I couldn't disagree with this more. And that fact that I vehemently disagree w this thought, just goes to show it is truly a personal preference. I have used the Simms Keen River Sandal for a few seasons now, with particularly long hikes deep into the Yellowstone backcountry with just these puppies on and a pair of light neo socks. I've spent long days on the water with them, and had to hike out over 7-8 miles with wet feet and haven't even blistered once. They are incredibly comfortable both in and out of the water, and I'd venture to say even as comfortable as my hiking shoes...I've just started to only bring these, even for long day hikes. And if you look at the picture, there are so many great places to cinch the sandal onto your feets pressure points, that there hasn't been much debris working its way in....just a bit of sand from time to time.I can tell you first hand sandals are not the way to go. My wife has bought me a couple pairs of Merril sandals, and all they do is collect gravel and sand. I've tried to wear them loosely, which allows me to rinse the sand out by lifting my foot, but the result is that they are pretty uncomfortable to walk with.
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