Olukai Ohana Review
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Comfortable, versatile, stylish, great arch support
Cons: Heavy, expensive
Manufacturer: Olukai
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
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Olukai Ohana | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |
Price | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $75 List | $54.95 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $22 List $24.99 at Amazon |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Comfortable, versatile, stylish, great arch support | Comfortable, durable, good in water | Lightweight, great for hiking | Attractive, comfortable, affordable | Bargain basement price, relatively comfortable, good in wet conditions |
Cons | Heavy, expensive | Heavy, a bit pricey | Extra straps can get in the way, pricey | Breaking in takes time, poor traction | Low arch, not suitable for hiking |
Bottom Line | These versatile flops are so comfortable they feel as if they were tailor-made for our feet | These flip flops are made for the ocean but are capable in any environment | Strap these to your feet and forget about them, these have serious staying power | After break-in, these cult classic flip flops offer excellent comfort and classic styling | These offer decent comfort and overall usability that far exceeds typical bargain basement flip flops |
Rating Categories | Olukai Ohana | Olukai Hokua | Astral Filipe | Rainbow Premier Lea... | NeedBo NDB |
Comfort (30%) | |||||
Support (20%) | |||||
Traction (20%) | |||||
Versatility (15%) | |||||
Style (15%) | |||||
Specs | Olukai Ohana | Olukai Hokua | Astral Filipe | Rainbow Premier Lea... | NeedBo NDB |
Sole Material | Gum rubber | Gum rubber | Rubber | Non-slip rainbow bottom | Rubber |
Footbed Material | ICEVA | ICEVA | EVA | Nubuck leather | EVA |
Strap Material | Synthetic | Leather | Polyester webbing | Nubuck leather | EVA |
Weight (per pair) | 17 oz | 19 oz | 14 oz | 13.1 oz | 10.5 oz |
Available Sizes | 7 - 18 | 7 - 15 | 8-13 | Small - XXXL | 6.5-17 |
Animal Products? | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The 'Ohana possesses all of the qualities we look for in a pair of flip flops. First and foremost, the feeling of slipping these on after a hard day of hiking, running, or working is amazing. The comfort is off the charts. After hurdling the critical comfort step, the 'Ohana proved to be durable, grippy, and versatile. There are no gimmicks, just a simple, well-made flip flop that speaks for itself.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
Like most flip flops, the 'Ohana sole is formed from compression-molded EVA, but it also has a uniquely comfortable ICEVA drop-in footbed. The footbed really is the "ICEVA on the cake." They are comfortable right out of the box, but after months of wear, they only become more formed and supple. Our past experiences with comfortable flip flops led us to believe that often comfort is achieved with the sacrifice of durability. The 'Ohana proves that theory wrong by holding up as well as our Editors' Choice while retaining top-notch comfort.
Support
The attention to detail and ergonomics are exceptional on the 'Ohana for providing solid and consistent footing. The combination of the firm grippy footbed, high arch support, and dense tacky sole adds up to superior support and stability all around. Our main tester even uses these flip flops while at his standing desk as they provide excellent ergonomics and all-day wearability.
Traction
The "coral reef lug" outsole on this flip strikes a nice balance between having big grippy lugs without them being so big as to lose traction on wet smooth surfaces, and the non-marking rubber grips incredibly well. The 'Ohana rubber stacks up admirably to grippy "stealth" rubber-like you can find on climbing shoes. We find this flip worthy of scrambling around the wet granite boulders of our favorite swimming hole, something we wouldn't do in just any ol' pair of flip flops.
Versatility
The 'Ohana has mastered all of the elements that make a flip flop highly versatile. The sole is grippy and durable, the footbed offers plenty of support, and the straps are snug but soft to keep uncomfortable rubbing at bay. This is basically the Captain Planet of flip flops combining the power rings of grip, durability, comfort, and style to defeat evil.
On top of the outdoor versatility, the non-marking rubber soles let you transition indoors without scuffing up the floor. Of note: after splashing around in puddles and streams, we did notice a significantly longer drying period for the footbed than some other flip flops.
Style
The Beauty and the Beast isn't just a strange children's movie that reinforces harmful gender stereotypes — it's also a statement that perfectly sums up the 'Ohana. Simple but attractive lines and the ability to stomp on crustacean's shells (not live ones, we aren't monsters) without cutting through into your feet was a pleasant surprise.
On top of that, there are a plethora of different color schemes to choose from with the 'Ohana, and even the color options are understated and appropriate for a wide variety of occasions. The bulk of our testing took place in Tucson, Arizona, where the flip flop is king, and the 'Ohana rarely came off of our feet.
Value
When a pair of flip flops perform as well as these do, we are prone to opening our wallets and allowing the company to grab however much cash they want. That being said, the price-to-performance ratio of the 'Ohana is actually very high, as they aren't even the most expensive pair of flip flops we tested. It's safe to say the performance and style justify the price.
Conclusion
Having multiple pairs of OluKai flip flops in our field of competitors made selecting an Editors' Choice excessively hard. The 'Ohana was solid competition, and we have absolutely no reservation in recommending them to anyone looking for a great all-around flip flop.
— Brian Martin
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