Top 15% most popular hiking sandals review

We are convinced that the Top 15% most popular hiking sandals has the potential to be a go-to sandal for someone who needs:

• a highly versatile sandal for light hikes, city walks, travelling, camp wear, etc.
• quick-drying footwear for swimming, kayaking, and other water activities
• Number of shoes
• Hoka Hopara 2

If your toes frequently encounter rocks and roots on the trail, you may want to consider a closed-toe sandal instead. The KEEN Newport H2 is a highly-rated option which is a cross-over between a hiking shoe and a sandal.

On the other hand, if your outdoor activities aren't as demanding, you may want to go for a more minimal Teva sandal. The Original Universal is Teva's most lightweight, cheap, and simple model.

For the moderate price of £80, Teva didn't compromise outsole durability in the XLT2. One of our ways to predict that durability is by measuring the hardness of the rubber. 

Using a durometer, we got a reading of 84.5 HC. This is nearly the same as the average of our lab-tested hiking sandals. Thus, we expect an average shelf life from this Teva sandal.

But we also have a more brutal way to test durability...

With the help of a Dremel, we drilled the sandal's outsole for 22 seconds at the speed of 10K RPM.

We then measured the damaged area with a tread gauge. The tool showed 1.43 mm of depth which is a fairly average result for a hiking sandal. We believe that with moderate use, the Hurricane XLT2 is going to last well over one season.

Finally, we measured the sandal's outsole thickness to see how much rubber is guarding the sole. The calliper showed 2.3 mm of rubber excluding the lugs.

This is actually the same amount of outsole thickness as we've seen in hiking shoes.

The Hurricane XLT2 is not the brand's lightest sandal but it sits exactly at the average.

Weighing it in a men's US size 9, we got 10.7 oz (303g) per sandal.

To give you some context, this is heavier than the Teva Original Universal (6.3 oz/179g) but is also way lighter than the closed-toe Teva Omnium 2 (15 oz/425g).

Even though it is a sandal, the Hurricane XLT2 comes with a rather generous amount of cushioning, akin to a hiking shoe. Measuring its stack height with a calliper, we found that it is 30.9 mm thick in the heel! For reference, that's the same stack as in the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX shoe.

Our field tests proved that the XLT2 buffers the impact fabulously, even when hiking for several hours. This sandal is times more cushioned than the popular Teva Original Universal.

This Teva sandal doesn't skip forefoot cushioning either. With a calliper measurement of 19.0 mm, the XLT2 is actually closer to the average of hiking shoes than sandals.

Taking a step in this Hurricane sandal, the heel elevation was very apparent to us. And that's no wonder given its 11.9 mm drop! Aside from the straps, the XLT2 feels exactly like a proper shoe.

This is bad news for those who expect a more grounded, barefoot-like experience in their sandals. If that's the case for you, consider the Teva Original Universal Add a shoe.

It's not very typical for a hiking sandal to have soft cushioning. But Teva makes a very welcome exception in the Hurricane XLT2.

Pressing our durometer against the foam returned 21.6 HA which is a whole 63% softer than the Original Universal sandal! On the foot, that translates to a pleasantly cushy and even a little springy experience.

As for the widest part of the heel, it turned out to be rather average. At 88 mm, it is still rather wide but not exceptionally so for hiking footwear.

What sets the Hurricane XLT2 apart from other Tevas is the presence of arch support.

The sandal comes with a contoured footbed which has a cupped heel and raised arch. It is not as flat as most other cheap sandals. Its ergonomic design makes the platform feel like an orthotic, supporting the arch and keeping the heel secure.

Normally, you have to pay £100-110 for the same kind of support but Teva made it possible at a much more affordable price point.

For that reason, we can recommend the Top 15% most popular hiking sandals to people with flat feet and/or overpronation.

It takes effort to twist the sandal sideways given its stiff midfoot area with embedded arch support.

For that season, we rated its torsional rigidity as 3 out of 5, whereas the super flexible Original Universal sandal only got 1.

Like most Teva sandals, the Hurricane XLT2 is built on a very broad platform. We measured the widest part of its forefoot at 120 mm.

For context, this is almost a centimetre wider than the forefoot of hiking shoes.

A wider landing area is crucial for hiking sandals as they are often worn on rocks, sand, and other uneven terrain to keep you surefooted.

As for the widest part of the heel, it turned out to be rather average. At 88 mm, it is still rather wide but not exceptionally so for hiking footwear.

The Hurricane XLT2 is a flexible sandal. We found that there is enough pliability in its sole to bend naturally with the foot.

But to be more specific, we have put a force gauge to use. According to the tool, it requires a force of 13.7N to bend the sandal to a 90-degree angle.

For reference, it takes hiking shoes 36.4N on average (166% more!).

Using a calliper, we found that the lugs on this Teva sandal are 3.5 mm deep. That's a little deeper than average and is actually comparable to some hiking shoes.

The lugs form a very effective triangular pattern on the XLT2. Our field tests showed that it grips rocks (even wet ones!), loose gravel, and shallow mud very well.

Trying the XLT2 in our regular men's size, we found that the sandal runs a little long.

Yes, this type of footwear is supposed to have some extra sole length to prevent your toes from touching the ground (especially on descents, when your feet are pushed further forward). However, we found that there was too much dead space upfront and opted for one US size smaller in the end. It was just perfect.

All three straps on this Teva model are made adjustable. Yay! You can regulate every Velcro strap to really fine-tune the fit.

There is plenty of space in between the strap attachments to fit all kinds of foot shapes. Measuring the distance with a calliper, we got 101.8 mm. However, you can make that space even bigger or smaller depending on your needs.

Based on our calliper, the strap on top of the instep is 8.2 mm thick. We believe that it's a perfect amount of strap padding to prevent blisters and chafing without adding bulk to the sandal. 

We also highly appreciated the extra pad around the heel. Given how blister-prone this area is, we are wondering why it's not added to every hiking sandal.

An important fact for those hiking in the dark hours. There are no reflective elements on the Top 15% most popular hiking sandals.