How to Choose Walking and Hiking Sandals

There is a short stretch of the Irish year when full boots start to feel like too much, and a good pair of walking sandals earns its place by the door. Whether you are following a coastal path, picking across a river crossing or simply after comfortable sandals that can take a full day on your feet, the right pair is the difference between a grand day out and a sore-footed retreat to the car. This guide covers how to choose walking and hiking sandals that suit Irish summers, what sets a technical sandal apart from a holiday flip flop, and which features are worth paying attention to once you leave the beach behind.

Why a walking sandal beats a flip flop once you leave the beach

A flip flop is a fine thing in its place, on the sand or padding around a campsite, but it is held on by a single toe post and gives your foot nothing in the way of support or grip. Ask it to climb a stile, cross a stream or carry you along a few kilometres of towpath and it comes up short fast. A walking sandal is a different animal. It wraps the foot in adjustable straps, sits on a cushioned and contoured footbed, and runs on a proper rubber outsole with real tread. That combination is what lets you cover ground in comfort, with your foot held in place rather than sliding about. If you have only ever thought of sandals as beachwear, a day in a well made pair is a small revelation.

The brands we lean on here have spent years refining exactly that. Keen more or less defined the modern hiking sandal, and Merrell, The North Face and Columbia all build sandals with the same outdoor pedigree as their boots. You can see the full in-stock selection across our sandals and flip flops collection.

Walking sandals or hiking sandals: what the difference really means

The two terms get used loosely, and the line between them is more of a spectrum than a hard rule. At the lighter end sit open-toe walking sandals, with an adjustable strap or two across the forefoot and one around the heel. They are airy, quick to get on and off, and ideal for warm days, travel and easy trails. At the sturdier end are closed-toe hiking sandals, often called hybrids, which add a protective toe bumper, more strapping and a stiffer, more aggressively lugged sole. Keen's closed-toe designs are the obvious example, part sandal and part hiker, and they are the ones to reach for when you expect rocks, roots and the odd stubbed toe.

What you are really choosing between is protection and breathability. The more a sandal covers and grips, the better it handles rough ground, but the warmer and heavier it gets. For most people in Ireland a versatile hybrid hits the sweet spot, comfortable enough for the town and capable enough for a coastal hike. If you mainly want something light for holidays and gentle walks, an open design will feel cooler and pack smaller in a bag.

Sandals that take to water, and what waterproof really means here

People often search for waterproof sandals, but a sandal is open by design, so waterproof in the boot sense is not really the goal. What you actually want is a water-ready sandal: one built to get soaked, drain freely and dry quickly, so wet feet never become a problem. Keen's H2 line and Merrell's water-friendly styles are made for exactly this, with quick-drying webbing straps, footbeds that shed water and outsoles that grip when wet. They will happily take you through a river crossing, along a tidal beach or in and out of a kayak and keep going.

This is where sandals genuinely outshine boots. On a warm day spent near water there is nothing to dry out afterwards and nothing carrying the damp home with you. If your summer involves the coast, lake swims or messing about on rivers, a water-ready sandal is one of the most useful things you can own. That same quick-drying build is why these sandals double so well as a camp shoe or a travel shoe, slipping on at the end of the day when the boots come off.

Getting the fit and support right

A sandal lives or dies on fit, more so than a shoe, because there is less of it holding your foot in place. Your foot should sit fully on the footbed with no overhang at the toe or heel. Tighten the straps so the foot does not creep forward when you walk downhill, then check there is still a small amount of room at the front and that nothing is digging in. Most quality sandals give you two or three adjustment points, at the forefoot, the instep and the heel, and it is worth taking a minute to set all of them rather than just pulling one strap tight.

Support comes from the footbed and midsole. A contoured footbed with some arch shaping keeps your foot comfortable over distance, which matters far more here than it does for an hour on the beach. If you are prone to sore arches, or you plan long days, look for a sandal with a structured, moulded footbed rather than a flat slab of foam. One practical note on sizing: sandals can run differently from brand to brand and even style to style, so go by how the pair actually fits rather than the number you usually buy. If you wear them around water, remember the straps loosen a touch once wet, so a snug dry fit is no bad thing.

Matching the sandal to how you will use it

The easiest way to choose is to be honest about where the sandal will spend its life. For travel, town and easy walks, a light open-toe pair from our men's and women's sandal ranges will be cool and endlessly wearable. For coastal hikes, river days and anything where you want grip and toe protection, step up to a closed-toe hybrid or one of Merrell's hiking sandals. For multi-day trips and travelling light, a single water-ready pair that handles trail, water and evenings is hard to beat.

If you want one pair to do most of that, the Keen Men's Clearwater CNX is hard to look past, and it is the sandal we point most people towards first.

Have a browse through the wider in-stock range to compare strap systems, footbeds and colours.

There are sandals for smaller feet too, in our kids' sandals range, handy for family trips to the beach or the trail.

Looking after your sandals so they last

Technical sandals are low maintenance, but a little care keeps them fresh and stretches their life. Rinse them in fresh water after the beach or a river, since salt and grit wear at the straps and footbed over time, and let them air dry fully away from direct heat, as a radiator or a hot car can warp the sole. If a footbed picks up an odour, a gentle hand wash with mild soap and a soft brush usually sorts it. Several Keen styles use odour-resistant treatments that help here, but drying the sandals properly between wears does more than anything to keep them sweet.

Get the choice right and a good pair of walking sandals will see you through summer after summer, from the morning trail to the evening by the water. If you are kitting out for a warm spell, it is worth reading alongside our guide on how to stay cool in hot weather. When you are ready, you will find the full collection of sandals in stock and ready to go.