These are the cheapest sandals tested and the second lightest. They perform as well or better than any of the others and are the ones I chose to use on the TGO Challenge. Made from synthetic materials they are quick-drying, as I found after walking through streams and bogs. The footbed has a pattern that helps the feet stay in place without being noticeable. When wet my feet didn’t slip in the sandals. Only when there was slime on the footbeds (from the bogs) did they feel a little slippery and this soon dried once I was back on dry ground. The sole is slightly curved with a raised edge to the heel, which also helps keep the foot in position and helps protect the toes. The heel is well-cushioned but the forefoot cushioning is thinner than on most other sandals. I didn’t notice this on the hills but did on a long hot day on a paved road, after which the balls of my feet felt sore. The tread is reasonably deep and grips well. I wore the sandals on a wide variety of terrain – wet and dry rocks, pebbles, soil, heather and grass plus mud and even, a few times, snow. The only time I slipped was on wet moss-covered smooth rocks and then it was the moss sliding that was the problem. I think I’d have slipped in any footwear!
The uppers fasten with two Velcro straps. These are quite long and should adjust to any foot size. There was plenty of room for my wide feet. The straps grip the feet quite well and are quite firm, which is helped by the connecting sections between the heel and forefoot straps. The neoprene lining is soft against the feet and I had no problems with rubbing.
