Measured: Heel height is measured vertically at the center back of the shoe, from the ground to where the heel meets the sole. A heel sitting exactly on a boundary is listed in both adjacent bands.
Measured: A heel is classified by the shape and area of its base where it meets the ground. The base is judged at the tip rather than where the heel joins the sole.
Measured: Finishes name the surface and materials name the base, so the material line of a listing, not its adjectives, identifies what an upper is made of.
Measured: No universal scale grades comfort itself, so each feature is judged on its own measurable term: arch contour, cushioning depth and rebound, a wet-floor slip test, or the presence of a sealed membrane.
The basics
What to know about sandals
Straps instead of an upper
Straps, not an upper, hold a sandal on. That single fact separates the type from every closed shoe. The top of your foot is bare, the sides are open. Whatever security you get comes from where the bands sit and how hard they pull. Coverage runs from one two inch band across the toes to a lattice that reaches the calf. The gap between those extremes is not decoration. Each band you add moves the holding point further back on the foot. Holding points behind the arch are the ones that stop your heel lifting away from the sole.
Footbed, straps and sole
Three parts make up almost every sandal: the footbed you stand on, the straps that cross the foot, and the outsole that meets the ground. Molded sandals fuse all three into one injected piece of EVA or PVC, which is cheap, waterproof and impossible to repair. Built sandals do it the other way around. Strap ends slot into channels cut in the midsole, get glued or riveted in place, and the outsole is cemented over the top. A worn sole can be replaced by a cobbler for a fraction of a new pair. Cork and latex beds sit between those extremes. They start firm, then compress under your own weight over roughly 20 to 40 wears into a shape that matches your arch and holds it.
Why wide feet do well here
Wide forefeet do better in sandals than in any closed shoe, because an open side has nothing to press against the joint at the base of the big toe. High insteps need adjustable buckles rather than fixed elastic, since the strap has further to travel over the top of the foot. Narrow heels are the hard case. With no band behind the arch the heel slides sideways, so look for a back strap or a deep heel cup. Season decides the rest. Anything above 75 F on dry ground suits an open sandal, while wet sidewalks, gravel paths and cities where you will cover more than five miles a day call for a closed toe or a webbing strap system.
What an open shoe cannot do
Openness costs you protection, and it costs you sweat management. Nothing shields your toes from a curb, a table leg or a dropped can, and the bare footbed collects sand, grit and sunscreen that then grind against your skin. Blisters in sandals almost always start at a fixed edge: the inner face of a toe post, the buckle end of an ankle strap, the seam where a band is stitched down. Heat piles on the second cost, because feet swell by up to half a size across an afternoon. A strap set that felt right at nine in the morning can print a line into your instep by four.
The twist test
Grab the sandal at both ends and twist. Quality shows in a sole that flexes at the ball of the foot and resists twisting across the middle. One that wrings like a dishcloth will collapse sideways within a season. Run a fingertip along the inner edge of every strap. Raw cut synthetic feels sharp and saws at skin, while a folded or skived edge, meaning leather shaved thin and turned under, feels rounded. Pull firmly on each strap where it enters the sole. Glue-only anchoring gives slightly under that pull; stitching or a rivet does not. Metal buckles want a tongue that sits flat and a keeper loop for the strap tail, because a loose end flaps and scratches the opposite ankle.
Salt, chlorine and sunscreen
Salt, chlorine and sunscreen do more damage to sandals than mileage does. Rinse under a cold tap after beach or pool use, blot with a towel, then dry them away from the sun so the leather and the glue lines do not bake and shrink. Footbeds need attention of their own. A suede-topped bed comes back to life with a stiff brush that lifts the flattened nap. A smooth leather one takes a light wipe rather than a soak. Store them flat, never crushed into the corner of a suitcase, because a strap creased for a month keeps the crease.
Buyer checklist
Before you buy sandals
Good footwear matches your foot, the job and the conditions. Style names help you search; fit and construction decide whether the pair works.
01
Fit both feet
Try the pair with the socks or hosiery you will wear. Check toe room, heel slip and pressure across the widest part of each foot.
02
Match the shoe to the job
Fashion sneakers, running shoes, work shoes and rain boots may look similar but use different cushioning, tread and support.
03
Read the materials
Upper, lining and outsole materials affect breathability, water resistance, break-in time and care.
04
Check the return rules
Fit varies by maker and shape. Confirm whether worn-at-home trials, return postage or restocking fees apply.
Stand on the footbed and check the outline. If any part of your foot spills past the edge at the toe, the heel or the sides, the sandal is too small. That exposed rim will blister you inside a mile.
Slide a finger under the main forefoot strap. It should pass flat with light resistance; if it slips under loosely your heel will lift with every step, and if it will not pass at all the strap will mark your instep by afternoon.
Try sandals on after three in the afternoon, or straight after a walk. Feet swell up to half a size across a hot day, so a pair fitted first thing in the morning routinely bites by evening.
Walk 20 steps on a hard floor and listen. A slap or a click means your heel is separating from the sole. On a forward-strapped design no amount of tightening will fix it.
Set your heel into the cup and look behind it. A thin margin of footbed should sit back there. A heel hanging over the rear edge means the sandal is short. A thumb's width of spare bed means your foot will slide forward on every downhill step.
Leather and cork give about a quarter size in width over the first month, so judge them snug. Synthetic straps and injected EVA never stretch at all, so whatever they feel like in the shop is permanent.
Care
Caring for sandals
Wash salt water, chlorine and sand off with cold fresh water the same day, because salt crystals dry inside the stitching and cut the threads from within.
Dry sandals in shade with air moving around them, never on a radiator or a car dashboard. Heat above roughly 120 F shrinks leather straps and softens the cement holding the outsole, which is how soles begin peeling at the toe.
Seal the exposed rim of a cork footbed once a season with cork sealer or a thin coat of shellac. Unsealed cork dries out, crumbles at the edges and takes the arch shape away with it.
Scrub a discolored footbed with a soft brush, a drop of dish soap and barely damp water, then blot it dry. Sweat salts left sitting turn a pale footbed permanently gray and harden into a surface that rubs.
Wipe leather straps with a damp cloth and feed them a small amount of conditioner twice a summer, because sunscreen and sweat strip the oils out and dry leather cracks at the fold where it bends over your foot.
Have the outsole replaced as soon as the tread wears smooth at the heel edge rather than after. Once wear reaches the midsole, the footbed contour goes with it and the repair stops being worth paying for.
Questions
Common questions
How do I stop my sandals rubbing my feet raw?
Rubbing comes from movement, not from tightness. Anchor the heel first with a back or ankle strap so the foot stops sliding, then treat the specific edge that bites: run a candle stub along a stiff strap edge, or stick a thin moleskin patch on your skin rather than on the shoe. Break new leather in over two hour stretches.
Are sandals bad for your feet if you walk a lot in them?
A flat, unsupported sandal over distance lets the arch drop and makes your toes grip to keep the shoe with you. This is what causes the cramping people report after a vacation. Contoured footbeds, a heel cup and a band behind the ankle remove nearly all of it. Distance itself is not the problem; unsupported distance is.
Do I size sandals the same as my regular shoes?
Start at your usual size, then judge length against the footbed rather than against how the straps feel. Plenty of molded footbeds come in whole sizes only and run short, so people size up and then slide forward on the bed. If you land between sizes, the larger one works with an adjustable strap and fails without one.
What sandal works for an outdoor wedding on grass?
Choose a block heel, a wedge or a flatform. All three spread your weight across a broad contact area and stay on top of turf instead of sinking into it. Add an ankle strap so your heel stays put on uneven ground. Stiletto sandals sink within a few steps, and clip-on heel caps only delay it.
Why do my feet slide forward going downhill?
Your heel has nothing holding it back. On a slide or a thong, gravity pulls the foot toward the front edge and your toes absorb the impact. Tightening the forefoot strap makes it worse, since it squeezes the foot further forward. Switch to a design with a heel strap, or at least a deep heel cup.
How long should a decent pair of sandals last?
Cemented leather sandals worn a few days a week usually want their first resole after two or three seasons, and the footbed outlasts several soles. Injection-molded pairs are a single piece of foam, so when the tread wears flat or a strap tears out, the pair is finished. Price tracks that difference more than branding does.
Can sandals go in the water?
Molded EVA, PVC and rubber sandals are built for it and dry in minutes. Leather takes water badly: it swells, dries stiff, and the footbed darkens where the wet foot sat. Cork under a soaked leather bed can separate into layers. If a sandal will get drenched repeatedly, buy synthetic and keep leather for dry ground.
My sandals squeak with every step. Can that be fixed?
Squeaking usually comes from the strap end shifting inside its channel in the footbed, or from moisture trapped between the insole and the midsole. Work a little talc or cornstarch into the seam around the strap slot and leave it overnight. When the noise comes from the sole itself, a layer is separating and glue will not hold it long.
