11 Best Women’s Sandals & Water Shoes For Summer
Published May 28, 2024
When we think of summer, so many things come to mind: soft serve and swimsuits, sandy toes and the scent of sunblock, long days and three- day-long weekends... But does anything say summer quite like a comfy pair of well-loved sandals? Whether your heading to the nearest reservoir for some afternoon SUPing, hitting the trail for a high-summer backpacking trip, or just heading to that special brunch spot with a shady patio, here are the top 11 sandals and water shoes for summer adventures.
Best Women’s Sandals
Choosing sandals over sneakers isn’t simply a fashion choice. This breathable branch of summer footwear lets your toes feel the breeze. For our active outdoor lifestyle, travels, and warm-weather adventures, we like sandals with these features:
- Cushy and supportive soles
- Comfortable straps
- Quick-drying materials that shed sweatand water
- Specialized traction for wet and dry surfaces
- Fun colors and patterns
Here’s a short list of the best sandals for women that meet and exceed our expectations.
Teva Original Universal Women’s Sandal
Best Women’s Sandal For Universal Fit
From the depths of the Grand Canyon all the way to your gear closet, Teva’s Original Universal is the utility-meets-comfortability sandal every gal needs. With a squishy EVA footbed that molds to your feet over time and multiple adjustment points at the ankle and forefoot, this classic design has a way of fitting most folks’ feet well. On the function front, soft quick-dry webbing made from recycled plastics offers all-day comfort, and the lightweight foam makes packing these puppies for backpacking trips a cinch. Whether your crossing streams during the thru-hike or tasting local craft brews at the brewery upon your return to civilization, these sandals pair perfectly with all of summer’s adventures.
Winning Features
- Classic sandal for every day of summer
- Plenty of color combos and patterns to match your style
- EVA footbed offers cloud-like comfort
- Durabrasion Rubber outsoles for sure-footed traction
- 6oz per shoe for size W9
Chaco ZX/2 Cloud Women’s Sandal
Best Women’s Sandal With Arch Support
In our Herd, Gearhead® Experts tend to fall into two camps: team Teva and team Chaco. If you’re in the latter squad, this techy sandal may just be your match made in Chaco Cloud-cushioned heaven. The ZX/2 features a security-enhancing toe loop and strappy weave of foot-wrapping webbing that can be adjusted in a single go. Unlike some floppier sandals out there, the ZX/2’s Luvseat PU footbed ensures both durable comfort and a sturdy, protective feeling underfoot, delivering sure-footed confidence on slippery stream beds and steep sandy trails alike.
Winning Features
- Single buckle allows for one-and-done fit adjustments
- Vegan-friendly materials and water- and energy-reducing dyes
- Podiatrist-certified Luvseat PU footbed provides superior arch support
- ChacoGrip rubber soles
- 11oz per shoe for size W9
Tread Labs Salinas Women’s Sandal
Best Women’s Sandal For Travel, Cruiser Bike Rides & Brunch Hangs
Tread Labs crafts footwear for go-getters and “yes” sayers, and the cute and comfy Salinas sandals fulfills that mission to a tee. With their clean, classic aesthetic and comfort focused details like microfiber suede footbeds and ultralight midsoles, these sandals call our name whether we’re kicking it at the campground or slipping into recovery shoes after a long run. For the sustainability minded, this strappy sandal reduces waste in production thanks to no-scraps 3D knit uppers made rom 100% recycled polyester yarns and resoleable rubber outsoles.
Winning Features
- Arch support inspired by Tread Labs’ semi-custom insoles
- Water-friendly materials are ready to dive in when you are
- Minimalist design easily integrates with outdoor wardrobes
- Machine washable for forever freshness
Teva Hurricane XLT2 Women’s Sandal
Best Sandal For Hiking & Walking
Looking for a sandal designed specifically for summer hiking? Look no further! Teva’s Hurrican XLT2 features a sturdy yet squishy EVA footbed along with a stiff nylon shank and rugged outsole for enhanced traction. In addition to the changes to the footbed, this iconic Teva model includes a cushioned patch on the rear strap to improve heel comfort and easy-adjust hook-and-loop closures to maintain a perfect fit whether your feet are fresh as daisies or tired and swollen after a ten-mile jaunt to a faraway vista. Like all of Teva’s offerings, the Hurricane XLT2 comes in classic colors and flashy ones alike, so you can match your go-to summer sandal with adventure dresses, jean shorts, and everything in between.
Winning Features
- Straps made from polyester, nylon & recycled PET
- Quick-drying materials are durable & water-ready
- Nylon shank offers arch support and stability
- Tough & grippy Durabrasion rubber outsoles
- 9oz per shoe for size W9
OluKai Puawe Flip-flop
Best Women’s Sandal For Beach Days
Heading somewhere coastal? Don’t forget to pack OluKai’s signature Puawe (pronounced poo-ah-weh) flip-flop. Inspired by the feeling of sinking your toes into wet sand, this sandal features anatomically contoured footbeds with plenty of cushion for all-day comfort. A soft knit jersey fabric lines the water-friendly straps to prevent abrasion on salty, sandy skin, and enhanced Wet Grip Rubber keeps your strides secure both pool- or beach-side. Whether we’re kicking off our shoes to dive into the surf or packing light for a tropical vacation, this is our go-to flip-flop.
Winning Features
- Thin, soft flip-flop with gentle arch support
- Squishy footbed feels like walking barefoot in wet sand
- Water-friendly materials weather surprise island downpours and poolside splashes with ease
- Great for narrower feet
Chaco Z/1 Classic Women’s Sandal
Runner Up Best Women’s Sandal With Arch Support
Love the idea of Chacos but can’t stand the between-the-toes strap? Meet the Z/1: a simple, sturdy sandal for wherever warm-weather adventures take you. ChacoGrip rubber soles keep your footing sure on both kayak bottoms and cobblestone streets, while a molded polyurethane footbed offers serious support. So whether your spending the whole day paddling flat water or walking far-away city streets, this sandal is a shoo in.
Winning Features
Polyurethane footbed, great for high arches
Simple polyester webbing with an easy-to-adjust ladder lock buckle
ChacoGrip rubber outsoles for excellent traction
Anti-odor treatment
11oz per shoe
Best Women’s Water Shoes
When we’re constantly in and out of the water—but not in and out of our footwear—we turn to dedicated water shoes for some extra convenience and coverage. We look for water shoes with the following features:
- Quick-drying, breathable materials like mesh
- Extra drainage features in the midsoles and uppers
- Grippy tread for wet surfaces (siped soles are an added bonus!)
- Easy-adjust closures that stay secure when wet
Here are some of the water shoes we’re wearing this summer.
Salomon Techamphibian 5 Water Shoe
Best Women’s Water Shoe For Amphibious Adventures
For those who spend equal time spent on land and in water, the crowd favorite Techamphibian 5 goes unrivaled. Sticky Contragrip soles deliver next-level traction whether you’re wading pebble-bottom brooks with fly rod in hand or following meandering trails in search of distant jungle waterfalls. We love the collapsible heel, which lets us slip these on like slides for short jaunts, as well as the quick-adjust lacing system, which ensures a secure fit when we’re transitioning from barefoot swims to shoes-on paddles. Another key feature is the well-ventilated synthetic mesh that lets water in, keeps painful debris out, and allows quick drainage when we emerge back to land from the depths.
Winning Features
- Comfort-focused EVA midsole
- Congragrip FD soles excels in wet and dry terrain
- Adjustable heel strap and quick-lace forefoot closure
- 8.8oz per shoe
Astral Brewess 2 Women’s Water Shoe
Best Women’s Water Shoe For River Trips
A weekend paddle trip doesn’t mean 72 straight hours spent floating in your boat. When it’s time to set up camp or take a quick hike up a promising-looking slot canyon, we’re always grateful for these toe-protecting water shoes. A cushy EVA midsole delivers medium arch support thanks to Astral’s Balanced Geometry design, and premium G.15 rubber soles offers reliable traction whether we’re scrambling up a cliff for an adrenaline-bumping jump or pulling our kayak onto the rocky shore to make camp for the night. Featuring hydrophobic canvas and breathable mesh paneling, these shoes keep feet cool—and never soggy—making them an easy rival to our favorite river-ready sandals.
Winning Features
- Technical EVA midsole & G.15 rubber outsoles
- Hydrophobic canvas & breathable mesh
- Water-resistant laces stay light and dry
- 8oz per shoe
Astral Loyak AC Women’s Water Shoe
Best Women’s Water Shoe For Stand-Up Paddling
Whether you’re paddling out for an afternoon SUP session or letting the wind work for you on the sail boat, these water shoes offer superior water management, support, and grip. These shoes’ outsoles feature Flex-Grip siping (small slits sliced into the rubber to improve traction in wet, slippery conditions) along with slip-free G.15 rubber, which means we always feel steady on our feet whether we’re moving swiftly on deck or navigating rocky put-ins. When we’re on our feet all day, we appreciate the Loyak AC’s closed-cell EVA footbed with comfort-enhancing massage pods. And when we’re constantly in and out of the water, we obsess over the breathable ripstop mesh and draining midsoles to keep our feet cool and dry.
Winning Features
- Closed-cell EVA midsoles for improved cushion
- G.15 outsole + Flex-Grip flexible siping
- Abrasion-resistant, breathable ripstop mesh uppers
- Drainage holes allow water to quickly escape
- 6.6oz per shoe
Keen Newport H2 Women’s Sandal
Best Women’s Shandal
A little bit shoe, a little bit sandal, Keen’s classic hybrid is the perfect partner for paddle trips and summer site-seeing tours alike. Rugged ChacoGrip soles with knife-cut siping offer hiking-shoe like traction, and the rubber-dipped toe box protects your feet from surprise stubs on rocks and roots during impromptu hikes. The Newport H2’s quick-drying webbing allows plenty of air flow for comfort in hot weather, and a quick-adjust bungee makes finding a just-right fit a literal cinch.
Winning Features
- Carbon rubber ChacoGrip soles
- EVA midsole & TPU shank for under-foot cushioning & support
- Durable synthetic webbing
- Well-protected toebox
- Anti-odor finish
The North Face Skagit Women’s Water Shoe
Best Water Shoe For Waterfall Hikes & Boat Trips
Looking for a water shoe that doesn’t look like a water shoe? We found it for you! Meet the North Face Skagit, sneaker-style amphibious footwear for summer’s wet and squelchy adventures. Quick-drying and quick-draining thanks to the thin mesh screen uppers and draining mid-soles, the Skagit feels lightweight on our feet, a huge win when we take them for a hike immediately after a dip.
Winning Features
- Discreet TPU overlay on toes
- Mesh screen uppers for quick-draining breathability
- Removable, perforated footbeds
- Siped EXTS traction system
- Easy-adjust lace toggle closure
Shopping For Summer Footwear At Backcountry
We broke down a few of our favorite technical sandals and water shoes for women, but there are so many more styles out there. From flip-flops to t-straps and technical hiking sandals to recovery slides—even style-first options for adventures closer to home—our full selection of summer-ready sandals has a pair for everyone. Need some more help finding the perfect pair? Click the chat button to talk to a real, live Gearhead or visit your nearest Backcountry store IRL for custom recommendations.
FAQ
Q: Can you wear sandals hiking?
A: You can absolutely wear sandals for some types of hiking, but some sandals are better than others, and some hikes require more technical footwear. Sandals offer superior breathability compared to hiking shoes on hot days—after all, your toes are free to feel the breeze—but that extra air flow can lead to foot injury like cuts, scrapes, and stubbed toes. If you plan to wear sandals for hikes on well-maintained trails that aren’t excessively steep, look for a pair with lugged rubber outsoles for traction, a cushioned yet supportive footbed, and secure straps around the forefoot and ankle to keep the shoe in place. For longer, steeper, and more technical hikes, we recommend leaving your sandals at the trailhead.
Q: Is it better to size up or down in sandals?
A: Many sandals only come in whole sizes, so those who always wear a half size need to decide between sizing up or sizing down. Hot summer temperatures and prolonged periods of standing and walking can both cause feet to swell. A larger size can prevent your sandals from feeling too tight at the end of the day. However, if you typically wear a half size or the next smallest whole size, sizing down is likely to be a better option.
Q: How often should you replace sandals?
A: Sandals are notorious for wearing out—we’ve all felt the pain of the broken flip-flop—but they’re also a favorite for providing comfort, support, and style for our feet during the summer months. If your sandals no longer offer comfort or support, either due to compressed footbeds or worn outsoles, it’s time to replace them.
