Seaworthy Sandals for Salty Senoritas
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HO W W E T E S T E D Seaworthy Sandals for Salty Senoritas Sport sandals from Keen and Columbia topped the test field in comfort and grip—wet or dry. From left, above: Keen Venice H2, Keen Whisper, and Columbia Kaweah. A look at functional footwear for those with active, amphibious lifestyles. t’s challenging to remember a world brid shoe market into a lifestyle. TEVA ITUNDA Iwithout sport sandals, but the per- Five of the sandals were closed-toe, In 1984, a young Grand Canyon river formance sandal is a somewhat recent which we prefer because open-toe san- guide revolutionized the footwear in- invention, having only been around dals increase the wearer’s risk of tripping dustry when he created the world’s first 25 years. Sandals have grown from as a sheet or deck hardware can easily sport sandal and the Teva brand. simple pieces of leather in Biblical get caught between the toes and the The women’s Itunda sport sandal times to high-performance, water-re- shoe sole. All of the sandals had straps borders on “shoe” with its enclosed toe sistant footwear with toe protection, across the heel and a supportive, rein- protection and sturdy frame. The sandal reinforced bedding, and heel bind- forced sole. features a quick-drying, breathable syn- ings. Today, sandal construction often Although the difference between thetic and NuFoam upper, and Teva’s includes drainage systems, all-terrain what is a shoe and what is a san- patent-pending drainage system in the traction, and anti-microbial applica- dal shrinks every time a new model topsole and midsole. A series of drain- tions that retard the growth of bacteria emerges, Practical Sailor jumped into age ports with mesh screens allow water and fungus. the sandal test differentiating sandals to escape directly through the bottom These delightful technological ad- from sailing shoes with a clear defini- of the shoe while preventing rocks or vances come with a price: The average tion of sandals: “We know them when debris from entering. These ports also price of the women’s sandals we tested we see them.” allow air to flow through for ventilation this go-round was about $82, with sev- Testers weighed construction qual- and comfort. eral ringing in at $100. ity, test performance, features, and The sandal has adjustments on the price. Find out how we evaluated odor forefoot and instep closure and blended WHAT WE TESTED resistance and traction in “How We polyurethane/EVA in the outsole. The For this review of women’s sailing san- Tested” on page 27. Men in the market bottom features Teva’s Spider Rubber, a dals, we set out to find a shoe that was for new sailing sandals can expect that non-marking rubber designed for good comfortable wet or dry, one that didn’t the men’s versions of these designs will traction on wet or dry terrain. absorb water, provided traction and have the same performance as far as Testers found the Itunda to be well- support, and is built to resist the odors grip and construction. Teva Itunda made and comfortable. Rated typically associated with boat shoes. Testers spent some time Excellent overall, it was a top- We looked at eight designs from four decoding the shoe-industry scorer in the grip tests. Testers makers: Teva, Keen Footwear, Columbia lingo and found that most actually quit testing before the Sportswear, and Sperry Top-Sider. of today’s performance shoe slipped in the wet teak grip Sperry is synonymous with boating sandals use a blended poly- test, as the testing angle grew shoes, while Columbia is a prominent re- urethane/EVA material in dangerously steep and the shoe tailer of outdoor shoes and clothes. Teva, construction. For help de- was still holding steady. more or less, invented the sport sandal, ciphering the vocabulary, The Itunda retails for $100 and Keen turned the amphibious, hy- see “How We Tested.” and comes in four colors. 26 JULY 2010 WWW.PRACTICAL-SAILOR.COM HO W W E T E S T E D Gauging Grip, Fit, and Funk-fighting Ability e followed a similar testing protocol and rating guide- coolrunning.com.) Many of Wlines for the women’s sailing sandal as we did for the the shoes we tested used a men’s (PS, June 2007) and women’s (PS, July 2007) boat shoe blended polyurethane/EVA tests. We evaluated each shoe on comfort, construction, foot material in construction. protection, traction, and water retention. To assess comfort, Running shoes are usually we had a group of female testers wear each pair of sandals for made with these foams, an extended period of time and walk close to a mile in each which are relatively light- pair, and then rate the sandal on comfort. We then averaged weight, shock absorbent, the testers’ ratings. flexible, and highly durable. The grip ratings were determined by using a traction-testing EVA is a copolymer or device based on inclined teak and nonskid fiberglass panels. cross-linked foam made of PS’s homemade grip testing We started each pair at an inclined angle of 20 degrees and ethylene and vinyl acetate. It device allowed sandals to be progressed to greater inclines (30, 35, 40 degrees) to find out is made up of thousands of tested on wet and dry surfaces. when each would lose traction with a tester wearing the sandals. foam cells that contain air or We repeated the process with fresh water streaming down the gas. When you compress (walk surface (via a hose). For an overall grip rating, we averaged the on) EVA foam, the gas gets pushed out and then sucked back results from the four tests. in. Repeated impacts result in the EVA losing some resilience. To We also wet the sandals with salt water and put them in a compensate, shoemakers use a compression-molded EVA mid- black plastic bag for a week to assess their resistance to odor sole. This helps the EVA last longer and also provides structural and bacterial growth and stains. integrity to the midsole. The sandals were all well-made, drained easily, didn’t retain Polyurethane can be heavier and denser. It is excellent foam, water, and dried easily. but it tends to have less “bounce” or rebound than EVA. To gain a better understanding of shoe construction, we took Today’s best activewear shoes are often made with a combi- a look at industry lingo—specifically in the footbed construc- nation of polyurethane and compression-molded EVA, drawing tion. (We got a little help from the folks at Cool Runnings, www. the benefits from both materials into one midsole. Bottom line: This shoe- which apparently made KEEN VENICE H2 like sandal brags of a lot of all the difference, as the Keen, with its signature black toe bum- fancy technology and lives Tirra didn’t hold as well per, launched a line of hybrid sandals in up to its claims. Com- in the grip tests. 2003 that found a ready market in the fortable and versatile, the The open-toe Tirra sailing world. Itunda shared top ratings sandals, which are offered The Venice H2—as well as the oth- in comfort and grip. Typi- in seven colors and retail er two Keen models we tested—have cal of the Teva brand, it is for $70, offer multiple ad- compression-molded EVA midsoles not as flashy as some of the Teva Tirra justment options for a se- and footbeds built around the overall Keens and Columbias, but it cure, custom fit for different shape of the foot with special emphasis definitely gets a recommendation. types of feet. However, more than one on the toe. tester found that the straps, which fit The Venice also has washable, poly- TEVA TiRRA high on the ankle for better support, ester webbing uppers that can be ad- The Tirra has a less-chunky look than rub along the bones. The sandals rated justed with an elastic cord and plastic the Itunda with thin, feminine straps a Good in the grip test. toggle lacing system for a comfortable wrapping around the foot for support Teva products are warranteed to and secure fit. The design uses environ- and custom adjustment. Like the Itun- provide normal wear and be free from mentally friendly, antimicrobial tech- da, the Tirra has Spider Rubber soles, defective materials or faulty manufac- nology that helps Keen Venice H2 a reinforced heel cup, and microban turing for one year from the date of prevent odor, zinc built into the shoe—an environ- purchase. Any products beyond one staining, and mentally friendly zinc technology that year will be evaluated on a case-by- deterioration. fights the growth of odor-causing bac- case basis. I t s o p e n teria and fungus, according to Teva. The Bottom line: This sandal trades strapping sys- company says the built-in anti-micro- some of its performance and protection tem allows bial protection won’t wash off or wear for looks—a balance each sailor has to for plenty of away. The Tirra’s sole was similar to the weigh. The Tirra performed respectably, ventilation, Itunda in everything except the siping, but testers couldn’t get the fit right. and its grippy, PRACTICAL SAILOR JULY 2010 27 APPAREL A CLOSER LOO K VALUE GUIDE WOMEN’S SANDALS FOR SAILING RATINGS GRIP TEST* MAKER / MODEL PRICE ODOR FOOT DRY WET DRY WET COMFORT TEST PROTECTION GRIP TEAK TEAK NONSkiD NONSkiD COLUMBIA KAWAEH $ $75 Good Plus Good Open toe, soft sole Good Plus 35 45 35 35 COLUMBIA KAWEAH FLIP $60 Fair Good Open toe, soft sole Good Plus 35 45 35 35 KEEN HYDRO GUIDE $100 Good Excellent Closed toe, hard sole Good Plus 40 40 35 35 KEEN VENICE H2 $95 Excellent Good Closed toe, hard sole Excellent 40 45 40 35 KEEN WHISPER $85 Good Plus Good Closed toe, hard sole Excellent 40 45 40 35 SPERRY WAVE RUNNER $69 Good Fair Closed toe, soft sole Fair 40 40 30 20 TEVA TIRRA $70 Good Excellent Open toe, hard sole Good 35 40 40 40 TEVA ITUNDA $100 Good Excellent Closed toe, hard sole Excellent 40 45 40 40 Best Choice Recommended $ Budget Buy * Highest angle at which the shoe was able to maintain traction.