Over the last dozen years of full-time travel, I’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of lessons about what makes for the perfect travel sandal and the most comfortable sandals. Here is a summary of some of the best, worst, and ongoing sandal debacles I’ve had.
Please read and glean from my experience so that your next pair of travel sandals are the best, most practical, most fashionable, and most comfortable sandals that get you through thick and thin.
Although the first version of this article was published in 2013, I re-wrote and republished it in 2018, and at least once a year since then I update it for accuracy of links and content (and I add new sandals and travel-sandal-strategies I’ve tried along the way).
For example, make sure you read through to the “barefoot sandals” section to see how my own journey through various travel sandals has evolved.
Also, I received some sandals for free (and paid for others). If I don’t mention that I received the sandals for free, then it means I paid full price.
Lastly, you’ll find this post has affiliate links, which means if you click a link and make a purchase, I’ll get paid. This doesn’t affect your price, but it does help me keep running this site….so thank you in advance.
Attempt #1: Crocs
Crocs were my go-to for many years – specifically the Cleo style, which is both fashionable and functional.
The Good
Because Crocs are waterproof, they survived dodgy hostel showers and muddy walks, and the arch support meant they made it through many a long walk without causing me pain.
The style I chose combined fashion and function, and as such I could dress them up or down with relative ease.
They pack up like a dream, since they’re lightweight and relatively thin.
If the Cleo (pictured above) isn’t your style, no problemo; Crocs makes a gazillion different styles to choose from.
Basically I lived in these shoes, for many years.
The Bad
Or rather, I lived in (many pairs of) these shoes, for many years. Unfortunately because I wore them daily (and I love to walk), I wore through a pair about every year.
Although Crocs aren’t horribly expensive, this did mean dishing out cash for a new pair each year – and finding a place to buy them or have them delivered to (which isn’t always an easy chore when traveling full-time or staying somewhere obscure).
Even more distressing, was how unbelievably slippery Crocs were on wet surfaces. Certain types of sidewalk, stone, and any inside flooring when wet, became major hazards. I took a few spills in these shoes, especially as the tread on the bottom started to wear. (It’s ironic, because Crocs were originally designed as boat shoes).
Lastly – and this is good and bad – the Cleo and other slip-on styles are uber-easy to use on a daily basis, but if you are doing any kind of trail walking or water sports, this style of Crocs will slip away entirely.
This can be solved with a different style of Croc however; I tried out two pairs: the Isabella Strappy Sandal, and the Tulum (both appear to be discontinued as of March 2024, however there are other new Crocs styles that may appeal). Both are stylish and easy to slip-on, and don’t easily come off the foot. (However I also had trouble breaking in the Isabella (it never stopped chafing my heels), and the Tulum didn’t quite fit my foot correctly; I kept slipping off the side while walking (but perhaps that more about my gait than the shoes). The Tulum stays on your foot better and could conceivably be used for light water sport activities, but it’s not ideal for hitting the trails. Keep reading this article for sport sandal suggestions).
Overall
I owned three pairs of the slip-on Cleo Crocs in the first few years of my full-time travels, and they have a ton of styles to suit your preferences. They definitely earned their place in my travel bag.
But keep reading for some alternatives and different viewpoints, since what I need may not be the same as what you need in the perfect travel sandal.
Attempt #2: Naots
I love Naots. I had a pair of them when I was a teenager, and they survived almost 10 years of solid abuse. So when Naot contacted me and asked if I wanted to reunite with these lovely babies (I received a complementary pair to review), I could hardly wait to get my tootsies into a new pair.
The Good
Although Naots come in many different styles, they specialize in a footbed that is akin to Birkenstocks; they offer full support, customized feel, anti-microbial properties, and a fit that only gets better with time.
I chose a pair that suits my style, knowing I could dress them up or down as I wished.
They were great for walking miles and miles on the city streets without a hint of foot fatigue. I got many (many) compliments on them!
The Bad
The large deep footbed meant they weren’t compact or lightweight. However if you don’t want a deep footbed, Naot has a few different styles of footbed to choose from. I’m currently salivating over their Marita style.
Incidentally, my Naots were destroyed a head-on collision I had in Grenada before I really had a chance to put them through their paces. I owned them for a few months.
Overall
I still love Naots. But I chose a bad style for my needs and foot shape, and I didn’t have a chance to try them on first. (If you order them online, best to ensure you can return them easily if they don’t fit). Choose the right style, and they could make for a great travel sandal.
Attempt #3: Taos
Taos makes high-quality shoes and sandals in an astonishing variety of styles.
I was contacted by Taos to test-drive a (free) pair after being bereaved of my Naots in the accident, so I tried to apply all the lessons I learned from the above pairs of shoes and choose what would be the perfect pair of travel sandals.
The Good
The footbed is high-quality with contouring, support, custom fit over time, and anti-microbial properties. (You can also choose different types of footbeds from the deep bed similar to the Naots above, to a more sleek version as shown here).
I chose the Trophy style (pictured above) because they can be dressed up or down, they’re relatively light and compact to pack away, and the ankle straps make them way more stable for walking, running (as in, to catch a bus), and even taking to (light) trails.
They’re super comfy to wear all day (and all night), with their special “Taos Soft Support premium footbed with Cool Recovery Foam”.
I also like the velcro adjustments on the ankle straps as well as both toe straps; this makes the fit always comfortable (even if my feet swell), and getting them on and off is almost as easy as having slip-ons.
The Bad
If the microfiber footbed gets wet, it’s bad news. After living in them for a couple of years (years, mind you), I got them super wet. After that the footbed pilled (uncomfortably so), and started smelling bad. Other readers have had similar troubles. If you suffer from sweaty feet, you might not get a couple of years out of them (as I did) before they start pilling and smelling.
Having said this, the Trophy sandals that I tried have since been replaced by sandals that feature a special antimicrobial shield, for lasting protection against odour, staining, and deterioration.
And, um….well, I don’t have anything else bad to say about these shoes.
Overall
In this comparison, Taos wins so far as the perfect travel sandal.
But I also encourage you to read between the lines here; it’s not necessarily (or entirely) the shoe itself; it’s the choice and style of shoe.
I learned from mistakes past, and ensured I had a fashionable, compact, stable, solid shoe that – like so many of the items in my full-time travel entourage – serves many purposes.
See also: The Ultimate Packing List for Full-Time Travel
Qualities of a Perfect Travel Sandal
Learning from my experiences above, here are some of the qualities that – for me, and likely for you – make for the perfect travel sandal:
- Water resistant
- Comfortable footbed for walking
- Good sole for walking on multiple surfaces
- Ankle straps to hold the foot in place and increase versatility
- Stylish for multiple occasions
- Easy to put on and take off
- Lightweight and compact for packing
Honourable Mentions (including Men’s Sandals)
Crocs, Naots, and Taos are far from the only travel sandals out there; they’re simply the brands I test drove when I initially wrote this article. Here are some other travel sandal recommendations; tried and true according to both readers and travel colleagues, as well as subsequent personal experience. If the shoes above don’t float your boat or suit your travel style, perhaps the ones below will.
And Men, rejoice! Many of the sandals below offer Unisex and Men’s styles as well.
Waterproof Travel Sandals (Sports Sandals)
While Crocs are waterproof, they’re not the sort of “technical” sandal you might be looking for if you’re into water sports and muddy hikes. Personally, I don’t like the classic original “Teva” style of sandal, but some people don’t mind it, and I must admit, these waterproof sport travel sandals have come a long way since their single-style beginnings.
For example, the Teva Tirra Athletic Sandal comes extremely highly reviewed, and has a compression-molded EVA midsole with some impressive looking arch support.
Chaco also carries an extensive popular waterproof line of sport sandals (along with some more stylish leather and rubber styles).
Do you like the Birkenstock style and wish they had a unisex lightweight waterproof version? Well, wish no more; it exists, and it’s called Birkenstock EVA (pictured here). They’re relatively cheap, and they come in a few different styles and a gazillion different colours. They’re not sport sandals per se, but they’re waterproof and are apparently great for walking.
2024 Update: Birkenstock seems to have discontinued their EVA style, but you can find the same thing here, and it’s a bestseller on Amazon.
Barefoot Sandals for Travel (for men and women) – 2024 Update
Barefoot shoes in general are all the rage, and they’re the ideal travel sandal in that they’re lightweight….ultra lightweight in fact.
And in the last 10 years I have developed a love affair with barefoot shoes for hiking, running, working out, casual excursions, and generally all things travel.
Lately I’ve been traveling with Xero’s best-selling Xero Prio shoe, which I think is the best all-round travel shoe for walking around town, exercising, and even light hikes. You can see them in action in this video review.
But I’m getting off-track. This article is about sandals.
Attempt #1: Xero Barefoot Sandals
As much as I mentioned earlier that I’m not a fan of sport sandals, given how much I loved Xero’s barefoot shoes (and I’m a devout fan of traveling long-term with carry-on luggage only), I figured I would put my fashion sensibilities aside and try Xero barefoot sandals – specifically the Z-Trail EV style. I wanted this style because it has the beefiest sole of them all, and I was worried the other styles might feel more like paper and not provide any protection.
Instead, when I got them in the mail, I was surprised at just how sturdy these things are! I mean, they’re still light as air at just 4.3oz each (yeah, you read that right), but the sole has some meat to it.
Unfortunately after a summer of trying to love them, I had to admit they didn’t do it for me.
The style was my biggest complaint; they’re okay for sport or super casual scenarios, but not multi-purpose enough to wear anywhere else. But even for sport, I couldn’t get the fit right with the straps so they were okay for walking/hiking on anything that wasn’t completely flat. My foot wasn’t stable in them and slid around (similar to the Tulum style of Crocs, which also have a very thin flat sole), and because of that plus the super low profile of the sandal, my feet (and the footbeds) were always getting dirty such that I had to wash both my feet and shoes at the end of each outing.
I really wanted these to be my top pick of travel sandals. And perhaps they could be for you, if you like the style and have a different-shaped foot/different gait. For summer hikes and casual excursions, with the added benefit of being ridiculously packable, water-friendly, secure on the foot, and even with webbing made from recycled water bottles, they’re not bad, but they’re just not for me.
I may still take mine on trips where I’ll be doing serious outdoorsy stuff that require waterproof sandals (like white-water rafting), but they’re not all-around useful enough for me to pack every time.
Attempt #2: Feelgrounds Seaside Luxe Barefoot Sandals – My Current Pick for Best Travel Sandal of ALL TIME
NEW IN 2024, Feelgrounds sent me a pair of their Seaside Luxe sandals. Feelgrounds is a barefoot shoe company based in Europe. I love the look of all their shoes, because they don’t look like barefoot shoes. They’re stylish, functional, and as a company they are committed to environmental responsibility and fair production practices.
The Feelgrounds Seaside Luxe sandal makes up for everything I didn’t like about the Xero Z-trail (and frankly, all of Xero’s sandals). They don’t look like a barefoot sandal!
Here’s what I love about them:
- The vegan leather straps provide an elevated sense of style. I get compliments every time I wear them.
- The adjustable cushioned velcro strap at the back provides a perfect fit, and along with the soft fabric toe thong, it holds your foot in place.
- The elastic bit on the instep provides the perfect amount of stretch for comfort.
- The natural cork insole looks nice and gives the foot a chance to breathe. (If you don’t like that look, they also offer an all-black version).
- The 7mm sole is ultralight and thin, while still being thick enough to provide some shock absorption and protection when walking on hard surfaces.
- They’re super flexible and ultralight at 153 grams / 5.4 oz for a Men’s size 10 / Women’s 11.5
- They pack up like a dream.
Here are the compromises:
- After a summer of use, the cork footbed started to discolour from foot moisture. It is very minimal so far, but will likely continue as the years go on; if this is something that would bother you, then I suggest getting the all-black style.
- They are not waterproof, nor are they appropriate for sports activities.
- Although there is some shock absorption, it’s not a lot; nowhere near the protection you would get from even a barefoot sneaker. I discovered this while speed-walking long distances on concrete surfaces; my shins started to ache. I tend to come down hard on my heels when I walk fast, so I’m sure that’s the culprit.
Even so, my travel sandals of choice at the moment are the Feelgrounds Seaside Luxe sandals. They pack up like a dream, they stay on my foot, and they look great in all scenarios. When it’s time for me to add another pair of “regular” shoes to my repertoire, I plan to check out some other Feelgrounds styles.
Shout Out to the Flip Flop
All over Asia, it’s common to take off your shoes everywhere; especially when entering temples, but even when entering some restaurants and stores. (And certainly when entering anybody’s home).
In these cases, flip-flops are invaluable. They’re comfortable, easy to slip on and off, and you won’t be upset if somebody else walks away in them (as commonly happens in public places).
While spending a month “suffering” in Koh Phangan Thailand, I watched my boyfriend struggle with his clunky Tevas every single time we entered or left a restaurant or store. We were both relieved when he finally caved and bought a cheapo pair of flip-flops.
Flip-flops are also great to have on hand for shared showers and other situations where you want some waterproof foot protection. And they’re so lightweight they can easily fit in your luggage. Regardless of the travel sandal I am using at any given time, I tend to have a pair of flip-flops stashed in my bag as well.