adam

deliberatelifedesigns@gmail.com
Instagram @deliberatelifedesigns
336-662-7550

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