Travel-ready sandals for summer vacation

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Once you travel with less-than-ideal shoes, you’ll never make the mistake again. Summer trips, whether overseas or weekend getaways, can be packed with miles of walking through city streets, beautiful hiking trails, and hot, potentially rainy weather. They include evenings that call for something more polished, early mornings full of getting the kids ready, and everything in between. These types of trips call for shoes that can do it all without sacrificing comfort or appearance. Lightweight materials, supportive footbeds, and compact designs turn these warm-weather accessories into practical travel essentials.

There are so many varieties of sandals available for every occasion, offering an option for every type of traveller. Some are designed specifically for long walks through busy downtown areas, offering cushioning and support, while others fit neatly into a suitcase without sacrificing tons of room or comfort, saving valuable packing space. Outdoor-focused styles are rugged and work well for hiking trails, helping to cool off your feet in the hot summer sun, while water-friendly options can work effortlessly, from the pool to the beach to dinner at your new favorite restaurant. New, more stylish travel sandals are now blending fashion with function, giving travelers footwear that looks refined enough for fancier outings like museums or shows without requiring a separate pair of dress shoes. 

Beyond convenience, the right sandals can also save travelers money. Durable sandals that work across multiple situations eliminate the expense of buying multiple specialized pairs. Comfortable walking shoes also offer a way to get around town that doesn’t require renting bikes or buying bus tickets. Additionally, fewer shoes to pack means packing lighter, which can help avoid checked baggage fees.  Plus, being forced to buy a new pair of shoes once you get to your destination and realize your packed shoes are giving you blisters, usually results in a high price for convenience. Balancing comfort, practicality, style, and budget during trips can be difficult, but investing in the right sandal for your lifestyle can make all the difference. 

Around-town sandals

Sandals designed for walking around town focus heavily on comfort and support, especially for travelers who spend long days exploring unfamiliar places. Unlike flat flip flops, city-friendly walking sandals provide support and long-term comfort for those days spent exploring from dawn to dusk. Adjustable straps, arch support, and cushioned soles help create a more stable and comfortable fit, making them ideal for sightseeing in busy destinations that have markets, shops, river walks, restaurants, and beautiful city architecture. Breathable materials also help keep feet cooler during warm weather, reducing blisters and other discomforts. 

Comfortable footwear encourages people to walk more often, which can significantly cut down on travel expenses. Walking a couple of blocks to a nearby restaurant is much easier when your shoes don’t have uncomfortable hot spots that make it difficult to take even a few steps. Quality walking sandals can be used on vacation and back at home when running to the grocery store or taking the dog for a walk, offering a longer-lasting and more comfortable alternative to generic flip flops or hot sneakers. 

If you’re looking for a comfortable shoe to wear around town, Tevas are a great option for something stylish to walk in that also provides support and stability, and these Teva Universal Flatform Platform Sandals are a great option for all-day walking. If you’re looking for a more multi-use option, these Chaco Mega Z Classic Sandals are made for walking around town, light hiking, and water activities, offering arch support, adjustable straps, and a rugged sole. 

Teva Universal Flatform Platform Sandals

Chaco Mega Z Classic Sandals

Suitcase-friendly sandals

Suitcase-friendly sandals are a great option for allowing light, minimal packing, while providing an easy way to pack multiple pairs in the same space as a normal pair of sneakers. These shoes are lighter weight,  and some options, like the Teva Original Universal Sport Sandal, are flexible enough to fit anywhere in your suitcase, or even in a tote bag. Packing slim sandals and wearing your bulkier shoes during travel allows you to save space for souvenirs, travel essentials, clothing, and other items, while still allowing you to have comfortable shoes. 

Compact shoes make carry-on traveling much more efficient, simplifying packing while stretching the travel budget further. They can still provide comfortable arch support for all-day walking, like the Birkenstock Gizeh Birko Flor, or provide a cushioned footbed and lightweight design that makes it feel like you’re walking on clouds, like the Clarks Breeze Flip Flops. Casual sandals, like the Litfun Cork Footbed Slides, offer a lightweight and breathable option that pairs well with a variety of outfits, allowing you to pack less for more.

Teva Original Universal Sport Sandal

Birkenstock Gizeh Birko Flor

Clarks Breeze Flip Flops

Litfun Cork Footbed Slides

Hiking sandals

The last thing you want on a long hike is shoes that slide around on dirt and rocks, create blisters, and don’t offer adjustability when your feet get hot. They provide durability and support, and offer rugged soles and improved traction for rocky terrain and uneven ground. They’re great for coastal paths in the evening, morning trail walks with the dog, and national park trips. Hiking sandals offer quick-dry technology and water-resistant webbing, like the Teva Tirrasandals, that are useful for sweat or streams while remaining rugged, making them ideal for destinations where conditions change throughout the day.

The versatility of hiking shoes is my favorite feature. If your trips often land on outdoor recreational adventures, you can rely on hiking sandals for multiple activities and occasions. My personal favorite pair of shoes is the Teva Hurricane Xlt 2 Sandals that work well on rugged hikes through streams and up rocky terrain, but also perform well for all-day walking through town. High-quality hiking sandals are also designed for longevity, offering multi-trip use that not only saves you money, but can also save you from having to try new sandals any time you’re on vacation. 

If you’re looking for a closed-toed option, the Keen Whisper Hiking Sandals are a convenient option. Closed-toed sandals help protect your toes against hitting rocks, prevent dirt and debris from getting in your shoes, and can help keep your foot in place during downhill hikes while still allowing airflow to keep your feet cool and sweat-free. 

Teva Tirrasandals

Teva Hurricane Xlt 2 Sandals

Keen Whisper Hiking Sandals

Water-friendly sandals

These are sandals that can go from the pool to dinner without missing a beat. The minimal designs, waterproof materials, and adjustable straps provide quick-drying and comfortable options for the perfect summer vacation to the beach or a weekend lake trip, and they’re also great during rainy weather around town.

Many styles are lightweight enough to wear all day and offer cushioned support, making them useful to wear beyond water activities; however, the first thing to look for when buying water-friendly shoes is to make sure they’re slip-resistant. No matter how quickly they dry off, you won’t want to wear them if you’re afraid of slipping, sliding, and potentially injuring yourself, which can sometimes ruin the whole vacation and be a costly mistake. Options like the Coface Orthopedic Sandals are designed with slip-resistant soles that make them a great option for the pool or boating. These are also prime for everyday walking around town, thanks to the arch support, making them a solid, multi-functional shoe for slick rainy days while sightseeing. 

The Bedrock Cairn Sandals are also a fantastic multi-function shoe. While we decided to put them in the water-friendly section due to their excellent slip resistance when wet, they also feature a slim, packable profile and rugged soles for hiking. If you’re a minimalist shoe type of person, these puppies can do it all. 

Durable, water-friendly sandals can eliminate the need for packing tons of shoes without having to sacrifice style. The Keen Reef Water Vista sandals are designed for all-day comfort to walk around town, and feature fully waterproof materials that can dry off in a flash, all with a cute basket-weave design. If you’re looking for a pair of sandals that can hold up to playing in the water and wandering around town, Keens are a convenient option, though the tread doesn’t hold up as well on slippery, rocky scrambles or steep dirt paths. 

Coface Orthopedic Sandals

Bedrock Cairn Sandals

Keen Reef Water Vista sandals

Stylish choices

Last but not least, more style-based shoes are designed for travelers who want practicality for general sightseeing and walking around town without sacrificing appearance. If you’re someone who loves to travel urban jungles, check out the local cuisine, and stay generally inside the city, having something that’s made for walking while still looking polished enough for evening events and fancier shops can help reduce the need to pack walking sneakers. Neutral colors and minimalist styles make this style versatile, but it can sometimes be more difficult to find dressier shoes that remain comfortable enough for all-day walking, which is why these Clark Giselle Beach Sandals are our first option for this section. Combining comfort with class and a heel to add some height, they’re a fantastic option from the airport to the last night of vacation. 

From a financial perspective, stylish travel sandals can reduce the need for separate dress shoes or fashion-focused footwear during the trip. While it’s great to have a pair of high-fashion heels just in case, ultimately, you’ll probably be reaching for the comfier option, like the Athlefit Wedge Platforms. Your feet will be happier with this decision, and it allows you to opt into off-the-cuff travel plans without worrying about your choice of footwear. 

These shoes also tend to be designed with cleaner silhouettes, softer materials, and more refined details, making them easy to pair with everything. A good example of this includes the Fudynmalc Orthopedic Slip-On Flat Sandals, which offer adjustable straps and a cushioned footbed that’s perfect for evenings out without sacrificing style or suitcase space.

Clark Giselle Beach Sandals

Athlefit Wedge Platforms

Fudynmalc Orthopedic Slip-On Flat Sandals

What’s best for your needs?

It truly depends on whether you love to meander around and see the sights, or you’re in the mood for an active nature trip. While many shoes, like the Bedrocks or Tevas, hold up well to most activities, they don’t provide the cute style that the Clark sandals do. Another great option if you’re just not sure what the trip will entail is to pack a lightweight option like the Birkenstocks, while wearing your more rugged and larger hiking shoes during travel. I love to pack my hiking Tevas and wear my platform Tevas, saving suitcase space while also having both a rugged outdoorsy pair and a more refined, comfortable pair for evening dinners. There’s no one-size-fits-all, so deciding which activities you like best will definitely help you pick the ideal pair of sandals. 

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