Lizard’s RollUps are the most polarizing footwear I’ve ever worn. To call them unique is putting it delicately. Those who’ve seen me wear them comment with the alliterative ends of the RollUp spectrum: “stylish” to “silly” with nothing in between. You love them or you mock them. They are the cilantro of footwear.
Let me make a couple points on style:
- They are “well made in Italy,” which boosts their style cred substantially (at least for me).
- These could be women’s sandals. They’re not designated as such on Lizard’s website. Lizard describes them as “practical, versatile, sexy and packable” (emphasis added). Their site features images of men wearing them (again, think Italian). But the very spangley bracelet in this Lizard-produced video might be a clue. This wouldn’t be the first time I accidentally wore women’s outdoor gear while camping.
But let’s leave style out of the equation and focus on function. Lizard’s RollUps are ultra-portable. As in roll-em-up-like-a-mini-sleeping-bag portable. They’re easier to carry than a couple of bulky outdoors sandals jangling off your backpack or crowding your water bottle out of your pack’s side pocket. The soles are made of thin, flexible rubber, which is enough to protect your soles against pebbles, twigs, gravel and certain parasites.
According to Lizard’s website, the RollUps can be worn for travel, in the city and on the grass. So, backcountry backpacking didn’t necessarily make the list. But the sole’s grip make them ideal for gravelly shores or scaling slippery cascades. (Wish I’d had the time and funds to test these at Havasupai, Arizona or Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The RollUps would be easy enough to pack in.)
Without any side or top protection, feet are obviously vulnerable to insects, thorns, or any other underfoot hazards. Essentially, they’re just slightly thicker soles – like an Italian Hobbit.
Bottom Line:
I have to rate the RollUps for what they are: good waterfall and lounging footwear (not sure I can even call them shoes). To judge them as camping or hiking sandals would be like entering a Vespa in a monster truck rally. But for simple lounging shoes, waterfall scalers, or barriers against hookworms, Lizard’s RollUps do all right.
Tech Specs:
MSRP: €29.95 (about $33)
Weight: 3.53 oz
Colors: Green with orange straps
Sizes: 35 to 48 (break out your European shoe size converter)
Lizard RollUp Packable Sandal
€29,95
Pros
- Ultralight
- Easy-to-pack
- Good sole grip
- Protection from sharp objects and parasites
- How they look
Cons
- No protection other than the sole
- Not super durable
- How they look
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