I have to admit that I’m a creature of habit when it comes to shoes. I’ll pretty much get the same or a similar type of shoe instead of trying out a new color or style. I had held onto my Teva sandals for years but finally decided to upgrade them since they were starting to wear out.

I looked around at a number of different sandals and finally settled on a few different ones to try. It was pretty difficult not to just pick up some Tevas again since they still make the same model I have and I’ve found that those sandals fit almost all the requirements for me. These Sanuk “Jetty” Sandals looked comfortable and sporty enough without going overboard on crazy colors like other sandals. In fact, they look remarkably like the Tevas.

The Sanuk company was started up 1999 in Southern California by a group of surfers. The word “Sanuk” actually means “pursuit of happiness” in Thai. Well, I was pretty happy with these sandals. One of the main requirements was that the sandal be pretty “tall” and the toe thong be relatively easy to get into and comfortable. The reason is that I play roller hockey and I actually wear the sandals to the game and use them in the change rooms. It’s just nice to have an extra chunky sole to keep you away from all the nasty gunk that’s on the bottom of the floor. I usually don’t mind the flatter “localz” flip-flops that are really low to the ground, but I’d rather not wear that type to the games. Since I wear socks it’s good to have a higher toe thong, or at least make sure it’s fabric instead of plastic so it can stretch. I know I could just get a sandal without the thong, but I just don’t like those.

Here is a comparison picture of the heights of the Sanuk Jetty (top) and my old Tevas (bottom). The Sanuk has greater height near the arch in the middle but tapers off toward the heel and toe where it is a bit shorter than the Tevas. It’s still tall enough for my needs though.

This was a very comfortable sandal with a cushioned (EVA I assume?) footbed. I felt like the Sanuk had much more support than the Tevas, but that could also be because the latter were so old that they had worn down. The fit was just about right without socks, but I think I might have got some that were one size larger just to be on the safe side. I think it’ll stretch eventually, but it’s a little harder to get in and out of them with socks right now.

The Sanuks also feature their “Happy U” logo on the outsole, shown below. I’m pretty pleased with these. I had actually ordered some O’Neill sandals but I sent them back right away because they were extra small and the footbed felt a little cheap. I was hoping to get a double review going, but it’ll have to wait until I get some more sandals - which will probably be in a couple of years…

Sanuk - Men’s Jetty
Purchased at Shoes.com
Also available in brick, brown, natural, and army color schemes.

Shoe Name: Sanuk Purchased/Seen At: Shoes.com Approx Price: $19.99
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