Summer soles Sport sandals offer cool support and steady foundations for mountain climbers

If you’re like me, you enjoy hiking all year. In the snow, the rain, the sun. But let’s face it, there’s nothing more satisfying than jaunting up a mountain on a summer day. Give me the sweat, the sunburn, even the black flies – followed by a plunge into a cold lake at the end. Does it get any better than that?

Well, yes. Two words: hiking sandals. We’re not talking flip flops here but substantial footwear that lets your dogs breathe while still providing support, protection and traction.

In the last two months, I have tested four top brands of hiking sandals: Teva, Chaco, Merrill and Keen. I chose them for several reasons: local availability, reputation, recommendation, functionality and appearance. They cost between $80 and $100 – worth every dollar. The night before I wrote this story, however, I strolled through the mall (wearing my favorite hiking shoes – read on for the name – but suffice it to say that good hiking shoes also make good shopping shoes). As I perused stores, I found many, many good knockoffs that cost as little at $20. I can’t vouch for their quality, but they feel and look much like the more expensive ones I researched. A woman I stopped told me she bought her hiking sandals at one of the big box stores. She also confessed that she uses them more for kayaking than for hiking, and that’s a big distinction.

And one that I want to emphasize. For our purposes, this is less Mt. Katahdin and more Acadia National Park, Bald Mountain in Dedham, Great Pond Mountain in Orland or parts of the Appalachian Trail. These are medium to small hikes, but ones that nevertheless demand solid footwear even if it’s lightweight, as all these shoes are.

Furthermore, my research was really about finding the right hiking sandal for my foot. That may or may not mean your foot. But that raises another important issue: Hiking sandals are a personal choice, as distinct and instinctive as, well, your own footprint. I wanted sandals to accommodate the peculiarities of my feet: narrow middle, broad tops, a bunion on one foot, cranky baby toes on both feet. Also, I’m no longer at an age where I can justify breaking in shoes. They have to be perfect from the first step, especially hiking sandals, where so much can go wrong in the short span of a hike.

Remember, what’s right for my foot may not be right for yours. This was emphasized again and again by sales people I spoke with. For instance, as much as I wanted to, I’ve never been able to wear Tevas. For most people, this is the hiking sandal that set the standard for the genre. It was an innovation of the early 1980s, and is still one of the most popular on the market for outdoor sports, especially if water is involved. We have Teva to thank for the mainstream availability of hiking sandals.

That said, Teva – pronounced TEV-ah – has never quite worked for my bunion-challenged feet. The front strap hits me in all the wrong places and the heel holder comes up too high for my comfort. If you’re used to Tevas as a water and all-around outdoor shoe, however, consider the more cushioned Teva Trail Wraptor style, the Cadillac of the line with a 360-degree continuous strapping system and padded straps, as your next hiking purchase. The durable Traction Rubber soles mimic hiking boots more closely than any other sandal I found.

Teva, however, has some serious contenders in the field these days.

For instance, the Merrell Outback, with a padded heel strap and Vibram soles. Again, it was the wrong style for me. I asked a mother of 3-year-old twins to test this sport sandal, and she gave it a thumbs-up. After all, the demands on her feet come as close to climbing mountains as any day hike. So she was the perfect judge. “They are an excellent shoe for bearing a heavy load,” she said. “I felt I had plenty of support. Plus they were comfortable.” The only drawback, she said, was after three days of walking and carrying kids, the shoes started to chafe on the outside of the lower joint of the big toe. It was slight, but just enough to suggest that she might have run into trouble on a longer trek.

If I had to describe the look of both the Teva Wraptors and the Merrell Outbacks, the words orthotic and geriatric would come up. But my tester disagreed. “They’re attractive,” she said of the lime-and-violet colored Outbacks, “especially if worn with jeans and toe-nail polish. They could even look elegant with black or white linen pants.”

OK, so that’s a style.

The point is: Merrells are right for moms and hikers. They also address one of the biggest complaints about sport sandals: Sooner or later, they stink. Merrell, however, has engaged the latest foot-odor technology by using Microban, an anti-microbal foot bed that helps inhibit bacterial growth and odor.

That’s also true for Keen Footwear’s Newport H2 – and here we are getting into my territory. I hated these shoes when I first saw them on a colleague who wears a brown leather version to work (with socks, no less). They out Birkenstocks for ugliness. But when my own pair arrived in the hip plum-and-goldenrod color, I felt like Cinderella – in a nouveau crunchy sort of way. Soft and flexible in the sole, yet protective of toes, the Newports quickly became my daily shoe. I, too, wore them to work (without socks), and I admit to feeling spritely on my feet.

More important, I wore them up Blue Hill Mountain. The Keens are as close as you get to hiking barefoot while still having major support, made possible by an adjustable pull-strap. If you’re used to open hiking sandals, the Keens make take a little getting used to. After one day, I was sold on them, but it took the entire day. I recommend Keens for less demanding hikes, particularly if you have a low-riding fifth toe that can get caught in the polyester or leather webbing. These might be the perfect shoe for hikes that involve rocky climbing and wet riverbeds. They dry quickly – whether on the trail or after a whirl in the washing machine.

As complete as my Keen conversion was, the sandals still rank as the No. 2 shoe in my survey. No. 1? Chaco Z2. It wins the All-Around Best Summer Hiking Sandal Prize. With a hardy Vibram sole and three simple yet sturdy straps plus a toe loop for support, the Z2 gave me the most security, comfort and aeration. Full disclosure: I stumbled upon Chacos about five years ago, when a friend left her Z1s (without the toe loop but still effective) mistakenly at my house, and I wore them for several days. Ever since, I’ve been climbing, working and touring in Chacos, which have a high arch, a long foot bed and a form-fitting adaptability. “That’s what make it a good shoe,” said Merri-Beth Bumpus, a manager and master sports-shoe fitter at Epic Sports in Bangor. She happens to agree with my choice. “You can make modifications for comfort as your foot expands during the day. It has the sole of a hiking boot and an aggressive tread pattern.”

With the Z2 (as opposed to the Z1), I was sure the additional toe loop would be annoying, and it was at first. But once I got the hang of how to adjust the straps – no Velcro like Tevas, no snaps like the Merrells – I was in foot heaven. I’ll wear the Z2 every day this summer, on trail and off. My old Z1s, still alive after all these years, make good garden shoes now. I could even have them re-soled and re-webbed if I wanted. (Mark Paigen, the white-water guide who designed the first Chaco and is president and CEO of the company, also has impressive recycling standards for his product.)

Drawbacks? An occasional pebble will force me to stop and clear the foot bed, but that’s a small inconvenience compared to how easy it is to rinse these shoes under a hose and carry them in your work tote (for those lunch-hour urges to hit the peaks). Chaco hasn’t yet mastered the foot odor problem, but the shoes are easy to wash. Epic sells Sandal-Suds, a sport sandal cleaner, deodorizer and sanitizer. But I’ve often tossed my Chacos into the wash or scrubbed the soles with soapy water. It helps.

The Z2 wins, but each of these hiking sandals – and probably many others – carries a promise for your foot. Look for a good sole. And then be a good soul with every upward step you take.

Alicia Anstead can be reached at 990-8266 and aanstead@bangordailynews.net.

What to look for in a summer hiking sandal

1. Make sure the sandal fits. Your toe should sit back slightly from the tip. (This is the best reason for purchasing hiking sandals from the experts at outdoor gear stores such as Epic Sports in Bangor and Cadillac Mountain Sports in Ellsworth or Bar Harbor.)

2. Make sure your unique problem areas aren’t cramped or stressed.

3. Look for solid yet flexible treads and straps, which allow adjustments for tightness and foot shape.

4. Know your hiking habits. If you want to wear hiking sandals for swimming, choose a lighter-weight style. If you’re hiking, go for a more substantial body.

5. Test the heel and ankle support for ease of movement and potential chafing.