Velous: The Recovery Sandal You Might Be Missing
Tim Bartels was experiencing knee pain so severe that he was seriously considering surgery. At the time, orthotics were his best friend, but even they weren’t preventing the pain anymore.
At the same time, he couldn’t find any recovery sandals on the market with cushioning and stability, “a little more of an ergonomic shape to them,” he explained. Wearing sandals in the summer just wasn’t an option for Bartels. Until he decided to develop his own.
In 2022, he teamed up with two partners, and their recovery footwear company, Velous, was born.
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The Velous Story
Bartels first launched Velous to the running community, but the brand has naturally expanded into other sports. Bartels aspires to serve athletes in both CrossFit and HYROX because he knows the value his recovery sandals and shoes can provide to these communities.
- “The amount of stress and pressure those athletes put on their feet during a workout is a lot. And we want to be a solution in their gym bag, to and from the gym, to be able to help them recover,” said Bartels, who worked for both Nike and Adidas at one time in his career.
Four years into the brand’s existence, Velous offers 14 styles of recovery shoes — mostly sandals, though they also have a lace-up shoe — all of which use their TriMotion technology and proprietary triple-density foam, which provides “exactly what your feet need at each part of the foot strike motion.”
The biggest difference in their technology, Bartels explained, is that traditionally sandals include just one density of foam, either softer or harder, that gets injected into a mold and heated to create sandals. Some can be too soft and unstable, and others too firm, he explained.
Velous’ Tri-Motion Technology, on the other hand, is a three-piece solution with multiple foam densities that address the three key areas of the foot and “work together for the best underfoot experience,” Bartels explained.
Further, Velous sandals feature a deep heel cup that cradles your heel unlike a flat sandal, ample cushioning to guide your foot forward with ease, ample midfoot arch support for better alignment, and forefoot grooves that allow your metatarsals to stretch and relax.
Thanks to working with medical professionals — including foot and ankle surgeon and competitive cyclist Dr. Timothy Mineo, who provided medical expertise and insight from his athletic experience — Velous was able to perfect the shoe’s technology and ergonomics.
Worth noting: Velous’ recovery shoes are APMA-approved, meaning they underwent rigorous independent testing and were approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association as shoes that promote good foot health, allow normal foot function, and meet strict safety and quality standards.
One Big Thing
I stumbled across Velous in 2022, got my hands on the Velous Oceanside Flip, and it changed my summer.
A number of years ago, I tore my Achilles, and I always found that sandals required me to flex various muscles in my feet to keep them on as I walked, which caused my Achilles to flare up and generally made the sandal experience a bit annoying.
Such was not the case with Velous. I can legitimately walk 15 km a day in them, which I have
done on more than one vacation, and my feet, which actually get to breathe in the summer heat, feel great.
They stay on so well and are so comfortable that I can even jog in them. I don’t recommend them for a HYROX race or anything, but how many sandals feel stable, comfortable, and snug enough to jog in?
The Big Picture
Four years into Velous, Bartels couldn’t be happier with how far his company has come, but he has no intention of resting.
Velous is currently developing new products, including a clog and a waterproof-style sneaker, both of which will uphold the ultimate goal of all his products: “To help people recover so you can get back at it tomorrow.”
- Bartels added: “We’re continuing to grow and expand, and we’re always looking to support athletes and people with an active lifestyle. Anything to help increase performance, even marginally. And what you put on your feet is a big part of it.”
