Shamma Sandals Mountain Goats Review

The Shamma Mountain Goats are extremely lightweight minimalist sandals. They’re handmade in the USA with a durable Vibram sole, UltraGrip footbed, high-quality ⅝-inch webbing, and synthetic suede. straps. They build on a Huarache-style sandal but add adjustability so that you can dial in the fit. They’re also available with a leather footbed if you don’t want a rubber one.

Product Overview

Shamma Mountain Goats

Price: $114.95

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Pros

✅ Lightweight

✅ Adjustable

✅ Comfortable

✅ Straps are really soft

✅ Grippy sole

Cons

❌ Velcro straps won’t last as long as some straps

KEY SPECS

• Weight: 11 oz (pair)
• Thickness: 12 mm
• Heel drop: 0
• Material: Vibram sole, UltraGrip footbed, Polyester webbing, Vegan suede leather

The Shamma Mountain Goats minimalist sandals and hand made in the USA. These sandals stand out among minimalist sandals for their adjustability. At 11 ounces for a pair, they’re some of the most lightweight sandals available. They have a 12-millimeter thick Vibram sole that’s very durable and grippy, a ⅝-inch webbing strap system, and little else that would add weight. The Mountain Goats in two footbed options, leather or UltraGrip rubber. I tested the UltraGrip version, which is better if you’re hiking in wet conditions or will be getting these wet regularly.

The Mountain Goats take a Huarache-style sandal and add adjustability. They can be adjusted in four places, so you can really dial in the fit. You can adjust these sandals on top of your foot in three ways: adjusting the strap tightness on the inside and outside of your foot and where the straps meet. You can also adjust the tightness of the heel strap. The result is a highly customizable fit that lets anyone get a secure-fitting sandal.

These are a great option if you’re looking for a versatile and highly adjustable minimalist sandal. However, these might not be the best choice if you want a super secure thick sole under your foot. They’re secure and stable enough to run, hike, bike, and take on the water. Since they’re so light, they also work really well as camp shoes for backpacking. Plus, these camp shoes are great for hiking if you want to change it up during your backpacking trip.

To see reviews on other minimalist sandals and hiking sandals, see our posts on the best minimalist sandals and the best hiking sandals.

Performance Test Results

How We Tested:

I tested the Shamma Mountain Goats in Colorado during late spring. I wore them on several hikes throughout Colorado, on the Colorado Trail and other Front Range trails. I also used them on the river in the South Platte Valley. Conditions were warm, with highs in the 60s and 70s, with daily lows in the 30s.

Weight: 10/10

The Shamma Mountain Goats are very lightweight. Each sandal weighs 5 ½ ounces, so a pair only weighs 11 ounces. That’s lighter than all but the absolute lightest minimalist sandals. I can notice how light these are as I wear them. Really, I can’t notice them, which indicates they’re pretty light. They have a 12-millimeter thick Vibram sole, a nylon strap system with four adjustment methods, and not much else that would unnecessarily add weight.

These are minimalist sandals, and they’re pretty minimalist at that. Compared to other minimalist sandals, these are about the lightest sandals I’ve worn. Other sandals this light, but none that are significantly lighter. These also have the most adjustment capabilities I’ve seen in a sandal this light. Considering all this, the Mountain Goats are weighted very well. There isn’t anything extra that would add weight, but there are just enough features to make these highly functional and ultralight.

Weighing at 11 oz, this pair is definitely the lightest minimalist sandals in the market.

Price: 8/10

The Mountain Goats aren’t the least expensive sandals or the most expensive. They’re handmade in the USA with high-quality materials. I find them reasonably priced, considering this. In fact, other handmade minimalist sandals are more expensive. These sandals have everything you’d want in a minimalist sandal but nothing extra that would add to the price without adding value. This creates a very high-performing sandal at a fair price.

These sandals have a relatively complex strap design that allows you to adjust them at four locations. They also have a Vibram sole with a comfortable textured rubber footbed. And, as I said above, they’re handmade. You’d think these factors would mean these sandals were even more expensive than they are. You could make these less expensive by mass-producing them with cheaper materials, but they wouldn’t be as high-quality.

I find these sandals balance adjustability, comfort, and traction better than most other minimalist sandals, no matter the price. Less expensive sandals probably aren’t as adjustable as these, and less adjustability will affect their performance. If you’re considering buying other sandals that are less expensive, know that they probably won’t perform as well.

The Shamma Mountain Goats is a high-performing sandals fairly priced at $114.95.

Comfort: 8/10

The Mountain Goats are some of the most comfortable minimalist sandals I’ve worn. During extensive testing, I did not experience any chafing or blisters from these sandals. They have just enough cushioning for rough terrain. And they’re flexible, so your foot can move naturally over the ground. They have soft synthetic suede leather along the insides of the straps. This vegan suede is comfortable against your bare feet and doesn’t cause discomfort, chafing, or blisters.

They also have a comfortable footbed, and they’re extremely adjustable. And well-adjusted sandals are more comfortable than sandals you can’t quite adjust to your foot. They have a 12-millimeter thick Vibram sole. I find this sole provides just enough support underfoot when hiking over rough terrain. The thickness of these soles hits the sweet spot for an off-road-oriented minimalist sandal.

These aren’t the thickest, most supportive sole on a minimalist sandal, but they’re thick enough. If they were thicker, they wouldn’t be as flexible, and your foot wouldn’t be able to conform to the ground. If they were thinner, yes, they’d be more flexible, but then they wouldn’t be as protective on rough terrain. The Mountain Goats’ UltraGrip footbed is adequately comfortable, too. It’s slightly textured but not so textured that you feel it on the bottom of your feet. It’s just textured enough to keep your foot from sliding around.

While this isn’t the most comfortable footbed I’ve worn, it’s certainly more comfortable than most. Some minimalist sandals allow your foot to slide around, especially when your feet are wet. This can be uncomfortable, and it can also cause chafing or blisters. The Mountain Goats allow you to easily adjust the tightness of the straps so your foot doesn’t slide around in them. Since your foot doesn’t slide around while you walk, these are that much more comfortable.

The Mountain Goats sandals are cushioned and flexible enough for rough terrain making it adequately comfortable.

Stability & Versatility: 9/10

Compared to other minimalist sandals, the Mountain Goats are about as stable as the best. They could be improved slightly in versatility, but I don’t see any way these sandals could get more versatile without sacrificing comfort and adjustability. I’ve worn them hiking, running, biking, and on the water. They’re excellent for all of these things. These sandals are stable enough to run on rough, varied terrain. If you’re making sharp cuts, you’ll notice some side-to-side shifting. But these sandals are stable enough for most trail running, hiking, and ultralight backpacking.

The strap system securely anchors your foot in place. The footbed is grippy enough that your foot doesn’t slide around much, further adding to the stability. They’re also zero-drop and low to the ground, making them even more stable. With some minimalist sandals, I don’t move as quickly because I’m concerned with foot placement and stability. These sandals provide plenty of grip on most terrains, so I feel confident to move as fast as I want. And since it’s easy to tighten the straps, I can quickly adjust the tension based on the terrain ahead.

They’re also light enough for camp slippers and water crossings when backpacking. And they’re much more capable as hiking footwear than most camp shoes. The Mountain Goats work well in the water. Their Vibram soles are adequately grippy when wet. Some soles stick better when wet, but these do an adequate job for everything but the most intense rock hopping.

The webbing doesn’t get too heavy when wet, and the straps dry quickly. The soles don’t get very slippery when wet, and they don’t absorb water either. However, the Velcro on the straps doesn’t work as well when wet as some strap adjustment methods do. Velcro tends to get less sticky when it’s wet, and this especially causes the heel strap to unpeel slightly. This isn’t enough to make the straps loosen, but it is worth noting.

These are also great for biking in. The outsole is flat enough to grip a pedal without being too grippy to reposition your feet when you need. Since they’re also great for hiking, I love having the option of hopping off my bike and exploring on foot while on bike rides.

The Vibram soles are grippy and the webbing doesn’t get too heavy when wet.

Adjustability: 10/10

The Mountain Goats have a huarache-inspired strap system that’s adjustable in four places. These are the most adjustable minimalist sandals I’ve worn. I love how easy it is to dial in and change the fit as conditions shift.

The strap system on the Mountain Goats starts at the toe plug, where a ⅝-inch webbing strap goes between your big and second toe. This strap feeds through a custom-molded piece of hardware that combines a tri-glide, ladder lock, and slotted buckle. After the strap passes through the tri-glide portion of the buckle, it passes through an elastic loop and then through a slot on the outer ankle strap segment before passing back through the elastic loop. The strap is now back at the 3-in-1 buckle and loops through the ladder-lock portion.

The other portion of the strap system is the heel strap, which attaches to the ⅝-inch webbing on the outside of the ankle. Both sides of the ankle have thin rubber with vegan leather suede sewn over it for comfort. The rubber attaches through the sole and ends in a plug, like a toe plug on the top webbing strap. Between the two rubber ankle pieces is a velcro strap made of the same soft vegan suede.

These are the most adjustable minimalist sandals I’ve worn. I love how easy it is to adjust the fit while wearing them.

At the inside of the ankle, another Velcro strap extends from the inside ankle rubber anchor to the 3-in-1 buckle. This connects the loop around your foot and is the main buckle you use to regularly take the sandals on and off. You can also adjust these sandals on the outside top of the foot, where the ⅝-inch webbing passes through the ladder lock buckle. And you can change where this buckle sits on your foot by adjusting the tri-glide portion of the buckle. Finally, you can adjust how far forward or back your foot sits on the footbed with the velcro on the heel strap.

I find these straps make it easy to put these sandals on, take them off, and adjust the tightness while wearing them. The Velcro on the top strap is easy to adjust quickly or remove. This Velcro is more convenient than most minimalist sandals that use a ladder lock buckle for the primary adjustment. I'm curious about Velcro's longevity compared to a ladder lock buckle, though. A ladder lock buckle will almost certainly outlast Velcro. Also, the Velcro strap opens on the inside of your foot, which means the edge could catch on your other foot as you step.

Material:

The Mountain Goats are made of a Vibram UltraGrip sole, soft ⅝-inch webbing, vegan-suede synthetic leather, rubber ankle strap hardware, molded polymer hardware, and Velcro. I already spoke at length about the design of the strap system materials above. The sole of these sandals is a grippy rubber that sheds water and remains grippy when wet. The outsole has two-millimeter-deep zig-zag treads.

The footbed has a shallow cross-hatched pattern. There is a dense foam between the outsole and footbed as well. This midsole foam breaks in and conforms to the shape of your foot as you wear the sandals. Beyond the sole, the other materials on these sandals aren’t “waterproof” per se, but they do well in water, nonetheless.

The ⅝-inch webbing doesn’t stretch when wet, and it dries quickly. The synthetic-suede leather doesn’t absorb much water, either. The Velcro doesn’t work as well when wet, however. Compared to other minimalist sandals, the Mountain Goats are made of similar materials. The synthetic leather-covered rubber on the outsides of the ankle is unique among minimalist sandals. And most minimalist sandals don’t use as much Velcro as the Mountain Goats, too.

The Mountain Goats are made of a Vibram UltraGrip sole which is a grippy rubber that is both water-repellent and sticky even when wet.

Durability: 8/10

The Mountain Goats are high-quality sandals made of the best materials available. The webbing is thick and durable, and the Vibram soles are long-lasting too. They’re very durable overall. Shamma is a small company that makes all their sandals in-house, so if your sandals need to be repaired, they’re set up for that.

If the laces on any Shamma Sandals fail within 90 days, Shamma will replace them free of charge. If any components break after 90 days, you can have them replaced at a discounted price on materials. You can replace the straps or soles when individual components wear out. And since they’re handmade by a small company, you’ll receive real, personalized service upon any request. I think this is better than the catch-all warranties that some big companies boast about.

Some minimalist sandals are more durable than the Mountain Goats. Overall, though, these sandals are very durable. And the repair program means they’ll have a long life.