The Best Hiking Sandals for Women of 2024

Hot days call for cool, comfortable feet, whether on or off the trail. Just like any other footwear, a reliable pair of sandals can ensure a seamless transition through your day, no matter the summer activity. We’ve been testing the best hiking sandals for women for years now, and we’ve learned a thing or two along the way.

Led by our sandal expert Rebecca Ross, our dedicated team of athletes has spent months in challenging craggy terrain, over river crossings, on beaches, and during everyday activities to determine the best pairs. Based on our personal experiences, we focused on maximum comfort, traction, and durability to key in on the best hiking sandals to free your feet.

Additional consideration was also given to the finer details, such as support, water compatibility, adjustments, style, and weight. After compiling our expertise in footwear, we created a list of the best sandals for multiple occasions — whether that’s a solid all-arounder like the Chaco Z/Clouds or a budget-friendly hiker like the Teva Original Universals.

Editor’s Note: We updated our Women’s Hiking Sandals guide on November 21, 2024, to add a new Price & Value section to our Buyer’s Guide content, as well as the Bedrock Cairn Evo C Sandals — our new pick for an all-terrain hiking sandal.

The Best Hiking Sandals for Women of 2024

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Other Hiking Sandals To Romp Around In

The seven hiking sandals above are the ones we think anything would enjoy hiking in, but the lineup doesn’t stop there. With different styles, traction, and fit to consider, there are shelves of other sandals to consider for your next hike. The five below are excellent alternatives to consider.

Women’s Hiking Sandals Comparison Chart

Hiking Sandals	Price	Weight (per pair)	Adjustment Zones	Closure	Outsole
Chaco Z/Cloud	$105	1 lb., 3.4 oz.	One	Strap (buckle)	1″ thick ChacoGrip rubber with 3 mm lugs
Teva Original Universal	$55	11 oz.	Two	Strap (Velcro)	1″ thick Teva rubber outsole
Teva Tirra	$85	1 lb., 2 oz.	Three	Strap (Velcro)	1″ thick Teva Spider rubber
Bedrock Cairn Evo C	$135	1 lb., 3.2 oz.	Three	Strap (buckle)	3/4″ thick Vibram XS Trek EVO with 3 mm lugs
Birkenstock Arizona	$130	14.2 oz.	Two	Strap (buckle)	3/4″ thick EVA with 3 mm lugs
Keen Women’s Whisper	$115	1 lb., 1 oz.	One	Bungee lace	1″ thick KEEN.Fusion rubber
Luna Middle Bear	$120	1 lb., 0.4 oz.	One	Strap (buckle)	Vibram Megagrip Outsole with 4.5 mm lugs
Chaco Bodhi	$100	14.6 oz.	One	Strap (buckle)	3/4″ thick ChacoGrip rubber with 3 mm lugs
Bedrock Cairn Evo	$115	1 lb.	Two	Strap (buckle/Velcro)	1/2″ thick XS Trek EVO Vibram sole with 3 mm lugs
Xero Z-Trail EV	$80	8.6 oz.	Two	Strap (buckle/Velcro)	1/2″ thick FeelLite with rubber grip pods and 3 mm lugs
Teva Zymic	$80	14.5 oz.	Two	Strap (Velcro)	EVA
Chaco Lowdown	$70	12.4 oz.	One	Strap (buckle)	ChacoGrip Rubber with 3 mm lugs

How We Tested the Best Women’s Hiking Sandals

For our deep dive into women’s hiking sandals in 2024, we’ve narrowed down a list of the best from across the spectrum — from casual kicks that can be worn on beachy adventure days or mellow hikes to adaptable and comfy trail hounds that can put up with a few more miles. We then dove straight in, slinging these sandals across the PNW and testing them against one another. 

Our Testing Process and Testing Grounds

While testing these recommended sandals on ourselves, we made sure to examine comfort, grip, stability, and durability and brewed up a comprehensive testing regimen to ensure reliable and consistent results. Each pair was worn on hikes of at least 10 miles, including both well-maintained trails and off-trail scrambles. This approach allowed us to assess their performance individually and in comparison to one another. 

When evaluating the sandals’ security, we tested them on varied terrain, checking for foot slippage, strap security, and how well our feet stayed in the footbed in different conditions. Grip was put to the test on rocky trails, sandy beaches, and challenging routes. To quantify traction, we tackled a 45-degree slope and noted where slipping happened.

For wet conditions, each sandal was subjected to water activities such as river crossings, stream traverses, beach activities, or kayaking. This allowed us to measure traction on wet surfaces, traction on wet surfaces, drainage capabilities, and drying times.

We tested durability by subjecting the sandals to tough conditions, including boulder fields, uneven terrain, and bushwhacking. The straps and arch support were closely evaluated for wear and tear, with attention to how well the sandals held up in wet and sweaty environments. Each pair was pulled, stretched, and put through rough handling to see how they fared. We also examined the outsoles after several miles of use, noting any signs of damage or degradation.

Comfort was then assessed by tracking any hot spots, rubbing, foot fatigue, blisters, or other indicators that might suggest a longer break-in period. We documented these factors in detail to evaluate overall comfort.

Our hiking sandal testing also extended to the finer details, including weighing pairs to ensure we had an accurate idea to compare against, as well as breaking out the ruler and measuring outsole stack heights, arch profiles, and strap adjustment lengths.

Beyond all of this, we also rotated these sandals out between testers, ensuring that our impressions were well-rounded and included input from folks of different hiking styles and needs. Footwear can be very particular between different people, and we aimed to accommodate for this by fielding a larger sample size.

Our Expert Testers

Our GearJunkie hiking sandal testing team is a stacked roster and includes Rebecca Ross, a longstanding resident of the Pacific Northwest who has the Cascades, Columbia Gorge, and the Pacific Coast at her disposal. She put these sandals to the test while using them for water sports, steep hiking approaches in the North and Central Cascades, and even the tough approach to Mt. Baker. 

Tester Maddie Downie also calls the Pacific Northwest home, and though her hiking days started in a much drier Colorado, she’s adapted quickly to long treks along the west coasts and tricky ranges. She tested these sandals on a variety of terrain including sandy beaches, walking trails, and a rather intense and especially wet bushwhack through the Olympic forest. She even kicked things up a notch and tested them on a few trail runs. 

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Women’s Hiking Sandal

No two hiking sandals are identical, and we wouldn’t want them to be — which means selecting the ideal sandal can be a challenging endeavor. Each one of us has a unique foot shape and needs, whether we’re hiking, running errands, or just relaxing.

And that’s why below we’ve compiled a list of helpful features that will assist you in finding the right sandal based on your preferences. We’ll note that hiking sandals today are good enough to hike all day in — some folks even complete thru-hikes in them — but they also do just as well as after-hike cool-down wear. If you need something for an entire backpacking trip, consider our Best Hiking Boots gear guide. And if something between the two is more your speed, our Best Trail Runners selections fit the bill.

Sandal Types

Adventure Sandals: Adventure sandals are designed for all-day comfort, toughness, and excellent traction to handle different kinds of trails. These sandals will often be a bit heavier, like the Teva Tirra or Bedrock Cairn Evo C, because they’ll have thicker outsoles to shield your feet from the uneven, rocky terrain and prevent bruising and fatigue. 

Additionally, these trail-ready sandals will sport multiple adjustment points to make sure they stay on your feet securely and comfortably without friction. Although many of our sandals are geared toward hiking, we often wear them just about everywhere.

Watersport Sandals: Water-ready sandals are specially made to handle both water and trails while maintaining their structural integrity — with no shrinking or wearing out faster than anticipated. They also will incorporate the grippiest outsoles with water-friendly rubbers that won’t give up the ghost when walking through water.

Many sandals can handle the water, but if you want a sandal that will see its fair share of water and dry land, then we recommend a hybrid sandal like the Bedrock Cairn Evo, or ones that specifically state they are water-friendly, like the Keen Whisper.

Recovery Sandals: These comfort-first sandals are exactly what they sound like — giving your feet a break thanks to their plushness. These types of sandals will focus on providing a high stack height with a soft foam or rubber underfoot, or in the case of soft suede footbed lining like that found in the Birkenstock Arizonas.

Feet tend to get neglected when we are shoving them in mountaineering boots, ski boots, running shoes, climbing shoes, or simply standing on our feet all day at work. Taking care of our feet helps us rebound to the next adventure that much faster.

Closure Configuration

Slides

Free Your Feet! The Birkenstock Arizona sandals are all about simplicity and comfort. Featuring a classic slide-in design with two adjustable straps, they eliminate the need for complicated closures. This minimalist approach ensures a secure fit while offering effortless convenience, so you can easily prepare for your next adventure.

Straps (Buckle and Velcro)

This is the most common closure configuration on our list. Straps can be closed with either buckles, like the Chaco Women’s Z/Cloud, Velcro, like the Teva Original Universal, or utilize both like the Xero Z-Trail EV. 

The best closure system to use is largely a question of preference. Of the two strap options, we prefer buckles since they don’t fray or collect debris, which could eventually lessen their effectiveness over time. Velcro, though, is usually a little quicker to put on.

Bungee Closures

Strap systems involving elastic cord like those found on the Keen Women’s Whisper are less common, but are remarkably efficient at anchoring and locking your feet into place without coming undone. Sandals with these types of closure systems are often excellent for water use, as the sandals tend to move with you and won’t degrade when in contact with water.

T-Style Straps

Passing between your first and second toes, T-style straps are a bit unique and provide a stripped-down feeling that some will love, and some not so much. This style of sandal gives your feet the most wiggle room, but the drawback is that it has less support to keep your feet from slipping off the footbed.

Look to the sandal offerings from Bedrock to provide this type of hang-ten foot freedom, which incorporates the T-style strap as well as a multiple-point adjustment system to ensure that the straps lie on your foot in the most comfortable way possible.

Floating Straps

These designs are unquestionably noteworthy because, even though both the Chaco Bodhi and the Chaco Women’s Z/Cloud make use of the buckle, they incorporate a unique single sole and single adjustable strap design — a feature our tester raved about while testing them on Mt. Baker. 

With this style, you can adjust the webbing in several places for a custom, secure fit. The drawback is that it takes some getting used to, but once you do, you’ll be able to adjust when needed.

Fit & Sizing

Like most footwear, you want a secure fit for ultimate comfort and stability. Several sandals on our list don’t come in half sizes, which is why we advise trying them on in person to know which size is the best fit, especially while moving around. When worst comes to worst, we almost always advise sizing up a bit. Your exposed toes will thank you.

Another thing to remember while trying on sandals is to identify any hotspots or pressure areas. In some cases, straps and outsoles are not designed for everyone’s toes, leaving some people’s toes to pinch while others hang over the edges. You’ll want to ensure your entire foot is well covered and secured without any discomfort.

Sandal adjustments are another feature to consider. For the most optimal fit, you’ll want something that has multiple adjustment zones so that you can get a secure fit over the entire foot. 

Lastly, arch support can play another role. While some people prefer high-support shoes with high arch profiles, others prefer a zero-drop shoe with little to no support. Most Chaco shoes have high arch supports, such as the Chaco Z/Cloud or the Chaco Lowdowns. Some zero-drop options are the Bedrock Cairn or the Luna Middle Bears. It’s recommended that you try on a few styles before committing and know that if your foot is used to a certain style, it might take extra time to break in a shoe with the opposite style.

Weight & Packability

When it comes to weight, sandals can vary depending on their purpose. Hiking sandals tend to be heavier on the scale because they are designed for durability, have thicker soles, and may include arch support, deep lugs, and more coverage across your feet like the Teva Tirra (18 ounces), which is made for all-day wear and will provide protection for your feet across various terrains. They also tend to last longer.

On the lighter end of the spectrum, sandals like the Xero Z-Trail EV weigh a scant 8.6 ounces, and are great for watersports, blazing around town, or bringing them along to base camp to give your feet a reprieve from your heavy mountaineering or hiking boots. Although, keep in mind that the lighter and more bare-bones the sandals are, the less durable they will be for long distances, rough terrain, or heavy wear.

In general, we tend to aim for the middle-of-the-road option, like the Chaco Bodhi (14.6 ounces) or Teva Original Universal (11 ounces), which aren’t the heaviest on our list nor the lightest, but their packability and functionality are something we put high praise on.

Sandal Outsoles

A sandal’s outsole is the rubber that protects your feet from the abrasive, hot terrain. And when considering which outsole is best for you, it depends on a few different factors.

Decide what kind of activity you want to do first. For an active hiking sandal, you should consider deep lugs for traction over varied terrain. The Luna Middle Bears, for instance, have incredibly deep lugs that help them grip a variety of terrains. For even better traction in any direction, we suggest multidirectional lugs.

Another thing you’ll want to consider is the thickness of the outsole for durability. The harder and more inflexible the rubber composite is, the longer your sandals will last. For example, we love the Xero Z-Trail EV sandals because of their comfort and minimal feel when we want our feet unencumbered, but they wouldn’t have the same lasting power as the KEEN Women’s Whisper or even the Birkenstock Arizonas would. Although the good news is that most sandals can now be resoled, which will save you money and is eco-friendly.

Last but not least, we tended to favor outsoles that feature the bright yellow Vibram label. And the reason for that is that Vibram soles are recognized for their quality, toughness, and traction. As a result, the Bedrock Cairn Evo, Cairn Evo C, and the Luna Middle Bears blew us away with their traction.

Support & Comfort 

Compared to hiking boots, sandals don’t offer as much support. However, there are many sandals available that are designed primarily for hiking but can also accommodate support and comfort, such as most of the Chaco line-up, including the Lowdowns and Z/Clouds, which offer a lot of support and comfort for extended wear. 

For increased comfort and a less abrasive feel, some sandals like the Teva Tirra and KEEN Whispers have a molded footbed and soft nylon lining underneath the straps for even longer wear.

While the lighter, more simplistic sandals on our list are still comfortable, they don’t provide the same level of support as the ones we’ve already highlighted. This puts you in contact with bumps and other objects on the ground, like the XERO’s Z-Trail EV, because they have thinner soles.

Overall, it depends on how much support you need, but if you need a solid walking or hiking shoe, seek a sandal with a sturdy sole.

Foot protection is generally a good feature to have if you plan on taking your sandals over rocky terrain where there’s a chance of stubbing or injuring your toes.

On our list, the only sandal that has foot protection is the Keen Women’s Whisper, which is closed-toed and can be worn for pretty extreme adventures while giving you peace of mind on protection. Our testers particularly like the closed-toed feature when crossing big boulder fields. But be aware that a rubberized toe guard is liable to add some bulk and weight to the sandal.

Durability

Sandals with deeper lugs, thicker outsoles, and strong straps will typically hold up better over time than sandals made of less material. For instance, we love the Teva Original Universal sandals for both being comfortable and budget-friendly, but their less-than-durable outsole is more prone to damage than some of the other sandals on our list.

A sturdy outsole and footbed are other signs of durability. And when it comes to toughness, we instantly think of the Chaco Women’s Z/Cloud because it impressed us all with its capacity to withstand the approach to Cascade volcanoes with no issues.

Sustainability

The outdoor clothing and footwear market has increased its use of sustainability practices over the years, moving toward eco-friendly alternatives like recycled and vegan-friendly materials.

Among several, Teva is a brand that uses webbing from recycled plastic by using REPREVE yarns. They also went all out on their use of recycled material in their Zymic Sandal. Every part of this sandal is made with partially or 100% recycled materials, such as the straps which are made entirely from recycled plastic. 

We also like KEEN’s utilization of recycled and durable materials while avoiding the use of harmful “forever chemicals.” Last but not least, we admire Bedrock’s resole and repair program, plastic-free shipping, and the use of material printed with algal and soy inks for a more environmentally friendly approach.

Socks & Sandals

If you want a sandal that can be worn all year around, even when the weather dips into the freezing range, then we recommend sandals without toe loops or the T-shaped strap between the toes for an easier, less bulky, and more comfortable wear.

While we don’t think all sandals can accommodate socks, there are some sandals that pair well with socks, like the Birkenstock Arizona, which is a good one to consider because its suede material allows for better stretch than nylon or recycled material does.

Or, if you want a different style, consider the Teva Zymic Sandals. These sandals are already super cozy and supportive, and pairing them with a thick pair of socks makes them a perfect choice for fall hikes. However, we suggest sizing up, especially if you plan to use bulky wool socks.

Price & Value

While you’re likely to spend more on your hiking boots, that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on your hiking sandals. That said, there is a wide range of different hiking sandals out there for different uses, and this is the first step in determining just how much you should pay for a set.

If you only need a beater pair for quick romps on day trips, avoid the high-dollar name-brand technologies. Alternatively, if you’re depending on the traction to get where you’re going, consider spending a bit more to get better rubber outsoles, more comfortable strap systems, and more support.

Budget

A set of budget hiking sandals will likely run you between $55 and $70, and will make excellent day hikers or back-up pairs for leaving in your trailhead-mobile. Material differences will be the biggest indicator of the cuts made to keep prices down, and in-house versions of rubber outsoles are prime examples.

The soft Teva rubber used in our best budget pick, the Teva Original Universal ($55), isn’t quite as robust as the Spider rubber the brand uses in its higher-end sandals, but it gets the job done. You’ll also likely only see a minimum number of adjustment points on sandals in this price range, and while the $70 Chaco Lowdowns sport the classic one strap design, they don’t hold position as well as pricier sandals like the Z/Cloud.

Mid-Tier

Spending between $70 and $100 gets you into the meat of the hiking sandal market, and with you you gain a good bit in comfort, traction, and durability. You’ll still see proprietary rubbers used in the outsoles, but laid out in chunkier lug patterns that will grip better, such as on the Chaco Women’s Z/Cloud ($105) or the Teva Tirra ($85).

Adjustability, too, will be better on these sandals, with two or three point adjustable straps being common, and the Tirra was one of the most comfortable sandals to strap into in our experience. Spending a bit more will also net you additional comfort, and the $80 Teva Zymics have a soft EVA footbed that we sunk into with every step.

Premium

Specialty hiking sandals prioritize traction and comfort, but you’ll pay for the premium trim to the tune of $100+ per pair. This can be close to what you might spend on a pair of trail runners, but you do get an impressive set of kicks for the money. Premium Vibram outsoles like those on the Bedrock Cairn Evo C ($135) or Luna Middle Bear ($130) provide the best traction we’ve experienced and well justify the price.

Frequently Asked Questions