The Nohea Mesh slip-on shoe by OluKai have made it into my “go pile” of gear. That means that in just the past few months they have gone with me to Hawaii, motorcycle camping trips, family outings and business trips.
What can’t be overlooked is the sheer comfort achieved through multiple features. They run just a bit large and I’ve got big feet but my pair of the 11.5 fit just right. The primary features that stand out are the obvious slip-on nature and the fold down heel which make trips to the garage or backyard super easy.
More importantly to me is the Nohea Mesh packability and mesh upper. From a packing perspective you just flatten them against each other with the soles facing out and wrap a strap or rubber band around them. Now ready to pack, you can easily put them in any suitcase or backpack without sacrificing precious cargo space. In fact I now take them on business trips as a in-Hotel slipper or to wear down to the corner store.
The mesh upper drains water immediately so vacation activities such as walking on the beach, on and off the boat, or in the stream doesn’t make any difference because they dry out quickly. At this point I’ve established the Nohea Mesh as credible casual wear to dinner and equally good at beach/boat/garage/backyard and just knocking around the house.
My pair was Sunset Blue Nohea Mesh and were just a little tooo electric blue for my taste (and near-albino white guy legs) but I’m not that vain so I just went with it.
I’m really inspired by home-made, hand-made, locally-made and small-footprint products. The back story to OluKai is a pretty good one in this regard. OluKai is a conjunction of two Hawaiian OLU, meaning “comfort” and KAI meaning “ocean”. The adherence to the cultural theme continues because the company names each of their products after a Polynesian word as a tribute to the cultural oral history that is passed along via storytelling. I’m a real fan of the Hawaiian Islands and their focus on culture. Like millions of others I have dreams of spending a lot more time there. While my OluKai slip-ons are a really small source of Hawaiian culture – it’s meaningful and they excel in function, build quality and value.