Best water hiking sandals

Gear up with a pair of water hiking sandals and get to experience the trail with enhanced versatility. Their primary utility and value take center stage in escapades involving the river or some stream you need to cross. At first glance, they look just like your average hikers of the sandal sort, which virtually have always been known for outdoor adventures where being agile is pretty much a requirement. That said, these hikers are a step up to their regular counterparts, in that they are capable of shedding wet elements, allowing you to reach your destination with as little restriction in your mobility as possible.

The list of men’s and women’s water hiking sandals above are among the finest across footwear-making companies. They made the cut for being considered one of the following:

• Hydrophobic
• Water-ready
• Water-friendly
• Amphibious

The perks of water hiking sandals

Sandals for hiking and water excursions are quite the investment, and many on store shelves rival some of the most sought-after hiking shoes out in the market. If you need further convincing whether to make the jump from your lows and mids to these kicks, the following notable benefits of wearing water hiking sandals can help you make up your mind.

Lightness through the waters

Pieces of footwear that belong to this category are known for being lightweight. That said, since their construction allows them to expel wetness and moisture, unlike their non-hydrophobic siblings, they get to remain light even in the presence of water. If zero contact with wet elements is what you prefer, however, own a pair of hiking boots with a waterproof liner instead.

Dry and ready

Since these hikers shed the damp and the wet as often as a cat would shake off water, they dry pretty quickly. The material commonly used in such products are aerated and specially engineered for fast-drying action. As such, you no longer need to worry about wet sandals when you wake up in the morning. It is also worth noting that dry shoes get damaged less than those prone to staying soaked throughout the day.

Away with stink

Odor buildup is another problem most water hiking sandals get to address. This is true because such shoes eject stink-causing sweat as they proactively channel out wet substances. There are those that come imbued with antimicrobial technologies, so an amphibious hiker with such a feature is something you might want to opt for if staying fresh is one of your top priorities during hikes.

Wet surface traction

Sandals for hiking and water adventures are engineered to produce ample traction over a variety of backcountry terrain. That said, their grip reliability takes center stage on hikes where slick and wet surfaces are involved. Some outsoles of such footwear have sipes—surgical incisions that grant cat- or dog-like sticking power on extra slippery ground.

Footwear brands that offer some of the best water hiking sandals for men and women

Teva

If there is one thing you can seriously rely on with Teva’s slew of sandal-type products, it would have to be great quality. Several of their trail-centric hikers are built specifically for traversing wet environments. They take pride in their ability to create water-friendly sandals (check out their Terra series) without leaving out other things that matter, like durability and aesthetics. On the traction side of things, virtually every Teva sandal is equipped with a lightweight company-exclusive outsole, called Durabrasion.

Chaco

The sandal-loving community would never feel complete without the contribution of the trail-worthy hikers from Chaco. Their hiking sandals are not just amphibious; they are also highly adjustable, thanks to the genius engineering of their networked straps. Most of their water hiking sandals are furnished with the Luvseat midsole/footbed which provides a combination of soft cushioning and sufficient balance on the trail.

Keen

Keen’s extensive library of hiking sandals is something you might want to look into if you are desperate for footwear that you can use (and abuse?) on your upcoming outdoor expeditions. Their water hiking offerings are usually built with hydrophobic mesh lining, so wading through shallow streams and the like should pose little threat to your nimble performance.

Water-readiness is not the only exciting thing in such pairs, as these wearables are armed with Keen.Protect—an exclusive technology that grants generous amounts of toe protection. As sandals built with this kind of tech have a shielded forefoot, they are essentially called closed-toe hikers which may be particularly useful on more dangerous pursuits (where bumpy rocks lie in wait under shallow waters).

Author

Paul Ronto

Paul loves adventure. Over the past 20 years, he has climbed, hiked, and ran all over the world. He’s summited peaks throughout the Americas, trekked through Africa, and tested his endurance in 24-hour trail races. He has worked in the outdoor industry as a whitewater and hunting guide, gear tester, copywriter, and outfitting specialist at places like The National Outdoor Leadership School, No Barriers USA, and Sierra Trading Post. He has been quoted in NYMag, NBCNews, and Business Insider to name a few.

paul@runrepeat.com