Which Sandal Is Right for You?
Compare our models side by side
Whether you’re trail running, keeping it casual with an everyday sandal around town, or going ultra-light on your next thru-hike, our sandal comparison chart makes it easy to pick the best model for your adventure plans.
Key Categories
Weight
Lighter sandals are great for minimalists who like extra ground-feel or when the sandal is being added to your pack for a camp shoe on a backpacking or bike adventure. However, a little extra weight can mean more durability or protection from pointy rocks and sticks if it comes along with some extra stack height.
Stack Height
Lower stack height = more ground feel ; higher stack height = a little more padding and shock absorption, but keeping in mind - these are minimalist barefoot sandals so your foot is still your best tool for shock absorption.
Stack height and weight generally go hand in hand but there are a few exceptions. The Pursuit model can be made just as light as the Perception by choosing the ultralight footbed. The Pursuit would then come to 9mm stack height and 10 oz. while the Perception would be 7mm stack height and also 10 oz. Another exception is the Enigma. This sandal uses a dense rubber that provides added durability, stickiness, and deep lugs for rugged trail and long-distance abuse. It comes in at only 10mm stack height but weight 16 oz as compared to the 12 oz Pursuit with the same stack height.
Sole Material
Different rubber compounds and mold patterns offer tradeoffs in grip, flexibility, and durability.
The Camp Sandal and Intuition use the Vibram Morflex sole which has a moderately soft feel and molds well to the foot. The pattern offers good longevity on pavement and great grip on rocks but doesn’t have much in the way of tread for loose trail surfaces.
The Perception, Onsight, Pursuit, and Insight all use Vibram Newflex. The rubber compound is more dense and the tread is deeper for better traction on loose dirt trail surfaces. While this sole is excellent on trail, the tread will wear down more quickly when used regularly on pavement.
Our Alchemy sandals are built with the Vibram Woodstock sole which is a very similar compound to that of the Intuition sandal meaning it has a softish feel and molds well to your foot. It’s a little thicker and adds some tread to the base for a well-rounded sandal if you want something that travels well from the city to the trail.
Vibram’s Megagrip Zegama sole is the base of the Enigma sandal. This is a dense and sticky rubber with deep lugs. It has the heaviest feel but provides durability and traction unmatched by any of our other models. This model isn’t for ultralight adventures or maximum ground-feel, but it is still well within the realm of minimalist sandals with its flexibility and 10mm stack height (or 12mm if you go for the Guide version).