Summer is here, and I’m in the market for a pair of sandals. Now, most sandals, in my experience, only last for about one season before wearing out. Some folks I knew out in Montana, though, had hiking sandals which were close to a decade old, and were still in good condition. I asked the brand, and was told they were VibramSoles. Great, I thought, next time I need new sandals, I’ll look for those. Sure, they cost more than the standard K-mart ones, but that’s justified, if they’ll last that long.
Slight hitch: I’ve been looking into it, and it looks like Vibram doesn’t actually make sandals. They just make the soles, which other companies then make the sandals out of. And it doesn’t matter how good the soles are, if the rest of the sandal isn’t of the same quality, it’ll still wear out quickly.
So, what are some good brands of sandals that I should look out for?
I just bought a pair of Keen Whispers and a pair of Jambu Oceans that I really love. They are both “all-terrain” sandals, but the Keens are athletically styled and the Jambus are dressier.
Chacos rock! I wear them everyday 365 days a year. I live in Mexico. They are durable and comfortable. I bought mine at REI. When they wear out they replace them.
I love my Keens and my Tevas. I’ve got a couple of pairs of Tevas that I don’t even wear anymore because they’re so ratty from being worn so long, and my Keens are great because they’re closed-toe and extremely comfortable. Neither is cheap, but they’ll last nearly forever.
I’ve had good luck with Merrells, in sandals and in general. My original pair of Merrell sandals probably did last close to ten years, though the straps kept coming loose and I kept having to epoxy them back into place.
But since moving to Thailand, I just hit the backpacker enclave of Khao San Road and buy generic locally made sandals. They do me okay, plus they always have my large size, not always easy to find over here.
I had this pair by Source, which had their “green dot guarantee”, which means “Sandals warranty is extended as long as the Green Dot™ on both soles is intact.”
Other than that, I always thought Teva was one of the best brands.
Don’t like Birkenstocks though (the closed toes ones). That design is hot, traps sand and the material leaves brown stains. Not suited to the outdoors at all.
OK, so that’s four recommendations so far for Keen, four for Teva, two for Chaco, net of one for Birkenstocks, and one each for Merrell and Source. And one for Jambu, but they don’t seem to make mens’ sandals.
I gather that Keens are closed-toe, and Tevas are open?
A lot of Keens are closed-toe, but a quick look at their website shows that they also make open-toed men’s sandals. Most of Teva’s are open but I see they have a small number of closed-toed styles too.
One other random observation regarding Birkenstocks: I love the look of a couple of the Birkenstock styles, and I really wish I could wear them, but they hurt my feet a lot. The footbed is made of cork and seems to prefer people with high arches. I’m told that it eventually conforms to your foot, but this isn’t a quick process. Tevas and Keens (and probably the others mentioned) will likely be comfortable right out of the box.
I’m a bit of a sandal nut in the summer time, so I have a couple of different types. I have a couple of pairs of Tevas, and a pair of Borns that have lasted me for about 10 years.
But if you want something a bit different, something that you’re not going to see very often, may I introduce the Gurkees. They’re rope sandals, and they’re surprisingly durable. I’m on my second pair in about 8 years, but that’s because my dog got a hold of my first pair.
A bit of warning: there’s absolutely NO arch support and they absorb water like a sponge, but they’re light, comfortable (for me at least), relatively inexpensive, and you can throw them in the washing machine when they start developing a bit of funk.
One nice thing about Tevas is how well they stay positioned on the feet- you can adjust the straps for a perfect fit. If you look you can find the basic models for reasonable cost. Tevas are the only things on my feet when I’m not working.
Can’t say enough good about them, except I think their new stuff isn’t as good as their old. I’m still wearing my 9-10 year old pair. I probably wear them 70+ days a year and they are still as good as new. The best pair of boots and the best pair of shoes were also Chaco, but alas they stopped making shoes a couple of years back.
