What are the best quality sandles?

[5KidzRUs]

I am looking at MBT and wondering if they are that good of quality and if there are other brands of sandals that are better to buy. I am looking for something that will last years. I have Birkenstocks and love them, but I am looking for something a little different. Thanks!

Edited December 29, 2010 by 5KidzRUs

[regentrude]

Teva or Keens. They are sturdy and last for several years of rough use.

[Spy Car]

I can recommended handmade leather "Kiwi" sandals. They are made by a one-armed sandal maker named Lee Risler. They are super comfortable and last for years.

 

http://www.kiwisandals.com/

 

Bill

[katemary63]

I'm stuck on Keens or Merrell. I don't think I'll buy another pair of shoes that isn't one of these two. They are just SO comfortable and seem to outlast my expectations.

[snickelfritz]

I love my Keens.

[Dobela]

Ilove my Merrils and my Clarks

[newbie]

birkis

[BikeBookBread]

Love my Chacos.

[Jane Elliot]

Love my Chacos.

 

:iagree:Chacos are even more comfortable and durable than my Birkenstocks ever were.

[Crissy]

I can recommended handmade leather "Kiwi" sandals. They are made by a one-armed sandal maker named Lee Risler. They are super comfortable and last for years.

 

http://www.kiwisandals.com/

 

Bill

 

#85 looks like a better quality version of a sandle I've been searching for!

Thank you for this link, Bill.

[deannajo]

My keens are the most comfortable shoe I've ever owned. I've had this one pair for probably 7 years, I wear them constantly - year round...I've worn them hiking, through creeks and rivers...I've WORN these things, and they still look and feel much like they did the day I bought them.

[5KidzRUs]

Which Keens do you all like?

[Spy Car]

#85 looks like a better quality version of a sandle I've been searching for!

Thank you for this link, Bill.

 

It is hard to tell what good quality these are in the photos, but he uses top-notch leather and a special rubber-like sole that is very cushioning and lasts forever.

 

I've had mine for years and (despite wearing them frequently) there is hardly any wear. I did need a little tightening of the straps after a couple years which he happy did quickly at at no charge. He can also re-sole the sandals, but I have not needed that yet.

 

And Lee is a heck of a nice guy!

 

If you get these I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

Bill

[Crissy]

It is hard to tell what good quality these are in the photos, but he uses top-notch leather and a special rubber-like sole that is very cushioning and lasts forever.

 

I've had mine for years and (despite wearing them frequently) there is hardly any wear. I did need a little tightening of the straps after a couple years which he happy did quickly at at no charge. He can also re-sole the sandals, but I have not needed that yet.

 

And Lee is a heck of a nice guy!

 

If you get these I don't think you will be disappointed.

 

Bill

 

Sounds great!

I usually buy a new pair of sandles each summer. I would sure love to buy a single pair that will last much longer.

[snickelfritz]

The Keen style I have is called Sarasota. I like the stretchy tie. I have a wide arch and this let's me adjust to my foot.

[Sweetbeebie]

Finn Comfort...I've only found one style that I really like and they're wonderful:)

[5kidsforME]

Hands down my Keens! Love them. I have bought the leather ones as well as the canvas type material (forget what it's called!) sandals they have. Although i liked the leather ones, they stretched out. The Canvas ones I wore everyday last summer and they still look brand new. You can through them in the washer and they look good as new again. I do not dry them in the dryer though. They are extremely comfortable.

[Spy Car]

Sounds great!

I usually buy a new pair of sandles each summer. I would sure love to buy a single pair that will last much longer.

 

Thinking back, I purchased these at a street-fair in Venice CA the summer my son turned 2. That was 2006. So they have had 4.5 years of use. And being in California, I wear these sandals very (very) often.

 

My wife (who had his sandals before I did) loves hers, and she was responsible for me getting mine. It isn't often she "insists" on something, but my getting a pair of Kiwi sandals was not "optional" and I'm very glad for it.

 

It is not often in this modern world you get a high-quality hand-made product made at an affordable price and know the money goes directly to the maker. So I like supporting people like this, and the sandals really are top-notch.

 

Bill

[ELaurie]

I wear them until I wear them out, and then I buy the exact same sandal again.

 

They offer great support :001_smile:

[Kim in Appalachia]

I love them. They have great support and they will last a long time. I've had mine for 2 years. The year I bought them I met a young woman who had had hers for 10 years. You can replace the webbing or the soles for $30 if you need to, instead of buying a new shoe.

[AngieW in Texas]

My 15yo wears only Keens.

 

Last year she wore Newport style:

http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss10/shoes/women/trailhead/newport/oil%20green!mimosa

 

This year she has Venice style:

http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss10/shoes/women/trailhead/venice/dark%20earth!%20carribean%20sea

 

Keens are the only shoes that really work for her. Since we live in Texas, she can wear her sandals year-round. She has a pair of emergency backup tennis shoes, but those are only for ice&snow (which we get very little of around here).

 

I couldn't wear Keens because they are made for wider feet and mine are very narrow. I hardly ever wear sandals now because I have custom orthotics for my plantar fascitis and extreme over-pronation.

[Nakia]

Another vote for Chacos! Love them!

[Suzanne in ABQ]

I hated my Chacos. They had a continuous strap system that looped around and around through the sole of the shoe. As I walked, my instep caused the strap to get tighter and tighter around my big toe until it felt like all the circulation was cut off. My toenail would literally turn blue after walking from a parking lot to a store. I'd have to stop every hundred feet or so, and tug at the straps to loosen their grip on my toes! They were terrible. Maybe all Chacos aren't like this, but I honestly can't understand how anyone could wear them.

 

Tevas, on the other hand, are wonderful! I love mine.

[Nakia]

I hated my Chacos. They had a continuous strap system that looped around and around through the sole of the shoe. As I walked, my instep caused the strap to get tighter and tighter around my big toe until it felt like all the circulation was cut off. My toenail would literally turn blue after walking from a parking lot to a store. I'd have to stop every hundred feet or so, and tug at the straps to loosen their grip on my toes! They were terrible. Maybe all Chacos aren't like this, but I honestly can't understand how anyone could wear them.

 

Tevas, on the other hand, are wonderful! I love mine.

 

Oh that sounds awful!! Did you try calling the company for a replacement? I know tons of people who have Chacos, and I've never heard of that problem. They cost way too much to deal with that!

[katemary63]

Chacos for me. I have crummy feet that get sore very quickly, and I do so much better in Chacos than anything else. Keens and Merrills leave me as sore as anything else. Keens were actually so bad for me that after half a day in them at Disneyland, I had to switch to my cheap Target flip flops I had brought for the pool, and wore those the rest of the time at Disneyland. I obviously have weird feet though, as so many swear by Keens (that was why I bought them for Disneyland).

 

Weird, I've worn Keens and Chacos and think chacos don't hold a candle. I could hike for miles in mountains in my Keens. They are AWESOME!

[katemary63]

My 15yo wears only Keens.

 

Last year she wore Newport style:

http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss10/shoes/women/trailhead/newport/oil%20green!mimosa

 

 

This is what I have. I wear them in the house I love them so much. They are BETTER then barefoot.

[Carol in Cal.]

I have plantar fascitis, and my sandals that are best for this are:

 

Dansko, hands down the best support

Fit Flops--really, really good

Tevas--I have an older pair that is very supportive, but they don't make them anymore

And another brand that Dr. Weil recommends whose name escapes me at the moment.

[Snickerdoodle]

Keens. Worth every penny.

[Denisemomof4]

 

It is not often in this modern world you get a high-quality hand-made product made at an affordable price and know the money goes directly to the maker. So I like supporting people like this, and the sandals really are top-notch.

 

Bill

 

I can't BELIEVE what he is charging for HAND MADE sandals. Wow! They do look like excellent quality, from what you can judge from a picture. But the price? Wow! What a find!:thumbup1:

[littlebug42]

My favorite sandals are from Easy Spirit. I have had one pair for now almost 10 years. I am a sandal fiend though and am now going to look at some of these other options before spring.

[sleepymommy]

Love, love, love my Chacos!! They are super comfy and last forever. My first pair lasted me 11 years and I wore them all the time, practically every day for a few of those years and whenever it wasn't snowing the other years.

 

Keens are good sandals too, I have one pair but don't wear them that often. My dh and both ds's love their Keens though.

[mom4him]

I'm stuck on Keens or Merrell. I don't think I'll buy another pair of shoes that isn't one of these two. They are just SO comfortable and seem to outlast my expectations.

I love Merrell. I have had them last 4-5 yrs.