Most breathable sandals

Breathable but secure uppers? I've used Chaco sandals mostly with socks for mostly walking (did a couple backpacks with them too). The footbed is synthetic but I'll dip them into chlorine every so often. There are also leather foot beds but I find they get hardened after awhile. Add it will come down to how secure you want the sandal to be ("river-guide" style with all the straps or beach with the single strap between 2 toes).

Teva has more open fully strapped designs than Keen does, I think Teva would be your best bet for a "sturdy" sandal.

I like my Xero Shoes Ventures. Perfect for me, I wear them everyday for everything, including hiking, running, and around town, as long as it's over 50F and no snow on the ground. But these are truly minimalist, no support whatsoever. Still, doesn't get more breathable than that.

If you want something open toe and supportive enough to hike in, you might check out Ecco's lineup.
Sizing is hit and miss(and sometimes strap length for whatever reason), but their stuff is wonderfully comfortable if they fit you, and the ones I've had were very durable.
I put on the first pair I had for a river crossing once, and just left them on for another 15 miles. I use the newer Yucatans for casual wear, and another model from a few years back for kayaking, but am not familiar with several of the models I see on their site now.
The Yucatan is not good if your feet are going to get wet, as it is a casual sandal whose sole turns super-slippery and allows your foot to shift with or without socks. The current Cruise sandal is closest to the previous models I've used and loved for outdoor pursuits.

http://us.shop.ecco.com/outdoor-newarrivals/ecco-mens-cruise-sport-sandal-841544.html?dwvar_841544_color=58863

interesting concept that the Xero shoes, however I really dislike anything between my toes ( flip-flop style ).

The ECCO or Teva seem like a good option but is the inner sole material any different than Keen or Chaco?

I wonder if there are sandals with a inner sole made of cork.

These look interesting with a textile sole http://www.6pm.com/nunn-bush-mackie-lake-crazy-horse

The Xero Z Trek doesn't have a toe strap. Over the top straps like Keen's.

http://xeroshoes.com/shop/amuri/ztrek-men/

No firsthand knowledge of these, but a buddy recently wore a pair of Luna trail sandals on a ~35 mile overnight hike. Other than a few shorter day hikes, this was his first extended hike with them and he was super happy with the outcome.

Luna Trail Sandals

cool, just a bit of a ridiculous price for material that cost may be two dollars for a pair.

That's what I thought before I bought mine, too. But I consider the value of things like that, not necessarily price, and the Venture's are my very favorite shoes I've ever owned. But obviously not for everyone.

Sorry, not trying to push you or derail your thread. Just defending my poor little flimsy sandals. :)

.. CCO or Teva …is the inner sole material any different than Keen or Chaco?

Can answer 3 of 4 for the models I had. Chaco's are the heaviest (per pair, …1 lb and change), but the components can be changed out. I replaced the nylon straps and Vibram soles as I enter my second decade in my Unaweeps. The Unaweeps were marketed as having a good heel for backpacking and they worked really well until reaching a mud/horse-poo puddle with drop-offs on either side (though mostly mesh shoes may have similar problems, but I digress). Tevas are a bit lighter but their spyder sole is supposedly stickier as these were meant for rafting. Did a couple backpacks in these OK. I ordered a pair of Keen Newport sandals (not shoes) for an assignment in Central Asia several years back as the path to the showers had huge toe gashing rocks; they worked out fine. Have to pause a bit over shaper pointy rocks. They need to get tossed after wearing out though.

Yes, Huaraches seem expensive. I also paid a ridiculous amount for my Lunsandals Oso. But: I love these things and wear them as often as I can. On a roadtrip through southern California about two months ago, I barely wore anything else. Car driving, sight-seeing and day-hiking, they excelled at everything.
Plus, those things are all american-made, not by underpaid workers in horrible conditions somewhere across the globe. I just think that should be taken into consideration when arguing about pricing.
That being said, I totally get if somebody is not willing to pay $100 for a pair of sandals…

“I have looked into Keen because I like the hard sole and sturdiness but I have read that they are not as breathable also because of the toe box is rather closed.
Do you have any suggestions of sandals that are made with a more breathable material?”

Of course. I’ll point out I had athlete foot most of my life. Then it totally disappeared when I switched to sandals. No more powder or smell! The sandals I work in (Teva Tera Fi) are also the same sandals I backpack in (and play basketball and tennis). I also wear a Teva Northridge at home; but they quit making those! But someone mentioned the Xero Shoes. Hmmm…. I’ll have to check out that Z-Trek sandal (nothing between the toes).

I wear black sandals with black socks so no one can readily tell I’m wearing sandals. And I need to wear socks or my feet sweat big time underneath, and I’m more prone to get a blister on long walks.

Yes, some sandals make you sweat more than shoes so you have to be careful with what material is chosen. And some sandals are heavy!
I do like the Teva’s because of their spyder rubber. I can walk up wet sloping granite and stick like a spider. I would be wary of any shoe with vibram soles. They get hard and slick when cold and wet.
And I like Teva’s because their sole is wide (though my foot is narrow). That combined with their straps minimizes ankle twists.
And the Tera Fi’s are thick enough so I don’t lose or gain heat from the earth. This is well appreciated in the winter (or other cold days) when I’m trekking across ice/snow packs.

May everyone find their sole,
-Barry
-The mountains were made for Tevas

I made my own huaraches. I really like them. If I bought Lunas I'd get the extra tech strap that they sell. I bought a pair of tech straps for my homemade ones and they really help make them feel more secure. You can make something similar with some cording, too.

I find that Tevas get kind of sweaty under foot. Chacos get less sweaty. Keens are really more shoes than sandals and they are horrible to hike in. Stuff gets in and doesn't get out. And I have never fallen more than when I wore keens to hike in because they have no traction. I'll be walking along and suddenly I'm impaled by a yucca bush by the side of the trail.

Another option is to get some handmade leather sandals, not sport sandals. Some options:

https://www.pipersandals.com
http://www.nativearth.net/sandal.html
http://www.islandsandals.com
http://www.paultaylorsandals.com

I have some sandals similar to the native earth ones. I made them myself. They are the absolutely most comfortable sandal I've ever worn. You do not feel the thing between the toes at all. There is no chafing from straps or anything like that.

"Yes, Huaraches seem expensive. I also paid a ridiculous amount for my Lunsandals Oso. But: I love these things and wear them as often as I can. On a roadtrip through southern California about two months ago, I barely wore anything else. Car driving, sight-seeing and day-hiking, they excelled at everything."

How's your Oso tread doing? I have the Venado and Leadville Pacer, been looking the the Skinny Bear (Oso sole, leather top) for mixed terrain. I know the Leadvilles will wear fast on the pavement, wondering if the Osos are the same.

After about six months of irregular on/off use (a few dayhikes but casual wear mostly), my Osos show a little wear below the balls of my feet but the tread is still intact.

I tried making a picture, I hope it helps somehow:

Overall, I'm still very happy with my Osos and despite the fact that I use them for casual wear primarily, I don't regret choosing them over the Mono. They're not too stiff or anything and I really like the superior traction.
I tried hiking with them in the steep Berkeley hills and while it's absolutely possible, I would not want to use them in demanding terrain for a prolonged time. Albeit very comfortable, eventually the straps (especially heel) start to hurt a little. The tech-strap, however, greatly reduces the stress on the "in-between-the-toes"-spot on downhills. But as I said, portions of the Berkeley hills are crazy steep (as in: I hate walking those with any footwear) and for more moderate inclines, I like using the Osos a lot. I feel like my footing is more precise in comparison to any other footwear which is due to the excellent responsiveness (I guess the technical term is proprioception) while still maintaining protection from painful, sharp rocks.

Another thing I noticed walking a lot in sandals for multiple days in a row, is that your feet produce a lot of calluses that can sometimes develop into foot-pain. A phenomenon resulting from the fact that sandals are TOO breathable, as Ray Jardine also described in his book. I could easily mitigate the issue using one of those sandpaper-like heel scrubs and some heel balm. However, for multi-day hikes it's probably advisable to consider wearing socks (as Joe from Zpacks does).

be careful if you make a switch from "normal" footwear to some of the 0-drop, ultralight sandals being recommend here. if you plan on wearing them for an extended period of time, many if not most will require a break-in period for their foot and stride to get accustomed to the minimal support, padding and 0-drop. if you heel strike first you may need to migrate to a forefoot, midfoot strike or experience some impact stress. if you haven't hiked in sandals the keen's have the rubber toe and firm foot bed for a reason. catching a big toe on a root or feeling sharp rocks through the foot bed of your shoe is not fun.

other than when shoes are absolutely needed (if you look under my desk right now, i am barefoot in my office at work), i spend my time barefoot, wearing a pair of merrell trail gloves (worn sans socks) or adidas pool slides with the nubs under your feet. the trail gloves, while a fully enclosed shoe, have a mesh upper that breaths extremely well, wicks moisture away from your foot and a dries quickly. the trail glove also has a rock plate which makes them more comfortable for trail wear. the adidas are great for around town, with air circulation both above and below the foot. i wear mine in the winter (except when my kids aren't around because it embarrasses them) with heavy wool socks. i also have a pair of keens that i wear when appropriate. the thick sole, secure fit and toe protection come in handy if i want to wear a sandal and have foot protection.

P.S. you should anticipate having very dirty feet all the time. my suggestion, if you don't already have one, is to get yourself a long handle scrub brush for the shower. you will need it.

Thanks for the picture. I'm using the traditional laces (Tried them all except ATS and 3/8th leather, hemp works the best so far) and once I get the lacing dialed in, I only have minor discomfort between the toes on steep downhills occasionally. I am developing calluses on the outside of my heels, no pain though. "be careful if you make a switch from "normal" footwear to some of the 0-drop, ultralight sandals being recommend here. if you plan on wearing them for an extended period of time, many if not most will require a break-in period for their foot and stride to get accustomed to the minimal support, padding and 0-drop. if you heel strike first you may need to migrate to a forefoot, midfoot strike or experience some impact stress. if you haven't hiked in sandals the keen's have the rubber toe and firm foot bed for a reason. catching a big toe on a root or feeling sharp rocks through the foot bed of your shoe is not fun. " Had minimal Inov8s/New Balances and maximal Altra zero drop shoes for a while so I transitioned pretty quick with the foot strikes. I get some foot pain in my Altras but it all goes away when I wear my Luna sandals. Ironically I haven't stubbed my toes while hiking but have in my house on my bed frame after I bought my Lunas.

I live in Keen H2 sandals this time of year and I bike in them, but they trap small pebbles and the toe caps make it impossible to shake them out; otherwise, they have good traction, don't develop odors, have good support and they do protect my toes. Many Teva models use the zinc-based Microban treatment that is anti bacterial and anti fungal. It is easier to shake the pebbles out, but lack the toe protection and the straps need some break in, or rather my feet do. I would not bike in them. Most cost less than Keens too. I've tried Chacos and found them heavy and stiff, not to mention the cost.