# The 5 Best Hiking Sandals on Amazon in 2026 > Best hiking sandals on Amazon in 2026: closed-toe water sandals and open strap sandals for men and women, with grippy rubber outsoles. Guide: https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/ · Updated 2026-10-12 · By TwelveTabs · Search it live: https://twelvetabs.com/?q=hiking%20sandals&guide=best-hiking-sandals As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Our picks are independently researched, written by TwelveTabs AI and never sponsored. Prices and ratings change often: see the guide for today's. ## The top picks - **Men who want toe protection on trails and in water:** KEEN Men's Newport H2 Closed Toe Water Sandals. A closed-toe water sandal for men whose listing describes a siped outsole that channels water away for wet-ground grip, washable quick-dry straps and the toe protection of a shoe. - **Men who want a simple open strap sandal for easy trails:** Teva Men's Hurricane XLT2 Sport Sandal. An open strap sandal for men whose listing names a textile upper, a hook-and-loop strap, a speckled EVA midsole and a Durabrasion rubber outsole. - **Women who want a light open strap sandal for easy trails and water:** Teva Women's Original Universal Sport Sandal. An open, strapped sport sandal for women in Teva's long-running Original Universal style, which its listing ties to rivers, canyons and trails. - **Women who want toe protection on wet trails:** KEEN Women's Newport H2 Closed Toe Water Sandals. A closed-toe water sandal for women whose listing describes a siped outsole that channels water away and a washable polyester webbing upper ready for hiking, at 10.5 oz per sandal. - **Women who want an easy on-and-off closed-toe sandal:** DREAM PAIRS Women's Closed Toe Hiking Sandals. A closed-toe women's sport sandal titled for hiking, with a bungee cinch cord and a hook-and-loop heel strap to adjust the fit. Our top pick is the **[KEEN Men's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-1)**. We read 113 Amazon result cards for "hiking sandals", compared 10 contenders on their own pages, and this closed-toe water sandal is the easy first pick for men: its listing describes a siped outsole that channels water away, washable quick-dry straps and the toe protection of a shoe. Hiking sandals are sold by shopper, so each pick below names one. For men who want an open sandal for easy trails, the **[Teva Hurricane XLT2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-2)**. For women, the **[Teva Original Universal](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-3)** is a light open strap sandal, the **[KEEN Women's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-4)** adds toe cover for wet trails, and the **[DREAM PAIRS](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-5)** is an easy on-and-off closed-toe sandal. ## How to choose hiking sandals A hiking sandal is a strapped sandal with a rubber outsole made for wet and uneven ground, not a beach flip-flop. These are the four things that separate them, backed by outdoor gear publications that measure and compare sandals. - **Toe cover.** Advnture says sandals suit straightforward trails in warm conditions, and that the open design gives little protection from sharp rock, prickly plants and mud. For harder paths or loose rock it recommends a hybrid with enclosed toes and side vents. The [KEEN Men's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-1), the [KEEN Women's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-4) and the [DREAM PAIRS](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-5) have closed toes. The two Teva picks are open. - **Outsole.** Advnture looks for bouncy but rugged rubber with deep lugs, the grooves that bite into the ground. RunRepeat measures grip on wet concrete in its lab and adds that very thin slits in the rubber are good at channeling water away. The [KEEN Men's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-1) and [KEEN Women's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-4) name a siped outsole in their listings, and the [Teva Hurricane XLT2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-2) names a Durabrasion rubber outsole. The listing text we read for the other two names no outsole. - **Straps and fit.** Advnture wants wide, supportive straps around the ankle and the front of the foot, with no pinching and nothing that slips as you walk. It suggests going up a size because feet swell on warm days, and it prefers hook-and-loop straps for an easy adjustment. RunRepeat adds that a closed toe box should not press or cramp your toes. - **Upper material and support.** RunRepeat says leather lasts but takes a long time to dry, while mesh and webbing dry fast, which matters for stream crossings. Outdoor Life notes you cannot fix a sandal's arch with an insole, so the built-in support has to suit your foot. Advnture adds that a lighter sandal saves effort over long miles, while a heavier one often gives more structure. ## Our picks in detail ### 1. KEEN Men's Newport H2 Closed Toe Water Sandals: best for men who want toe protection **Why it made the list** - Its listing describes a siped outsole that channels water away from the bottom of the sandal for grip on wet terrain. - The straps are washable and quick-drying, built to go from the trail to the harbor. - It combines the airiness of a sandal with the toe protection of a shoe. **Drawbacks** - Its listing gives the weight as 14.2 oz per sandal, so it is not a light-packing sandal. - A closed toe box leaves less room for wide forefeet. That is our inference from the design, and RunRepeat says a toe box should not cramp your toes. **Watch for this:** Amazon shows this sandal under two listings with the same title and different prices. Check that the one you open is the men's model in your size. **Skip it if** you want an open, simpler sandal for easy trails. Try the [Teva Hurricane XLT2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-2). ### 2. Teva Men's Hurricane XLT2 Sport Sandal: best open strap sandal for men **Why it made the list** - Its listing names a Durabrasion rubber outsole. - A hook-and-loop strap lets you adjust the fit by hand. - The speckled EVA midsole sits under a textile upper. **Drawbacks** - The open toe leaves your toes exposed on rocky ground, which Advnture flags as a weakness of open sandals. - The listing text we read names no arch support, and the fit is set by hand each time you strap in. That is our inference from the closure. **Watch for this:** Teva sells a women's version of this sandal under separate listings. Make sure the one you open is the men's sandal. **Skip it if** you want closed toes. Try the [KEEN Men's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-1). ### 3. Teva Women's Original Universal Sport Sandal: best light open sandal for women **Why it made the list** - Its listing ties this sandal to rivers, canyons and trails. - Adjustable straps over the forefoot let you tune the fit. - It comes in a large range of prints and colours, so it also works as an everyday sandal. **Drawbacks** - The listing text we read names no outsole and no arch support, and Outdoor Life says a sandal's arch cannot be fixed with an insole. - The open toe offers no toe protection. **Watch for this:** The [Teva Original Universal](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-3) appears twice in Amazon's results with one title and two different prices. Check the print and size before you buy. **Skip it if** you want toe cover for rocky or wet trails. Try the [KEEN Women's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-4). ### 4. KEEN Women's Newport H2 Closed Toe Water Sandals: best for women who want toe protection **Why it made the list** - Its listing describes a siped outsole that channels water away from underfoot. - The washable polyester webbing upper is described as ready for hiking, walking and time in the water. - It weighs 10.5 oz per sandal by its listing and has the toe protection of a shoe. **Drawbacks** - Sizing can run small, so consider going up a size, as Advnture advises for hiking sandals in general. - The closed toe box may feel snug across a wide forefoot. That is our inference from the design. **Watch for this:** This is the women's model. The [KEEN Men's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-1) is a separate listing with its own sizing. **Skip it if** you want an open sandal that dries and packs lighter. Try the [Teva Original Universal](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-3). ### 5. DREAM PAIRS Women's Closed Toe Hiking Sandals: best easy on-and-off closed-toe sandal **Why it made the list** - A bungee cinch cord and a hook-and-loop heel strap let you adjust the fit, and the heel strap makes it easy to slip on. - The closed toe protects your toes. - It comes in several colour combinations. **Drawbacks** - It is cut roomy, so narrow feet may need the cord pulled tight to stay put. That is our inference from how it is built. - The listing text we read has no description and no outsole detail, so traction is unconfirmed. **Skip it if** you want a documented outsole. Try the [KEEN Women's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-4). ## What we left out, and why We read 113 result cards on the first page of "hiking sandals". 13 were sponsored, and we skipped them. The other 100 were organic listings, many of them the same sandal under another listing or in another colour. We narrowed them to 10 contenders, read each sandal's own Amazon page, and kept five. Five were left out: - **DOCKERS Mens Newpage Outdoor Sport Sandals.** Its page has no description, and nothing we read names a trail outsole or a hiking use, so it does not meet our definition. - **ECCO Women's Yucatan Sport Sandal.** Its listing says it offers walking comfort on and off the trail, but the listing text we read names no outsole, and leather uppers dry slowly, as RunRepeat and Advnture both note. - **Chaco Women's Zx2 Classic Athletic Sandals.** Its page carries customer feedback from years before its listed first-available date of May 2025, which suggests an older Chaco model's feedback is pooled with it. - **Chaco Men's Z2 Classic Athletic Sandal.** Its page returned no customer feedback text at all, so there was nothing to check it against. - **UBFEN Womens Hiking Sandals.** Its page returned no description and no customer feedback text, so nothing backed a pick. Sandal brands such as Merrell, HOKA and Bedrock sell hiking sandals too, but none of them reached our ten contenders. A search for a Wirecutter hiking sandals guide found none, so there is no Wirecutter pick in the comparison table. ## Questions people ask ### Are sandals good for real hiking? For easy trails in warm weather, yes. Advnture says sandals beat hiking shoes there because feet overheat less and dry faster. On technical ground it says a sandal "just isn't going to cut it", because the open design gives little protection and the flexible build is less stable. ### Should hiking sandals be a size bigger? Advnture says sizing up is a good idea because feet expand on warm days, and adjustable straps let you tailor the fit. It also says your heel should not hang over the back of the sole. ### What is a closed-toe hiking sandal? Advnture calls the hybrid a "shandal": a sandal with enclosed toes and heels for protection and side vents to keep feet cool. It recommends one for harder paths and loose rock. The [KEEN Men's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-1) and the [KEEN Women's Newport H2](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-hiking-sandals/#pick-4) are two examples in this guide. ### How did TwelveTabs choose these hiking sandals? TwelveTabs, our AI shopping agent, compared Amazon's results for "hiking sandals", read the pages of 10 contenders and named five picks, as of October 12, 2026. We checked the advice against Advnture, RunRepeat and Outdoor Life. AI wrote this guide from that research. To see what it picks today, run the search yourself with the button on this page. ## How we researched On October 12, 2026 we read the first page of Amazon's results for “hiking sandals”: 113 result cards, 100 of them organic listings. AI compared them, read the Amazon pages of 10 contenders and named five picks. AI wrote this guide from that research. Listings change: we read them on October 12, 2026, and a sandal, size or seller may differ today. Only ten sandals had their pages read, and the page text for several was thin, so outsole details are missing for some picks. ### Sources - [Advnture: The best hiking sandals](https://www.advnture.com/buying-guides/best-hiking-sandals) - [RunRepeat: Best closed-toe hiking sandals](https://runrepeat.com/guides/best-closed-toe-hiking-sandals) - [Outdoor Life: The best hiking sandals](https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-hiking-sandals/)