Are Sandals Good For Hiking?
Sandals can be good for hiking provided that they are designed for it. The terrain you tackle should not be too rugged, and weather conditions will also affect their suitability. Some sandals come with outstanding traction—even on wet ground—but you need to ask yourself if you’ll be happy hiking with wet feet.
In cold climates or during winter months, I would not recommend using sandals for hiking.
The Pros and Cons of Sandals
Pros
- Great for warm weather: In milder climates and during the summer months, sandals can be a fantastic addition to your trekking inventory. They dry quickly and are easy to remove if you need to cross a river—or you might just wade right through!
- Hiking sandals are ultralight: For those looking to move quickly or who can’t stand heavy, burdensome boots, sandals could be the answer. Additionally, when you arrive at camp for the evening, you’re already wearing your camp shoes (though you might want to change out of those smelly socks). This cuts down on both weight and space in your pack.
- Less contact with your feet: If you’re used to wearing sandals, you’re less likely to experience blisters compared to wearing boots. However, as with all footwear, we highly recommend going through the necessary breaking-in period before hitting the trail.
Cons
- Rocks in your shoes: We all know how annoying it is when a small stone finds its way into your boot! Well, depending on the terrain, this can happen a lot more often when you’re wearing sandals.
- What about snakes?: While the chances are small, as an Aussie, where we have over a hundred species of venomous snakes, I have to mention it: hiking sandals offer much-reduced protection from snakes and other creepy crawlies.
- Less toe protection: Although some hiking sandals come with extra toe protection (more details below), most do not. If you smash your toe on a rock, you might not be a happy hiker. You may even be forced to limp off the trail.
- Less ankle support: This is a contentious issue. Sandals provide less ankle support than traditional mid- or high-top hiking boots. Some believe that if the muscles and tendons around your ankles and calves are strong, there’s no need for additional ankle support, and that wearing hiking boots might actually decrease your strength by reducing emphasis on these muscles. Regardless of your opinion, I wouldn’t use sandals on rough terrain in the backcountry.
What are the Best Sandals for Hiking?
To save you time, we have chosen four of the best brands that manufacture high-quality hiking sandals and included them below. And, because we’re really good to you, we’ve selected what we believe to be the best hiking sandal from each brand’s lineup and summarized the pros and cons to help you decide.
Teva Sandals are Great for Hiking!
Pros: We chose the Teva Omnium 2 Sport Sandal over some stiff competition from highly sporty models due to its enclosed toe, which offers improved protection from sharp rocks. The sandal’s feature a buckle closure that is easy to unclip, and the fabric stretches gently to the shape of your feet, making them exceedingly comfortable. The EVA foam midsole provides excellent cushioning, while the nylon shank offers strong support on more difficult terrains. They also feature an effective water-drainage system and come with a good, grippy outsole. Additionally, they are treated with a zinc-based product that helps kill bacteria, making them ideal if you have stinky feet.
Cons: Due to the larger-than-normal contact area with the foot, there is a decent break-in period similar to some tougher hiking boots. As a result, many users report experiencing blisters during the first couple of weeks. This is likely due to people ignoring the breaking-in period advice and overwearing the sandals, rather than a defect in the sandals themselves. If you have wider feet than average, make sure to try these sandals on before purchasing. Although the material is stretchy, it doesn’t stretch outward excessively.
Chaco has an Excellent Range of Sandals for Hiking!
Chaco Banded Z Cloud Sport Sandal
Pros: These Chacos are unbelievably comfortable straight out of the box. However, this doesn’t mean you should ignore the breaking-in advice, as it might not be true for 100% of owners. The sandals feature a ChacoGrip rubber outsole with 3.5mm lugs, providing superb traction on various slippery terrains. They are airy yet tough and almost feather-light, fitting so well that you might barely notice they are on your feet.
Cons: These Chacos have a high arch that might take some getting used to and may not suit everyone. Try them on to see if this is an issue for you. Some users have also found the ankle strap to be a bit long, although you should be able to assess this when trying them on.
Keen is a Trusted Brand for Quality Footwear
Pros: It was a close call between the Newport H2 and Keen’s also excellent Clearwater CNX, but ultimately, I chose the H2 for its superior support. It features a generously thick outsole with excellent traction and outstanding arch support. It also offers the best toe protection among the sandals featured. Marketed as a water shoe, it performs very well during river crossings. The material is quick to dry and combats odour, making it perfect for moving between wet and dry conditions.
Cons: It’s hard to criticise such a good sandal, but if something like a small rock gets inside, it’s nearly impossible to remove it without taking off the sandal completely. However, because they fit so well, the likelihood of getting debris inside is minimised.
Merrell Hiking Shoe / Sandal Sieve Convert
Merrell Accentor 3 Sieve Hiking Sandal
Pros: Not only coming in with a kick-ass sporty look, the Merrell Accentor 3 comes with a more all rounded foot protection. Like the name suggests this is almost a shoe but still a sandal. The Accentor 3 features great toe protection, a durable waterproof construction (water-friendly suede leather and mesh upper along with EVA insoles) and Merrell Sticky rubber outsoles that provide excellent traction. The shoe features an easy to do up cord-and-lock lacing for a snug fit and are quick drying if you happen to cross paths with a body of water. Additionally, Merrell are renowned for the quality of their hiking boots so you can be assured these will take you places.
Cons: Some users have found the toe box to be a little “roomy”, this could affect users with narrow feet on descents. Give a pair a try to be sure.
That concludes our list of what we think are some of the best sandals for hiking in! We hope you found this helpful in deciding which sandals you’ll take on your next hiking adventure. For other useful articles and travel story please check out out blog page. Thanks for visiting the Humble Traveller.
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