Hurricane XLT2

The Teva Hurricane XLT2 sits right at the intersection of casual water footwear and legitimate day-hiking sandal. It avoids the punishing break-in and sheer bulk of heavy polyurethane platforms like Chacos, while offering vastly better foot support than entry-level flat sandals. Built with recycled polyester webbing straps and an adjustable three-point closure, it locks down securely across the forefoot, instep, and Achilles. Padded heel tabs eliminate the friction hot spots that plagued earlier iterations.

Underfoot, a contoured EVA foam midsole and embedded nylon shank supply enough torsional rigidity to keep jagged rocks and roots from bruising your arches. The Durabrasion rubber outsole carries distinct, directional lugs that bite reliably into loose dirt, river gravel, and slick boat ramps. While EVA compresses sooner over high-mileage seasons than solid polyurethane, it absorbs trail chatter immediately without requiring a prolonged adaptation period.

Weight is modest enough that these lash cleanly to the exterior of a backpacking rig for deep river fords and evening camp duty. The open design inevitably leaves toes exposed to scree and kick hazards, and fine silt can grind under the textured footbed during extended wading. Even so, for warm-weather trail days, paddling, and travel, it remains one of the most reliable and balanced values in open-air footwear.