The onset of summer surely calls for a cool pair of sandals. Most the people out there do not prefer their feet to be completely covered up with shoes all the time, especially on their vacations or for day-to-day casual use. Added ventilation of the sandals surely adds on a whole lot of comfort and provides you with that cool summer look that one can surely not resist. Below mentioned are all the different styles and types of men’s sandals that you can pick from based on your taste as well as the requirements.
Different Types of Sandals for Men
- Hiking Sandals
- Running Sandals
- Gladiator Sandals
- Slides
- Thong Sandals/Beach Sandals
- Fisherman Sandals
- Water Sandals/Water Shoes
- Leather Sandals
- Dress Sandals
- Luna Sandals
- Teva Sandals
- Birkenstock Sandals
- Wooden Geta Sandals
- Hawaiian Sandals
- Mohinder’s City Sandals
- Chaco Sandals
- ZaUri Sandals
- Huarache Sandals
- Memory Foam Sandals
- Cork Sandals
1. Hiking Sandals
Hiking sandals are surely the best picks for easy to moderate hiking trails in hot to mild temperatures. They are not only capable of allowing you with similar grip and support as a pair of hiking boots but also provide you with added ventilation, which further adds to the comfort. If you do not wish to end up with sweaty feet during hiking in summers, which may lead to blisters, all you need is a good pair of hiking sandals. Moreover, there are options available for open-toe as well as closed-toe sandals to pick for hiking, based on your preference. Just ensure that the sandal that you pick provides ample arch support and is shock-resistant. It is best to go in with a pair having foam or ethylene-vinyl acetate midsoles.
Application: the main purposes of hiking shoes are to protect your feet against bruising and abrasion from rough wilderness terrain, to cushion your soles, and to provide good traction on rough, steep, slippery, wet, & muddy terrain. Backpacking shoes must also offer enough stability and be durable.
Material: Rubber, Leather, Wood, Tatami, & Rope
Brands: Merrell Choprock Shandal, Chaco Mega Z/Cloud, Bedrock Sandals Cairn 3DAdventure, ECCO Yucatan., KEEN Clearwater CNX., Xero Shoes Z-Trail, & Teva Hurricane XLT2
Where to Buy: Kohls.com, Runrepeat.com, Cleverhiker.com & Amazon.com
Price Range: 25$ to 200$
Pair with: Going normcore and choose the most basic outfit you can think of chinos, a t-shirt, maybe a hiking cap.
2. Running Sandals
Running sandals are capable of allowing you to run comfortably and effectively, whilst providing you with the added breathability and cooling effect. They usually have a thinner sole and are highly lightweight. You can even go in with closed-toe running sandals, preventing your toes from bumping into anything while running. Also, running sandals provide you with a much lighter movement experience as compared to running shoes. These sandals are slip-resistant, stable, and provide ample protection against any sharp objects.
Application: Natural outcome of regularly wearing running sandals is strengthened and mobile lower extremities—including the toes, feet, ankles, and knees.
Material: Vegan rubber
Brands: Vibram VI-S, Skechers, Vivobarefoot Eclipse, Keen Newport H2, Teva Katavi, OOfos Original, & Atika Maya Trail
Where to Buy: Amazon.com, Earthrunner.com, Lunasandals.com, & Runnerclick.com
Price Range: 30$ to 100$
Pair with: Running shorts and a cotton Graphic tee
3. Gladiator Sandals
Gladiator Sandals were invented way back during ancient Roman times and were worn by gladiators during the fights. These ancient sandals came back in fashion with their feature in various Hollywood movies based on ancient Romans. These usually have a flat sole, with various cross straps that hold the foot to the sole. These sandals go up above the ankles with a wider strap along with the ankles. They come in basic tan colors as well as striking metallic finishes, with uncommon ornamentation throughout.
Application: Flat sandal with several wide cross straps holding the sole to the foot, with one wide strap around the ankle.
Material: Leather, Rattan, & Plastic
Brands: Reef Cushion Lux, Merrell, California costume, Calpas, Teva, & Oakley Super Coil
Where to Buy: Farfetch.com, Aliexpress.com, Zappos.com & Macys.com
Price Range: 50$ to 300$
Pair with: Just add denim or cotton shirt or a linen shirt, twist with a statement pair of gladiator sandals.
4. Slides
Slides are open-toed as well as backless, allowing you the best possible ventilation for sweaty seasons. You can simply slide your feet into these sandals without any effort, thus the name. Slider sandals are highly lightweight and have only one supporting strap going over your feet to hold them to the sole. Moreover, these are highly trendy and come in bright colors, making them perfect for beach vacations.
Application: This ubiquitous, utilitarian shoe has given us traction on pool decks, protection from scuzzy college dorm showers, something to put on real quick when the dog needs to go out in the rain, and a comfy alternative to flip flops when you run a casual errand.
Material: Premium grade leathers and suedes, feathers using floral patterns, faux fur lining, & regal pearls being attached or used as the main design behind slides.
Brands: Nike, Gucci Sport Slide, Under Armour, Fila, Suicoke Black Siv, Adidas Originals
Where to Buy: Birkenstock.com, Target.com, Footlocker.com, Nordstrom.com & Amazon.com
Price Range: 20$ to 200$
Pair with: Shorts slim pants will also work well, but a wider pant is a more fashion-forward take. Just be sure they’re hemmed at or just below your ankle.
5. Thong Sandals/Beach Sandals
Thong Sandals were definitely a hit during the 90s and have emerged back again into the fashion industry. These sandals cover the least possible area of your foot and have a thin strap or a thong that hides between your toes. They have a V-shaped strap that goes over either side of your foot and provides you with utmost comfort. They are recommended only for light walking and leisure activities as they are highly delicate in nature.
Application: If you’re at the beach, The pool, or a spa area, this is good to have your feet.
Material: Rubber, Foam, Plastic, Leather, Suede, & even fabric
Brands: Vionic, Crocs, Oofos OOahh, Mephisto, Birkenstock, & OluKai
Where to Buy: Reef.com, Olukai.com, Vans.com & Quicksilver.com
Price Range: 50$ to 150 $
Pair with: Match faded jeans, or a basic t-shirt and cotton pants. If you are slim and would like to show off your ankles, wear cropped trousers.
6. Fisherman Sandals
There are various different versions of Fisherman Sandals used around the world since ancient times. These sandals have a buckle around the ankle and feature closely placed interwoven straps that allow maximum surface coverage, yet allow ample breathability as well space for water to drain away.
Application: It can be your holiday foot friend to get relax from closed-toe shoes.
Material: Leather & Other synthetic material
Brands: Clarks, Timberland, Ecco, Birkenstock, & DSW
Where to Buy: Shopstyle.com, Zappos.com, Dsw.com & Birkenstock.com
Price Range: 30$ to 280$
Pair with: Pair with denim, Chinos, & A matching jacket
7. Water Sandals/Water Shoes
Water sandals are highly durable and one of the most popularly used footwear for people who frequent river crossing, and other water-related activities. These sandals are water-resistant and provide great stability as well as grip even on wet and slippery surfaces. These sandals usually have straps going over your feet as well as your ankle, attached with either Velcro or buckles, to hold on to your feet effectively. They are usually not recommended for regular use due to their synthetic nature.
Application: Kayaking or strolling near the beach, & Useful for poolside.
Material: Nylon & Other synthetic material
Brands: Keen, Crocs, Chacco, & Speedo
Where to Buy: Teva.com, Amazon.com, Rei.com & Keenfootwear.com
Price Range: 10$ to 280$
Pair with: Of course a good short and waterproof watch with a T-shirt.
8. Leather Sandals
Leather Sandals are surely very stylish and highly comfortable as well. However, these sandals are recommended only at non-humid places as leather tends to deteriorate quickly in contact with moisture. However, if you are going in for an informal or casual get-together, there surely cannot be something more comfortable and exquisite than a pair of leather sandals.
Application: It can be a dress sandal on Friday or any office day where there are things that got Lil chill before the weekend.
Material: Leather
Brands: Birkenstock, Clarks, Chacco, Teva, Olukai, & Reef
Where to Buy: Dsw.com, Jeruslemsandles.com, 6pm.com & Clarls.com
Price Range: 40$ to 300$
Pair with: Chinos and shirt with the leather watch.
9. Dress Sandals
If you wish to look classy even in the most casual of your attire, you surely need a pair of dress sandals. These types of sandals even go in perfectly in business settings. Dress sandals usually have a closed toe, and top, with a broad strap at the back.
Application: When the summer swelter hits, The best Dress sandals for men allow you to embrace the heat with open arms.
Material: Leather, Suede, Velvet, & Silk
Brands: Gucci, Keen, Oofos, & Tory Burch
Where to Buy: Amazon.com, Contemposuits.com & DSW.com
Price Range: 100$ to 600$
Pair with: Cotton pants with a summer shirt or polo shirt, and add a good leather watch.
10. Luna Sandals
LUNAs is one of the best quality running sandals available in the international market. These sandals are minimal in look yet provide high flexibility as well as durability, making them perfect for all the adventure activities out there. Moreover, they feature minimal design, and their unique lacing system, around the wings, is what helps them stand apart from the rest of the running sandals. The soles of LUNAs are highly flexible and encourage the strength of your feet muscles,
Application: Making them perfect for running, Hiking, as well as all other adventure, & Water sports
Material: Vibram Morflex
Brands: Luna
Where to Buy: Lunasandals.com & Seattlemade.com
Price Range: 30$ to 80$
Pair with: Pair luna sandals relative activity attire and a running cap.
11. Teva Sandals
Teva Sandals are known to offer high comfort, amazing cushioning, ample support, traction, and an anti-microbial footbed. They are highly durable and are good to go for almost every season. Moreover, the amazing color options that are offered by Teva would surely make you stand apart from the crowd in a classy way.
Application: These sandals are perfect for almost every occasion, Whether it be hiking, Beach day, Or a regular day
Material: Recycled Polyester & Plastic bottles
Brands: Teva
Where to Buy: Teva.com & Amazon.com
Price Range: 60$ to 200$
Pair with: A funky tee and shorts are good enough to pair with Teva.
12. Birkenstock Sandals
These sandals are known for their contoured cork soles, which conform to the user’s feet and ensure high comfort. Birkenstock sandals provide ample support to the user’s feet and prevent them from exhaustion. These sandals are highly simple in design and are known for their longevity as well.
Application: The toe bar allows for the natural gripping motion of the foot which increases circulation and helps strengthen the arch tissue. The anatomically designed footbed lifts the lateral, medial, metatarsal, & transverse arches.
Material: Cork, Leather, Latex, Jute, & Suede
Brands: Birkenstock Sandals
Where to Buy: Zappos.com, Amazon.com, Birkenstocksandals.com, & Macy’s.com
Price Range: 50$ to 300$
Pair with: Pants for a chic, Simple look in cooler weather, Or try pairing your sandals with jeans or casual trousers.
13. Wooden Geta Sandals
Wooden Geta Sandals are traditional Japanese footwear. Their base is rectangular in shape, made with wood, which is generally elevated up to 2-3 teeth. The wooden base is held onto the foot with the help of a fabric thong. Its unique structure and material are believed to improve the strength of the foot as well as the leg muscles, along with promoting the right body posture. Moreover, these are highly comfortable and commonly used during Japanese festival celebrations.
Application: Geta sandals that allow your feet to breathe and move freely. It is believed that these slippers can help you maintain a natural posture while standing or walking.
Material: Wood, Rubber
Brands: Fancy Pumpkin, BluePh, Kyoetsu, & Sandgrens
Where to Buy: Amazon, DSW.com & Macys.com
Price Range: 430$ to 250$
Pair with: Most popularly worn for informal occasions with the kimono or Yukata. These can also go great with other casual outfits.
14. Hawaiian Sandals
Commonly termed as “slippers” or “slippahs”, Hawaiian sandals are pretty common in the beach city of Hawaii and are worn on almost every occasion. These have a Y-shaped strapped thong that passes through the toes to retain connected with your feet. These sandals are highly stylish, comfortable, and a perfect companion for every beach outing. They usually come in funky and bright colors and patterns.
Application: The most comfortable slippah is used for any kind of weather or time.
Material: Rubber
Brands: Olukao, Hanahau, & Palihawai
Where to Buy:Hanahau.com, Amazon.com & Etsy.com
Price Range: 20$ to 90$
Pair with: Aloha shirt and shorts are perfectly pairable with Hawaiin sandals.
15. Mohinder’s City Sandals
Mohinder’s City Sandals are surely one of the most sophisticated sandals you could ever pick, especially, if you do not wish to show off your sweaty feel during scorching summers. . These provide you with a rugged look and the woven leather surely adds on the cooling effect.
Application: These slip-on without any ankle support are handwoven with leather and are surely one of the most pretty-looking sandals for a lazy summer vacation.
Material: Bag-tanned Leather
Brands: Mohinder
Where to Buy: Mohinders.com & Huckberry.com
Price Range: 120$ to 200$
Pair with: Traditional wear or any occasion wear.
16. Chaco Sandals
If you are an avid adventure enthusiast and get involved especially in water and hiking activities on a regular basis, you definitely need to have a pair of Chaco sandals in your wardrobe. These have been specially crafted to make the user feel highly stable and confident in the water as well as on the most slippery of the surfaces. They are highly adjustable, provide great traction, and pretty comfortable foot support. that help them stand apart.
Application: The adjustable pull-through straps are one of the most important features of Chaco sandals and are best for near water or hiking adventure.
Material: Polyurethane (PU) compounds
Brands: Chaco
Where to Buy: Chacos.com, Outdoorgearlab.com & Amazon.com
Price Range: 80$ to 150$
Pair with: Wear hiking shorts and a bucket hat.
17. ZaUri Sandals
ZaUri sandals are highly minimalistic multi terreno huarache that offers highly accurate adjustments with their Wheel Knot adjustment system, which provides high customization. They are known for their high comfort, even while walking on the most challenging terrains. These sandals have a highly versatile 10mm thick Vibram Morflex sole, with a foot base made of Leadfoot, that is capable of absorbing sweat. Also, these sandals are completely vegan and are highly light in weight. These are perfect for those who go hopping from one stone to another on a mountain trek.
Application: The ZaUri Hanami is an extremely light sandal, almost delicate if known for its great resistance and durability.
Material: Vibram Morflex
Brands: Zauri.es
Where to Buy: Zapatillas.com & Zauri.es.com
Price Range: 10$ to 60$
Pair with: Mountain trek pants or hiking shorts with a camouflage teeshirt.
18. Huarache Sandals
These handmade intricate sandals have been an integral part of Mexican history. They usually feature woven string soles, or wooden soles, paired with elaborate designs made with leather on the top. These come in open-toe as well as closed-toe designs and have gained importance in the international market due to their funky look. They might not be pretty comfortable, however; are a great choice for special occasions and events.
Application: Mostly considered a casual shoe, and has recently enjoyed a resurgence.
Material: Leather
Brands: El Charro, Nike Air Huarache, & The Western Shops
Where to Buy: Nike.com, Thewesternshop.com, Amazon.com, & eBay.com
Price Range: 50$ to 250$
Pair with: Pair with linen pants and a mandarin shirt, & Add a leather strap watch.
19. Memory Foam Sandals
These sandals feature a foot base mode of memory foam, which is capable of taking up the shape of your foot, allowing you the best comfort as well as support. These sandals also feature padded straps, which make these sandals highly comfortable, even for long hours of usage. Memory foam sandals are also perfect for day-to-day usage.
Application: Memory foam sandals are ideal for summers and help you maintain the right body posture by distributing your body weight evenly, even while walking and running.
Material: Viscoelastic Polyerethic
Brands: Nunn Bush, Dockers, & Dr. Scholls
Where to Buy: Dr. Scholls & Amazon.com
Price Range: 25$ to 50$
Pair with: Since it is for summer pair it with light and baggy garments.
20. Cork Sandals
These sandals feature a cork foot base, which molds into the shape of your foot and provides you with customized comfort as well as support. Moreover, cork sandals are firm as well as highly durable, thus, Cork sandals usually have an open-toe design due to the cork’s inability to turn away the sweat.
Application: Perfect for daily rough and tough use.
Material: Cork
Brands: Birkenstock, northside, & Porte and Paire
Where to Buy: Birkenstock.com & Amazon.com
Price Range: 30$ to 300$
Pair with: Perfect combination when it’s too hot for jeans but too cold for shorts. Keep the outfit simple by wearing a neutral tee or polo shirt.
One surely cannot go on wearing their favorite pair of shoes even during the summers and in humid climates. Therefore, it becomes really important to get yourself a pair of befitting comfy and effective sandals. The above-mentioned classification would surely help you gain a better perspective on the different types of sandals available in the market and help you pick the one that suits your requirements perfectly.
Rose Frank
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