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Shamma Sandals – Jerusalem Cruiser 2.0 Review

One of my favorite running sandals gets revamped for 2016 with a more premium leather topper, a new leather insole post, updated buckles and highly-requested heel strap.

Do these updates keep the Jerusalem Cruiser on top (see my review of the original…

One of my favorite running sandals gets revamped for 2016 with a more premium leather topper, a new leather insole post, updated buckles and highly-requested heel strap. Do these updates keep the Jerusalem Cruiser on top (see my review of the original 2014 Jerusalem Cruiser here)? Read on for my thoughts on Jerusalem Cruiser 2.0 from Shamma Sandals!

What Shamma Sandals Says

Here’s what Shamma Sandals says about the JC 2.0:
Time to ditch those flip-flops! The Jerusalem Cruisers are our original go anywhere, do anything sandal. JCs are simple, elegant, and comfortable sandals that you’ll quickly find become your go-to pair. You’ll find yourself equally at home in JCs cruising around town, relaxing at the beach, or taking your dog for a jog around the neighborhood. The JCs are our all-rounders. They’re light, comfy, and snug. While their tread isn’t nearly as aggressive as the Warriors or Mountain Goats, they’re still built for performance on and off road. They shape up nicely and more quickly than their sandal brethren, and are a good compromise on thickness. Great for casual wear and hanging out, with a little adventure on the side.
MSRP at time of review – $70 Weight – 3.8oz (mens size 9) Total Stack Height -6mm Vibram Morflex sole provides good groundfeel and flexibility. (5mm Newflex in the Warriors 2.0) (11mm Newflex+Morflex in the Mountain Goats 2.0) Barefoot scale – An excellent compromise for barefoot enthusiasts and new runners. Just enough comfort for long runs and training, great ground feel for dexterity and sensitivity. Ideal Uses – Short and long-distance road running, trails, hiking, and light-to-moderate terrain technical running. Pros
  • Still a very lightweight sandal
  • New leather uppers are more durable and water resistant
  • Excellent ground feel and protection
  • Vibram sole is always reliable and consistent
  • Long leather strap and omni-directional center buckle provides tons of fit customization
  • Low-cost
  • High durability
  • Hand-crafted and made in the USA
Cons
  • Nylon straps take some time to soften up
  • I miss the suede heelstrap from the older, non-adjustable strap.
  • Like many huaraches, they may “bow” over time
  • Only one shape

Sole

Shamma Sandals uses the same tried-and-true Vibram Morflex sole for the Jerusalem Cruiser 2.0. The soles in their 2.0 designs carry over from their original versions: 6mm Morflex for the Jerusalem Cruisers, 5mm Newflex in the Warriors and an 11mm combination of Morflex and Newflex for the Mountain Goats. Morflex is a micro-cellular sole, with one third the weight of rubber, but excellent resilience and a little bounce. The material feels like a very dense neoprene (think of a mouse pad), is slightly squishy upon impact, and conforms to the shape of your foot within 10-20 miles.
5mm Vibram Morflex Sole: Great for a variety of activities
5mm Vibram Morflex Sole: Great for a variety of activities
In the past, I would waffle between choosing Newflex or Morflex as my favorite Vibram sole. Both have excellent density, durability, and traction, but they diverge when it comes to overlapping functions. Both are “all-around” soles that are good as many things, but Newflex leans more towards traction and terrain, while Morflex is the better sole for smooth roads.
As I do much of my running on roads or light trails, I tend to lean more towards Morflex, but will reach for Newflex sandals when I know things will be slippery, tricky, or rocky. Morflex is a fantastic sole for newcomers and the 6mm sole provides plenty of groundfeel but enough protection for anything you can encounter in on a road or light trail run. Unlike Newflex, Morflex is almost perfectly smooth on the bottom. Though it lacks a tread, Morflex has good grip for non-wet surfaces and excellent durability. After running hundreds of miles with a plethora of huaraches, I have yet to wear through a single pair. I can easily recommend any Vibram-based running sandal for over 500 miles or more provided you are using proper technique. As a sidenote, like many hauraches, the sandal may “bow” over time where the front and the back lips of the sandal lift a bit. This is pretty common with simpler constructed sandals with a toe post and does not affect the sandal’s function in any way. My original Jerusalem Cruisers have a slight smile these days, but are still great for running. Morflex seems to exhibit this change in shape more than Newflex. I believe it might be an effect of soaking in water and drying after many rain runs.
Super Flexible
Super Flexible
The Morflex sole that is used in a variety of running sandals gives VERY slightly when you land, but no so much as to qualify as “cushy”. Morflex is just soft enough to give you a bit of protection and comfort, but still has plenty of durability to last seemingly forever. You will not land on rocks with full force, but that’s not what minimalist running is about. Minimalist, or “barefoot”, running is about relearning how to run as we were evolved to do, quickly, lightly, and with speed and purpose, using our mass to carry our bodies forward as we maintain perpetual momentum. We continually move forward as our feet skim the ground beneath us as “fall, creating the feeling of running downhill while perfectly level. Sizing Shamma Sandals has a single shoe shape that was designed to fit most feet. They provide size templates on their website for you to print out and test for yourself at home. Many running sandal companies With my wide feet, the Jerusalem Sandals are a perfect fit. Shamma Sandals provides a wide sole shape around the toe section to accommodate many foot shapes and sizes. If necessary, you can easily trim your sandals to fit narrower feet, but for me, it’s one of the best.
"All-Around" shape provides an excellent fit for wide feet
“All-Around” shape provides an excellent fit for wide feet

Fit and Materials

Let’s get one thing straight: The adjustable heel strap is the best darn addition to this sandal and it completely transforms the potential of the Jerusalem Cruiser for more activities and more foot and leg shapes. In my previous reviews of the Jerusalem Cruiser and Warriors, the most requested feature I wanted for a future iteration of these sandals was to add another adjustable strap and Shamma delivered! In my comparison review of the latest Unshoes Pah Tempe vs the Xeroshoes Amuri Z-Trek, I could not sing enough praises about the TWO adjustable straps for top of the foot and the heel that allows for a very custom fit and better stability and comfort in the Amuri Z-Trek. Ultimately, the Pah Tempe was my favorite because of the multiple shapes (the Z-Trek was too narrow for me) and its excellent sole and balance, but the Z-Trek had a polished-looking design and the rear strap makes a huge difference in feeling secure with your running sandal.
The new leather insole post is very comfortable, durable, and strong
The new leather insole post is very comfortable, durable, and strong
Clearly, Shamma Sandals also realized the benefits of a heel strap and their latest generation of products (minus the leather-options, such as the ALL BROWNS I reviewed last year) now feature a velcro heel strap and a new leather insole post. These two changes make the Jerusalem Cruiser better than ever and are my top choice for a non-self-tying running sandal.
The nylon outsole loop returns for Gen 2
The nylon outsole loop returns for Gen 2
The heel strap allows you to customize the fit not only in terms of how secure and tight the sandal is on the top and sides of your foot, but now also in the back of the foot. One issue that I have experienced with many sandals and running shoes is that the heel can slip while running. The old versions of Shamma Sandals had a little bit of slip, but not enough to really criticize, especially if I tightened the main straps a bit. This new velcro heel strap really makes the entire sandal feel more secure than just about any other sandal or shoe on the market. Of course, you will still have some issues with cutting motions and side-to-side movements (that’s a common issue with running in sandals), but everything else feels great.
The new heel strap features a velcro adjustment for unparalleled, customized security when running or hiking
The new heel strap features a velcro adjustment for unparalleled, customized security when running or hiking
The use of velcro rather than loops or self-tying paracord makes the Jerusalem Cruiser a very easy sandal to live with, slip on and off, and tighten to your exact needs.
The new leather insole post and the old looped insole of the previous gen JC
The new leather insole post and the old looped insole of the previous gen JC
As a side note: the older versions of Shamma Sandals featured a nifty suede strap around the heel area to provide a little extra comfort, but having a fully adjustable heel strap means that this beloved featured had to be removed. For this reason, the heel section can be a bit scratchier than previous versions at first. The nylon webbing is a bit stiff out of the mailing envelope, but they soften up over time and, in my opinion, become very comfortable to run in.
All Browns, Jerusalem Cruiser 2.0, Original Jerusalem Cruisers
All Browns, Jerusalem Cruiser 2.0, Original Jerusalem Cruisers
Another new addition is a Y-Shaped leather insole post. This is where the strap meets the sandal on the inside of your foot. This is a durable connection point that has been changed from the previous design, which was a circular loopknot. The circular loop remains on the outside of the foot, but this change on the inside strap connection is much sleeker than the knot and makes for a more comfortable place for your foot to touch if you have thicker feet or more developed muscles (big boned feet, basically).
In terms of everything else: The entire sandal is constructed with just four materials: Leather, nylon straps and buckles, and the vibram sole. Shamma Sandals updated the original goat leather topper with a more premium-feeling tobacco brown goat leather. This leather is more durable, stands up to water a bit more, and feels great. The older goat leather would dry out very quickly after taking some abuse and a few rainy runs, but this version holds up better and continues to feel great after many miles.
As with previous models, there is a lot of customization with the Shamma buckle system and leather straps. You can move the main strap and plastic top buckle in four directions to get the best fit. The central strap section that goes across the chasm between the bones of your big and index toe can be moved up or down the foot by threading the outer strap and the buckle can be shifted left to right by threading the inner strap. The nylon webbing is wide and flat and you can adjust how it holds between your toes with a quarter twist of the toe post. Give it a turn to twist the straps and make them narrower if you experience and rubbing or leave it wider and flat.
Comfortable and durable nylon webbing
Comfortable and durable nylon webbing
Personally, I would recommend that you position the main strap straight and angled between your big toe and index toe, running down the valley between the bones in your feet. This prevents rubbing on top of any toes or bones and allows for a tighter fit. Like all Shamma Sandals, the toe post is countersunk into the sole material and is perfectly seamless under the sandal.
The flush, counter-sunk toepost
The flush, counter-sunk toepost
Overall, Shamma Sandals put a lot of thought into updating their flagship sandal and just about every aspect has been at least tweaked to some degree, save for the ever-present and always reliable Morflex sole.

Summary

The Jerusalem Cruisers have been given a big update that keeps them at the top of my list of favorite all-around running sandals. They have more polish, comfort, and adjustability than ever before. In terms of running sandals, they truly are among the best all-around models–Able to just about anything. If they are a good fit for your feet, you definitely should check them out: they run for $70 over at ShammaSandals.com.
The top of the huarache pack
The top of the huarache pack

By Jarvis

Minimalist ultra-marathon runner with flat dinosaur feet.

50K Ultra-Marathon Runner

I hold a PhD in Political Science.
You can follow my photography adventures at jarvischen.zenfolio.com and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chenjarvis

15 replies on “Shamma Sandals – Jerusalem Cruiser 2.0 Review”

A,

I would say that the Warriors are more of the versatile pair that edges more towards trails, while the JCs are the versatile model that edges more towards road running.

The Jerusalem Cruisers have a smoother tread and have slightly more give to them, which would be good for long distance running.

The mountain goats are pretty thick and would really be best for very treacherous, rocky adventures.

I have done plenty of trail running in both the JCs and Warriors and the JCs were fine for the most part. It really depends on what kind of activities you will be participating in.

The Warriors are a bit denser, so landers are a bit more jarring compared the JCs, but they are great to run with. Excellent flexibility and groundfeel.

Jarvis — Thanks for bringing us up-to-date with developments at Shamma. The leather instep post is a great improvement over the lumpy strap twist in the earlier generation. Sometimes the lump was irritating.
The velcro heel strap looks useful if it’s not too stiff. I’d found the various earlier models almost impossible to use due to the heel strap continually falling off my heel. I fixed the problem by adding a lace around my ankle which I ran through the little stretchy device that was intended to help hold up the heel strap (I moved this device to the back of the heel).
Shamma does (or did) offer some customization in that the location of the between-the-toes plug can be set by the customer. I plan to do this on my next order of Mountain Goats. I’ll also get them a little longer than normally needed so that my toes don’t slide off the top of the sole on steep descents.

Ted,

Very interesting!

I think that the new rear straps are definitely more secure than in previous versions. You are going to love them.

Hello Jarvis,

Thank you for all your thoughtful and thorough reviews. They are incredibly insightful and helpful. I’m interested in getting some barefoot sandals, for this summer, yet still wondering which one to get. I would like a barefoot sandal, that will serve me while I’m walking around in a meadow, hiking on a trail in the woods, occasionally trail running, gardening, and casually walking throughout my day. So far, I have read about EarthRunners, Luna sandals, Shammas sandals, and Unshoes sandals.

What sandals would you recommend? What is your favorite sandal? Plus, what sandal would you recommend for a 7 year old child? I noticed that EarthRunners and Luna has sandals for children, yet have no experience with them. I’m looking for a sandal that is comfortable, flexible, quick and easy to adjust, slip on and off easy, and can handle a variety of activities, like walking, running, bicycling, hiking, and the occasional water play. Thanks for all that you share.

Jennifer,

Personally, my favorite all-arounders are the Shamma Jerusalem Cruiser or the Warriors, while the best for running are the Gladsoles Originals (Streets).

The tradeoffs or customization and ease of use are well documented on their reviews.

For children, I am not sure, but I believe that EarthRunners and Lunas have children sizes. Shammas are probably a good option as well.

I would not recommend tying laces for younger children, unless they are really meticulous.

Again, the whole slip on and run around thing is key!

-Jarvis

Jarvis,
Thanks for the review! Very helpful.
wanted to comment on the kids sandals. Kidofit shoes and xeroshoes make some good options. Xeroshoes makes a great kids option that, once the laces are set, is a slip on and run shoe. Xeroshoes option for kids is also 20$! And the kids have fun picking out the color of the laces and they can add beads to them as well. I was wanting to get vivobarefoot ultras as I think they would be a little easier (because the xeroshoes sometimes need some adjustments) but they are 56$ . My kids don’t’ even go a full year without growing out of sizes. So the xeroshoes are a good option for me and my family!

Jennifer, for what you are looking for Kidofit froggy or vivobarefoot ultra http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/kids/ultra-kids?colour=Pink might work really well.
The other super cheap fix i have been using and heard about is cheap water shoes from Target or some store like this. They are almost all zero drop and very flexible with wide toe box in most and thin soles. And they are like 5-10$/pair! Great for something in hot weather where you need some more protection.

I was looking to buy one warriors or Jc but none of them are able to ground. Josh told me I might be able to modify them. But I wished that Shamma could ground as well as EarthRunnurs.
Could you tell me your thoughts between those two, please?

Hey Luis!

I suppose you could snag some of the conductive laces from Earthrunners and thread them through a Shamma Sole. It would be quite tricky though.

Another option would be to contact Earthrunners and see if they have any alternative sole options.

The Earth Runners Circadian with Conductive Laces that I reviewed a couple years back are an excellent sandal and are quite secure, but this will depend on the shape of your foot.

Of course, the Shammas are excellent all-arround running sandals and are one of my favorites as well.

If grounding is your number one priority, then you only have the earthrunners as an option. For fit and comfort, the Shammas are your best bet.

Hey Jarvis!

So I’ve been running in the new ER Circadians for a few months and while I love them, I’m thinking of getting a more dedicated road-running sandal to better handle the beating of the asphalt. I’m between the Shamma Chargers (New name for the J.C.), the mountain goats, or the ER Alpha.

I think I like the Chargers the best because of the morflex sole but I have had a nagging foot injury for a while and would like a tad more cushion than 7mm to help heal properly. How would the Mountain Goats fair for road running? I’m curious because they are a blend of the Morflex and Newlfex sole. I’d like a sole with just a little “give” or bounce to it to absorb some of the asphalt impact.

Also wondering how the Alpha fares in that way too. I don’t know much about the sole but it has a little more cushion like the mountain goats which I like.

Let me know your thoughts!

Thanks,

Mike

I’ve decided to upgrade from big thick mainstream sandals(Chaco currently) to a Shamma. I’ve read many reviews but yours seem to be genuine. I might run in them but I will hike, walk, and wear as an all-rounder here in the mountains of north GA. I’ll even take them when traveling. I really like the grip offered by the Newflex over the Morflex and don’t really want a thick sole. So could a Newflex sandal like the Warriors serve as an all rounder? Could I be in it all day? I’m 5’4′ 140lbs.

Thanks,

Jeff

Hi Jeff!

I am a huge fan of the Warriors and Chargers models from Shamma Sandals.

The Warriors have better traction and are slightly thinner, but also denser. The Chargers are more geared towards road running, so you should really enjoy the Warriors for your needs.

If you want more protection, there are the Goats, which are basically two soles slapped together: Newflex on the bottom and Morflex on the top for a little more thickness, but you sacrifice flexibility. I hiked Mount Washington in last year’s Chargers and had a fantastic time, so you should enjoy the Warriors quite a bit!

Let me know if you have any other questions!

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