We put our tested sandals through the wringer, wearing each of them for various activities to be sure to bring you a comprehensive look at their strengths and weaknesses. Our testers went on day hikes, multi-day trips with heavy packs, up and down rugged and easy trails, biking and walking around town, through creeks in the mountains, and while kayaking. We compared each pair and evaluated them on key metrics of comfort, traction, adjustability, stability, versatility, and style so you can figure out which model best suits your lifestyle and needs.
Comfort
To evaluate the comfort of each sandal, we wore them throughout our testing period and made our best effort to wear each pair as our primary shoe for a full week. We evaluated their break-in periods, whether any hot spots or blisters developed, and how the materials felt against the skin. We were each model with a heavy pack to determine how that affected the comfort of the footbed. We also noted whether differences in foot type (flat feet vs. high arches) or foot shape (wide vs. narrow) affected the comfort of each.
Traction
We measured traction by walking and running in each sandal on various surfaces, from loose scree to dirt trails to granite to slick river rock. We were each as a pair; then we wore a different model on each foot to truly test them side-by-side. We noted the traction between the outsole and the ground, and crucially, we also noted the traction between the footbed and the foot since this is a huge contributor to how well a sandal holds you in place.
Stability
For stability, we hiked on a variety of terrain and took down our subjective notes about how stable each model felt. We also measured how far we could displace our feet to the left, right, back, and front to report how well the straps hold the foot in place.
Adjustability
Adjustability was measured by timing how long it took to get each shoe out of the box to fitting well on our foot. We noted whether each model was intuitive to adjust or if we had to furrow our brows to figure out how the straps worked. We counted the number of adjustment points on each model and noted throughout our testing if we wished there were more. We also attempted to adjust each model one-handed and noted whether or not this was possible.
Versatility
We scored the versatility of each product by looking at the big picture: how wide a variety of activities and settings could each model handle? We noted the number of outdoor sports each model was appropriate for, its weight (since this affects whether it can be easily toted on trips), and how well it transitioned to life around town. A sandal scored well here if it performed highly in the backcountry and in town.
