REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Simple design
Smooth
Wide straps and squishy foot bed for comfort
REASONS TO AVOID
Little support
Sole flattens over time
Straps stretch over time
Reef Sandy Sandal Review
Credit: Reef
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Our Verdict
In our old review, the Reef Sandy Sandal took home our Best Buy Award, but this year, it was overthrown by the Teva Women's Mush II, which is a little cheaper and slightly more comfortable and supportive. That said, the Reef Sandy Sandal remains an awesome option for those seeking an affordable flip-flop with a foot molding footbed. This simple, classic flip-flop performed well in our water resistance tests and we really liked it for days at the beach. It's also cute enough to dress up with a casual skirt or sundress. We found that we could comfortably wear the Teva Mush II longer, but the Reef Sandy still offers more support than competitors like the Sanuk Yoga Spree 2 and the Havaianas Top - Women's.
Our Analysis and Test Results
A simple sandal with a foot-molding footbed, the Reef Sandy Sandal will meet all your basic flip-flop needs. Its straps are comfortable and it dries quickly when wet. We were pleasantly surprised by its footbed traction, but wished it provided a bit more arch support. Read on to learn how it measures up to its competitors.
A foot-molding flip flop with a broader sole, the Reef Sandy is a comfortable, affordable choice.
Credit: Amanda Fenn
Performance Comparison
Stability & Support
Initially, we thought that the Reef Sandy and the Teva Mush II would earn the same scores in stability and support, but after trying them both on, we discovered that the Teva model has an added bit of arch support that actually makes a pretty big difference. On the other hand, the Sandy has a thicker sole that is less bendable than the Teva's.
Left: Teva Mush II, Right: Reef Sandy. The Sandy has a thicker, more stable sole than the Teva, but offers less arch support.
Credit: Amanda Fenn
Comfort
We liked this sandal's comfortable, lightweight straps. Although its sole wasn't as squishy as the Teva Mush II or the Sanuk Yoga Mat - Women's, the Sandy earned decent scores in comfort.
Water Resistance
The Reef Sandy Sandal dried quite quickly. Like most other flip-flops, the sole was dry within 15 minutes, but the single-layer straps were what stood out. They dried in less than 1.5 hours, which is about 30 minutes faster than the Teva Mush II.
We really appreciated how quickly the Reef Sandy dried. Although its straps are less padded (and don't absorb as much water), they are still plenty comfortable. This flip also offers excellent footbed traction when wet.
Credit: Amanda Fenn
Traction
Although this flip-flop offered less sole traction than many other competitors, its brushed EVA footbed was actually very grippy, especially when wet. For water activities, we recommend this piece over the Mush II.
Reef on the left, Teva on the right. The Teva had slightly better sole traction, but the Reef really stood out on footbed traction. When wet, the Reef's footbed becomes surprisingly grippy.
Credit: Amanda Fenn
Style & Fit
This classic, thong-style flip-flop is cute enough to dress up a bit. It has a boxier toe box that makes it better for ladies with longer toes. In fact, the length and toe post placement actually provided the best fit for our main tester (who has a size 9.5 foot and longer toes).
Best Application
We liked this sandal for water activities. Since it is less comfortable and supportive, we didn't love it for all-day wear.
Up close and personal with the Reef Sandy. The straps are comfortable, but the footbed doesn't have as much “Ahhhh” effect. Overall, we liked this basic flip-flop, just not quite as much as the Teva Mush II.
Credit: Amanda Fenn
Value
This sandal is relatively affordable. The price of this piece has gone up since it won our Best Buy Award back in 2011, which is part of the reason we opted to award the Teva Mush II our Best Buy Award this time around. The Sandy is still a good value, but if you're looking for a foot-molding flip-flop, we would likely steer you toward the Tevas, which ring up a few dollars cheaper.
Conclusion
A classic flip-flop that is on the less expensive end of the spectrum, the Reef Sandy Sandal is a simple piece that met many of our basic expectations. This piece definitely didn't disappoint us, it just didn't score quite as highly as some of the new competitors.
—
Amanda Fenn
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