Teva Women's Hydratrek Sandal Review

Functional, comfortable waterproof sandals can be hard to come by. Previous pairs I’ve owned have become slippery when wet (or sweaty) or simply been hardly more comfortable than flip flops. So it was with some trepidation that I set out on a 15km coastal hike — taking in bush trails through the scrub, rock-hopping, and beach walking — to put these babies through their paces.

My feet — and possibly my hiking partner whose suggestion to pack a spare pair of shoes “just incase” had been ignored — were relieved to discover that these Hydratrek performed exactly as
promised.

Firstly, they are comfortable. This is partly thanks to three different adjustable straps per shoe which allow for a precise fit. It’s also due to a well-designed footbed, shaped to the foot and finished with a grippy surface. What impressed me the most was that even when wet, there was hardly any slippage. Walking uphill after a water crossing they stayed snug in place on my feet. I did tighten the heel strap slightly for the uphill, but that only took a second.

The sole was grippy on rock, too. Teva’s website puts it as, “the outsole mimics the nature it’s built
for— taking tree-frog-traction to our own toes.” And while tree frogs might still have an edge over
Hydratrek-wearers, I felt perfectly secure scrambling over rocks in these.

After 15km there was absolutely no sign of blisters or discomfort. My feet felt just as good as if I’d
been wearing my usual hiking shoes — actually a bit better. Wearing sandals meant my tootsies
didn’t overheat, and hiking shoes inevitably fill with sand on stretches of beach walking.

For climbers these are a great option for walking in to the crag, and are lightweight enough to
comfortably clip to your harness for a multipitch. I’d also happily consider them for an easy canyon
or longer hikes. (Honestly, I’d probably also wear them out to dinner with a nice dress, but that
might just be me.)

Five stars from me. The Hydratrek has restored my faith in waterproof sandals.

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