It can be summed up by saying that the Hari Mari Dunes are remarkable flip flops. They are specialists that don’t excel at everything but perform superbly at what they were designed to do. That is being in the water.
Designed specifically for wet environments, these flip flops are different from the competition. While these might not be the most comfortable flip flops outright, they are great at the beach or on a boat because they solve some of the most frustrating attributes flip flops have in wet environments such as slippery footbeds, absorbent materials, or no buoyancy.
They are also very good for running. I mean, when is it ok to pull over and leave your car idling for a few seconds (ok, minutes) in a no parking zone (ok, a busy sidewalk)?
Answer: During any or all of the following… (maybe?)
- To take a very important phone call
- To clean up something you’ve spilled
- To get rid of a creepy crawler that found its way into your car
This brings me to a situation I found myself in last week. I’d dropped my husband off to do our week’s shopping at a nearby wet market and pulled away before I noticed that he’d left his phone on the dashboard. So, I quickly pulled over (safely, of course) onto a sidewalk near the busy market to chase after my husband on foot.
He was well out of earshot by the time I’d “parked” and gotten out of the car, so there was no point in trying to shout over the din of the crowd.
Instinctively, I ran after him with his phone in one hand and my handbag in the other. I deftly locked the car behind me using the spare car key that’s always in my handbag as I pursued him on foot – I may have forgotten to mention that I left the car running.
Okay, I know leaving my car idling unattended (on the sidewalk) – even if there’s a rational explanation for doing so – does not fall under any of the situations listed above, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, I was committed and prepared to do…running –in flip flops.
“I may have forgotten to mention that I left the car running.”
Running and I have had a rocky relationship for a while now. The last time we met it was decided that it’d be best if we saw as little of each other as possible.
I just don’t do well with running situations and almost always end up stumbling or falling flat on my face. Some would call me clumsy, but I see myself as an expert walker with little need for running – usually.
However, this was an emergency, and I was committed. Thankfully I was wearing my Hari Mari Women’s Dunes II on that fateful day.
As I began to reacquaint myself with running, my car idling behind me on the sidewalk, I was delighted to discover that I was able to remain upright and comfortable thanks to the firm and condensed arch support of these remarkable flip flops!
Admittedly, it was a little awkward at first. But after a few strides, it felt like having built-in arch supporting insoles (sort of) in my flip flops. The Dunes were there to support me on my mission.
“This was an emergency, and I was committed.”
Thankfully, my husband tends to walk at a leisurely pace, and I was able to catch him and deliver his phone with less than 25 yards of running and return safely to my still idling, yet guilty-looking, car on the sidewalk.
I was happy to notice later that day (when I was safely back home sans parking ticket, thank you very much) that there was no soreness or blisters on my feet or between my toes. This is likely due to the Dunes II memory foam toe posts and equally plush straps.
So, thank you Dunes II for helping running and I not embarrass each other, and for keeping me comfortable, upright, and looking good.
