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I’m not as big of a football fan as I once was. Family life has certainly cut into leisure time. So when I heard that OluKai, a brand known more for the waterman’s ethos of Hawaii, was collaborating with NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, I kinda went “meh,” and wondered if this collab was genuine.
Then I tried the sandals out. And whatever the reasoning behind the collab aside, the reality is that it’s a damn fine pair of flip flops. The leather is what you’d expect with OluKai, but the big difference is the footbed. Maybe having some of the top athletes in a sport that has them abusing their feet designing some leisure footwear wasn’t such a strange idea, after all.
As a dad, comfort is key, and so is quality, although both come at a premium. So were they worth the $160 price tag? Read on to find out!
New Heights x OluKai Mea Ola Nuʻu: The Verdict
Bottom line: It’s a lot to spend on a sandal, but the full-grain leather and rugged outsole mean it’ll last. It’s the type of sandal that gets better with age, as long as you aren’t the amphibous type.
Pros
- ✓ Full-grain leather that softens and shapes to your foot instead of wearing out
- ✓ The footbed is noticeably more supportive underfoot than a flat foam flip-flop
- ✓ Grippier than it looks: rubber traction pods set into a leather-wrapped outsole
- ✓ The football details stay subtle, but is a nice touch.
Cons
- ✕ $160 USD is a lot of money for a pair of flip flops
- ✕ It’s a beach sandal you shouldn’t swim in. OluKai builds the Mea Ola for dry sand and shorelines, not soaking
- ✕ Sizing guidance conflicts between OluKai’s own page and its Amazon listing (see The Facts, below)
- ✕ Limited edition, men’s sizes only, one colorway
The Specs
| Price | $160 USD |
| Colourway | Dark Java / Tan (single limited-edition colourway) |
| Sizes | Men’s US 7–15, whole sizes |
| Upper | Full-grain leather |
| Lining | Soft microfiber |
| Toe post | Handsewn |
| Footbed | Contoured leather footbed with laser-etched New Heights artwork and embroidered logo accents |
| Midsole / outsole | Compression EVA midsole, with spotted rubber outsole on top of leather. |
| Fit | OluKai’s product page lists it true to size, standard width, standard arch. OluKai’s own Amazon listing for the same sandal says it runs small and narrow with a high arch, and recommends sizing up. See the sizing note below. |
| Weight | 17 oz (pair) |
| Water use | Built for dry sand and shorelines; prolonged water contact can damage the leather |
| Warranty | 1 year from date of purchase |
| Availability | Limited edition, while supplies last |
Specs verified August 3, 2026. Prices drift — check before you buy.
A note on sizing
OluKai gives two different answers depending on where you shop. The product page on olukai.com says the Mea Ola Nuʻu fits true to size with a standard width and arch. OluKai’s own Amazon listing for the same sandal says it runs small and narrow with a high arch, and tells you to order a size up. I found it to be fairly standard for me, and ordering a size up would have been way too much underfoot. As someone who oscillates between a size 10 and 9.5, the 10 was actually slightly big, but a 9.5 would probably have my toes creeping over.
How I tested them
I’ve been wearing these over the past few months in a classic west coast summer. I’m not taking them hiking or anything, but wearing them on the day-to-day when it suits. I try to not
Notable Features of the Mea Ola Nuʻu
- Full-grain leather upper. It breaks in rather than breaks down, and darkens where your foot touches it. OluKai says the leathers here nod to vintage pigskins and old-school helmets. It’s a nice touch.
- Contoured footbed with real arch shape. This is what separates it from a $20 rubber flip flop: there’s structure under the arch, so your foot isn’t doing all the work. The result? I can wear these all day without the usual foot pain from cheap sandals.
- Leather-wrapped outsole with rubber traction pods. The outsole truly is grippy and a step above (no pun intended) a cheap, flimsy plastic outsole. But the sporadic use of it means you still get some flex in the step, and it doesn’t feel clunky. It’s a great compromise.
- Handsewn toe post and microfiber lining. The toe post is the first thing to fail on a cheap sandal. This one is stitched, not glued, and lined so it doesn’t saw at your foot.
- The New Heights details. Laser-etched footbed artwork, stitching that echoes football lacing, gold foil signatures from both brothers, and a “New Heights Equipment Co.” stamp. Subtle enough that nobody at the beach is going to clock it as merch. But it’s there for the fans who appreciate some details.
- One-year warranty, and a B Corp behind it. A portion of every purchase goes to Hawaiian nonprofits through OluKai’s Ama foundation.
Drawbacks
- The price. $160 USD buys a lot of sandal, and it also buys a lot of other things. This only makes sense if you’re the kind of person who keeps footwear for years and takes care of it along the way.
- It’s leather, so it needs care. Rinse it in the ocean all summer and you’ll get a fraction of the life out of it. OluKai is explicit that the Mea Ola is made for dry sand and shorelines, not swimming.
- Sizing is a coin flip online. Two official sources, two different answers. Order from somewhere with free returns, just to be safe.
- Limited edition. One colourway, men’s sizing only, and when it’s gone it’s gone.
- Not vegan, not synthetic. Leather upper, leather footbed, top to bottom. The only rubber is at the very bottom of the outsole.
Who This Is For
Buy them if you want a sandal that will still be in the rotation in five years. This isn’t the typical “dad shoe.” It’s a notch above and is perfect for a gift to show you really care about a guy. If they’re a football fan, and especially a fan of the Kelce brothers, it’s a no-brainer. If they aren’t the type to change out of their workboots… even better, and maybe this set of premium leather slippahs will help them do the trick.
Yes, it’s expensive, but a lot of things are these days, and it’s got more utility than a fancy golf shirt that probably costs around the same.
Who Should Skip This
Skip them if your sandals live in the water. If you’re spending the summer at the lake, launching a boat, or handing them to a kid who will absolutely wear them into the ocean, buy something synthetic and stop reading. Leather will lose that fight to water, especially over time. Skip them if you don’t use animal products, because there’s no synthetic version of this sandal. And skip them if you’re the kind of buyer who replaces flip flops every June for twenty bucks and is perfectly happy doing it: the whole argument for the Mea Ola Nuʻu is longevity, and if you don’t care about longevity, you’re just paying for leather.
Final Thoughts
I went in skeptical about a celebrity collab and came out with a sandal that gets more comfortable with each wear. The Kelce details are probably something peole will eithe gravitate to or avoid, but they’re not the reason to buy it. The leather, the footbed and the outsole are and those are all OluKai’s, collab or not. Make no mistake, it’s a lot to spend on a sandal. But the quality craftsmanship and rugged outsole means it’ll last.
Leather isn’t for everyone, but it’s the type of sandal that will only get better with time, and should last for a very long time if you know how to take care of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the OluKai Mea Ola Nuʻu sandals worth the money?
At $160 USD they cost roughly eight times a drugstore flip flop, so the math only works if you keep them for years. The full-grain leather, contoured footbed and stitched toe post are built to be kept. If you’re hard on sandals or you swim in them, you won’t see that value.
Do the OluKai Mea Ola Nuʻu run true to size?
OluKai recommends sizing up, however I found them to be pretty true to size, or even a hair larger than usual. Shopping for foot sizing is always a bother, but if you can’t try them out in person before buying, make sure you can return them. Amazon is a clear winner here for that reason… love ’em or hate ’em, their return policy allows you to give them a try.
Can you wear OluKai leather sandals in the water?
Not really. OluKai describes the Mea Ola as built for dry sand and shorelines, and warns that prolonged water contact can damage the leather. If you want an OluKai you can soak, look at their synthetic or water-ready models instead.
Did Jason and Travis Kelce actually design the sandal?
It’s a collaboration, not a ground-up design. OluKai built it on its existing Mea Ola platform. It’s a sandal Jason Kelce has worn for years, and they reworked the materials and detailing with football references: vintage pigskin leathers, lacing-style stitching, gold foil signatures and a “New Heights Equipment Co.” stamp. The comfort underfoot is OluKai’s, not the Kelces’. Like any collab, it’s more just a way for a brand to reach a new market. Whether or not it’s enough for you to want to pony up dough for depends on if you like the style or not.
Is the New Heights x OluKai collab still available?
It launched in June 2026 as a limited edition, sold while supplies last, in one colorway and men’s sizing only. Check current stock before you get your hopes up.
