I want to go sockless but I sweat!

June 29, 2009 2:50 PM

I have sweaty feet and I'm going to need some sandals. Help!

Me and the Mrs. are going to Hawaii in November, for eight days of beach-type bliss. I want to get some sandals for knocking around in while I'm there, but I hate hate HATE flip-flops, and I will probably want to use the sandals I buy for some light hiking/trail walking as well.

The problem is that I have stupidly sweaty feet. Most of the sandals I've been looking at, like these, appear to have a rubberized/plastic-y insole, the use of which is pretty much my body's cue to let the sweat run like Niagara Falls.

I refuse to be the stereotypical Northwesterner and wear sandals with my socks; are there any sport-type sandals out there that have a fabric insole or the like?

posted by pdb to clothing, beauty, & fashion (10 comments total)

This may be an obvious suggestion that doesn't fit your needs, but birkenstocks fit the bill for me, including the hiking in them part. I find them quite easy to clean so they don't get sweaty like other leather/plastic/fabric sandals tend to.
posted by shownomercy at 2:58 PM on June 29

Consider purchasing sandals of your liking, and attaching insoles (like Odor Eaters) to them; or, you can try fashioning your own fabric insoles.
posted by jabberjaw at 3:06 PM on June 29

Teva has some leather sandals with suede bottoms, like these. I have a similar women's pair that I love.
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:22 PM on June 29

I've heard of people applying antiperspirant to their feet, generally to prevent blisters, but if the sweaty thing is such a problem it might be worth a try for you as well. Then you could just get whatever fits most comfortably.
posted by ambrosia at 3:28 PM on June 29

Alternately, you may consider applying an aluminum chloride hexahydrate solution (i.e. Drysol, CertainDri) to your feet a few days before you leave. It will last well past the eight-day trip.

Since you have a few months, maybe experiment with it first and see if fits the bill. I wouldn't apply it more than two nights in a row; your feet will become TOO dry.
posted by Perplexer at 3:28 PM on June 29

Check out Keen Newport H2 sandals. They have an antimicrobial insole that in my experience gets neither sweaty nor stinky.
posted by chez shoes at 3:43 PM on June 29

I got the women's version of these chaco's a few weeks ago, after doing a ton of research, mostly here!

Flip-flops HURT my ankles, my skin gets irritated by the connection points on most Tevas, and I tend to sweat a lot in plasticky shoes. I adore my new sandals. I have had to break in the straps a bit, which was easier to do in...yep, socks. (Yay northwest fashion!) I have a hunch that the not-so-sweaty thing has to do with the patterning on the soles, which I found weird at first but has definitely grown on me.
posted by epersonae at 4:09 PM on June 29

While I love my Birkenstocks (for their comfort and flexibility and determined lack of fashion) and wear them all day every day for as many months as I can get away with, I have to admit that my sweaty feet turn their soles into this weird brown pulpy mush that disintegrates within weeks of ownership. This is not precisely what they mean by "the soles mold themselves to your feet" -- and can result in getting said brown gunk all over things (carpets, sheets, etc.) if I'm not careful. So, if your feet are really, truly sweaty, be aware that wearing Birkenstocks might turn out to be a lot like wearing (comfy!) mud. Also, it's kind of an expensive choice, since the shoes are effectively destroyed by the end of the season. Oh, and I've found that the break-in period for almost every pair of Birks I've owned has been fairly long (on the order of a couple of weeks -- clearly, I find it worth it, though? My own description of these things is starting to make me wonder why I bother...).
posted by obliquicity at 4:40 PM on June 29

Chacos. Chacos Chacos Chacos. Chacos Chacos. Chacaos, Chacos!
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:42 PM on June 29

Uhh and just to chime in again ... by wash, I mean wash the insole THOROUGHLY with hot water and dish soap, then push a clean dry towel in there to get all the water out, then let them dry for a day. There is also a special "birkenstock" brand cleaner you can get and apply in the same way.. Once a week should prevent what obiquicity is talking about .... which for me happens around year 6... YMMV but I really can't stand stuff with rubber soles either.
posted by shownomercy at 6:54 PM on June 29