Walking Sandals Guide

For summer walking in pure comfort, you can't beat a pair of high quality walking sandals. Designed to keep you well supported and in comfort over the full range of terrain, walking sandals offer the support, ruggedness and comfort of a hiking shoe, with a more flexible and lightweight design ideal for all summer adventures. Getting some much needed air between the toes will keep the feet perfectly cool from the spring through to autumn, whilst offering protection, support and comfort to keep you walking for longer

When choosing a pair of outdoor sandals for walking, it is important to pay close attention to the technology and materials used in construction. For off-road adventures, the support, cushioning, and grip needs to be up to the job at hand and the construction needs to be robust enough to cope with uneven surfaces and highly abrasive terrain. Since sandals offer a more lightweight and flexible construction, the feet can be left a little exposed, however most of the major outdoor footwear brands offer designs which maximise protection for the feet, with low profile designs allowing the feet sitting low in the sandals.

If you want the maximum protection for your feet, choose a model with a tough material used in the uppers such as pig suede, nubuck, or leather. Not only will the material provide protection for the feet, but it will ensure the longest possible lifespan. These materials age very well, and continue to look good even after rough treatment. The open toe sandal design can leave the toes a little exposed; however brands such as Merrell and Keen offer hybrid shoes, with an enclosed toe box for maximum protection, with thick rubber toe bumpers to prevent many a stubbed toe.

Under the feet, the tread pattern and rubber compound should offer lugs and razor sipping to deal with wet off-road terrain, with a sticky rubber compound for grip, and durability to cope with hard abrasive surfaces. The chances are that walking sandals will get a lot of wear due to their comfort, and for the garden and around town as well as the trail you need maximum cross-surface grip. Vibram rubber is one of the best choices, offering an excellent balance of stickiness and durability.

Whilst considerably lighter than hiking shoes and trainers, buy a pair of lightweight walking sandals, they will save energy on long walks and in the heat of the summer a few extra grams can make a big difference at the end of the day. If you like water sports or want to head to the beach or wade through streams to cool down, there is an excellent range of hybrid shoes and waterproof walking sandals to choose from. Designed for fully amphibious walking, they offer a great performance on dry land as well as providing great underwater traction.

If you want your sandals to stay looking as good as the day you bought them, choose a model which is easy to keep clean. There are much more fun things to do in summer than cleaning your sandals, and an easy clean style will save you time for more fun pursuits, if you can find a pair which can be run through the washing machine, so much the better.

Whilst the performance footwear brands will no doubt cost a little more to purchase, they will assure you of maximum versatility and will keep the feet perfectly supported and in the utmost comfort throughout the summer. Whilst many cheap brands of flip-flop will barely last a summer, a high quality pair of sandals will last for considerably longer providing superior value for money in the long run.