Nisolo is an ethical shoe and accessory brand that I’ve been curious about for some time now. Many sustainable and capsule wardrobe bloggers rave about this brand. The classic, minimal, made-to-last designs really appeal to my personal style and make for great wardrobe staples. Recently I saw they were having a sale so I took the opportunity to pick up a pair of the Isla Slide Sandals in Black that I’ve had my eye on. After many wears around town and a weekend trip away here’s what I think of them so far, along with a breakdown of price, sizing, the “break-in” period and wearability.

First Impressions

I’m a sucker for nice packaging and attention to detail, which was immediately apparent when I opened the box. The shoes came with two dust bags (which came in handy while traveling with these) and a card with care instructions for maintaining them long term. It also included information on their ethical practices, a major focus of this brand. In terms of aesthetics, I just love how classic and stylish these slides made me feel while I ran errands around town. It was an easy purchase to make and one that I’m quite confident I will get a lot of use out of, especially here in Southern CA where I can wear them almost year-round.

Sizing & Breaking-In

Sizing was a bit tricky to figure out for me as I feel I’m currently somewhere between a 9 and 10 in sandals. While the website claims they fit true to size, I actually ordered a whole size up, a US 10, which fits perfectly. The shoe is quite small and the soles narrow so if you have wider feet (or wear a larger size) I would definitely suggest sizing up. I don’t have wide feet but I do prefer a bit of a roomier sandal (my heel touching the back of a sandal is a weird pet peeve) so I felt the size up to be much more comfortable. And keep in mind, this sizing review will likely only apply to this particular style of sandal.

I’ve read on Nisolo’s website and on others’ reviews that the leather stretches, as most leather sandals tend to mold to your foot after a while. The breaking in period was minimal but because the sandal strap is narrow, there was a bit of rubbing that resulted in blisters. Luckily they only needed to be broken in over the course of a couple days.

Style & Wearability

I must admit I was fully influenced by Katelyn Baginski on this purchase, who owns all three colors in this style and wears them so well. A simple design like this sandal can be surprisingly difficult to track down from sustainable brands so when I find really great wear-with-everything wardrobe staples I like to invest in them. The minimal, paired-back design is what initially attracted me to these; they literally go with everything. I was lacking a basic black leather slide in my wardrobe, always opting for my Tkees Nude Flip Flops instead, so these shoes fills that gap perfectly. I plan to style these for Fall with straight leg denim and knit sweaters. And as I found out this past weekend, they also make a great pairing with midi dresses and tailored shorts for a relaxed yet polished look.

Price & Purchasing

The Isla Slides are typically $90 but they’re currently on sale for $68, which is the price I bought them at. They come in two other colors: Sand which is a light tan color and Bone, a creamy off-white color. Sizing ranges from a US 6 to 10, so it’s a bit more limited that some brands. They shipped about a week after purchasing, pretty typical considering current circumstances and arrived via Fedex a week after that. All in all I had a positive experience with Nisolo and would absolutely order from them again, especially after eyeing up all their handbag collection.