The Best City Sandals, According to the Strategist Staff

Writer Amelia Jerden first mentioned these Tevas in our guide tothe shoes Strategist editors walk 20,000 steps in. But they are her pick for “city” sandals too. “They can survive getting rained on, and when they get dirty, they’re extremely easy to clean,” she says. In no small part thanks to the platform-flatform, her “exposed toes are less likely to come into contact with anything gross on the street,” especially cockroaches when she lived in Raleigh. (Yes,this is a thing during North Carolina summers.) Now that she’s based in the “casual-minded city” of Asheville, she wears them “to not-overly-formal restaurants and bars, for walking around shopping, and even for running errands.”

Senior writerMichael Zhaooriginally recommended the Keen Uneek in our “Ask a Picky Guy” column when a reader asked about shoes that can handle “a beach-and-city trip with lots of walking.” Zhao packed the “huarache-inspired sneaker-sandals,” as he calls them, for a week spent in Lima directly following a spell in the Galápagos Islands. But they’re not only for vacation. “If I know I’m gonna be on my feet all day, or if there’s rain in the forecast, I’ll throw on these Keens because they’re much more durable and supportive than a leather shoe,” he says.

TheArizonamay be the most famous Birkenstock, but senior writerLauren Rodoesn’t find them comfortable in the slightest. “My feet had to do too much work to keep them on,” says Ro. Her narrow, bunioned feet prefer the Gizeh. Like the Arizona, the Gizeh has a supportive footbed and adjustable buckle. It only takes a few wears to get used to the thong-style toe, Ro promises. But then they should mold to your soles. Her original pair — which she’s kept for over 20 years — are “literally worn into the ground.” (She adds, “I don’t know why I’ve held on to them for so long.”) Now she also owns Gizehs in this oiled leather ($149.95) andEVA($49.95).

“My No. 1 rule for a city sandal is that they must have a backstrap, no exceptions,” says senior writerDominique Pariso, so they stay on no matter what. And “it makes all the difference in comfort.” Pariso upgraded her BirkenstockEVA Arizonasto Birkenstock Milanos last year for that exact reason. (Plus “I just totally wore the tread out of the bottom, so they became a hazard to wear.”) The extra-large hardware is a bonus, making them a tad “less crunchy” than the average Birkenstock.

Several members of the Strategist team haveCamper sandals— including lead editorLauren Levy, senior editorAilbhe Malone, and senior writerLiza Corsillo. Corsillo bought the Dana sandals last summer “with the intention of them being a mostly wear-to-work summer shoe.” They did the job so well, she’s thinking of getting another pair. “They look great with jeans, but also with shorts,” Corsillo says. “I really like that they have more of a heel than a traditional fisherman sandal, and that they’re kind of masculine and chunky-looking.” (OtherfishermansCorsillo recommends includeRothy’s, which she’s “schlepped all over New York City in … without a blister, an ache, or a grimy toe in sight.”)

Managing editorKelsie Schrader’s BirkenstockMayarisare on their last legs. And while she does plan to buy a new pair at some point, she decided to look for something else too. As someone who “cares deeply about foot health,” Schrader settled on the Saint Tropez by Vibae, which is known forshoes with an orthopedic bent. (Deals writerMartha Tuber— a former shoe designer — also featured the brand in her last “Strategist Brain.”) The brand’s trademark CarbonStep footbed is supposed to “mold to your foot over time and create a ‘barefoot-like walking experience,’” says Schrader. Plus the leather doesn’t feel too stiff. “I’m anticipating even more comfort as the footbed molds to my foot and the leather continues to soften,” she adds. But she was able to walk five miles in them the first time she wore them and “felt more comfortable than I have in any other sandals.”

It may be because of her reporting on college students’ love forRainbow flip-flops, butBella Druckmancouldn’t help but think of them when she saw these Bombas. They’re available in two similar (or familiar, if you remember the flip-flops from the ’00s) shades:sienna tanandtundra browninstead of Rainbow’ssierra brownandexpresso. “I’ve never owned a pair of Rainbows, but the horror stories I heard from college students who endured a long, painful break-in period make me think that Bombas are a big improvement,” Druckman says. “They’ve been comfortable from the second I put them on.” So far, she hasn’t walked farther than her neighborhood wearing them — wary of having her toes out on the subway — but assures they’re supportive for trips to the pharmacy and grocery store.

I firmly believe height is a requirement for any pair of city sandals. It’s protection for your toenails. If I can manage theseTory Burch wedges— and I once sprained an ankle wearing wedges at a Chuck E. Cheese — you can too. I’ve walked on everything from uneven concrete to porcelain tiles in them. I’m bringing them with me to Santo Domingo later this month on their first international trip.

Previously, senior editorHilary Reiddescribed Tuckernuck’s Evelyn sandals as “elegant, strappy, low-heeled sandals that are not a bazillion dollars.” And that wasbeforeshe realized how much wear she’d get out of them. “Despite being pretty strappy and minimal, they’ve been great city sandals,” she says. “The very low block heel adds a little support for tromping around, and the straps don’t rub or cause blisters in the way thin straps typically do.” Better yet, they break in rather easily. That’s why “when they were marked way down during a sample sale last fall” she got them in white and red too (her original pair are black). They also “go with virtually anything — they’re just perfectly simple and look like they could be from anywhere,” Reid adds.

“I could not survive a summer in any city without my Kintos,” says updates coordinatorNajwa Jamal. “Wearingflip-flopson public transport and through the streets of New York is divisive. But are you really a New Yorker if you don’t?” Her feet haven’t touched the ground in these. And she’s “logged hundreds of miles in them with nary a blister or shred of discomfort, while looking more polished than I would in, say, Havaianas.” Last summer, she also ended up wearing them across Amalfi and Positano — an adventure that involved “clobbering cobblestones, climbing miles of stairs, and getting lost on winding streets” — even after she packed five other pairs of shoes for the trip. They’re still going strong after nearly two years, with just one trip to the cobbler’s about a year in to reinforce the sole after “wearing them everywhere.”

WriterKitty Guolikes a little thong sandal just “as much as the next person, but let’s be real, they’re not practical when you’re navigating broken glass and questionable puddles on New York City sidewalks.” So she turns to Labucq Boomers to “clomp through the city.” They’ve been subjected to mud, sand, and seawater as well. “There’s definitely some wear in the tread now,” says Guo. “But it’s not really a cause for concern, because the sole is so thick and cushiony, and they just feel really solid and well constructed.”

Just as thePlasticana Jelly Fishermansare “a surprisingly practical summer city shoe,” so are Post Sole Trail Hikers, according to writerKatherine Gillespie. “They have a fair bit of traction as well as some height for avoiding puddles and other mysterious New York City foot hazards,” Gillespie adds. “I’m a little wary of rocking open-toe sandals in the city, as we all are, but these are so comfortable when I do.” They don’t show any signs of wearing out even after four years either.

[Editor’s note: Post Sole lists prices in Australian dollars, so the price shown here is an approximation in American dollars.]