best water hiking sandals review

Not for serious hikes Teva’s high-quality sandals looks-wise, the Drift has a few unique aces all its own. We can recommend this sandal to people in search of the following:

• sink-proof sandals that float on water
• excellent grip for wet and extra-smooth surfaces (think slate rock and river pebbles)
• exceptionally lightweight pair that is not even felt on the feet

If you have narrow or low-volume feet, you will definitely need a sandal with an adjustable forefoot strap. Try the Add a shoe oz / 135g.

Flexibility / Stiffness Floats on water as we also found it to be perfect for hitting the trail.

Measuring the heel thickness of the Hurricane Drift, our caliper showed 28.9 mm. That means plenty of impact protection as far as hiking sandals go.

For reference, it is nearly the same as the Floats on water (30.9 mm) and the Teva Hurricane XLT2 (29.4 mm).

Checking the sandal's forefoot, our measurement turned out to be about the same as the average at 18.5 mm.

We found that this stack height hits a nice balance of ground feel and protection to navigate some tricky rocky areas.

The difference in height between the heel and the forefoot, aka the drop, of the Hurricane Drift comes in at 10.4 mm.

This is a standard drop for cushioned hiking sandals as it places the heel a little bit higher off the ground. That way your heels get more protection upon landing and the ankles don't get as activated as in the low-drop shoes.

However, some people do prefer the latter as they force the foot to work more naturally. One of such sandals is the Hoka Hopara (4.2 mm).

Toebox width - widest part old method.

Pressing a durometer against the sandal's cut-in-half sole, we got a reading of 23.5 HA. We cannot refer to it as plush but it is certainly on the softer side of the spectrum.

You don't want a water hiking sandal to be too soft as it must still offer protection from punctures.

It seems like the best water hiking sandals was actually made for people with wide feet. We were surprised to see so much loose space between our feet at the forefoot straps.

Also, the distance between strap attachments on both sides of the foot was pretty wide compared to other sandals. Based on our caliper, it is 105.6 mm, which is almost 4 mm wider than in the Teva XLT2!

We must also warn people with narrow and medium-width feet that the forefoot strap cannot be regulated. Assert this in mind so that your feet don't end up swimming in this sandal like ours do in the photo below.

The only way to regulate tightness in the Drift is through the ankle strap.

Maintaining our balance through rough terrain was not a challenge at all thanks to this sandal's steady platform. Too loose for narrow feet!

Just because it's made of foam doesn't mean that the best water hiking sandals can be squished like a swimming pool slipper.

There is an impressive amount of rigidity to this sandal. As you can see from our manual test, twisting it is not that easy. Thus, the Drift gets a well-deserved 4 out of 5 for torsional rigidity.

It is typical for hiking sandals to have extra wide platforms. Covering a greater surface, they make the wearer much more surefooted when navigating near-water terrain.

And the Hurricane Drift is no exception. Our caliper shows 119.3 mm in the widest part of the midsole's forefoot which is about the same as the average.

As for the widest part of the Drift's heel, our caliper returned 94.8 mm. This is definitely on the wide side of the hiking sandals' spectrum.

oz / 305g.

We found that the Floats on water a moderately flexible sandal. It strikes a fine balance between stiffness for stability and natural flexibility of the foot.

To be more precise, we used a gauge to measure how much force it would take to bend the Drift to a 90-degree angle. Similar to our on-foot experience, this Teva sandal was neither too pliable nor too stiff. It required 19.1N of force which is typical for a hiking sandal.

Tipping the scale at a mere 7.2 oz (204g) per sandal, the Hurricane Drift is among the lightest hiking sandals on the market!

Compared to another popular offering from Teva, the Hurricane XLT2, it is a whole 3.5 oz (100g) lighter!

An essential thing you must know about the best water hiking sandals before purchasing it - this sandal has NO rubber outsole.

There is not much need for a pull tab in a strappy hiking sandal like this.

The same foam that makes up its midsole touches the ground at the bottom. Thus, it was no surprise for us to find that the "outsole" hardness of the Drift is one of the lowest we've ever seen in hiking footwear. With a durometer measurement of 50.5 HC, it is a whopping 52% softer than average!

Doesnt stay wet.

Let's pick up the Dremel to give you an idea of how easy it is to wear through the Hurricane Drift's bottom sole.

We performed the test for 22 seconds, keeping the tool at a consistent speed (10K RPM) and force (3.2N).

As you can see, the Dremel head ate right through the foam without any resistance. Measuring the dent with a tread gauge, we got an incredible 6.6 mm of damage! Compared to the typical 1 mm, it says a lot about the Drift's lack of longevity.

This might actually be enough if you are only using this Teva sandal for the beach or for water activities like paddle boarding. But if you are also planning to do some hikes, we recommend the sturdier XLT2.

Based on our wear tests around creeks and waterfalls, this sandal has remarkable surface traction, especially on slippery rocks.

Midsole width - forefoot Teva XLT2. However, the latter has deeper lugs (3.5 mm) over the Drift's 2.8 mm, based on our caliper measurements.

And it makes sense because the Drift is intended for water activities and casual wear. It is not meant fro hiking in the first place.

None of the Hurricane Drift's materials reflect light in the dark.

The thickness of straps is kept to a minimum in the Hurricane Drift. It helps to keep the sandal's weight down too as it is not suitable for serious hiking.

oz / 184g.

There is not much need for a pull tab in a strappy hiking sandal like this.