My toes and ankles cringe in horror at the very thought of going backpacking in sandals聴regardless of the brand. You聮re just asking for foot problems, from blisters around the straps to stubbed toes to a snake bite to a sprained ankle.
Teva Philter
Teva Philter
Still, I understand your position聴it聮s a warm-weather, light-pack hike. So you don聮t want to carry a lot of extra footwear. You might look into some of the water shoe/light hiker combos out there. Teva makes a shoe called the Philter ($85; www.teva.com) that聮s a real shoe, but made with synthetic materials and loaded with drain holes. So you can walk through a creek and have dry feet again reasonably soon. A neoprene lining keeps your feet warm and fairly chafe-free. Adidas makes a somewhat similar shoe called the ClimaCool Cardrona ($85; www.adidas.com). Neither will offer a lot of ankle support, but if you have stable feet, and the trails are in good shape, you聮ll probably be OK.
Alternatively, you could wear whatever hiking boot you prefer and pack along a pair of neoprene booties. NRS Desperado Socks ($40; www.nrsweb.com) slip right on and off, weigh just a few ounces, and have a grippy sole for traction when fording a stream. They might be the best solution.
The votes are in: , including the year’s hottest light hikers.