When traveling to the Big island of Hawaii for a long (and well-deserved) family vacation, you want a pair of sandals that are as comfortable on the sand as they are exploring the streets of Lahaina. Towards those ends, the Rio Sandals from Bogs Footwear may just be the perfect fit.
On Performance and Design…
Any family vacation should be a way of relaxing and connecting with your family without the stresses of daily life. Whether you find yourself building sand castles on Hapuna Beach or kayaking in Lake Tahoe, the last thing you want to hear from your child (or spouse) is the adventure-ending complaint, “My feet hurt. Can we go back to the hotel?” So before our own Gumption family loaded up a plane and headed out to Hawaii, our friends at Bogs sent over a few pairs of their open-toed Rio Sandals to take on our adventure.
The Big Island is the largest and youngest of all the Hawaiian islands. It’s an incredibly diverse island ecologically, having 4 out of the 5 major climate zones in the world, and 8 out of 13 of the sub-zones. In layman’s terms that means you can spend your morning snorkeling in the crystal clear protected waters of Red Hill marine sanctuaries, your afternoon exploring the rainforests and waterfalls of the Pololu Valley, and then catch an evening sunset on the peak of Mauna Kea.
With so much family exploration possible, your sandals need to keep pace with your adventures. The good news is that Bogs offers the Rio Sandals in an array of color choices almost as diverse as Hawaii’s ecology. But when the rubber meets the road, the Rio Sandals are up for the adventure with a durable nylon webbing that’s also soft and comfortable. The webbing is attached to hook and loop closures at the forefoot and has an adjustable buckle at the ankle to help you lock-in your best fit. In short, no more of those “my sandals won’t stay on in the sand” moments.
When the terrain gets a little tricky, like trekking through a lava field to get to a secluded black sand beach with the promise of seeing sea turtles in their native habitat, you want a sandal that can handle the terrain. And when the trail is a little longer than anticipated, you’ll be grateful for Bogs Rebound cushioning in the footbed and midsole. Rebound is a shock-absorbing cushioning that absorbs impacts and rebounds with each step. It makes for a soft and flexible footbed that provides a comfortable fit every step of your journey.
If you’re in Hawaii, then the chances are you’re going to make the trek to Hanakapi’ai Falls. Remote and beautiful, this Na Pali hike is gorgeous but relatively long, slippery and challenging. It’s also the adventure that gave us a deep appreciation for the brand’s H2OGrip which provided extra grip when wet. Whether it was the Hanakapi’ai Falls, or river ramblings in Northern California, Bogs H20 Grip Technology, kept us upright and safe in even the wettest of terrains.
After a few days of being drenched in sweat, caked in dust and sand, submerged in ocean water, and splashed with pool water, sandals can get that soggy, funky smell of accumulated adventures. Thanks to the Rio Stripes airy open-toe design paired with Bogs DuraFresh bio-technology that activates to fight unwanted odors, your sandals odors won’t last longer than you memories.
Notes from the (Lava) Field…
The Rio Stripes sandals lived up to their reputation in providing a durable fit with next level comfort thanks to the Rebound cushioning in footbed and midsole. As an added benefit, these sandals are feathery light which has made them the go-to take along option not just for family vacations, but for our backpacking excursions. And while we know some of you will understandably never relinquish your brand loyalty to other adventure sandals – for the members of our team who constantly endured an extra weight penalty for packing along size 13 sandals, the Bogs Rio have been both a literal and figurative load off when it comes to our backpacking arsenal.
In regards to the overall design of the children specific Rio, we found that the strap design can leave some wanting for improvements. What’s true is that sometimes smaller feet require bigger adjustments. Towards those ends, we found that these sandals could have used additional velcro strapping under the webbing upper to help provide a tighter overall fit.
Bottom Line…
Whether it’s a family vacation or weekend away, the Rio Sandal from Bogs ensures one competent sandal capable of carrying you in comfort from beach, to rainforest, to lava field and back again.
*Gumption Gear Review received the items featured in this review from Bogs Footwear at no cost and receives no monetary compensation for this or any related review. The items featured were provided solely in return for our honest views and opinions.