This last week was the outdoor retailer show here in Salt Lake. I always try and get down there to see if there are any interesting new products coming out this year. I was hoping to run into Terra Plana so I could get a peak at their Dopie Sandal, and as luck would have it, I did. Not only did I get to see this unique sandal in real life, but I also got to talk with the brain child behind the sandal Matthew Harrison. He was a little jet lagged as he had just barely gotten in from London, but it was still a great conversation. Matthew explained that in designing the sandal he was trying to simplify the concept of a shoe as much as possible. The result is the Dopie. For my full review, read on...

Outside of work, I pretty much live in sandals, so I was anxious to try these on to see how I liked them. Terra Plana was nice enough to give me a pair of my own, and I wore them for the next 4 hours as I walked around the show. Being a minimalist I immediately ditched the extra strap, and I was surprised to find that walking in them was pretty easy. I wouldn't want to run mind you, but walking wasn't any more difficult than any pair of flip flops. As far as comfort, the plastic that goes between the toes is fairly rigid and snug, which at first was nice. I did find that they got a little uncomfortable after a few miles. The look is very minimal, but surprisingly they didn't feel as "naked" on my feet as my Havaianas. Matthew also mentioned that they are working on a second generation already, and I'm sure they will be even better than the first.