If you are buying your first pair of Rainbow sandals, the two things you actually need to get right are the size and the number of layers. Rainbow does not use standard shoe sizes, it uses S through XXXL sized by the length of the sandal in inches, and its own advice is to match that length to a sandal that already fits you rather than converting from your shoe size. Below is the full chart for men and women, an honest comparison of the single layer against the double layer, and the break-in method that comes from Rainbow itself instead of the ones circulating online that quietly conflict with Rainbow's own warranty terms.
Island Water Sports has carried Rainbow at our South Florida surf shops for years. We stock six leather styles across our four stores in Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton, and we ship anywhere, free over $50.
The ten second answer
If you do not want to read the whole thing:
- Most men want the Single Layer Premier Leather in a 1" strap, $70. Go double layer at $74 if you are on your feet all day.
- Most women want the Flirty Braidy, $71, or the plain narrow strap at $70 if you want it simpler.
- Size by the length of the sandal in inches, not by your shoe size. Charts below.
- Do not soak them to break them in. It is the most common advice online and Rainbow's own warranty does not cover the water damage it causes.
What size Rainbow sandals should I get?
Rainbow sizes by sandal length, not by US shoe size, and the company's own guidance is direct about it: the best way to get the fit right is to go by the length of the sandal in inches. Your foot should sit on the footbed with no heel hanging off the back and no toes over the front. The US shoe sizes in the charts below are the conversion ranges Rainbow and its retailers publish, and they are a good starting point, but the inch measurement is the tiebreaker.
Rainbow men's size chart
| Rainbow size | US men's shoe size | Sandal length |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 7.5 to 8.5 | 10.5" |
| Medium | 8.5 to 9.5 | 10.75" |
| Large | 9.5 to 10.5 | 11.5" |
| X-Large | 11 to 12 | 12" |
| XX-Large | 12 to 13.5 | 12.5" |
| XXX-Large | 13.5 to 15 | 13.5" |
Rainbow women's size chart
| Rainbow size | US women's shoe size | Sandal length |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 5.5 to 6.5 | 9.5" |
| Medium | 6.5 to 7.5 | 10" |
| Large | 7.5 to 8.5 | 10.5" |
| X-Large | 8.5 to 9.5 | 10.75" |
| Ladies 10 | 10 | 11" |
| Ladies 11 | 11 | 11.25" |
Do Rainbow sandals run big or small?
Here is the honest answer. Rainbow itself does not publish a "runs large" statement, it publishes the length chart and tells you to match the length. The widely repeated rule of thumb among retailers is that the men's sizes run roughly half a size large, so a man between two sizes usually does better in the smaller one unless he has a wide foot, and that the women's sizes run closer to true to size. Treat that as a useful heuristic from people who sell a lot of them, not as a spec.
Two things push you up a size rather than down. A wide foot, because the footbed width is fixed within each size. And a high instep, because the strap has to clear the top of your foot. If you are genuinely on the fence, the size that leaves a sliver of footbed showing behind your heel is the safer buy, since the footbed compresses into shape with wear and a sandal you have already outgrown at the toe never gets better.
The measure-what-you-own method
This is the most reliable way to buy a pair online, and it is the one Rainbow points to. Take a sandal you already wear comfortably. Measure it flat from the very back of the heel to the very front of the toe, in inches. Match that number to the sandal length column above. That is your Rainbow size. It works because you are comparing sandal to sandal rather than trusting a shoe size that already varies by brand.
If you are anywhere near one of our stores, skip all of that and come try a pair on. It takes two minutes and it is the only method with a zero percent error rate.
Still stuck between two sizes? Call the Deerfield Beach flagship at (954) 427-4929 and we will measure a pair against your number and hold your size at the counter. If you would rather order, everything on this page ships free over $50, and every Rainbow style clears that on its own.
Single layer or double layer? The real difference
Rainbow's core leather sandal comes in two builds, and this is the decision most people get stuck on. Both have arch support. The difference is how much midsole sits under you.
| Single layer | Double layer | |
|---|---|---|
| Midsole | One layer of arch support | A second midsole layer plus a pin line that starts at the arch and rises toward the heel |
| Feel | Thinner, more flexible, closer to the ground | Noticeably more cushion and more arch under the foot |
| Break-in | Faster, less material to mold | Longer, there is more footbed to form to you |
| Best for | Beach days, casual daily wear, anyone who wants a minimal sandal | All-day wear, being on your feet for hours, anyone who wants real arch support, anyone stepping up from foam flip flops |
| At Island Water Sports | $70 to $71 | $74 |
The short version: if the sandal is for walking the beach and running errands, single layer. If you are on concrete all day, or your foam flip flops leave your arches aching, double layer. The extra four dollars is the cheapest arch support you will ever buy.
The Rainbow styles we carry at Island Water Sports
Six leather styles, all in stock as of this writing. Sizes and colorways move, so the product page is always the live truth.
Men's Rainbow sandals
Single Layer Premier Leather, 1" strap, $70. The one most people mean when they say "Rainbows." Top grade nubuck leather over a single arch-support midsole, 1" strap, sizes Small through XXX-Large. We carry it in Sierra Brown, Dark Brown, Classic Black and Redwood, plus the two Premier Blues colorways, Tan-Blue and Expresso-Blue, which run a blue midsole and matching blue stitching under the same leather. If you have been searching for the Premier Blues specifically, that is these.
Double Layer Premier Leather, 1" strap, $74. Everything the single layer has, plus the second midsole layer and the rising pin line at the arch. This is the one to buy if you are on your feet all day or you want the most supportive sandal Rainbow makes in the classic build. Dark Brown and Sierra Brown, Small through XXX-Large.
Women's Rainbow sandals
Flirty Braidy, $71. The single layer 1/2" narrow strap with a braid running along the outside strap, top-stitched leather trim on the inside, and a soft leather wrapped toe piece. It is the women's style we sell the most of, and it is the one to look at first if you want something less plain than the classic strap without going floral. Expresso and Sierra Brown, sizes Small through Ladies 11. Note that Rainbow also makes a double layer Flirty Braidy: the one we carry is the single layer.
Las Flores, $71. The narrow strap single layer with a floral pattern laser etched straight into the leather, so the pattern is part of the strap rather than printed on top of it. Sierra Brown. This is a genuinely popular style and sizes go quickly, so check the picker before you fall in love with it.
Single Layer Premier Leather, 1/2" narrow strap, $70. The clean version of the same sandal, no braid and no pattern, on the slimmer 1/2" strap. Our widest colorway run: Expresso, Sierra Brown, Redwood and Dark Brown.
Single Layer Premier Leather, classic strap, $70. The women's classic, single layer arch support under a wider strap than the narrow. Dark Brown and Sierra Brown.
Every style above, plus anything new that lands, lives in one place: shop all Rainbow Sandals at Island Water Sports.
Looking for something outside the Rainbow line? Our full women's sandals and men's sandals collections carry Reef, OluKai, Havaianas, Teva and more, and the broader women's footwear and men's footwear collections cover shoes and slides.
How a Rainbow sandal is actually built
That is the founder, Jay "Sparky" Longley, gluing soles at the bench in San Clemente. Fifty years in and the sandals are still assembled by hand, one pair at a time, which is the entire explanation for everything below.
Rainbow's whole pitch is that the sandal outlasts the fashion, and the construction is where that comes from. Straight from Rainbow's own product specifications:
- Top grade nubuck leather on the top sole, embossed with the Rainbow logo.
- Double stitched straps using bonded nylon thread, which is what keeps a strap from working itself loose over a season of wear.
- Box X toe stitch. The nylon toe piece is anchored with a box-and-cross stitch pattern rather than a single pass. The toe post is the failure point on almost every cheap flip flop, and this is Rainbow's answer to it.
- Triple glued layers, bonded with what Rainbow describes as founder Sparky Longley's own patented glue formulation.
- Non-slip Rainbow bottom sole.
- On the Luxury Leather styles, the straps are rolled and sewn to a 2,000 lb military grade nylon core.
The part that makes them worth the break-in
The midsole is the interesting engineering. Rainbow builds it to compress by roughly ten percent under each foot, deliberately, so that the footbed ends up molded to the specific shape of your foot rather than to a generic last. That is why a broken-in pair feels like nothing else and why a borrowed pair never feels quite right: you are standing in someone else's impression. It is also why the first two weeks are the price of admission.
How to break in Rainbow sandals without wrecking them
Search this question and most of the top results tell you to soak the sandals in water, wear them damp, or steam them in the bathroom during a hot shower. Before you do any of that, read Rainbow's own warranty page, which states that cracked leather is the result of water damage and is not covered by the Rainbow Guarantee. Deliberately soaking a leather sandal to speed up the break-in is the one thing Rainbow explicitly tells you it will not stand behind. We are not going to recommend it.
Rainbow's own method is duller and safer, and it works:
- Wedge something under the straps overnight. A tennis ball or a full water bottle under each strap holds it stretched while you sleep. Rainbow recommends this directly. Repeat for a few nights.
- Wear socks for the first few wears. Also Rainbow's own advice. It sounds ridiculous and it protects the top of your foot from the strap edge while the leather softens.
- Wear them in short sessions. An hour around the house, then longer. The footbed compresses under your weight over roughly two weeks of normal wear. There is no shortcut that does not risk the leather.
- Be patient with the toe post. Almost every first-time complaint is the toe piece rubbing. It stops once the nylon softens and the footbed has taken your impression.
One exception worth knowing: Rainbow's Luxury Leather line uses naturally tumbled full grain leather with a wax finish, and Rainbow states there is virtually zero break-in on those. If the break-in period is the thing standing between you and a pair, that is the line to ask us about.
Caring for leather Rainbow sandals in South Florida
Living here is harder on leather than living where Rainbow is made. Salt, sun, afternoon storms and pool chemicals all work against a leather footbed. What actually matters:
- Rinse the salt off, then dry them in the shade. Rainbow's guidance if leather sandals get wet is to make sure they dry entirely out of the sun. Direct Florida sun on wet leather is what makes it go brittle and crack, and cracked leather is not covered.
- Clean with a damp cloth and a little mild soap. That is Rainbow's own instruction. Nothing harsher.
- Do not use leather conditioner, oil, lotion or any moisturizer. This is the one most people get wrong, because conditioning leather is good advice almost everywhere else. Rainbow's warranty page states in capitals that any use of leather conditioner, oils, lotions or other moisturizers is not covered, and that oil and petroleum based products cause the layers to delaminate. The glue is the whole sandal. Do not put solvents near it.
- Keep them out of a hot car. A closed car in a Deerfield Beach parking lot in August will cook the adhesive far past anything the beach does.
- Leather and the ocean are not friends. They will survive getting wet. They are not swim sandals. If you want something to actually get in the water with, ask us about the rubber and synthetic options in the men's and women's sandal collections instead.
What the Rainbow Guarantee covers, and what it does not
This is Rainbow's program, not ours, and Rainbow administers the claims directly. Here are its published terms so you know what you are buying into.
What Rainbow says it covers. Rainbow describes the guarantee as lasting "for the lifetime of the sole," meaning the sandals stay eligible until you have worn through anywhere on the top or bottom layer of the sole. It covers manufacturing defects only, specifically a toe strap or side strap that pulls cleanly out from between the layers, and delamination where the top or bottom sole separates from the middle foam. If Rainbow cannot repair the sandal, it says it will issue a new pair.
What Rainbow says it does not cover. Soles worn through to the colored foam insert. Torn or frayed straps, as opposed to straps that pull cleanly free. Cracked leather and water damage. Excessive abuse, which they list as things like dog chewing, gouges, cuts and burns. And anything that has had leather conditioner, oil, lotion or moisturizer applied to it.
How claims work. Claims go to Rainbow, not to the shop that sold them. Rainbow asks that you send both sandals with your name, address, phone number and a description of the problem to Rainbow Sandals, 900 Calle Negocio, San Clemente, CA 92673, and states that repaired or replaced sandals go back out within 15 days. Rainbow also accepts photos of the top and bottom of both sandals by email for a look before you mail anything.
Check Rainbow's current warranty page before you file, since terms are theirs to change. If you bought your pair from us and something went wrong out of the box, call your store and we will help you sort out which route makes sense.
Rainbow Sandals: the short history
Jay "Sparky" Longley started Rainbow in 1974, making sandals by hand in his Laguna Beach garage out of leather and Malaysian rubber, about fifteen pairs a day. He picked the name Rainbow, as he tells it, because it has all the colors. The company moved to San Clemente, California, where it is still headquartered and where its factory and outlet still run, and it now produces in the millions of pairs a year. Fifty years on, the sandal is recognizably the same object: leather, arch support, box X toe, non-slip bottom.
That longevity is the actual reason Rainbow sits well in a surf shop. Island Water Sports has been South Florida's surf shop since 1978, four years after Sparky cut his first pair of soles. Both businesses survived on the same bet, which is that people will pay once for something that lasts instead of three times for something that does not.
Where to buy Rainbow sandals in South Florida
We stock Rainbow at all four Island Water Sports locations, and selection varies by store, so call ahead if you want a specific size or colorway held. Online orders ship anywhere and ship free over $50.
- Island Water Sports Deerfield Beach (flagship, since 1978): 1985 NE 2nd St, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. (954) 427-4929. Mon to Fri 8 AM to 9 PM, Sat 6:30 AM to 9 PM, Sun 9 AM to 8 PM.
- Island Water Sports Pompano Beach: 3405 Pier Street, Pompano Beach, FL 33062, in the Fishing Village at the Pompano Pier. (954) 425-9350. Daily 8 AM to 8 PM.
- Island Water Sports Delray Beach: 1218 E Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33483, one block from the beach. (561) 272-2052. Daily 9 AM to 9 PM.
- Island Water Sports Boca Raton (Boca Surf & Sail, since 1985): 3191 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33431. (561) 394-8818. Mon to Sat 9 AM to 7 PM, Sun 10 AM to 6 PM.
Directions, maps and current hours for every store are on our store locations page.
Come try a pair on
The fastest way to end the sizing question is to stand in them. All four Island Water Sports stores stock Rainbow, and we have been South Florida's surf shop since 1978. Shop all Rainbow Sandals online, or come see us and we will get you in the right size in about two minutes.
