No matter where your preferences land on the Toes Out spectrum, the best sandals for men will persuade you to embrace a barely-there summer slip-on. Why? Simple: we’re living through a golden age of sandals. You know, the most seasonally-appropriate, sweat-staving, feet-saving, oft-dismissed footwear in the game. Short memories will say otherwise, but sandals have a checkered past in menswear. They’ve been portmanteau’d, disparaged in song lyrics, and associated with many a polarizing figure, but that’s unfortunate for both our dispositions and our outfit prospects because we shouldn’t fear the sandal. We should embrace the sandal.
And thankfully, that particular Overton Window—sandals for dudes—has increased substantially in the past few years, expanding well past the narrow corridor between slides and thongs. But with a surging category comes a cascade of options, and the Sea of Sandals is vast and varied and, at times, hard to navigate—which is why we’ve done an exhaustive survey of what’s out there. So we put all of our feet together and looked at as many sandals as we could, tested each one for good measure, and distilled them down to the best of the best.
The Best Men’s Sandals, According to GQ
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Best Sandal Overall: Birkenstock Arizona Sandal
It’s best not to mess with perfection, and the Arizona is as close to perfect as sandals come. Originally released in 1973, the Arizona was Birkenstock’s third shoe ever—and first crack at a two-strap design—and they haven’t made many changes since, because they nailed it out of the gate. The iconic iteration features two adjustable suede (or leather) straps atop a super comfy cork footbed that molds to your foot with each wear, and a rubber outsole for added traction and an overall smooth ride. They look great with shorts, with pants, with socks or without, and are the rare sandal that can handle some serious summer miles without wrecking your feet. In other words, the only sandals you need, every day of the week. (Oh, and if you’re *really* trying to maximize comfort, make sure you get the Soft Footbed.)
“I’m an avowed Boston-wearer—I (literally) wear through a new pair every year—but it was actually the Arizona’s that made me fall in love with the pillow-soft cork footbed and the slightly bulbous toe box,” says Style Commerce Writer Reed Nelson. “Even after adding a few other sandals to the quiver, there’s none that I wear more consistently (or more recklessly) than Arizona’s, and they’ve yet to let me down.”
Best Indoor/Outdoor Sandal: Keen Uneek Sandal
As its name implies, the Keen Uneek is one of the more inimitable sandals out there. For starters, it’s got as much sneaker DNA coursing through its veins as it does sandal—particularly in regards to the grippy outsole and bungee lacing system—but due to an upper made almost entirely of cords and an open back, it also wears like a sandal, albeit an impossibly comfortable, super supportive one. Do they dress up? Not really, but that’s not the point. Think of these instead like a specialty shoe with everyday aspirations. Or maybe just like a hammock, but for your feet.