Best Hiking Sandals 2026 — Trail & Water Picks

The Chaco Z/2 is the choice of river guides, canyon hikers, and outdoor professionals who spend full days in sandals across technical terrain — the single-strap-through-midsole design is the key innovation. Rather than multiple separate straps that can loosen independently, one webbing strand runs the length of the sandal and adjusts toe and heel position simultaneously. The LUVSEAT footbed provides arch support and cushion that comparable sandals at this price can't match — most people who try Chacos find that their feet don't hurt after a full day in them the way they would in other sandals. The Vibram rubber outsole provides genuine wet-rock traction on creek crossings. Chaco's resoling program — send worn-out sandals back and they resole them — means a $110 Chaco can last 10+ years.

The Keen Newport H2 solves the primary hazard of open-toe sandals on rocky trails — the exposed toe. Kick a rock with Chacos and you know immediately. The Newport's rubber toe bumper protects against the trail impacts that are inevitable on technical terrain. The closed-toe design also means the Newport can handle rockier, rougher terrain than open sandals comfortably. Multi-directional lugs grip mud and wet surfaces. The bungee lace + hook-and-loop closure is less elegant than Chaco's single-strap system but allows quick on/off for creek crossings and camp use. For hikers who do a mix of trail and water and want sandal versatility without sacrificing toe protection, the Newport H2 is the go-to.

Teva's Universal Trail upgrades the classic Original Universal (below) with a contoured footbed, better outsole, and EVA midsole — making it a genuine trail sandal rather than a recreational/beach option. At 10.4 oz per pair it's lighter than both Chaco and Keen, which matters for backpackers counting ounces in their pack when sandals are carried for camp and creek crossing use. The spider rubber outsole provides adequate wet-surface traction for most hiking applications. Best positioned as the lightweight middle-ground choice — more trail-capable than the Original Universal but less aggressively supportive than Chaco, at a price between the two.

The Teva Original Universal is the foundational hiking sandal — it invented the category in 1984 when a Grand Canyon river guide connected two buckles with nylon webbing to keep sandals on feet in river rapids, and the formula hasn't changed much because it doesn't need to. At $55 it's the right entry-level outdoor sandal for casual hiking, beach camping, water sports, and camp use where you want something more secure than a flip-flop but don't need the performance of Chaco or Keen. The strapping is universal and adjustable, the EVA midsole provides basic cushion, and the rubber outsole handles typical conditions. For anything more demanding than light trail and camp use, step up to the Universal Trail or Chaco.

Bedrock Cairn 3D is the performance sandal for athletes — at 6.6 oz per pair it's less than half the weight of the Keen Newport, the 3D-molded footbed (built from a 3D scan of an anatomical average foot) provides structural support despite the minimal stack height, and 6mm Vibram Newflex outsole provides the best wet-rock grip on this list. Trail runners use the Cairn for long technical desert canyoneering where any additional weight is unacceptable. Bikepacking athletes use them for camp shoes that won't slow the ride. The strapping configuration requires some initial learning but becomes intuitive quickly. For endurance athletes and ultralight hikers who want the lightest capable sandal, Bedrock is the answer the rest of the sandal market hasn't provided.