Water Sandals & Shoes

When preparing for your upcoming study tour, you will almost likely need to plan for being in the water. Immersing yourself in the Bible’s cultural context often finds us immersing ourselves in the water! So it’s important to pack the right kind of water footwear.

There are two kinds of water footwear you can choose from: water sandals or water shoes. NEVER FLIP FLOPS!!! Sandals are more open and generally drain and dry quicker than shoes, but shoes provide more support and protection. We have a video of the different types of water footwear and a few reviews of water shoes to help you decide what might be best for you.

No matter what you choose, be sure to break them in before your trip!

Below is a review of some popular water shoes you might be interested in.

Merrell Hydrotrekker – Staff Pick

The Merrell Hydrotrekker is a fabulous water shoe that could even serve as a lightweight hiking shoe. The double mesh upper has a softer mesh on the inside for a comfortable fit and a sturdier mesh on the outside for more durability. The shoe drains well because of the mesh and also because of a draining system in the sole (see the holes in the soles). With a stiffer heel than most water shoes, toe guards, and reinforced uppers, the Hydrotrekker provides great support which is why we think this might be the ONLY shoe you will need on your study tour with us to the Holy Land.

Rating: 9/10

Purchase on Amazon: Mens | Womens

Salomon CrossAmphibian Swift 2

We reviewed two water shoes by Salomon and the Swift 2 was the best performing. The upper mesh is fairly comfortable but the way the tongue and sides are stitched, they weren’t as comfortable as the Hyrdotrekker. The heel isn’t as rigid either but that might be an advantage to you if you are already planning on packing a hiking shoe. That softer heel allows the shoes to fold extremely flat giving you extra space in your bag for other essentials.

Rating: 6/10

Purchase on Amazon: Mens | Womens

Columbia Drainmaker 4

The Drainmaker from Columbia is the most substantial shoe of the four we reviewed in this round. You can see that it also employs the drainage holes in the sole like the Hydrotrekker so even though there is less mesh in the uppers, the shoe will drain fairly quickly. The Drainmaker is the most rigid of all the shoes so these will definitely need to be broken in – wearing them without socks is not recommended until they’ve softened up a bit. They seem like quality shoes but will be the slowest to dry because of the extra padding and materials.

Rating: 7/10

Purchase on Amazon: Mens | Womens

Salomon Amphib Bold

We love the look of the Amphib Bolds the most out of the four water shoes we reviewed but unfortunately, the praise stops there. These, like the Swift 2s from Salomon, also fold really flat but the mesh upper is the most coarse of the shoes we tested so your toes will rub on the top and get some serious discomfort pretty quickly. Even though the shoe looks like it is a glove (one solid piece of material from sole to sole, the tongue is a separate piece and that overlap can be felt.

Rating: 4/10

Purchase on Amazon: Mens | Womens