Stay Grounded with Earthing Shoes from Juil

Do you find the experience of walking barefoot in the sand or grass peaceful and calming?   Juil, the Wisconsin based makers of high quality shoes, have spring-boarded their entire product line off of this concept.  They offer a line of “earthing” inspired footwear, said to allow your feet to tap into and absorb Earth’s energy from the ground.  Before you scoff at this notion, consider the science behind it.

Grounded with Earthing Shoes ~ The Science Behind It

Walking barefoot is obviously not always possible, fashionable, or appropriate.  Juil shoes incorporate use of copper conductors located through the toes and heel of the shoes, also called “Exclusive Energy Flow Technology” connectors.  The thought behind this design is that these dots act as a conduit, connecting you to the Earth.

Here’s how Juil describes how their footwear works:

“Our sandals make you feel better. They cleanse your body of stress and toxins, letting you live a healthier, balanced life. They’re not only comfortable, but they recreate that calming feeling that you’ve come to associate with walking barefoot. In the science world, this is a concept known as grounding.

In our everyday lives, we’re exposed to toxins and stress.  Exposure to these stresses and toxins leads to a buildup of free radicals in our bodies. These free radicals attack healthy cells and cause inflammation which, oh, by the way, is the root of almost all medical ailments. Fortunately, we have the Earth, a giant magnet with endless supply of electrons. If we stay connected, these electrons are absorbed to neutralize and release the harmful free radicals from our bodies.”

Ok, so when I first read all that… it sounded lovely.  But I was skeptical.

So before I agreed to perform this product review, I did some research of my own regarding grounding.   I found some interesting information on the website Dr. Sinatra’s Heart MD Institute.

The heart doctor opens by admitting that grounding is very new to medical science.  He feels doctors are just starting to tap into grounding’s “potential health benefits”.

Dr. Sinatra says grounding benefits are particular to the individual, that is, the amount of time it takes to experience relief of anxiety or inflammation-related pain symptoms differs from person to person.  He describes that some people report feeling better after just 20 minutes of grounding, and research has shown physiological changes and significant improvements in the body’s electrical activity after 30 to 40 minutes.

Maybe there’s something to this, after all?

Juil Hera Sandals

Juil has numerous attractive styles to choose from, making my decision a tough one.   In the end I went with the Juil Hera sandal style, which is featured in Nordstroms, Athleta, and recently received acclaim in the Huffington Post article, “6 Awesome Yoga Accessories You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Although nearing the end of sandal wearing weather here in Western Colorado, the Hera was my favorite.  They’re gorgeous.

As befits a high quality shoe, the packaging is luxuriant, and a treat to receive in and of itself.  And if Yoga is your thing, you’ve just scored a new colorful satin yoga mat carrying bag (and you probably already know all about Juils)!   That doesn’t apply to me, but I will find a cute re purpose for it – it’s light and fun, with a nice adjustable strap.

I love the footbed made of soft leather.  They are firm, but you can also feel the cushioning layer, adding comfort.  They are water resistant, and feature an ergonomically-designed footbed and uppers – designed to soften to fit the contours of your foot.

I was very impressed with the quality of materials and construction.  I’m not a huge fan of wearing flip flops, as they sometimes cause me discomfort between my toes.  I’ve worn my Hera’s repeatedly for 3 weeks now.  I definitely notice a difference in them after being worn a bit, in a good way.  The leather uppers, although rich and beautiful in appearance, felt somewhat stiff to me at first.  But after a half dozen or so uses, I can already feel them softening, and they are easily comfortable enough to wear all day.

Between the rich leather and the classy pewter color, these sandals  would work just as well for professional, more dressed up settings, as they would for casual wear.

Each Juil sandal and shoe style is available in multiple colors of leather (or satin, for the Vegan style).  They also make some very attractive mens styles.

So…. the big question remains:  Do I feel more energized, with fewer toxins and less stress dragging me down, after wearing my Juil earthing sandals?  I honestly don’t know.  For me, that’s one of those hard-to-quantify things in life.  I’m going to have to chalk it up in the “It Can’t Possibly Hurt, And May Even Help – So It’s Worth a  Shot” category!  🙂

I do know that Juil makes beautiful, high quality, comfortable footwear that I’d recommend to anyone interested in giving them a try.

Juil Hera Sandal Sizing

A quick word about sizing, since it’s something I often search and read reviews to find out about before ordering a pair online.  I’m a half size, and Juils come in full sizes.

This often presents a quandary, but I went with their websites advice and it was spot on.   For Juilsandal sizing, if you are a half size – size down.  I sized down and they are perfect, with no annoying, regretful tiny bit of heel hangover.

Personally, I think with the copper dot alignment a more precise fit is ideal, versus sizing up and perhaps having a more sloppy fit with an oversized sole.

Juil – Great Sale Going On Now!

In referencing their website during the preparation of this review, I discovered that Juil currently has an amazing special pricing event taking place!  They are clearing out inventory to make room for new product, and have hugely reduced pricing on all current styles (like $59 for the Hera sandal, instead of regular price of $125).

Check out the Juil site today, and discover your own perfect pair.

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I received the sandals described here at no cost from Juil, for the purposes of performing this review.  All opinions are my own. This article includes affiliate links – thanks!