Chris Bellamy, an engineer at custom footwear company Wiivv, crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon today in 02:59:36—running the entire 26.2 mile race in flip-flops in the rain. The heavy rain and raw winds didn’t make the feat any easier. What’s more, the Boston Marathon was only Bellamy’s second, after running his first in Vancouver (wearing sneakers) in 2017 in 2:52.
“We’ve reengineered every part of the traditional flip-flop to design the most comfortable, optimized sandal ever created, and I’ve had this marathon in the back of my mind through every decision we made,” Bellamy says.
Wiivv Sandals are custom made using foot measurements taken from the Wiivv app. Each foot is digitally mapped using more than 200 points to understand arch contours, foot length, width and volume, and toe spacing. Wiivv then 3D prints a custom arch for each foot, places each toe thong to fit between toes, and adjusts each strap to fit the foot. Custom-fit features paired with the sandal’s deep contoured heel cup and triple-density foam, work in conjunction to stabilize the foot, absorb shock and promote an aligned heel strike. The Sandals’ straps are also adjustable to accommodate preference or swelling throughout the day, and can be interchanged with different strap colors. The collection will be available this May for $129.
