Best Hiking Sandals for Men of 2026

At 1.7 pounds on the spec sheet, the Z/1 is the heaviest sandal we looked at, and it earns the weight. The footbed is sculpted rather than flat, with a heel cup and a pronounced arch, and the outsole is the grippiest thing in this group on wet, sloped rock. On a long descent that is the difference between walking and shuffling.

We take the Z/1 when the day is long and the ground is honest. The webbing takes a few minutes to dial in the first time, since it is a fit you build rather than buckle, but once it sits right it doesn't move, and this is the pick we reach for when arch support is the deciding factor. It is also the sandal that convinced us a firm footbed beats a soft one on real terrain.

Two things to know before you order. The strap tails run long enough to hang past the sole if you leave them, which is a two-minute fix with scissors or a tuck. And the outsole bond is what decides how many seasons you get, so check that seam when the pair arrives. For a flat foot that wants cushioning, the KuaiLu below is the softer and cheaper direction.

Getting into the Newport H2 takes a tug. The heel strap has no stretch, so you loosen the bungee, hook a finger through the pull loop, and work your foot back. It is a few seconds more than a slide, and it stops mattering the moment you are standing in moving water and the sandal doesn't budge.

Water is where this design makes sense. The upper drains, the toe bumper takes the hits a river bottom hands out, and the closed front means sand moves through instead of grinding under your toes. We wore ours through a wet, sandy week and stopped thinking about our feet, which is the whole review.

The footbed is the pleasant surprise: enough arch for a full day and cushioning under the heel that doesn't flatten by noon. It also fits a wide forefoot generously, so if the Chaco above pinches across the toes, this is the roomier shape.

For us it is the one-sandal travel pick, the pair that handles a rocky trail, a boat ride, and a wet walk back to the hotel. If the trip is mostly trail, the Arroyo 2 above is the better tool; if it is mostly water and town, this one does more.

Cross a stream in the Hurricane XLT2 and you keep walking. The webbing sheds water, the footbed drains, and the tread held on a wet, shaded slab of rock where we expected a slip. It is the least fussy sandal in this group, and the one that needs the least planning.

For mixed use this is our pick. The footbed is cushioned rather than sculpted, and it molds to your foot within a few days, so start with the straps snug rather than loose. They come in whole sizes only, which forces a half-size foot to choose; go with the snugger of the two and let the footbed do the rest.

The rough webbing across the instep is the part to manage. On a long, gritty day it can rub, particularly if you cinch it hard at the start, so rinse the straps after sand and snug them before a descent rather than after. The sole is the other watch point: when these fail, they fail at the bond, not the tread.

Cheap sandals usually give themselves away at the straps, so that is where we looked first, and this is the budget pair we keep recommending. The parts that normally fail got the attention: the panels take up real width, and the stitching around the uppers is doubled and tidy.

Three hook-and-loop panels let you take up length and width separately, which is why they work on a wide forefoot or over a bandage. The air-cushion midsole is soft underfoot and the arch is modest but present. Order up if you are between sizes, because these run small.

Where it stops: this is a sandal for day hikes, warm weather, and paved mileage, not for a loaded pack on sharp scree, since the sole is far less aggressive than the lugged KEEN and Chaco outsoles and the toe is open. For the role it fills, we haven't found a cheaper way to get adjustable straps that actually fit.

If a sore heel is what sent you looking, try this one first. The footbed is built around arch support rather than a flat pad, the straps are a soft, neoprene-like material that doesn't cut in, and the whole sandal is cushioned enough that a full day on pavement doesn't leave you limping.

Three straps do the fitting, across the toes, over the instep, and behind the heel, so a wide forefoot or a bunion gets room without the sandal sliding around. It also comes in half sizes, which is rarer here than it should be, and that alone settles it for a foot sitting between two whole sizes.

We keep it for pavement, easy trail, and long days standing, and we like how soft it feels against a bare foot. The hesitation is longevity: the sole can start separating within the first months of steady wear, and this is the newest design here, so its record is the shortest. If you want a pair to last several seasons, that argument favors the Chaco; if you want your heel to stop hurting on Saturday, it favors this one.

Not every sandal here is trying to be a hiking boot, and this one isn't. The Original Universal is the light, flat, packable option: thin enough to feel the ground under you, thick enough that sharp rocks don't come through, and it rolls into a duffel without taking up room.

It is at its best at a river, on a beach, walking to the camp bathroom at night, or on a short trail with a light pack. The footbed has a textured, nubbly surface that keeps a bare foot from sliding, and the webbing straps adjust without hook-and-loop to clog with sand.

We keep a pair for the water-and-camp half of a trip rather than the hiking half. Size up if you are between sizes, since these run a little small, and expect the straps to feel stiff for the first few outings before they soften and settle.