I received the Ahnu Del Rey sandals just in time for canoeing and kayaking season. These sandals are great for wading in lakes and rivers, relaxing at the beach and pool, walking in the mall, and day hiking. After a summer of fun, the Del Reys are holding up great and should be good to go for a few more seasons.
The Ahnu Del Rey sandals use a clip in style buckle on webbing to tighten them up on the forefoot. The buckle is sturdy, works well, and provides a quick way to loosen everything. The webbing doesn‘t pull freely through all of the loops, but with a little fiddling, everything works well. A heel strap uses velcro to provide adjustment if the sandals are a bit long.
The Ahnu Del Rey uses Ahnu‘s new Numentum Technology Traverse system in the sole. The soles are designed to keep feet centered and provide a more natural stride. A shock dispersal plate in the forefoot helps to prevent stone bruising and the overall cushioning is good. I like the arch support built into the soles. The sandals have a nice soft feel without being too spongy. Big lugs on the non-marking outsole give plenty of traction. Only moss covered rocks in the stream gave trouble with slipping and those things might as well be coated with Teflon.
A nice and soft, quick drying mesh covers the top of the foot and it feels great. The mesh keeps trash out and blocks sun to prevent sunburn. Rubber toe caps protect your piggies from kicking rocks and other hard objects on the trail. Pull tabs on the heel are handy when putting on the sandals.
My feet range between a 10 ½ and 11 shoe size. The 10 ½ was chosen since socks are out of the picture. This size is perfect and put the arch support in the right spot. These sandals weighed in at a little over 11 ounces each so they are relatively light.
The Ahnu Del Rey sandals worked great for me. They are good for kayaking in warmer weather, are light enough to carry for camp shoes while backpacking, and make a great backup shoe for stream crossings. In areas where I might be backpacking in a lot of water, I‘d just pop these on, get through the streams and walk until my feet dry. Once dry, I‘d go back to hiking boots and walk on. Short day hikes are also very doable in these sandals.
The Ahnu Del Rey sandals have an MSRP of $100 and come in a variety of colors. I like the looks and feel. Considering these are sandals, they offer good protection for the feet. Click here to browse over to the Ahnu website.
Mark
I‘d like to thank Ahnu for providing the Del Rey sandals for testing and review. We at Industry Outsider have limited gear budgets just like everyone else, so being able to pass along useful information like this hopefully benefits everyone.
Those sure look comfy!