Long lasting sandal recommendations?

Not entirely sure where to post this.  This section made the most sense as I browsed through them.

When I was a young man I had a pair of flip flops that lasted me close to 10 years.  I spent 5x what I had ever spent on flip flops and it was well worth it.  In the last 10 years I've been through a lot of flip flops and sandals.  I'm really tired of the "throw away" culture and want something that lasts.  I go barefoot some and should go more often to save ware and tare on footwear so they last longer.

Anyways, I'm just wondering if anyone has found any flip flops or sandals made these days that are very durable.  I put a lot of miles on footwear and do a lot of work in them.  They will likely get dusty and somewhat dirty often which makes me nervous of the Noat and Birkenstocks, but maybe they are exaggerating about keeping them clean?  I can avoid getting them soaked in water fairly easily but I can't avoid the dirtiness.  I'd really really like something that can give me 5+ years if possible.  It's not worth it to spend this much if they only last a year or two.  I can just keep buying disposable ones each year if needed, but I don't want to.  Here are the websites of the brands I'm considering so far.  

https://bedrocksandals.com/
Mostly interested in the Cairn sandal.

https://naot.com/collections/men-sandals
Mostly interested in the Mikael or Julius

https://www.birkenstock.com/us/men/sandals/
Mostly interested in Arizona, but I don't know which one -- they have so many kinds.  Also interested in the Milano and maybe the cheap Eva types for laboring in wet conditions.  I'd imagine the cheap Eva ones don't last very long, but hopefully I'm wrong.

If anyone has any experience with any of these I'd be interested.  I'm mostly looking for durability and longevity, comfort is a second.  I like the idea of the heal strap to hold the sandal on better while going uphills and such, but it isn't necessary I'm used to using lower/mid costing flip flops.

Thanks for any ideas and suggestions.  I'm not stuck on these brands either, if anyone knows of another long lasting sandal or flip flop I'm open.

I have started buying only Aerothotic orthopedic sandals, unfortunately they only make women's sandals.

https://www.aerothotic.com/

Previously, I only bought Sanuk though the sandals made ten years ago are much better than the ones today and that is why I switched brands:

https://sanuk.com/collections/men-sandals-slides

I have never recommended a pair of shoes as much as I have recommended these sandals.

I got them online with a coupon for like 20USD when I was visiting the US. I wore them into the ground, mostly doing long hikes and in the ocean, I wore them on a trip to Wales where we did 12-15k each day, never got even a blister, they were fabulous. After 5 years they looked a bit ratty and I bought a new pair in 2024, which are still going strong and look great.

I bought a women's version of a rope hiking sandal, but they apparently sell men's stuff too. https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/1D225D7C-C0AB-419D-AE75-74273DFD1298?ingress=2&lp_context_asin=B07L5MPXF5&visitId=9a72e3ec-324d-4050-904a-f92f6f5a2bf0&store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brandlogo_sto&ref_=ast_bln

I never expect much from online stores I've never heard of, but this product at least was spectacular.

I've had Sanuk yoga mat flip-flops last me for over at least 15 years (but only intermittent use). With that being said, looks like quality went down according to Tereza. Recently, I bought leather flipflops on Etsy that were handmade from Greece, plastic free. Seem to be of excellent quality. My partner owns a pair very similar to Cairn (sandals, not flip flops) and they seem like they will last forever, at least the nylon straps will. Not sure how comfortable the style is for Cairn model, really depends on your feet.

as someone who chews through shoes, including my almost worn out back sole on my birken sandals,  ive found Tevas or especially Keens seem to have the longest life. im not a fan of the feel of plastic soles so im a bit of a dag and wear socks and sandals, i know i know its so very uncool ;P)

I can completely understand why the permies community might hate my answer but...I have never found longer lasting or more versatile gardening shoes than my Crocs.

Awesome, thanks for all of your replies I'll be looking further in to each of these.  I'd love for more feedback if anyone else notices this thread and wants to chime in.

Anyone have a specific model they like on the brands mentioned?  Is it called model?  Haha, that makes me think of cars and such but I can't think of any better word for it.  Keen and Teva have quite a few.  I tried a Teva flip flop last year and it only gave me about 6 months use.  They were quite comfortable but they didn't hold up all that long.  They weren't their most expensive sandal/flip flop so maybe spending a little more gets higher quality.  I also worry about getting Velcro type straps, seems those wear down too fast for a high quality sandal where those wear down before the rest of the shoe.

A while back, I'd seen some instructions for making Tarahumara (Raramuri) huaraches, using a piece of tire tread for the sole, which looked particularly good.  But, can I spot the instructions, now?  If I do find the auspicious looking instructions, I'll post the link, though instructions abound.  Not sure if DIY is really what you are looking for, in any case, but they looked both tough and repairable.  And, by definition OG ultra-marathon runner grade.

Kevin Olson wrote:A while back, I'd seen some instructions for making Tarahumara (Raramuri) huaraches, using a piece of tire tread for the sole, which looked particularly good.  But, can I spot the instructions, now?  If I do find the auspicious looking instructions, I'll post the link, though instructions abound.  Not sure if DIY is really what you are looking for, in any case, but they looked both tough and repairable.  And, by definition OG ultra-marathon runner grade.

I remember seeing a kit made by a company years back and thought it was interesting.  After you mentioned this I just spent a little time looking at instructions and making notes.  Seems totally reasonable and doable.  I should probably at least play around with it, might be the best solution in the long run really.  Thanks for bringing this up and reminding me on the option!

Still open to more ideas but I'm thinking of trying this out.  Even if I get a new pair from a company this would be a good skill to have.  If anyone reads this and has tried it let me know your experience with it.  One of the things I'm wondering is if I used leather glued to a used tire how long that would hold using neoprene contact cement.

I really like the Keen Daytona II Sandals. I’ve had a pair for maybe a year and a half and they’ve held up great. Keen makes great shoes but they do make you pay for it. (The sandals are like $130 new)

As I check the website it looks as if they are discontinuing them so that’s great. They have a “pre-loved” site for returned shoes at a discount. I’ll add the link for the sandals through that (I bought mine lightly used for $70)

They do have other sandal options that look nice but I have no experience with. I would check them out though as I really do love mine.

Pre-Loved/Used Daytona II Sandals
https://re.keenfootwear.com/productStyle/mens-daytona-ii-sandal---cf9bd610-50b0-52af-988a-1ac26aa10d79?selectedVariants=%7B%22color%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A%229d6d244d-e88d-5620-9327-1d3cb7b0f309%22%2C%22option%22%3A%22Bison%2FBlack%22%7D%2C%22size%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A%22c1baad6f-8647-542a-afe1-af4a3d515d59%22%2C%22option%22%3A%22mens-shoes-7.5%22%7D%2C%22width%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A%228b8db2f3-2f52-56c5-9e94-15b0f0302d4b%22%2C%22option%22%3A%22Regular%22%7D%7D

Keen Sandals page
https://www.keenfootwear.com/collections/mens-sandals

Looks like they have a Slide version of the Daytona II Sandals also only on the Pre-Loved site depending on your size (9.5 and 13) if that’s more your speed

https://re.keenfootwear.com/productStyle/mens-daytona-ii-slide---35547276-633a-5908-9a8a-362dbf0b9d59?selectedVariants=%7B%22color%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A%229d6d244d-e88d-5620-9327-1d3cb7b0f309%22%2C%22option%22%3A%22Bison%2FBlack%22%7D%2C%22size%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A%22ebf92e49-0d9a-5406-97ed-3b59756b9f5e%22%2C%22option%22%3A%22mens-shoes-13%22%7D%2C%22width%22%3A%7B%22id%22%3A%228b8db2f3-2f52-56c5-9e94-15b0f0302d4b%22%2C%22option%22%3A%22Regular%22%7D%7D

The US made rainbows last a long time. They were made to last because the original designer didn’t like seeing broken flip flops all over the beach.

Flip flops are wonderful, but I think sandals last longer. These are considered water shoes by some, but are the most durable, comfortable sandals I've ever owned. Cost was 5 clams at Goodwill, and not so costly brand new.  Going on 5 years now......

my relatives doing mission work in Libya use the used bias ply tire sandals. a takes a lot of labor to make the sole out of tire tread & bands from the sidewalls, but it provides a durable tread for many years. i picked up a pair while in south Baja Mexico a quite a few years back.  i don't wear sandals much anymore, my old feet like the squish of a rubber sneaker. I must be getting soft.

Rico, I've bought multiple pairs of Crocs brand *shoes* that are not the classic croc-type things, and they've been AMAZINGLY durable. (yes, I have a pair of Crocs heeled clogs, and a pair of Crocs fur-lined boots). After taking the dog out in a rainstorm I had to glue a sole back on the boots, but both of these are at least 8 years old and look brand new. They're really well made.