The North Face Elsie Review

By Shannon on Apr 05, 2010 in Women's

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Sandal season is here once again in the Front Range of Colorado. Mild temps, in between spring storms, have provided us with the opportunity to test out the Elsie sandal by The North Face. The Elsie is an incredibly comfortable sandal that provides an open-air feel of a flip-flop, while also offering your feet some added cushion and support not typically found in casual sandals. An EVA midsole, sponge rubber outsole, and micro-suede foot-bed combine to provide a soft platform for pavement and trail use. The straps on the upper and in the heel region have an air mesh lining that is soft against your skin and eliminates the potential for irritation in high contact areas (very important for winter feet making their spring/summer debut!)

The Elsie also looks super cute too. We tested out the Elsie in Demitasse brown/Cherry Santhemum red and loved the two toned detail on the straps. The red color is only visible when the sandal is not on your feet; there is a floral pattern on the foot-bed. Our only beef with the Elsie is the adjustable strap: the hook-and-loop design looks awesome, but the strap cannot be pulled tight to accommodate a narrow heel or allow the wearer to cinch down if they need to move quickly. Also, the strap is held in place by velcro and we believe that this will not last as long as we would like. Perhaps, utilizing a more traditional buckle closure, light-weight of course, would be a better idea to accommodate a wide range of wearers. The shoe runs true to size, after sizing down a ½ size from our running shoe size. Overall, we really liked the Elsie and hope to see a few small improvements for next year. For more information, please visit TheNorthFace.com

Brands: The North Face

About the Author

Shannon, our fabulous female tester, takes gear testing to a new level for women. When not at work or school, she is most likely training for a marathon, climbing one of Colorado’s tallest peaks, riding her road bike, or skiing down a mountain slope. Like many women, Shannon gets cold easily, therefore, we try to test the best all weather gear to help her stay warm and dry during all day outdoor pursuits. In the warmer months, Shannon enjoys exploring the Colorado backcountry with her friends and dogs and attempts to escape for as many trail runs as her schedule allows. Shannon is a great women’s tester because she gives readers true insight into how a product may perform for an active woman.