Footwear maker Sazzi says their name means to be strong and agile, yet light and flexible—like a feather. Taken from a Navajo word, they say it now describes how a person should be in mind and spirit. And how Mark Thatcher, founder of Teva, thinks footwear should be as well.
We had the chance to check out Sazzi’s Digit sport sandals and also their Decimal flips, and while our early impressions showed that both had some rough edges yet, the Digits quickly won our favor for sport sandals.
But what of the Decimals? The Decimal sandal takes the same platform the Digits have and removes the back ankle straps. It has the same patent pending Quad Post Lateral Stability system or “QPLS” technology, with four toe posts between the toes on each foot “as internal foot controls.” Sazzi says that this approach, together with the individual toe “platforms” of the footbed, provides “near barefoot ergonomic connection with the earth.” In laymen’s terms, the individual toe-shaped pieces of the sandal should make it more stable.
In practicality, the QPLS system does make the Decimals seem much more attached to your foot, our testers found. As stated in our review of the Digit, we love the materials in the footbed and grew to accept and understand the polyurethane coating on the straps. But these give the sandals an industrial look and feel that not all testers preferred—though worn by the pool or in or out of the water, these features showed their worth.
Immediate comfort was a slight factor for the Decimal, as a break-in period is necessary. First, it takes some time for your toes to get used to having a toe post between them. Second, the polyurethane-coated microfiber straps can be a bit confining for bigger (by which, yes, we mean fatter) feet. If you understand these things going in and don’t have, um, big feet, you should be fine—and might even buy a size up if you have larger (by which I mean fatter) feet, as Ben does.
The drop-in top sole on some of our testers were a bit ill-fitted, and again, the molded foam shows just a trace of rough edges. You can see adhesive in some gaps, but during testing, none of our testers reported any troubles from this. Wet grip is great, they dry quickly, and they’re perhaps the most capable amphibious flip we’ve ever tested.
Mark Thatcher knows footwear, and Sazzi’s first two offerings to the market are strong, innovative, and as yet light and flexible as their namesake. At $80, the Decimals are premium in price but not quite that premium in execution—but we think that will come with time. If you need what may arguably be the best amphibious flips around, definitely check out the Decimals from Sazzi!
