Walking sandals can be just as comfortable as sneakers! However, you need to find a pair that has specific features. Otherwise, you’ll feel uncomfortable and might get blisters. The best sandals have cushioning traction on the sole and offer adjustable straps.
If you’re looking to find the best pair of comfortable walking sandals, make sure to continue reading! All the best features you need to keep an eye out for are in the article below.
Table of Contents
Comfortable Walking Sandals Features
All the best women’s walking sandals share the same features. You will want to stay away from flip-flops for days you plan on spending a lot of time on your feet. Cheap flip-flops break easily and won’t offer your ankles any support!
Choosing a comfortable pair of walking sandals offers your body the support it needs to stay healthy. These are all of the features that you want your walking sandals to have:
Heel Elevation
First, you want sandals that have a slightly elevated heel to them. When your heel is just barely higher than your toes, you can easily turn your ankles. If the heel is too low, you’ll feel pain later in your lower back.
Many of the best walking sandals offer slight elevation of the heel. When wearing them, you want to make sure the heel portion isn’t lower than the toes. You’re sure to feel it later on if they are!
Cushioning and Support
Next, you’ll want to choose sandals that offer a lot of cushions and support. You can tell that a sandal has enough cushioning if you can’t bend it in the middle. These types of sandals give you the support your foot needs the most in its middle arch.
Plus, with good support, your ankles won’t hurt as bad by the end of the day. Proper support helps so much in regards to your health- it’s good for your spine and hips too! The arch better distributes your body’s weight, making everything align better.
The best way to tell if a sandal has enough cushioning is to try it on. You’ll want to take several steps and try to feel if it lessdsens the impact on your feet. For support, you’ll want a sandal that has sturdy straps against the middle and sides of your feet, which don’t rub or slip around too much.
If you can’t try the shoe on, make sure to check out reviews online! Many customers tend to mention if they don’t feel the sandal provided enough support in their reviews.
It Fits at the End of the Day
If you’re trying on sandals in person, make sure that you do so at the end of the day! Your feet are actually the smallest at the start of the day. As you move around, gravity tends to pull fluids into your feet, making them swell.
Plus, you want to make sure your walking sandal still feels great after getting a lot of steps in! The more you walk, the more your feet can swell. You wouldn’t want sandals you plan on walking in often to hurt you before you’ve finished exploring for the day.
Trying the shoe on later in the day will let you know how well it fits. If the sandal feels comfortable in the evening, it’s sure to feel fine in the morning too. However, if it’s too tight at the end of the day, it’s not worth buying as a walking sandal.
Adjustable Straps
Adjustable straps are essential in walking sandals. If you notice that your feet swell during your walk, you can always loosen them. You can also adjust them if you feel the straps rubbing on your feet.
Tightening the straps stops your feet from sliding around in the sandals so you don’t get sores. Straps can provide some more support to your feet too. Finally, adjustable straps make the shoe much more versatile since you can adjust the size slightly as needed.
You’ll want sandals that have a strap over the top-middle of your feet if your feet swell when walking. An adjustable strap across the back of the sandal is better for giving your feet more support, so you’ll want this option if your feet or ankles hurt later in the day.
In short, adjustable straps are a must with a comfortable walking shoe! Getting a sandal that doesn’t have this feature will undoubtedly lead to foot pain.
Soles With Traction
Next, you’ll want to ensure that you won’t slip while walking. You’ll be much more comfortable if you won’t trip and twist your ankle in the sandals! Plus, sandals with more traction on the sole also tend to offer more cushioning and won’t bend as easily.
Added traction is good, no matter where you plan on walking. You can benefit from traction even on smooth pavement, so make sure you don’t skip this feature. Sandals usually feel more slippery than sneakers, meaning you’ll need the added traction no matter what.
If you’ve found comfortable walking sandals but are worried that they don’t have enough traction, there is an easy fix you can use! Rub the bottoms of the sandals with sandpaper. Doing so gives them more grip as you walk and removes the outer coating that makes them feel more slippery.
Durable Materials
Lastly, the best walking sandals should consist of durable materials. You wouldn’t want the straps to snap while walking! Plus, your feet will have more protection from sharp objects digging into the bottom of the sandals.
Leather and thick rubber are great choices. You’ll want to avoid flimsy shoes, however. Leather is the longest-lasting sandal material, although it tends to cost a lot more!
Leather is exceptionally durable and will eventually form to the shape of your foot, making them more comfortable. This feature makes leather best suited for walking sandals.
Choose Comfort Over Fashion
There are plenty of fashionable sandals that you can find, although not all of them will be good for walking. They might not have the cushioning and support that you need. Plus, they might not fit your feet well at the end of the day, causing painful blisters to form.