17
votes
Help me find the perfect sandals?
I live in the desert, and many months out of the year, it's way too hot to be wearing covered shoes. The problem is, though, when it comes to sandals, my feet sweat A LOT and start sliding around, and they become impossible to walk in comfortably. I need a sandal that is super durable, comfortable, will strap to my feet, and look decent enough to be casual or semi formal, and lastly, they will not have their wearability affected by my sweaty sweaty feet. Anyone got some good suggestions?
They are expensive, but I swear by Bedrock Sandals, particularly the Cairn Evo 3D Pro. I'm a big sandal wearer myself, and have gone through a huge amount of tevas, chacos, birkenstocks, rainbows, and reefs over the years. Teva has disappointing customer service when their sandals break in non-wear related ways (i.e. the rear contacts pull out). I've even had my tevas fixed at the cobbler, which is an option, but that can get expensive too (like $20 to reset and sew the rear strap when they pop out). Chaco is moving a similar direction and I get frustrated with their little toe loops. Birks are more "stylish", but if you're doing anything more than plodding around town you're going to be out of luck. Also the suede doesn't age well if it gets wet. They are more like the house cat of sandals. I have a pair of the Arizonas and pretty much just use them to take out the trash and do things around the yard. Reef and Rainbow have both dipped in quality in the last few decades and don't strap.
It took me a while to get used to the look of the Bedrocks but I love them now. I've been using mine probably 4 days a week yearly and they are still going very strong 2 years in. Their customer support is top notch, though that's likely to change as they grow, but I'd say for a quality, comfortable sandal they are hard to beat! I also get lots of compliments and questions about them.
Edit: more food for thought
As a note: The Arizonas have much better arch support than the Cairns but I'd agree that the Birks are more Basecamp wear than on the trail.
That said, I've been happily wearing Birks for decades so I'm biased toward them. I'd wish for them to be cheaper but they hold up (for me) for long enough that I'm just okay with the price.
+1 for the Bedrocks - I’ve tried Teva, Chacos, Xeros, Vibrams, and the bedrocks are the only sandals I’ve purchased a second pair of. The adjustable Y-strap is so much easier than chacos, and they’re so much lighter. I found Teva and Xero sandals to be way too slippery when my feet sweat or the sandals got wet.
In your experience, would you suggest sizing up or down if one typically wears a half-size? No matter the style of shoe, I almost always wear Men’s 10.5s. My gut says to size up because I could just tighten the straps more, but I figured I’d ask someone with clearly more experience in this department!
For reference, I do have a pair of Arizonas that are size 10, but the back of the sole is worn out, and I fear that it might be because the slight downsize caused my heel to put more pressure on the back of the sole than it otherwise should.
I think they are pretty true to size. Just for reference incase it's relevant for comparison, am an 11 for my Vans, 10.5 for Solomons, and a 10.5 for Bedrocks.
Birks fit me small so I sized up on those to an 11 and they are still pretty snug but I don't hang over the front of back.
I guess I’m confused now that you mention that you have 10.5 Bedrocks. The main reason I was asking is that I don’t see any x.5 sizes on the link you shared. Am I totally overlooking something obvious here?
This is going to sound like heresy, because it is. It goes against every single fashion code that exists and make you look out of touch. However...wearing socks sure did solve the issue of sweat and chafing for me.
A thin wool blend sock like smartwool works especially well for S&S. For that matter, if OP hasn't tried performance socks with regular shoes, it can be a big help to keep your feet dry. I wear cycling socks with regular shoes all the time. They don't add much cushion but are very thin and cool.
I’ve been wearing Chacos in just about all situations for the last decade, and got my first pair in 2007. I asked the office coordinator at the job I started last year if I could wear them daily; she was like, yep, not a problem. (Job I had the prior 8 years didn’t require me to ask) I tend to go through a pair about every 5 years.
+1 for Chacos. I bought a pair to go kayaking in and ended up wearing them for almost everything (except work). When those wore out after almost 10 years, I bought another pair and still love them.
All of the recommendations here are good, but "original" model Tevas are my favorite. They are much lighter than Chacos and others, which is the feeling I want from sandals. The knurled texture is great at keeping wet feet from sliding around. Probably not the "semi formal" look you're going for, but I really don't know that any sandal is going to fit that bill.
Crocs Unisex Adult Crocband Flip Flop Sandal
I love these things.
No stink
Durable.
Light
Easily rinse-able
Quick on and off
They also have a beefier version if you need it