In an effort to replace my worn out, beloved pair of Ahnu sports sandals, which are no longer manufactured, I recently purchased the following shoes, all in size 9M:
Teva Omnium Slate
Merrell Women's J034170 Choprock Shandal Hiking Shoe
Merrell Women's All Out Blaze Sieve Water Shoe
Merrell womens Water Shoe HYDROTREKKER LTR SHANDAL
Brown Oak Women's Closed Toe Outdoor Hiking Water Shoes Sport Sandals
Northside Santa Rosa Sport Sandal
Teva Terra Float Active Lace Wild Dove Womens Sporty Sandal
Note that I have a 2” arch to support in this review. Yes, it really measures 2”. Even the podiatrist was surprised. Okay, here’s the rundown:
The most rugged, most sportlike, and least sandal-like were the Merrells. If you’re looking for stability, support, and good traction, look at Merrell. All of them ran longer and more narrow, particularly in the heel. The Choprock felt lighter and more open than the All Out Blaze or the Hydrotrekker.
The Brown Oak pair felt far larger in general and wider, specifically. My feet flopped around in them. Little molding or cushioning in the footbed; but then, that’s relative to the Merrells.
The Northside Santa Rosa was the most open and least sporty of them all. No molding or cushioning in the footbed. No real support. Scratchy interior. Better protection than open sandals, though.
If you need to seriously lockdown your ankles, look to the Teva Omnium Slate. I liked the security, but it didn’t allow enough space in the instep for me. These took slightly more work to put on with the additional buckle. So, weigh whether you need stability or convenience more.
Finally, and my favorite, the Teva Terra Float Active Lace felt immediately comfortable: soft interior; snug, but not tight; ample support; sufficient space in the instep to allow for an additional ¾ orthotic for arch support; supportive, but not clunky; plenty of breathability; more coverage (in mesh) for the forefoot than my Ahnu pair, which should help keep out debris; sufficient traction for my everyday activities.
Ahnu had been an offshoot of Teva, and is now manufactured by Teva. So, it makes sense that the Tevas were a good replacement for my old Ahnus. I’m grateful I found a pair that would keep my feet comfortable.
From the manufacturer
Hike
From day trips to week-long backpacking treks, we have the best hiking shoes and boots to support your next outdoor excursion.
Merrell exists to help you discover the simple, yet profound power of the trail by providing thoughtfully designed, rigorously tested products that over deliver on performance, versatility and durability.
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
ComfortMerrell believes that doing what you love should feel good, both mentally and physically. We make our products to fit as comfortably as possible. |
DesignMerrell gear is made to look right, feel right and perform right. We go to great lengths to ensure that form, feel and functionality all come together seamlessly. |
DurabilityMerrell stands for durable, high-performance products that last. We build our gear to hold up in the harshest conditions, over, and over again. |
VersatilityMerrell fits a wide variety of people, for a wide variety of adventures. We’re about ground breaking multi-sport technology. |
Reviews with images
Great shoes! Comfortable and rugged.
We went to Costa Rica in November and each got a pair of the All Out Blaze water shoes. I did a lot of comparison shopping, and Merrell has usually done a good job for us in the past so I went with these. They did not disappoint! We wore them every day for 11 days in Costa Rica and hiked, ziplined, rafted, and climbed through canyons and waterfalls with them. They held up great and I even bought a second pair for myself. Very comfortable, good support, no rubbing on the toes, and the soles are nice and thick. They dry pretty quickly, and I love the heavier toe protection. My husband likes his too, and he usually doesn't like wearing anything except regular sneakers, but in Costa Rica we figured it would be too hot for regular shoes, and we were right. We brought these shoes and one other pair of low-hiker shoes and we didn't wear those at all. I can be on my feet all day and not have soreness as I do with other shoe types or sandals in summer. The only thing that may be a negative is that my feet get really sweaty once in a while in these compared to more open water shoe types. Our weather up here in Michigan's UP hasn't been so great this year so far, but on warmer days and into summer I plan to wear these almost every day for hiking, kayaking, work, daily use, etc. I would definitely recommend these to anyone.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2019
We went to Costa Rica in November and each got a pair of the All Out Blaze water shoes. I did a lot of comparison shopping, and Merrell has usually done a good job for us in the past so I went with these. They did not disappoint! We wore them every day for 11 days in Costa Rica and hiked, ziplined, rafted, and climbed through canyons and waterfalls with them. They held up great and I even bought a second pair for myself. Very comfortable, good support, no rubbing on the toes, and the soles are nice and thick. They dry pretty quickly, and I love the heavier toe protection. My husband likes his too, and he usually doesn't like wearing anything except regular sneakers, but in Costa Rica we figured it would be too hot for regular shoes, and we were right. We brought these shoes and one other pair of low-hiker shoes and we didn't wear those at all. I can be on my feet all day and not have soreness as I do with other shoe types or sandals in summer. The only thing that may be a negative is that my feet get really sweaty once in a while in these compared to more open water shoe types. Our weather up here in Michigan's UP hasn't been so great this year so far, but on warmer days and into summer I plan to wear these almost every day for hiking, kayaking, work, daily use, etc. I would definitely recommend these to anyone.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2016
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2017
Top reviews from other countries
Kevin parra
Ottimo
Reviewed in Italy on October 2, 2021Size: 11Color: Grey Dark SlateVerified Purchase
Raquel Gallardo
Como siempre MERRELL es un acierto
Reviewed in Spain on October 29, 2019Size: 6Color: Grey Dark SlateVerified Purchase
fred
Confort et légèreté
Reviewed in France on August 18, 2019Size: 9Color: Grey Dark SlateVerified Purchase
