Top 6 Best Hiking Sandal Brands
Finding the right brand of sandals is crucial for any hiker. From finding the fashionable fit to preventing injury and blisters, many factors make different hiking sandals unique. Different brands are specialized for different purposes, such as athletic or recreational activity. Below are the 6 best brands of hiking sandals.
What are the most popular hiking sandal brands?
- Bedrock
- Keen
- Merrell
- Teva
- Chaco
- Birkenstock
1. Bedrock
Bedrock sandals are known for being extremely versatile. The company was kickstarted in 2011 with the hope of creating a natural fitting sandal for more active consumers. Bedrock’s headquarters are in Richmond, California. There the company manufactures and operates its sales.
While Bedrock sandals are known for being all-around effective, they are particularly well suited for exploration over terrains such as mountains, rocks, and even rivers.
Bedrock splits their sandals up into several different lines of shoes. Their Cairn Pro II Line has heavy-duty sandals suitable for water and mud. Alternatively, their Cairn Line is recommended for dry land hiking. Finally, Bedrock carries a classic line of sandals for those who intend to stick to less intense expeditions.
2. Keen
Keen is a footwear manufacturing company based in the United States, founded by Martin Keen and Rory Fuerst in 2003. The company mostly sells its products in stores across North America. They also own headquarters in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
On Keen’s website, the footwear is divided into several styles:
- Boots
- Shoes
- Sandals
- Casual
- Wide
Additionally, consumers can shop specifically for hiking, winter, water, or general travel. Keen has an assortment of footwear available for all activities and types of consumers.
3. Merrell
Clark Matis and John Schweizer founded Merrell back in 1981 with the vision to manufacture high-quality hiking boots. Since 1997, the company has been owned by Wolverine World Wide, a publicly-traded shoe company based out of Rockford, Michigan.
Merrell aims to provide footwear for anyone, from casual consumers to experienced hikers. Their shoe availability reflects this, ranging from slip-on to heavy-duty hiking boots. The company also has a wide selection of hiking sandals and casual sandals.
4. Teva
Teva has existed as a shoe brand since 1984. Teva sandals were originally created to combat the issue of sandals falling off of hikers’ feet and being swept downstream. Unlike previous sandals, Tevas came equipped with velcro straps that helped the user’s foot stay secure.
Teva prides itself on being a pioneer in the footwear industry and claims its merchandise gives consumers the freedom to explore.
Teva has a lot of celebrities who sport their sandals. Influencer Kendall Jenner is known to like the bright white Teva Hurricane Xlt2 sandals. Mary-Kate Olsen was spotted wearing Teva Voya Infinity Sandals several times in 2019.
5. Chaco
Chacho was founded in Colorado with the vision of creating comfortable and convenient footwear for outdoorsy consumers. Chaco often uses the phrase “Born on the River,” likely because of their sandals’ effectiveness in water. With special straps to secure your foot, Chaco guarantees their sandals won’t slip. Their hiking sandals also have a rubbery outsole to provide grip and traction.
Chaco sells many different types of sandals, including one strap and two-strap sandals. Chaco also has boots, shoes, and slides available on their website.
American singer and songwriter Thomas Rhett is known for commonly sporting Chacos. Rhett, a 30-year-old country singer from Valdosta, Georgia, says he has worn their sandals since college.
6. Birkenstock
Birkenstocks date back further than any other hiking sandal. In 1774, Johann Adam Birkenstock was recorded as a manufacturer of shoes in Germany’s church records. Johann passed down the tradition through generations. By 1896, Konrad Birkenstock invented flexible footbed insoles, revolutionizing the Birkenstock brand. Throughout the 1900s, Konrad Birkenstock grew the brand throughout Germany and other parts of Europe.
The Birkenstock Brand hit the United States market in 1966 and found great success. In 1988 the brand created a newer, more environmentally friendly model that changed the standard for shoemakers going forward. The last revolutionary step for Birkenstock came in 1990 when an overhaul of production processes cut down the energy consumption of creating sandals and shoes by 90%.
There is a wide selection of Birkenstock shoes, sandals, and accessories. Customers can purchase these items virtually on Birkenstock’s website or in person at competing shoe stores.