Astral Debuts Water Sandals
Feature photo: Courtesy Astral
Astral Debuts Water Sandal
Written by Astral Press Release
As a raft guide on Section IV of the Chattooga River over 30 years ago, Phillip Curry, founder and CEO of Astral, learned firsthand the demands of the river and the gear needed to thrive in and out of the waters.
Since that time, Curry has thought about how he would design a sandal that would be secure and stable and could stand up to those demanding days as a raft guide on the water. His idea gained momentum on a trip to France when he stumbled upon a pair of sandals that were made in Japan and looked like a PFD. “These look like something we’d make by strapping our PFD (personal floatation device) to a Loyak bottom to create a high-performance sandal,” Curry noted. "I knew it was time to create a unique sandal that had the same foothold, grip, and worldview of our shoes.
"In Spring ’22 Astral will proudly introduce its highly anticipated first two sandals, The PFD Sandal™ and Webber Sandal™. Decades in the making The PFD Sandal™ and Webber Sandal™, represent Astral’s dedication to building the high performance equipment, made in the least toxic, lowest impact way. These sandals are designed with these key features:
Shoe Like Fit - Webbing and adjustable straps from Astral’s award-winning PFDs (personal floatation devices) provide a secure, shoe-like fit.
Balanced Geometry™ - A zero drop Level Footbed™ combined with a roomy toe box respects the foot’s natural alignment and provides increased balance, ground feel and foot health.
G.ss Rubber™ - Astral's proprietary rubber compound and siped Flex Grip™ has a low durometer that makes it stick and conform to the ground for premium grip while providing excellent abrasion resistance.
Antimicrobial - Closed cell, EVA foam midsoles requires no treatment and provides antimicrobial protection against foot funk in wet and dry conditions.
100% Recycled Uppers - 100% post-consumer recycled polyester webbing and canvas straps along with bluesign® approved PFD-grade buckles provide exceptional strength while reducing their environmental impact.