Why we chose them: Comfortable, practical, good eco aspects

From our experience, when you hike in a pair of sandals that aren’t made for the trail, you tend to realise it right away. A lot can actually go wrong with a pair of sandals, but one of the main issues tends to be your feet not being held in place.

Fortunately, with the Lizard Super Hike, that’s never going to be a problem. These things really do lock your feet in place – and comfortably, we should add. That’s thanks to the way the straps are designed, with Velcro tabs for three-point adjustment – that’s at the ankle, heel and then at the toes. We also found that the leather lining underfoot plays a huge role here as it grips well even when your feet are a bit sweaty or if you’ve just had to cross a river or waded through a rockpool.

Lizard, in case you’re not already familiar with them, was founded in the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy back in 1992 and still to this day, their sandals are all made within the region. One thing they pride themselves on (like most of the Italian footwear brands, actually) is their ability to make products that stand the test of time, and we’d testify to that. Just read OM editor Will’s tester’s verdict at the bottom of this article. OK he only had one summer of use out of these, but he says they barely left his feet over a period of three months and they held up remarkably well.

“I’ve loved how reliably they hold my feet in place.”

That’s the kind of thing we look for from outdoor gear here at Outdoors Magic: kit that lasts – and that saves us having to buy more kit. From a sustainability point of view, that’s the best thing a brand can do. It also helps that Lizard have chosen to use some recycled materials here, with at least 30% recycled Vibram rubber used on the outsole and then an EVA foam at the midsole made from 20% recycled content.