The 5 Best Flip Flops for Men

Best Overall Flip Flop

Olukai Ohana

Footbed Material: ICEVA | Weight: 18.7 ounces

The Olukai Ohana flopped its way into our hearts by being one of the most comfortable flips we have ever tested. Not only does it hug your foot like a sea glass slipper, but it held up well despite our rigorous testing due to its heft and durability. “Rather than deteriorating with wear, the Ohana conformed to my feet and continued to perform with style,” our tester remarked. With enough grip to keep you solidly on your feet, a comfortable footbed to provide support and a wide range of colors and patterns, you really can't go wrong.

The Ohana's use of dense and durable materials makes it one of the heaviest pairs we tested. That said, if you're looking for a stellar combination of comfort, support, and traction without sacrificing style, this shoe is more than worth its price tag. The Ohana is certainly not cheap, and we know not everyone is psyched to fork out the big bucks for casual footwear. If you want a flip flop that's a bit lighter on the wallet, take a look at the Teva Reflip. Its comfort is comparable to the Ohana, though it's not as supportive. For top tier comfort and support, check out the Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed. It may not be as stylish, but it certainly made our feet happy.

Read more: Olukai Ohana review

Best Bang for the Buck

Teva Reflip

Footbed Material: EVA | Weight: 9.7 ounces
Teva, which means “nature” in Hebrew, has always sought to help people connect more intimately with the natural world. Since 2020, they've committed to making all their straps from recycled material. With the Teva Reflip, they decided to go a bit further by incorporating recycled materials into the whole shoe. The straps are recycled polyester, and the top, mid, and sole are made from a minimum of 70% recycled EVA. All this means that you'll have some peace of mind along with comfort while you trek around in these lightweight, comfortable, and very affordable slips.

The nylon straps on the Reflip are comfortable whether wet or dry and help hold the flip flops on foot. The footbed is extremely light and buoyant (this is the lightest flip we've tested) and has light molded support. The sole does not absorb water, so no matter how much time you spend with wet feet, they'll still be as light as when you went in. In this way, the Reflip outperformed other lightweight contenders that tended to absorb water and become squishy.

The primary drawback of this shoe is that its traction on dry ground isn't that great. “I found these to be some of the least stable flip flops on steep, slippery slopes,” our tester noted. That said, they got us to all our favorite swimming spots without any major slips — the rubber's high surface area performed well on slippery river rocks. We recommend the Reflip if you're looking for an affordable, lightweight flip flop that will provide superior comfort while you saunter between town and your favorite water spots. If you're looking for great traction that excels in water environments and you don't mind giving up a bit of support, take a look at the Teva Hydratrek Flip (or check out our favorite water shoes for men). If you're really looking for a bargain, NeedBo NDB is a great option that performed decently in our testing considering its low price point.

Best on a Tight Budget

NeedBo NDB

Footbed Material: EVA | Weight: 11 ounces

It's rare to find a bargain basement flip flop that will hold up to any abuse, but the NeedBo NDB is just that. While these certainly don't have the durability of the burlier models in this review, they are pretty comfortable and worlds better than your average cheapo flip. They will surely hold up for your next vacation, and if you lose them, it's not that big of a deal because they cost about as much as taking your significant other out on a cheap date.

While the NeedBo is surprisingly good, there are some clear downsides to purchasing a budget flip flop. The lightweight materials are bound to break down quicker than other more durable options, such as dense rubber or leather. Our main tester said, “The nylon toe post is not as soft as the posts on shoes like the Olukai Ohana, and it just wasn't as comfortable to wear for long distances.” Also, the footbed is a bit slippery when wet. Taking all that into account, you could realistically purchase three pairs of NeedBo's for the cost of most others in this review. So, if cost is your primary factor, these popularly priced slippers will do the trick. If you're looking for a bit more traction, the Kiiu Thong Sandals are worth considering. They aren't great for social gatherings, but they are comfortable.

Best for Comfort

Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed

Footbed Material: Leather | Weight: 20.12 oz

The Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed is a version of the classic Arizona that reaffirms they're among the most comfortable footwear options available today. For over 50 years, Birkenstock has offered some version of this slide-in sandal, and they've rightfully stood the test of time, blending functionality and style seamlessly. “After just a few days of wear, the cork footbed molded to my feet,” our lead tester stated. This helped provide a custom fit that kept our test team happy even after long days on the go. This model within the Arizona lineup offers a layer of latex foam in the footbed, improving upon an already top-notch design by adding cushion in concert with the firmer cork material. The suede foot straps were effective in securing our feet, even in uneven terrain, and the EVA outsole offered decent traction in most of our testing settings. Keep this option on your finals list as a comfy slide-in that's both capable and fashionable.

The Arizona isn't meant to be submerged in water, and even the manufacturer strongly recommends keeping them from getting wet due to concerns with the integrity of the sealant and potential color changes. At GearLab, we still investigated this firsthand and found the footbed lost some of its suppleness, and the upper had some mild discoloration. Besides a few considerations, this footwear offers unparalleled comfort and is highly functional for non-water activities. The Birkenstock Arizona is one of the most pricey options in our whole lineup. Fortunately, you get what you pay for, and this well-constructed sandal is made to last. If this model is out of your price range, take a look at the Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed. They have a similar aesthetic but fall short of the Arizona Soft's traction, support, and comfort.

Cork Footbed on a Budget

Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed - Men's

Footbed Material:Leather | Weight: 22.09 oz

The Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed offers an excellent aesthetic and comfort on a budget, serving as an alternative to other high-end cork options. This sandal is made with a moldable cork and leather footbed, gifting its wearers with a somewhat custom fit, and the included cushion eases the break-in period. We thoroughly enjoyed the look of the Cushionaire, and with several colors to choose from, you can find the right pair to match your style. The foot attachment straps were effective and easy to adjust, with the heel cup further helping secure your foot to the sandal. If price is a priority, this Cushionaire is worthy of your consideration as a budget-friendly option for this class of footwear.

The Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed doesn't mold to your foot as much as other options, even after several days of use. These also don't have as much arch support, making them less ideal for wearers with higher arches. The Lane Cork Footbed doesn't have as much traction as others, though we found the traction improved throughout testing once we scuffed the EVA outsoles up a bit. Besides a few setbacks, this is an incredibly low-priced model, so if you need a cork footbed and money is tight, take a deeper look at the Cushionaire Lane. The Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed offers much more of a custom fit after breaking them in, and they support all three arches in your foot. However, the Arizona is almost three times more expensive.

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	88	Olukai Ohana Best Overall Flip Flop	$80
	81	Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed Best for Comfort	$150
	78	Teva Reflip Best Bang for the Buck	$40
	77	Reef Ojai Two Bar	$120
	76	Reef Santa Ana	$60
	74	OOFOS OOriginal	$60
	74	Teva Hydratrek Flip	$65
	72	Kiiu Thong Sandals	$50
	71	Rainbow Single Layer Premier	$60
	70	Chaco Classic Flip	$65
	67	NeedBo NDB Best on a Tight Budget	$25
	66	Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed - Men's Cork Footbed on a Budget	$50
	64	Reef Fanning	$65
	60	Hoka Ora Recovery Flip	$60
	59	Reef Cushion Phantom 2.0	$50

How We Test Men's Flip Flops

Before we wore any of the flips in our lineup, the work of this review began with market research. Each season, we look at over 50 models from various manufacturers before deciding on the strongest and most promising contenders to include in our review. Once we've narrowed it down, we thoroughly test each pair by wearing them through water, scrambling across rocky slabs, and through all manner of cityscapes. These warm-weather kicks got passed around to multiple testers for various opinions over several iterations, with key performance areas identified and scrutinized in the process. The result is this comprehensive review, which you can now use to get into a pair of comfortable and functional flops for yourself.

Our testing of flip flops is divided across five different metrics:

• Comfort (30% of overall score weighting)

• Support (20% weighting)

• Traction (20% weighting)

• Versatility (15% weighting)

• Style (15% weighting)

For more information on how we test these flip flops, see our full How We Test article.

Why Trust GearLab

We've been expanding on our expert opinion of flip flops for many seasons now. Our lead testers include Zach Lovell and Jon Oleson. Zach is an IFMGA Mountain Guide, never leaving home without a pair of flip flops or sandals to keep his feet out of hiking shoes, ski boots, or climbing shoes as much as possible. Zach began working in product testing over a decade ago and has collectively spent a few thousand hours assessing equipment and clothing across many genres. Jon is a farmer and nature lover who spends his days in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Jon frequently wears his flips to go between the garden, his favorite rocky river spots, and evenings on the town. Also lending a hand to this review is Matt Bento. Matt was a member of Yosemite Search and Rescue for several action-packed seasons. Before that, he spent a lot of time on the road, driving all over the US to different climbing destinations, usually with flip flops on his feet.

Analysis and Test Results

Footwear is a critical point of interface between your body and the earth. The quality and comfort of the flip flop you choose will affect your whole body from the ground up. To help you zero in on the pair that best suits your body and needs, we have broken our review into multiple sections. Some folks wear flips from their bungalow to the surf break, while others bring them for critical foot respite during long thru-hikes. Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, there are things that every pair should do well. Below, you will find a breakdown of the metrics by which we judged each model, making it easier for you to find the perfect match.

What's the Best Value?

Value can differ depending on perspective, so we did our best to boil it down to a price-to-performance ratio. This round, the Teva Reflip stood out as the best value for our pocketbooks and the planet. This well-priced flip flop is made almost entirely from recycled materials and does nearly everything the other contenders do, just maybe not quite as well as the most expensive options. The Reflip has held up very well to our rigorous testing despite being so light that they almost feel like you're not wearing shoes at all. One more upside: this flip is super buoyant, so you won't lose them if they fly off the boat while you're bumpin' through the waves.

Truth be told, there is a lot of value found in almost every pair we tested. For example, the Olukai Ohana slips are so comfortable and durable that it isn't unreasonable to expect them to last many, many seasons if not a lifetime. When couched in this light, these expensive flippers may be worth the investment.

If you don't need a super high-performing option, the NeedBo NDB is a fantastic bargain-basement choice. Having tested them now in several separate cohorts, we can safely say these are surprisingly good. They break in nicely and offer a lot of comfort for the price of a classy burger and fries.

While the iconic Birkenstock Arizona offers excellent quality, they come at a sometimes prohibitive price. While we feel they still give great value, there's a budget option to consider. The Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed is nearly a third of the price and has a great aesthetic. These wallet-friendly slip-ons aren't as comfy as their more expensive cousin, but if price is a priority, this might be a great choice for you.

Types of Flip Flops

Throughout this review, we'll use the terms flip flop and sandal interchangeably, given that either term describes open-toed footwear. A traditional flip flop uses a piece of fabric/material between the big and secondary toes to attach the foot to the footbed. We also include slide-in sandals/flip flops in this review, where lateral straps are used to secure the foot instead of a between-the-toes thong. Which type is better? It solely comes down to personal preference and intended use.

If you've only experienced the bargain bin version of flip flops or sandals from the beach store, prepare yourself for a veritable cornucopia: sporty models, casual contenders, stylish pairs, ones that are comfy out of the box, and ones that take a while to break in (but are worth it). They are constructed from diverse materials, including rubber polymers, foam, nylon, leather, and plastic. Some are lightweight and cheaper, thus less durable. Others are burly and rugged, built to last, and their price tag reflects that. Regardless of where they fall on the spectrum, we chose them because we felt they were sandals that fit our criteria of being diverse and able to accommodate various needs.

Comfort

Because everyone has different wants, needs, and radically different feet, comfort is a highly subjective category. Regardless of the subjectivity, we felt that this metric was the most critical of all, and it is weighted accordingly. If your flip flops don't feel good, you're not going to wear them, and isn't that the whole point?

We made a point to assess comfort straight out of the box and how each shoe felt after some break-in time. The Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed utilizes moldable leather and cork to create long-lasting comfort and support. In this version of the Arizona, latex foam makes these even comfy out of the box.

The Olukai Ohana was decent right away but became even more comfortable throughout several hikes, thanks to its compression-molded EVA footbed. This ability to mold to the foot, combined with solid construction and durable materials, means increased comfort and personalization over time. The Reef Cushion Phantom 2.0 also impressed us all around and immediately felt good on our feet, with a nice blend of soft cushion and arch support.

Other models also scored well in this metric, but for different reasons. The Teva Reflip was the lightest of the flip flops that we tested. It features a slightly molded footbed but, for the most part, is a simple flat slipper. The lightness and recycled EVA cushioning underfoot made it one of the most comfortable to wear over distances. You may want to choose a more rugged sandal for technical hiking, though, since the tread on the Reflip is minimal. That said, these flip flops performed well on wet river rock due to the high surface area of EVA traction.

The OOFOS OOriginal also stood out in the comfort metric, with an incredibly squishy cushion and a rockered outsole making us feel like we were practically walking on clouds. With a similarly thick sole, the Hoka Ora Recovery Flip was comfy to wear, especially (as its name implies) as a recovery sandal after a long day on the feet.

The next-to-skin comfort of the Reef Ojai Two Bar was unparalleled in our lineup, with a supple suede footbed and buckle-less foot straps. These had more modest arch support than others, but they were extremely comfy for our testers with minimal arches.

Support

If you've found yourself here looking for a pair of quality flip flops, you're likely in the same boat as our gear testers, who will often forego “appropriate” footwear for the comfort of a nice flip. What can we say? We're just laid back like that. Because of this, we went out of our way to use and abuse all the products we tested. We wore them down hiking trails, around slippery lakes and river rocks, and even in some dangerous social situations (where shoes would have been more acceptable). Don't judge us; we did this for you.

The dense soles of the Ohana were very well suited for any terrain or situation our testers threw at it. This option offers fantastic arch support and a comfortable, very grippy strap system. Like a fine wine, the Ohana also only improves with age. The Chaco Classic Flip offers aggressive, firm arch support that any old river rat will recognize as classic, though it really works best with narrower feet. While Chaco has put countless years into perfecting their footbeds, we wondered why they didn't put the same thought into the straps, which are simple and comfortable but loose in a way that allows the Classic to flip and flop too much on more technical terrain.

The Reef Santa Ana sports a supportive arch, and the cushioned footbed makes them comfortable for long walks on the beach or boardwalk. The one drawback is that the sole is thin — too thin to provide enough support for technical trails. Because of this, we found them most suitable for the beach or poolside.

The Kiiu Thong Sandals have a very stiff sole, offering decent support in rougher terrain. When considering its wallet friendly price, this is a worthy budget option for adventurous flip floppers.

Traction

Some flip flops are made for chilling by the beach, stumbling to and from the bar, and back to your Adirondack beach chair, likely not requiring much traction. For others, occasional scrambling in the Sierras or wearing around the crag in between climbs demand a higher level of grip. Again, we wore each model in situations where we probably could have lost a toe just to help you, the reader, figure out which pair will have the necessary traction to keep your ankles as safe as possible.

Knowing what environment you will be using your sandals in is key. Will it be smooth, wet granite boulders around Lake Tahoe? Or perhaps sandy shores or the deck of a boat? Whatever the environment, it's worth taking the time to match up your flip with your intended use. That being said, models like the Ohana are fantastic all-arounders that offer excellent grip in any situation.

Several of the flops we tested have tread patterns made out of foam and, needless to say, do not perform well when the going gets tough. Others have monster truck-esque treads well suited for rocky trails, but that might not be ideal for the slippery deck of a boat where you need more surface area traction. When you need surface area to grip slick terrain, models like the Teva Reflip or Reef Santa Ana are well suited. The tread pattern is not ideal for gravel or mountain trails but performs as well as any other while navigating slick surfaces like algae-covered river rocks.

The Teva Hydratrek Flip offers a very unique spider rubber outsole created specifically for wet surfaces. This design was inspired by tree frogs' feet and allows water to move throughout the outsole while still offering surface area to make contact with the ground. Their traction was dependable, especially around lakes, rivers, and streams.

The Cushionaire Lane Cork Footbed didn't top the charts in this metric, though its traction did improve as we broke in the outsole, with nicks and scratches in the EVA rubber actually offering better performance after about a week of heavy use.

Versatility

Some might argue that versatility in a flip flop is a bit of a misnomer, but we at GearLab use our flops hard, so knowing how they will perform in different situations is crucial. The ideal flip flop would grip its way up a Tuolumne granite slab, keep us comfortable on a trans-Atlantic flight, and not upset the groom's family at the next backyard wedding, all while keeping our ankles nice and airy. It's a tall order, but some options in our lineup delivered.

All the flips we tested are good in most situations, though some are more specialized in a particular area. If you are the type of person who owns multiple pairs, one for each occasion, this section may be less important. However, for those of us who don't like to change shoes, versatility is a crucial ingredient. To us, the perfect flip looks good enough to wear to a party, is sticky enough to scramble up a rock face while wet, and tough enough to last for years. This may sound like a stretch for a simple warm-weather shoe, but a few of the models we reviewed come pretty close, most notably the Ohana. This burly flip features grippy material on the strap and footbed, meaning that it'll stick to your feet in pretty much any situation — including running up a rocky hill when wet. It's also comfortable, highly durable, and very fashionable.

The Teva Reflip and Needbo NBD can also handle a wide range of trail conditions and offer a sleek, simple style that doesn't turn any heads, but doesn't invite ridicule over your choice of footwear.

The Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed isn't the most ideal option for wet outdoor environments, but it does boast amazing comfort for long days on your feet and an iconic aesthetic for evening hangs. Even though the manufacturer strongly recommends that you don't submerge the Arizonas, we still tested this ourselves. We confirmed these are best to keep dry, with the footbeds getting far less supple after we submerged them.

The Rainbow Single Layer Premier is another solid choice for varied terrain and situations. It's highly comfortable (both when brand new and with miles underfoot), provides decent traction, and is moderately durable. It's not quite as stylish as the Ohana, but the sleek, soft leather look will surely impress some. Just don't take this pair with you for your next water adventure, as the soft footbed tends to absorb water, and the leather takes a long time to dry. An option like the Reef Fanning may not be as stylish of a choice, but it's always ready to party with a bottle opener on the sole.

Style

Style, probably even more than comfort, can be a very subjective category and thus a personal choice. However, we can make some basic judgments on the style, or at least what the company was shooting for when they developed their shoe.

The flips we tested span the style spectrum from fine-crafted leather to rugged outdoor-specific models that look closer to hiking shoes than casual footwear. A handful of them make for excellent all-around flips — capable in outdoor situations and classy enough for a backyard garden party or even a wedding (depending on how formal it is). The Ohana is one such genre-bending option that effortlessly allows one to slide from the river to the dinner engagement.

The Birkenstock Arizona is a stylish sandal that has long been a fixture in casual footwear fashion. It's undeniably recognized at a restaurant, dinner party, or gatherings in the warmer months of the year, regardless of one's age. How many sandals are worn by a high schooler AND their parents?

Another you may want to consider for classy situations that accept a more casual theme is the Rainbow Premier. These aren't the most adventurous of flip flops, but they offer a classic natural look and feature high-quality leather material married to sandwiched layers of EVA foam. When we unboxed these, it was like looking at a slightly faded polaroid of our father's flip flops, worn in 1987, Coors Light in hand. When a flip flop can transport you back in time (or draw out some deeply repressed memories), you know it has some classic style.

We also loved the style of the Reef Ojai Two Bar, with gorgeous suede color options and a slightly different slide-in aesthetic from the Birkenstock Arizona. Without buckles on the adjustment straps, these have a cleaner look in this class of footwear that looked great in shorts or jeans.

Conclusion

It is difficult to overstate just how many flip flops there are on the market today. Walk into any big box chain store, and you will have hundreds to choose from. Our best advice is to first ditch the idea of using those horrible-for-your-feet-and-the-environment disposable shoes and find something that offers support and will last at least a few seasons. This review is chock full of excellent options, with a few that are highly specialized for certain applications. If you've never had a pair of ultra-comfortable flip flops, you are truly missing out on one of life's great pleasures.

We've also tested a wide variety of footwear beyond flip flops, ranging from our favorite water shoes to hiking boots for men and the top men's trail running shoes.