Our verdict

We have always loved the practicality of Teva sandals but now the brand treats us with an even more versatile Hydratrek! Its softer midsole and better-padded straps made it more comfortable for long periods of wear while the reimagined traction pattern showed an even stronger grip on wet terrain. We also found it more enjoyable to take the Hydratrek on a light hike along the shore and it didn't feel out of place in the coffee shop either. For the price, we believe that the Teva Hydratrek makes for a perfect all-purpose footwear for a summer by the water.

Pros

  • Versatile: water activities, light hiking, casual
  • Great value for money
  • Comfortable softer cushioning
  • Wide and stable platform
  • Enhanced grip on wet surfaces
  • Very flexible construction
  • Padded straps prevent blisters
  • A high % of recycled components

Cons

  • Mud gets stuck between lugs
  • Fiddly when putting on (pads fold over)

Audience verdict

83
Good!

Who should buy

We recommend the Teva Hydratrek to folks who want an open-toe sandal that feels equally at home for water activities (boating, fishing, kayaking/canoeing, SUP, etc.) but is also comfortable enough for walking on the beach, riverside, and light trails.

Teva Hydratrek review

Who should NOT buy

If you need a more hiking-oriented sandal, we think you would benefit from more protective closed-toe sandals.

The Hoka Hopara 2 and the KEEN Newport H2 are our top recommendations.

Teva Hydratrek lab test

Cushioning

Heel stack

We are happy to report that the Teva Hydratrek packs nearly as much cushioning as the brand's highly popular Hurricane XLT2. Measuring its heel stack with a caliper returned an above-average reading of 29.2 mm.

Teva Hydratrek Heel stack

This amount of foam made us feel confident wearing the Hydratrek beyond the water bodies as it readily doubled as a light hiking and leisure sandal. The midsole muted out shells and pebbles and offered the impact protection of a proper walking shoe.

Test results
Hydratrek 29.2 mm
Average 26.7 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
15.9 mm
Heel stack
30.9 mm

Forefoot stack

The forefoot portion of the Hydratrek has a lower stack height of 17.5 mm.

Teva Hydratrek Forefoot stack

Even though it is notably lower than the heel, we found that it still offered essential protection under the balls of our feet. But the primary benefit is that the lower stack created a much better sense of connectedness to the ground.

We certainly preferred that ground feel tiptoeing our way through rocky river banks or catching balance on a paddle board.

Test results
Hydratrek 17.5 mm
Average 19.0 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
13.8 mm
Forefoot stack
23.0 mm

Drop

Looking at the Hydratrek from the side, anyone will notice that the sandal's heel-to-toe drop is very steep. It is, in fact, steeper than average at 11.7 mm.

Teva Hydratrek Drop

In our experience, this offset made the Teva Hydratrek feel more like a hybrid between a sandal and a shoe making it more comfortable for walking around after water activities. It's not a neoprene water shoe that you want to take off immediately after getting out on the shore.

The raised heel doesn't force the Achilles to work overtime and keeps the heel comfortably cushioned.

Test results
Hydratrek 11.7 mm
Average 7.8 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
2.1 mm
Drop
11.9 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

Another reason why we think the Teva Hydratrek feels special compared to a standard hiking sandal is its softer-than-average EVA foam.

Pressing our Shore A durometer against it returned 18.9 HA which is by far the lowest reading we got in a hiking sandal. For reference, it is 50% softer than the average sandal midsole and 15% softer than the Teva Hurricane XLT2.

Teva Hydratrek Midsole softness

But don't get us wrong, it's not marshmallowy plush and squishy either. The Hydratrek has just enough firmness in its platform to provide support.

Test results
Hydratrek 18.9 HA
Average 26.8 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
18.9 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
35.1 HA

Size and fit

Size

Teva Hydratrek is slightly large (24 votes).

Owners of this shoe, how does this shoe fit?

1 size small ½ size small True to size ½ size large 1 size large
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
½ size small
Slightly small
True to size
Slightly large
½ size large

Toebox width - widest part

We believe that people of all foot shapes and sizes will find the Hydratrek's fit accommodating.

Teva Hydratrek Toebox width - widest part

The distance between its forefoot strap attachments showed 103.9 mm in a men's US size 10 which is plenty enough for a medium-width foot.

Meanwhile, people with wider feet and bunions can easily regulate the tightness as all three straps on the sandal are adjustable.

Test results
Hydratrek 103.9 mm
Average 102.6 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
89.6 mm
Toebox width - widest part
109.4 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

There is a limit to how much stability a hiking sandal can provide but the Teva Hydratrek makes sure you get just enough. 

Its wide platform offers plenty of landing area whereas the raised arch prevents the foot from buckling over.

Teva Hydratrek arch support

We should also note that the sandal's textured topsole prevented our feet from sliding whenever the sandal got wet. That was important for the overall surefootness of the Hydratrek. We were also glad that the texture didn't feel rough against our bare feet as it did in some of the older Teva models.

Teva Hydratrek textured topsole

Torsional rigidity

On a stiffness scale from 1 to 5 (where 5 is the stiffest) we think that the Hydratrek sits on the more flexible side of the spectrum earning a lower score of 2.

As our manual test showed, the sandal's torsional rigidity is barely there. Thus, it's not the most supportive sandal we've seen in the lab (think Hoka Hopara 2) and may not be a great option for someone with severe overpronation.

Test results
Hydratrek 2
Average 3
Compared to 7 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Midsole width - forefoot

As usual, Teva made sure that the midsole of its hiking sandals was nice and broad.

Teva Hydratrek Midsole width - forefoot

With a generous forefoot width of 121.9 mm, the Hydratrek kept us planted and confident in our next step whether it was on light trails, beach, or rock-heavy riverside. 

Test results
Hydratrek 121.9 mm
Average 120.1 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
112.6 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
125.1 mm

Midsole width - heel

The heel dimensions of the Hydratrek also proved to be sufficiently wide for heel-dominant steps.

Teva Hydratrek Midsole width - heel

Our caliper measured 90.0 mm in its widest area which is on par with the industry average.

Test results
Hydratrek 90.0 mm
Average 92.3 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
81.6 mm
Midsole width - heel
100.5 mm

Flexibility / Stiffness

Kneeling down on a SUP board, we immediately noticed that the Hydratrek was significantly more agreeable for bending in the forefoot. Its thinner and softer midsole didn't seem to press back on the balls of our feet as much as the other sandals.

Back in the lab, we found that this Teva sandal indeed took less force to bend to a 90-degree angle than average! With a fore gauge reading of 15.0N, the Hydratrek turned out to be 55% more flexible than the average.

Teva Hydratrek flexibility

Test results
Hydratrek 15.0N
Average 22.4N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
7.0N
Flexibility <> Stiffness
36.8N

Weight

As a strappy sandal with average midsole dimensions, the Teva Hydratrek did not feel any bulkier than the average hiking sandal.

Teva Hydratrek sandal

Tipping the scale at 10.7 oz (304g), it weighs just as much as the Hurricane XLT2 which is also slightly lighter than average.

Test results
Hydratrek 10.76 oz (305g)
Average 11.11 oz (315g)
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
6.31 oz (179g)
Weight
14.60 oz (414g)

Durability

Outsole hardness

It is common for hiking sandals to rely on softer rubber to provide a tackier grip on wet terrain. So when our durometer showed 77.6 HC, we were not surprised. For context, the hardness of rubber on hiking shoes averages 85.0 HC.

Teva Hydratrek Outsole hardness
Test results
Hydratrek 77.6 HC
Average 79.5 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
50.5 HC
Outsole hardness
85.5 HC

Outsole durability

But because of its softer nature, the outsole of the Hydratrek didn't show the best durability results in our Dremel test.

A 22-second exposure to sandpaper at 10K RPM speed left pretty notable damage on the sandal's rubber. Using a tread gauge, we measured the depth of the damaged area at 1.4 mm.

This means that wearing the Hydratrek on highly abrasive surfaces (like rocks or asphalt) for extended periods of time will result in faster deterioration of its outsole.

Teva Hydratrek Outsole durability test

But on a lighter note, the Hydratrek's outsole durability results are consistent with the other Teva sandals we've tested. So you can expect a similar level of outsole longevity if you've had sandals from this brand in the past.

Test results
Hydratrek 1.4 mm
Average 1.8 mm
Compared to 7 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

Good thing that the rubber thickness on the Hydratrek is on par with the average showing 2.4 mm of thickness without the lugs.

Teva Hydratrek Outsole thickness
Test results
Hydratrek 2.4 mm
Average 2.4 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole thickness
3.6 mm

Misc

Lug depth

Speaking of the lugs, the Hydratrek features a moderate tread depth of 2.6 mm. But even though it is on the shallower side of the spectrum, it proved to be an ideal setup for wet rocks, slippery decks, and light trails.

Teva Hydratrek Lug depth

We also found that Teva completely reimagined the traction pattern for the Hydratrek which resulted in a major grip leap! "Leap" is an appropriate word because, according to Teva, the new design was inspired by the tree frog.

Teva Hydratrek vs Teva Hurricane XLT2

The lugs got smaller but toothier forming shallower air channels which created a suction-like effect on wet smooth surfaces.

Teva Hydratrek outsole

The only caveat is that dirt tends to get stuck in between the lugs and we recommend washing it away as soon as possible to avoid it caking. Otherwise, the outsole becomes very difficult to clean. 

Test results
Hydratrek 2.6 mm
Average 2.9 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Lug depth
4.1 mm

Price

Even though the Hydratrek is more expensive than the other Teva sandals, its retail price still sits below the average of hiking sandals.

Teva Hydratrek Price

In our opinion, the comfort, grip, and overall usability of the Hydratrek make it worth the full price.

Test results
Hydratrek $85
Average $96
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
$45
Price
$135

Upper material thickness

It looks like Teva added even larger padding on the straps to make the sandal more comfortable for long periods of wear.

However, because these liners are not fully sewn onto the straps, you may need to fiddle a bit to prevent them from folding when putting the sandal on. That can be a bit of a nuisance for some people. 

Measuring the Hydratrek's strap thickness consider that it uses thicker material indeed. Our caliper showed an above-average reading of 7.5 mm.

Test results
Hydratrek 7.5 mm
Average 4.5 mm
Compared to 9 hiking sandals
Number of shoes
1.5 mm
Tongue padding
8.2 mm

Sustainable materials

According to Teva, the Hydratrek features quite a few recycled components:

  • 30% recycled Spider Rubber in the outsole​
  • 100% recycled plastic in the straps (traceable, verifiable REPREVE polyester yarn)
  • 60% recycled polyester​ in padded liners under the straps
  • 30% recycled Regrind EVA midsole​

Teva Hydratrek sustainable materials