I'll experiment with a mundane topic.    As most of us wear sandals in Thailand,  think about the practicality.    If I've lost you already, see the arrow in the top left corner of the browser.

 

I want sandals that are light weight, well made, compact, comfortable, durable and tolerable style.  The light weight requirement eliminates a lot of options.    There must be a strap around the heel.

 

I've been using some Karrimor sandals for a few years, not their cheapest, but something like this (first photo below).   My fellow Brits might be sniggering, but despite the brand being owned by budget retail cowboy Mike Ashley, these seem better made than the sandals typically on sale in Thailand.    I tried some once and was not impressed.

It's the only part of my wardrobe that attracts positive comments from bar boys on a regular basis as well.  So why change something that works ?    Karrimor trainers are rubbish, but these sandals have been good.  

Anyway,  after getting some good wear out of these, it's time to move on.  The best 2020 Karrimor sandal has an obvious design defect, so no repeat purchase.

I'm looking at Ecco, Merrel & Columbia.   All have some nice product, well made, light weight and as far as I can tell, the brands have not been sold off to the nearest pound shop, Walmart, or worse still, private equity .     

Slightly more expensive than the Karrimor, but I want something that will last.    When products fail somewhere like Myanmar or Cambodia, it's not much fun choosing from the available Chinese branded products made from polyester or recycled egg boxes.  

Any comments or experience with the robustness of these ?     Or other ideas.      

Try Teva. 

I have the Ecco like in your picture.   They are expensive but for me, worth every penny.  I’ve had mine for about 12 years. Living in South Florida I were them almost every day.   I’ve worn them in many rain storms in Bangkok and Florida. I keep waiting for them to fall apart, but no signs of that happening.    They can be had for $100 to $125 US. 

For last few years I'm using plastic Birkenstocks. Discovered them by accident  and I'm not planning to change to anything else sandals-wise. I already stocked 3 pairs for future use.

Very sturdy, excellent profiled support for the foot, very light and obviously drying very fast. so good as much  for walking around as for shower if one is concerned about cleanliness of shower's floor.

No strap around the heel though

I have worn Columbia river sandals for years. And they wear and wear. 

About USD40 at the Discount Mall. But I see on the Columbia web site that most Sizes are Out of Stock. Only showing Size 12 and 13...

TEVA is also a good choice. But more expensive!!

7 hours ago, GWMinUS said:

TEVA is also a good choice. But more expensive!!

my former boss used to say " you can use cheap whore but never wear  cheap shoes and sleep in a cheap bed "

Thanks for the advice everyone.   It's reassuring to know some of these brands last really well.   

Paying a bit more will work out well in the long run, as long as the product lasts and lasts.   

I went for the ecco, as my second choice colour was available off Amazon at a very reasonable £58.    The dark brown of the Columbia product was not so appealing.      

Unfortunately, the ecco sandals are 639g a pair(Eur size 40), compared with 419g for the Karrimor.    However, they do look like they will last a very long time.

Plenty of time to break them in before the next trip.

I am a true believer in Birkenstocks. I have 10 or more pair. I love them and wear them daily. They are comfortable and relaxing. I even wear Birkenstock inserts in some other shoes.

For the beach, I like Teva.