REASONS TO BUY
Highly comfortable
Unique footbed
Durable
REASONS TO AVOID
Absorbs lots of water and takes forever to dry
Sanuk Yoga Mat 3 - Women's Review
This cushy flip is highly comfortable, providing a luxurious bedroom slipper feel for all your summer outings
Credit: Sanuk
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Our Verdict
The Sanuk Yoga Mat 3, with its footbed made out of yoga mat material, really ups the bar on comfort. It feels more like a bedroom slipper than an outdoor shoe and is an affordable option for post-workout recovery and languid summer days. This iteration offers more anatomical contouring on the footbed, and every part of the flip is ready to go on day one with zero break-in required. The trade-off for all this luxury is inferior water resistance, so you'll want something else if you plan to wade through the surf or jump in puddles.
If you want more water resistance but hate to sacrifice on comfort, have no fear, the OluKai Ohana, our Best Buy for Comfort, offers the best of both worlds.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Sanuk Yoga Mat 3 is thick and cushy and great for those that want a foot pampering experience. It's durable and even is cute enough to wear with a casual skirt for a night out on the town. As long as you don't walk through a river (like we did!), this flip will undoubtedly make you very happy indeed.
Performance Comparison
The thick yoga mat soles on this flip flop provide some of the best comfort in our test suite.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Comfort
Top marks for the Yoga Mat 3 in this category! The squishy yoga mat material provides a seriously comfortable and cushioned experience, though it sacrifices a bit of support to achieve this. After a long run or hike when you can't wait to get your sneakers or boots off, this flip is one of the main ones our testers reached for time and time again. Thick soles, soft straps, and microfiber-wrapped toe posts combine for a really lovely experience, though don't expect these to mold to your feet over time — this style retains it's original shape no matter how long you wear it. Some people prefer a flip that will take on a personalized shape, but this sandal is so comfy we don't mind at all if it doesn't change one bit.
After a long day hiking it was a joy to throw off our boots in exchange for the Yoga Mat 3.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Support & Stability
The trade-off for a super cush footbed is less support and stability. While this updated iteration of the Yoga Mat has anatomical heel pads and a bit of arch support, it's still not supportive in the way that some of our top-scorers are. However, it is decently stable due to a bit of heft from the thick sole, so we certainly never felt imbalanced or uncomfortable on jagged, uneven terrain. If you have healthy, strong feet, this will be perfectly adequate; if you have issues such as weak arches or pronation, you may want a slightly more rigid shoe for long step-intensive days.
This cushy flip is decently thick, but it's also soft enough to be less supportive than most of the top-performing models in our review.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Durability
The Yoga Mat 3 is quite durable, made from high-quality rubber and microfiber. While sharp object should steer clear of the squishy footbed, this isn't a delicate sandal that you have to be overly careful with. The one place where you do need to exercise care, however, is in regards to water. Discussed below, this footbed absorbs water and holds onto it so, if you want your flip to last, we recommend not soaking it in river water repeatedly as we did.
Despite feeling like a bedroom slipper, the Yoga Mat is quite durable.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Water Resistance
This is the one place that the Yoga Mat's performance tanked. This flip is the opposite of water-resistant — it soaks water up like a sponge and holds onto it for dear life. We gave all our sandals a water test by soaking them in a river and then laying them out in the sun to dry. Most of the contenders took some manner of minutes to dry; a few had damp straps for up to a couple hours. The Yoga Mat, though it looked dry to the eye, was still pressing out water when weighted more than 20 hours later. This may be a great choice for a post-workout recovery shoe, but it's not the one to choose if you're a raft guide or beach bum. That being said, when the footbed is subjected to just small amounts of water it does fine, wicking it away from the surface and drying quickly — it just can't handle more than the occasional splash and sprinkle.
Not only does the Yoga Mat absorb water and hold it inside, when weighted it pressed out a white sudsy substance.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Traction
Traction is so-so for the Yoga Mat. We didn't slip and fall, but on steep, slippery terrain, we felt a bit insecure. The treads on the sole aren't very robust or aggressive. Internal footbed traction is better — water and sweat make it feel a little slimy, but overall it's perfectly adequate.
Traction on the Yoga Mat is decent but not mind-blowing. For simple terrain you will be just fine.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Style
This sandal is more sporty looking than other options in our review, but it could still be paired with a skirt or summer dress. It's got a basic thong design and leather-looking synthetic straps, but it's not highly fashion-forward or unique. However, it's so darn comfortable we couldn't have cared less.
This flip, with its sporty look, makes the most sense with casual clothing.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Best Applications
The Yoga Mat 3 is best for those that value comfort and durability and aren't specifically looking for a water-compatible shoe. It's super cozy with just adequate traction and stability, making it perfect for long non-technical walks, casual hangouts, and post-workout recovery.
Hanging out in comfort with the Yoga Mat 3.
Credit: Penney Garrett
Value
This flip is moderately priced. You can certainly find cheaper, but for what you get, it's well worth the price tag, especially if you value supreme comfort.
Conclusion
The Sanuk Yoga Mat 3 is a super plush and comfortable flip flop with great durability. Traction and support are less than mind-blowing, and water resistance is terrible, but if what you need is a stable, durable, and highly comfortable flip for running errands, walking the dog, and pampering tired feet, this is an option that will make you very happy.
After a backpacking trip in the hot sun we were so happy to get the Yoga Mat on our tired feet.
Credit: Penney Garrett
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Penney Garrett
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