In summer, does the thought of putting on socks and hiking boots just make you sweat? Me too. Thank goodness for hiking sandals. Durable enough to handle the trails but super breathable and no socks required!
We present you the best hiking sandals for women. There’s always the question of whether to go with open-toed sandals or closed-toe. There are benefits and drawbacks to both. Open-toed is obviously less protection. Stub your foot on a rock and you’re going to feel it.
But closed-toe can be much warmer on the feet simply due to there being more material. Both kinds offer some sort of water-wading ability and both can have satisfying traction. In the end it’s a matter of personal choice. So here’s what I see as the best of each category. And why.
The Best Hiking Sandals for Women – Teva Tirra Athletic & Keen Whisper
Best Open-Toed Hiking Sandal for Women – Teva Tirra Athletic
At this point, Teva’s sandal shape is pretty iconic. Even if you don’t know the name brand yet, as soon as you spot those criss-crossing straps, you’re like, Oh yeah. I know those sandals. Here’s why I think they’re great.
Water Babies
Instead of searching up and downstream looking for an easy spot to hop over that mini river, just walk on through the middle! Teva’s polyester webbing upper dries unbelievably fast and won’t be harmed in any way by getting wet. So stomp through that puddle. Splash through that stream. The Teva Tirra can take it.
A Beautiful Sole
The Teva keeps the comfort where you need it most: On the bottoms of your feet. The footbed is made from contoured EVA (a shock-absorbing polymer) with nice arch support and a cushioned shock absorber pad in the heel.
To combat the stink that comes from a day of sock-free, hot hiking, the footbed is treated with Microban (a zinc-based antimicrobial technology). Teva’s Spider Original rubber on the outsole is super grippy, even in wet conditions and that’s what you want in a hiking sandal.
Features and Specifications
- Multiple hook and loop strap closures for custom fit
- Heel height: 1.5″
- Platform height: 0.5″
- Multiple color options
- Fits true to size
What People Are Saying
Everyone loves how cute they are. Even when you’re not hiking, you could totally wear these to the farmer’s market or out for lunch and they’d look fabulous. There are so many devotees to this style and brand, many people are on their third (or eighth!) pair.
The complaint you hear most often is that the ankle strap is a little uncomfortable. I can see that. But it seems to me that it takes a little bit of readjusting the straps and a little bit of breaking them in. After a few wears, people say they’re perfectly comfortable.
If you’re willing to be a little more careful on the trail, this is the sandal I recommend. They’re cute, fashionable, comfortable, and most of all rugged. They can take on any trail and then take you to the pub after. I love this sandal.
Best Closed-Toe Hiking Sandal for Women – Keen Whisper
If you’re a little more accident-prone on the trail and would like a little bit more protection, go with a closed-toe sandal. You’ll still get the comfort and breathability but a lot more protection from the occasional bang and scrape. Keen makes a great closed-toe hiking sandal. It’s called the Whisper.
Fit
Keen put a lot of work into making these sandals fit. They come with an elastic cording that you can adjust anywhere, even underwater, to give a really ideal fit. And Keen didn’t just take a men’s hiking sandal and slap some pink on it and call it a woman’s sandal, these are actually made in a women-specific fit. Thanks, Keen!
Washable
For order control on the hiking trail these sandals have what they call Cleansport NXT, for natural odor control. But if that isn’t enough, the great thing about the Keen Whisper is they’re machine washable. Just wash them with a little bit of detergent on the gentle cycle and your sandals are ready for your next hiking excursion.
Features and Specifications
- Multi directional lugs on sole for traction
- Washable polyester webbing upper
- Compression molded EVA midsole
- Hydrophobic mesh lining
- EVA footbed anatomically engineered to fit and cradle the foot
What people say about it
Comfort, comfort comfort. That’s what people seem to love about this sandal. They love that it’s lightweight but the sole still has enough support and traction to make you feel stable on the trail. Of course this is another pair that often gets used off the trail too, though for my money, I feel that the Teva is the cuter choice.
Worst thing that seems to happen with closed-toe sandals is, once you get a pebble stuck in there, there’s just no option other than sitting down and taking off your shoe. But that, to me, seems like a small price to pay for increased toe stubbing defense.
If you’re worried about the security of your toes, I fully recommend The Keen Whisper. It’s comfortable on the trail and off, and washable! What a bonus.
Conclusion
There are two kinds of hikers out there, those who are gazelles on the trail, leaping, jumping and clamoring over rocks with ease and grace. And then there are those of us who are a little more accident-prone. Depending on which you are, there’s a sandal for you. The Keen Whisper will protect those toes or go for the Teva Tirra for grip and great looks. I hope you like our choices for the best hiking sandals for women.
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