We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Travel Products Style Shoes Sandals The 9 Best Sandals for Men of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Free those feet with these sandals for hiking, watersports, lounging at the beach, and chilling by the pool By Joel Balsam Updated on July 29, 2024 Comments In This Article View All In This Article Our Top Picks Reviews Others We Liked Our Testing Process Tips for Buying FAQ Why Trust T+L Photo: Travel + Leisure / Peter Weckend Kicking off lace-up sneakers or heavy boots for sandals, slides, or flip-flops when summer hits is one of the great joys of warm weather. This act is especially joyful when it involves the prospect of jumping in the sea or pool on your travels. Free those feet, we say! Sandals on the market today offer varying degrees of comfort, ankle support, strap mechanisms, and traction. To help you decide on the best pair for you, our Travel + Leisure team members put dozens of sandals through their paces, including slides, flip-flops, hiking footwear, and water shoes. We carefully assessed each pair for comfort, fit, quality, support, durability, traction, and value, and will continue to review and update our results for the next six months. The results are in, and we have nine quality pairs of men’s sandals perfect for your next adventure. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Olukai Tuahine Flip Flop at Amazon $100 Jump to Review Best Cushioning: Reef Swellsole Cruiser Flip Flop at Amazon Jump to Review Best Durable: Birkenstock Tatacoa Birko-Flor Sandals at Amazon Jump to Review Best Closed-toe: KEEN Hyperport H2 Sandal at Amazon Jump to Review Best Slides: OluKai Maha’Olu at Amazon $90 Jump to Review Best for Hiking: Bedrock Sandals Cairn Adventure Sandals at REI $115 Jump to Review Best for Water Sports: Chaco Men's Z/Cloud Sandal at Amazon $100 Jump to Review Best Everyday: SALE Vionic Wander Wyatt Flip-Flop at Amazon $80 $51 Jump to Review Best Budget: Adidas Comfort Flip-Flops at Amazon $32 Jump to Review Best Overall Olukai Tuahine Flip Flop PHOTO: Backcountry $100 at Amazon $100 at REI $100 at Nordstrom Why We Love It These waterproof, full-grain leather sandals are high-quality and comfortable straight out of the box. What to Consider There’s not a ton of cushioning in the sole, so those who like a bouncier walking experience may have to look elsewhere. It can be difficult for many to stomach spending a Benjamin Franklin for a pair of flip-flops, but we assure you these are well worth the investment. Upon the first time wearing them, our avid sandal-wearing team member said they were by far the most comfortable sandals he’d ever worn. Continued tests proved his initial reaction to be appropriate. These flip-flops fit like a dream and are even more comfortable than some sneakers, thanks to solid arch support and the nylon toe post that doesn’t cause chafing. While not especially cushy, we found these sandals comfortable when walking upstairs and over wet rocks at the beach — the traction was excellent and the flip-flops held up remarkably well, regardless of where we wore them. Named after the famed rains of Hawaii’s Mãnoa Valley, the Tuahine leather sandals are made from waterproof leather, ensuring that they’re stylish enough to wear not only at the beach or pool, but also out to dinner or the bar, depending on the dress code. Note that there are no half sizes, so consult Olukai’s sizing guide. We noticed that ordering a half-size up delivered the ideal fit. The Details: Sizes 7-15 | 1.72 pounds | Leather, EVA midsole, mesh lining, nylon toe post | Waterproof | Flip-flop PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Peter Weckend PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Peter Weckend PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Peter Weckend PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Peter Weckend PHOTO: Travel + Leisure/Peter Weckend Best Cushioning Reef Swellsole Cruiser Flip Flop PHOTO: Reef View on Amazon $75 at Dicks Sporting Goods $75 at Zappos Why We Love It The chunky sole felt like we were walking on a cloud. What to Consider They may cause chafing or blisters with extended use if you’re walking several miles in them at a time. These Reef sandals are built for recovery after exercise, with a curved rocker sole, “shoc pad” cushioning inside the strap, and nitrogen-cooled EVA foam to help keep your feet cool as you walk. We loved how cushy the extra-thick sole felt, almost as if they were custom-made for us considering how they mold to the foot. When we wore them for short distances, the sandals were as comfortable as can be, with wonderful arch support and cushioning that didn’t break down throughout our tests. We did notice that we got a few blisters when we walked more than 2 miles, but that may be because we need to break them in more. We’ll let you know if this continues after long-term testing. Another huge benefit to these sandals is their excellent traction on slippery surfaces, including tiles on a rainy day. The Details: Sizes 6-13 | 1.12 pounds | Synthetic upper with molded memory foam liner, nitrogen-cooled EVA foam sole, rubber outsole | Flip-flop PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Adam Gray PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Adam Gray PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Adam Gray Best Durable Birkenstock Tatacoa Birko-Flor Sandals PHOTO: Birkenstock View on Amazon $145 at REI $145 at Birkenstock.com Why We Love It These bring all the comfort and durability of Birkenstocks but are designed for hiking and water activities. What to Consider They take some time to break in. If you love the feel of your Birks and want a pair of sandals to hit the trails, consider the Tatacoa Birko-flor. These sandals are made with the same footbed as Birkenstocks but with straps to hold your foot in place and a sole with better traction. Overall, the materials are astoundingly durable and look like they’ll hold up for many years. During testing, we noticed that these sandals felt overly hard at first and not that comfortable. But after four or five times wearing them, they earned our love and support — literally — as the sole molded to our feet and delivered impressive arch support for a pair of sandals. We also noticed that these Birkenstocks fit a little big, which caused the back strap to extend awkwardly far out, so consider sizing down. The Details: Sizes 6-13.5 | 2.05 pounds |Synthetic Birko-flor upper, PU insole and footbed | Water-resistant | Velcro strap PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Brendan Harkness PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Brendan Harkness PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Brendan Harkness PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Brendan Harkness PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Brendan Harkness The 13 Best Waterproof Boots for Men, Tested and Reviewed Best Closed-toe KEEN Hyperport H2 Sandal PHOTO: Keenfootwear View on Amazon $90 at REI View on Keenfootwear.com Why We Love It Offering great foot protection and support, the sandals’ bungee lace system is a convenient touch. What to Consider The style is not as versatile as open-toe sandals. We were wowed by these Keens straight out of the box due to their unique design, which protects and secures the foot (and toes!) while ensuring breathability. It’s rare to get this level of support in a pair of sandals, that’s for sure. We loved wearing them for prolonged periods and think they’d be perfect for beachside sports, thanks to their excellent traction and quick-drying materials. They’d also be great for long days of walking in warm destinations, similar to a good pair of sneakers. However, they don’t provide any ankle support, though we appreciated the option to create a more secure fit with the bungee lace system. These Keens come in half sizes, and we found that they fit true to size. Available in fun, bright colors, these sandals add personality to your travel ’fit. That said, they might look out of place walking around a European city, but definitely work for some rugged tide pool exploring. The Details: Sizes 7-15 | 12.17 ounces | Mesh webbing upper, Injected foam midsole, rubber outsole | Water-resistant | Slip-on with cinch bungee lace system PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Jill DeForest Colvig PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Ben Anderson PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Ben Anderson PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Jill DeForest Colvig PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Ben Anderson Best Slides OluKai Maha’Olu PHOTO: Amazon $90 at Amazon $90 at Nordstrom $90 at Backcountry Why We Love It These slides are cushy and comfortable. What to Consider They’re not as rugged as other sandals. These aren’t just the best slides for men — they're the most comfortable slides we’ve ever tested. Made with high-quality foam that bounced back into place when we bent them and a cushy foam strap, these slides are perfect for active wearers who need some foot recovery. For one of our team members, finding a comfortable sandal for his plantar fasciitis was near impossible, until he put these on. He said the Olukai Maha ’Olu slides are the “best I've ever worn, period.” When worn for days on end, these sandals didn’t show signs of wear and didn’t cause any hotspots or blisters. Another benefit of these slides is that they have excellent grip that can handle wet surfaces. They only come in full sizes, so we advise sizing down if you’re in the middle; i.e., size down to an 11 if you’re an 11.5. The Details: Sizes 7-15 | 1.63 pounds | Foam and rubber | Water-resistant | Slides PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Steven Schrimpf PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Steven Schrimpf Best for Hiking Bedrock Sandals Cairn Adventure Sandals PHOTO: Bedrock $115 at REI View on Bedrocksandals.com Why We Love It They’re so light you feel like you’re barefoot. What to Consider There isn’t any arch support. Bedrock’s Cairn Evo Sandals have a great reputation in the hiking community, so we were excited to finally try them out. Fortunately, they exceeded our expectations, and we even found them to be the best hiking sandals for men. After wearing them on more than 10 hikes, including a rough trek up a wet granite river in California, these sandals held up and then some. They felt so light, and the unique Y-strap had us feeling like there was nothing on our feet. The Vibram sole offered superb traction, and these performed just as well as boots clambering up and down trails. That said, Bedrock’s sandals may take some time to get used to. During testing, we found that we had to adjust the straps a bit to avoid any rubbing or hot spots, so it might be a good idea to break them in before tackling any major trails. Since these sandals come in full sizes, we recommend sizing up if you’re in between sizes. The Details: Sizes 5-14 | 7.8 ounces | Polyester and nylon straps, Vibram XS Trek EVO rubber outsole | Water-resistant | Straps with Velcro PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Michael Weisbaum PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Michael Weisbaum The 10 Best Sunglasses for Men of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Best for Water Sports Chaco Men's Z/Cloud Sandal PHOTO: Amazon $100 $96 at Amazon $52 at REI $105 at Backcountry Why We Love It They maintain their comfort and traction in and out of the water. What to Consider While comfortable out of the box, they take some time to break in. We wore these sandals more than 10 times, both in the water and on land, and found them to be our favorite model of Chacos. Unlike other Chacos, the Z/Cloud Sandals wrap over the top of the foot rather than hanging on with a toe strap, which we determined to be more comfortable. The one drawback, however, is that some pebbles can get under the foot. Although it took about five wears for these to be the pinnacle of comfort, they didn’t cause any soreness during the break-in period. Once they were broken in, we really didn’t want to take them off, and the traction was great on wet surfaces. In fact, these earned a spot as the best sandals in our men’s water shoes test, and we think they’re the ideal choice when you’re getting in and out of the water during kayaking, boating, or other water sports. The Details: Sizes 7-15 | 1.87 ounces | Polyester jacquard webbing upper, PU midsole, rubber outsole | Water-resistant | Straps with pull buckle PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Clay Halton PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Clay Halton PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Clay Halton Best Everyday Vionic Wander Wyatt Flip-Flop PHOTO: Amazon $80 $51 at Amazon View on Famousfootwear.com Why We Love It With ample arch support and cushioning, they feel supportive for flip-flops. What to Consider It took some time to break them in. At first, these flip-flops took some time to break in, causing some chafing on the top of the foot and between the toes, but after we wore them a few times, they felt very comfortable. A classic look for warm days, these Vionic sandals have a great footbed designed by a podiatrist for optimal comfort and support — even for those with high arches. The traction on these sandals is also excellent, offering a good and grippy outsole that works on various terrains. However, we do not recommend wearing these on hikes or during sporty activities because the flip-flop design may not stay attached to your foot during extreme movement. Coming in six different colors, these are a great everyday option for running errands, walking the dog around the block, or lounging by the pool. We are also confident that this high-quality pair will last you a while. The Details: Sizes 7-13 | 1.48 ounces | Leather, EVA, rubber | Flip-flop PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Rob Lefebvre PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Rob Lefebvre Best Budget Adidas Comfort Flip-Flops PHOTO: Amazon $32 at Amazon $32 at Adidas.com View on Footlocker.com Why We Love It This lightweight and comfortable sandal scores style points and won’t break the bank. What to Consider These are more for casual wear than, say, excessive walking or hiking because they don’t have much arch support. The Adidas Comfort Flip-flops are a solid option if you’re not looking to spend too much on sandals. We loved how they contoured to our feet from the moment we put them on, and they didn’t take any time to break in. We also loved how lightweight they are, and think they’re pretty stylish for a pair of budget flip-flops. If we had to, we’d pay even more for them. While we enjoyed wearing the Adidas Comfort Flip-flops casually around the house, we wouldn’t recommend wearing them for longer periods or on rougher terrain as they don’t have much traction (though these would be great to slip on after a gym sesh or for padding around the pool deck). They also have minimal arch support from where the strap meets the footbed, so if you need more support, consider another option. The Details: Sizes 5-13 | 11.46 ounces | Synthetic strap, PU footbed, EVA outsole | Flip-flop PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Elizabeth Leonard PHOTO: Travel + Leisure / Elizabeth Leonard Other Men’s Sandals We Liked While the above nine men’s sandal options are the best of the best, we would be remiss not to note one more pair as our honorable mention. Teva Hurricane XLT2 Sandals: While these Tevas, made with organic and recycled materials, are durable, we found them to be a bit tight upon our first few wears. They did break in well, and offer a rugged sole great for rock hopping, trekking, and other outdoor adventuring. Our Testing Process Our Travel + Leisure team tested sandals across several categories, including hiking sandals, water shoes, flip-flops, and slides to determine our favorite sandals for men. We inspected each sandal out of the box for features like arch support, rigidity, and traction. To evaluate the level of arch support, we tried to bend each shoe in the middle and tried to wring them like dish towels, noting if they were stiff or flexible. Then, we wore them at least twice for extended periods on various terrains, including sand, pavement, and grass. For any hiking shoes, we also made sure to wear them on a minimum of two hikes, while we tested water shoes in different aquatic settings, like beaches and boats. We made sure to note if any of the shoes caused pressure points, blisters, or discomfort during testing, as well as overall comfort, durability, fit, quality, and value. We will continue to test these sandals for an additional six months and update our insights. Tips for Buying Men’s Sandals Think about where you plan to wear them Different types of sandals serve different purposes based on your location and purpose. Do you plan to wear sandals for full days of exploring a warm destination? Or are your sandals meant for water sports, hiking, camping, or simply walking down from your hotel room to the pool? Different activities will require different levels of traction, cushioning, and stability. If you pick an unsuitable sandal, you could end up with aching feet by the end of the day, so choose wisely. Another thing to ask yourself is whether style is a factor. For instance, a sandal that fits in at a beach resort may not be the same pair you want to wear out in a European city or trekking through the mountains. Travel + Leisure / Michael Weisbaum Prioritize comfort and support Sandals are made remarkably well these days, with impressive foam and other synthetic materials that keep your feet comfortable all day long, even on rough terrain and throughout strenuous activity. The difference in price between a high-quality pair that’ll last you years and a sandal you’ll need to toss in the trash after a few months isn’t huge — prices range from about $20 to $100 or more. So if you plan to wear your sandals a lot, prioritize a pair that is comfortable, supportive, and will last you a long time. Travel + Leisure / Adam Gray Read sizing tips before you buy Most sandals come in full sizes and may be shaped differently than your go-to sneaker. Look out for sizing notes from our testing and online reviews before making your purchase as some either fit big or small. Frequently Asked Questions What kind of sandals are good for hiking and walking? While some flip-flops and slides offer arch support, most podiatrists would tell you that it’s best to wear footwear that holds your foot in place to optimize support and comfort. So if you’re looking for a sandal for hiking or long periods of walking, look for a pair with straps or webbing that keeps your foot where it is.Sandals for hiking and walking should also have good traction and be made with durable materials that can withstand rough terrain (like rocks) and protect your toes. Are all sandals waterproof? No, not all sandals are waterproof. Many are made with leather or other synthetic materials that are classified as water-resistant. While it’s probably okay to wear a pair of water-resistant sandals in the water, they may take a while to dry. If you are expecting to encounter a lot of rain or water, it'll be worth it to opt for a pair of fully waterproof shoes. Can I wear sandals if I have flat feet? More sandals these days have arch support, but they aren’t a stand-in for insoles like orthotics. If you have flat feet, as this writer does, you might end up with sore feet after wearing flip-flops all day or night. To comfortably wear your sandals for long periods of time, look for options with arch support or ones that hold your foot in place with straps or webbing. Why Trust Travel + Leisure For this story, writer Joel Balsam, a world traveler who has visited 60 countries, summarized our testers’ reviews and did his own research for this roundup. Joel has been writing about footwear for T+L for years and lives in a beach city (Rio de Janeiro), so he appreciates the importance of a good sandal. The 20 Best Sneakers for Men Love a great deal? 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