I’ve been mostly running with my Original Luna Sandals for the past 8 months and love running in open toed sandals. Luckily so far, I haven’t stubbed my toes yet. I’d like to believe it’s skills, but know better. Though as I wrote in my last blog, after 700 miles later, the Originals went bust when during a downhill run, a sharp rock almost tore through the sole. The Luna Monkeys helped me order the Mono’s while it was still in beta. Even though I received it a couple of weeks ago, I ran last week’s 30K trail run in my broken Originals since I didn’t have enough time to break in the Mono’s.
Mono’s by Luna Sandals
My kids happen to pick up the package from the mailbox and as soon I saw the Mono’s, their first impression was, “These sandals are much thicker, Dad!”. At 4.6oz with a 12mm thick footbed, the Mono’s are definitely thicker than the Originals and heavier. From the Luna Sandals product page:
The Mono (pronounced “moe-no”) is made up of a light, moldable Vibram sole combined with the Pittards Premium Leather or non-slip MGT footbed for a total thickness of 12mm. The protective, lightweight sole allows for a wide variety of uses from casual wear to trail running, while the overall thickness means the ankle holes can be countersunk to reduce wear on the laces.
Luna Sandals Mono’s
I was definitely concerned about the 12mm sole since I love the ground feel and truly believe that makes be a better, safer and more aware runner. I finally got a chance to break-in the Mono’s on my favorite 10-mile PG&E loop at Ranch San Antonio park. This was a slow recovery run for me, just days after a race. So took it nice and easy. The ATS (All Terrain Strapping) laces are much like in the Originals and can be adjusted easily for the right fit. The Originals hardly have any traction and that was part of my attraction to the Mono’s.
The naked MGT (Monkey Grip Technology) footbed is also new since I had the Suede on the Originals. The MGT footbed felt grippy and my foot didn’t slip over the sandals. After 10 miles, I didn’t feel any abrasion on the bottom of my feet. I don’t know if it’s because the sandals haven’t been broken in yet or it’s because of the thickness, but I felt that the sandals were a little slappier and louder. Maybe the noise will go down a bit after the sole molds and adapts to the shape of my feet. However, I felt much more sure-footed on the downhill runs with the Mono’s.
Overall, I like the Mono’s but do wish I had gotten the Venado’s if anything for the thinner sole. My next 35K run will be with the Mono’s and I’ll know soon how it performs in a race. Have you tried out the Mono’s? What’s your first impression?
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Your first impression of the Mono’s is very helpful! I have been thinking about getting a pair but find that my Leadville Pacers are too much shoe for my liking, so I thought the Mono’s might be too. It sounds like I should stick with the Venado, which I find to be perfect from roads to the really rough and rocky trails.
Lillian, glad my review helped you. “Too much shoe like” is the best way to describe the thicker Lunas. Though after a week or running trails and rocky terrain with the Mono’s, the slappiness has gone down quite a bit. The real test is going to be next weekend’s 35K race through redwoods. IIRC, the treads on the Venado are similar to the Originals – little to non-existent. So depends on how much traction you are looking for on the trails.
A trail race sounds like a great test. Good luck out there!
Thank you for the review! I’m considering getting a pair of Venados and was wondering how the suede footbed does when wet. Does it dry out fairly quickly?
@thephilwebster:disqus I had the suede with the originals, but decided against it when I switched to the Mono’s. Wasn’t too crazy about how it performed when wet. After two trails runs this week with multiple creek crossings + a marathon today where I had to cool myself down by pouring cold water on my legs (was a really warm day), the MGT on the Mono’s totally rocks. I was able to immediately start running after the sandals were wet and they didn’t slip under my feet.
I have the Venados with the Pittard’s leather footbed and I’m not happy with how it performs when wet. My foot slips around making it near impossible to run. I’m going to order a pair with the naked MGT (Monkey Grip Technology) footbed next time. But overall Luna Sandals are awesome. I own 3 pairs of them. I highly recommend buying a pair!!
How do you like your Monos, now that you’ve run in them for several months? I’ve been running trails in Xero 4mm huaraches (I run completely barefoot when I run on roads and pavement), but the right one broke during a training run on a rough trail this past weekend. My husband was able to sort of Jerry-rig that broken sandal so that it’s usable for the time being.I need to replace my Xeros before my next trail race, an ultra in about six weeks. I looked into getting a pair of Leadville Pacers a few months ago, but
the company has had a wait list for that model for quite a while.Do the Monos feel minimalist enough that you sufficiently feel the ground when you run? Do they feel light-weight when you run? Do they hold up to tough trails? I live in South Texas and all the trails I run in South and Central Texas are extremely rocky and technical: I need something that will withstand these rough trails.
Congrats on the running an ultra in 6 weeks! Which one is it?
I’ve run three 50K’s and 2 half marathons on the Mono’s since June and am super happy with them. The Headwaters Ultra 50K especially was on a very rocky terrain, but the Mono’s were grippy, didn’t slip under my feet and did great on creek crossings (took just a minute or two to dry on the run). A week ago the right strap broke on the ATS, but the Luna Monkeys were quick to fix and overnight them for $25. I ran a 50K this Saturday with the new straps and they stayed up great. I wrote this review a week after I got the Mono’s which probably wasn’t enough time to break in. Now they completely conform to my feet and don’t have the slappy/loud sound when I run.
Thank you for the quick response to my question! I’m running the Wild Hare 50k, near Warda, TX, in November. After seeing that you’re pleased with your Monos now that you’ve had time to run in them in various training and racing situations, I’ve decided to order a pair of Monos rather than wait for the Leadville Pacers to become available again. The non-slip feature of the Monos is extremely important to me. The Xero huaraches I’ve been wearing get slippery when my feet get hot, as well as when I run through water, and then I end up running more slowly just to keep my balance and form. I’m looking forward to having a pair of huaraches that offer necessary grip even when wet. We’re fortunate these days to have a great number of minimalist footwear options for trail running.