I Hiked in 8 Sandals to Find the Most Comfortable Pair

I’ve had my Chaco Z/Cloud sandals for close to a decade, and I’ve hiked in them everywhere from Utah to France to Wisconsin as well as on plenty of trails around my home state of North Carolina. They are comfortable and offer decent grip for going uphill or downhill and traversing rocks. Plus they can easily be worn in water — and still have a good grip when wet. My only complaint is that on longer hikes, the straps sometimes rub against my feet and give me small blisters and scrapes. My ideal hiking sandal would meet those first three requirements but reduce the rubbing issue.

I’ve had the ZX/2 Cloud Dual sandals for about three years. While I tend to prefer the classic Z/Cloud, these have come in handy when I wanted a slightly more secure fit, such as when I climbed Mount Zeus on my honeymoon in Greece. They share most of the Z/Cloud’s positive and negative attributes, though I’d add that there is a greater risk of strap rubbing with these. Additionally, if my feet swell from heat, they sometimes feel a bit strangled by the sheer mass of straps.

I had high hopes for these sandals because many of my colleagues are extremely pro-Merrell. In the black colorway I tried, they also look nice enough that I could easily wear them for non-hiking activities, which would be a great bonus. Unfortunately, these shoes simply did not agree with my feet. The straps at the top of the foot are extremely narrow, and though they can be adjusted, there is not enough slack in the strap to comfortably fit my foot. I loosened them as much as possible, and still, I felt like my feet were being squeezed below the toe the entire hike. And because of the stretchy strap behind the ankle, my heel slid backward out of the sandal as I was going uphill. Tightening the ankle strap did not help with the sliding; it only made the sandals feel even tighter and more uncomfortable. I got the sandals in my usual size 8, so perhaps they run small and a 9 would have been better. Several reviews on the Merrell website, however, also noted the narrow fit, so I think it’s a design issue more than a fit one. They did have a decent grip on a dry dirt path and the footbed was comfortable, so if you have extremely narrow feet, maybe they’ll work for you.

Unlike the Merrell sandals above, these shoes aren’t ill-fitting or uncomfortable. For me, they are simply not suited to hiking. The only way to tighten them is with the bungee lace on the top, and I struggled to tighten it enough for the shoes to feel secure but not so much that my foot felt squished. Compared with most of the other sandals I tried for this story, I didn’t find them very grippy on inclines. However, I think these would be fantastic for water activities or casual walks. The other reason these ultimately didn’t cut it for me is they don’t feel like sandals. They have openings on the sides and at the back of the foot, which allow for some ventilation, but they feel too enclosed. I’d recommend these for someone who wants a good summer walking shoe that can get wet if needed.

[Editor’s note: The Maipo Explorer Sieve sandals are currently out of stock in most sizes.]

These sandals are almost exactly what I was looking for: a more comfortable version of my Chacos. They even kind of look like my Z/Clouds. The footbed and straps are both well designed for comfort. The sole is a lightweight polyurethane foam covered with rubber, and the footbed itself is microfiber suede. It’s easily the most comfortable sole of all the shoes I tried — supportive but cushioned under my foot. I could (and did) walk for miles in these. The straps are made from a knitted polyester yarn, which is much softer against the skin than my Chacos’ straps. They can easily be adjusted at the top of the foot and the ankle to get exactly the fit you’re looking for. I was able to tighten the straps enough that I felt secure in the sandal without overdoing it. However, while they are supremely comfortable, I didn’t think they were the best suited to hiking. The tread isn’t bad, but the Redway sandals definitely felt less grippy than my top choice — though, because the sole is a bit softer and more flexible than those of some of the other sandals, I was able to use my feet muscles to get traction more easily. I didn’t feel unsafe hiking uphill or downhill in these, but I think a shoe with more grip would be better for longer hikes. While they weren’t exactly what I was looking for, I’ll definitely be wearing these for hikes and walks with less incline. I can also see myself packing these for a trip with lots of walking.

I won’t lie to you: These shoes are very minimal. I was worried how they’d fare on a trail with rocks and roots. But as someone who had never tried barefoot shoes before, I was surprised how much I liked them. The straps are easy to adjust for a secure fit. Though I was concerned about the soles being too thin, I was able to step on lots of small rocks with no issue. I liked how the minimal sole really let me utilize my foot muscles to get a better grip in certain instances. On the flatter parts of the trail, I was extremely happy with these sandals. However, on the up- and downhill sections, I felt my feet sliding around. It was very humid on the day I tested these, so surely sweat played a factor, but I found myself walking on my toes on uphill sections to avoid sliding out of the sandals. I didn’t get the chance to test them in water, but they did dry off quickly from my sweat when I sat down to rest at the trail’s peak. I’ll definitely wear these again but probably not on hikes with any notable elevation gain.

Much inkhasbeenspilledat the Strategist about our staff’s love of the Keen Newport H2. But prior to this project, I had never personally tried them. While the look of the Newport H2 didn’t exactly appeal to me, I knew this hunt would not be complete without them. The Newports have a closed toe, which has obvious benefits for hiking, but unlike the Merrell Maipo Sieve, they still ultimately feel like a sandal to me. The Newports tighten with just a bungee cord, but I was able to secure them quite well. If anything, I think the shoes run a little small. This was beneficial in some ways, as my foot wasn’t sliding around, even when sweaty and going uphill. But on the other hand, my toes felt a bit cramped. Still, even with a slightly tight fit, the Newports impressed me as a hiking shoe. The sole is thick and sturdy, though notquiteas grippy as it looks. I had no issue on a completely dry dirt path, but on a muddy trail with some slick rocks, I slipped more than expected. The sole is a little inflexible, though maybe that would improve with more wear. But the Newports were comfortable to wear going uphill and downhill, and I was happy not to have to worry as much about the fate of my toes. They also feel incredibly sturdy, so I think I could get a lot of wear out of them. These were not the winner, however, as I ultimately prefer an open-toed sandal and didn’t like how squished my feet felt.

The Whisper is a more lightweight alternative to the Newport H2. They definitely feel lighter and more breathable but don’t lack any traction. Overall, I found this sandal had a looser fit, even when tightened with the bungee cord. I appreciated that my toes didn’t feel as squished as they had in the Newport H2 sandals, but my feet slid around more inside the shoe, too, which was annoying when going uphill. Maybe the Whisper’s lighter materials simply compressed my foot less. The lightweight nature also made this feel more like a shoe I’d wear in the water.

I own a couple pairs of Teva’s more casualwear sandals and I really love them, so I was interested in trying out a more technical shoe from the brand. I love the look of the Terra Fi 5 sandals, and I was immediately impressed with the fit. The hook-and-loop straps across the top of the foot and around the ankle have plenty of slack to get a good adjustment, and the little fabric tabs at the end make pulling the straps off easier. The sole of the shoe is also quite comfy with excellent tread. A small detail I was really wowed by is the raised part of the sole behind the heel, which acts like a backstop for your heel if it starts inching back — this really helped keep my foot from sliding out when I was going uphill. I also like how the sole is a bit wider than my foot with slightly raised sides that act like a bumper. All in all, the Terra Fi 5’s were very close to being my favorite. My main issue was that when hiking on steeper inclines, my feet did slide back in the sandal, and tightening the straps didn’t seem to help much. The backslide wasn’t as bad as it was with some of the other sandals, but ultimately, my winner did better.

The design of these is unlike that of any of the other sandals I tried — similar to a flip-flop but with a backstrap. I was initially afraid the cord would rub between my toes, but that was never an issue. The between-the-toes approach actually made the sandals feel more secure on my feet. I also liked that I could tighten the sandal straps in multiple directions: around the ankle, over the outside of the instep, and near the arch to get a narrower fit if needed. Between these three adjustments, I was able to get a very secure fit. I had no backsliding issues while going up- or downhill, and the soles had good grip. They are also flexible and not too thick; I felt like I could use my feet to grip if needed, but there was a little more material between me and the ground than with the Xeros.

After my initial test outing in these sandals, I wore them again on an easy hike to a swimming hole at a waterfall and then to grab lunch at a brewery afterward — exactly the kind of activities I want to use a hiking sandal for. They were easy to swim in and felt secure and grippy enough that I was able to walk on wet, slippery rocks without issue. Besides the comfortable fit and excellent tread, the Bedrock sandals look pretty cool too. They come in plenty of color options (mine are purple) and would be great walking shoes for a trip where you’ll be doing a mix of outdoorsy activities and sightseeing.

My only complaint is that the sandals are slightly long, so I tripped over the toes a couple of times while wearing them. I tried the sandals in my usual size 8, and Bedrock doesn’t offer these in half sizes, so I may have been better off sizing down to a 7. Bedrock provides ample information on the website about the exact length of the sandals, so I’d recommend taking a close look at that before purchasing. The only other drawback is that these are more expensive than my trusty Chacos — though Bedrock does offer awarrantyfor the lifetime of the soles, as well as arepair program. I won’t be throwing away my Chacos, but I think the Bedrock Cairns will be my new go-to hiking sandal this summer.