Women’s Astral Webber Hiking Sandal Review

Bottom Line

The Astral Webber hiking sandals are ideal for light hikes on flat terrain, casual town strolls, beach outings, and water sports. In our tests, we discovered that the traction is insufficient for hiking on moderate to steep slopes, particularly when those slopes are slick with sediment. Additionally, hikers may struggle with stability in the Webbers because the forefoot straps often loosen on their own, coupled with a fixed heel strap. 

While we consider them somewhat expensive for the performance they deliver, there are positives: Our tester found wearing the Webbers enjoyable while exploring the city, appreciating their stylish yet functional design. They’re perfect for running errands or enjoying river outings, and would also serve well as camp shoes. Their slim design allows for easy storage in various pack compartments, and we believe hikers will value the comfort and freedom for their feet after a long day in boots. Check out other options in our hiking sandal gear guide.

How We Tested

Over several weeks, our tester wore the Astral Webbers on various short to medium hikes in Southern California, during days at the beach, and while running errands around town. In the course of testing them, she assessed aspects of comfort, stability, durability, traction, ease of use, and packability.

Comfort

The first aspect that stood out to us about these sandals was the texture on the footbed. While we understand it’s likely there for grip, it feels quite sharp. This became very distracting after a while; although not painful, it irritated our tester during hiking in these sandals. However, we appreciate the contour of the footbed; it aligns well with the foot shape of our tester (medium-width midfoot, neutral-to-slightly wide forefoot). 

While these fit our feet well in terms of width, they may be too loose for hikers with narrow feet, particularly those with a narrow heel. There is no heel adjustment, and the heel strap felt somewhat loose on our tester; therefore, these may feel more like flip-flops for some users. 

On a positive note, we adore the material of the heel strap on the Astral Webbers: It’s soft and slightly padded on the interior, so blisters shouldn’t be a problem. The forefoot straps are made of woven nylon: they’re not as soft, but supple enough not to dig into the skin. 

Our biggest comfort-related complaint with the Webbers is the size of the buckles. They’re large enough to be very noticeable while hiking, and if you tighten the straps for an ultra-secure fit, they dig into the top of the foot. Consequently, our tester ended up hiking with the straps a bit looser than she would have preferred, resulting in her feet shifting around in the (pokey) footbeds.

Stability

The Astral Webbers feature a 16-millimeter stack height and a 0-millimeter heel-to-toe drop. This, along with the subtle contour of the footbed, creates a nice blend of support and ground feel. The midsole is made from closed-cell EVA foam, which is dense and offers a supportive, yet not overly plush, experience. 

The design leaves much to be desired regarding ankle stability, as the midfoot strap sits quite far from the front of the ankle, and the heel strap sits low—well below the ankle bone, at least on our lead tester. When hiking, we also found that the straps tend to loosen on their own. It’s not significant, but it is certainly noticeable and requires us to stop and adjust the straps many times throughout a given jaunt.

Traction

Given our lackluster experience with comfort and stability, we hoped the traction on the Astral Webbers would pleasantly surprise us. Unfortunately, they performed poorly in this category as well.

On a 6-mile hike in dry, dry Southern California, our tester busted her butt three times on the trail’s silty terrain. To be fair, the trail was typical of the region, featuring a fine (quarter- to half-inch) layer of fine sediment over rock—meaning it is super slippery by nature. 

Still, we feel that the tester shouldn’t be going heels-up on grades below 15%. After finishing the hike, we removed the sandals to inspect the outsole and confirm our beliefs: Yes, the outsole lugs are rather shallow, and the lug pattern features broad, flat squares. There’s nothing there that can really dig into the earth you’re walking on. 

The Astral Webbers performed better on other surfaces, including gravel at moderate angles. We also wore them on the beach and enjoyed them for that purpose. Notably, Astral specifies on the product page that these are intended for water activities and casual use, so we feel we shouldn’t be too hard on them here.

Durability

These seem more or less average to us in terms of durability. The dense, closed-cell EVA foam midsole should prove resistant to compression, and the tightly woven nylon straps should hold up to varied trail conditions over an extended period. However, due to the lug pattern and depth, we feel the outsole may wear down quicker than other, more robust outsoles. 

We wore the Astral Webbers while hiking through relatively thick Southern California brush (yes, we were scared of encountering rattlesnakes!), and they got snagged a couple of times on the typical spiky flora. 

Despite a few encounters with thorns, we have not noticed any abrasions or tears on the straps. We lack confidence in the plastic buckles (just because plastic parts and the outdoors don’t tend to go so well together), but we believe most people will wear down the tread to the point of needing new sandals before the buckles break.

Weight & Packability

What the Webbers lack in traction and stability, they compensate for with weight and packability. The 16-millimeter stack height and zero-drop sole ensure these shoes are highly packable and can fit into small spaces, especially if you separate them into different packing compartments. 

These would make excellent camp shoes. They’re not the lightest, but they’re light enough for anyone who isn’t a dedicated ultra-lighter. At 14.6 ounces, most hikers will barely notice they’re there, but they’re certifiably too much for an ultralight enthusiast.

Ease of Use

We found the Webbers easy to put on and take off. The buckle mechanism is straightforward to use and adjust, but the straps can become loose over time while hiking. It’s a quick fix—just pull them tight again—but it can become annoying after a while.

Should You Buy the Astral Webber Hiking Sandals?

For the price, we believe there are better-performing hiking sandals available (and options that can perform as well as the Astral Webbers for a lower cost). That said, if you really like the style of these sandals, they’re probably worth it: We haven’t tested any other hiking sandals with quite the same aesthetic.

What Other Women’s Hiking Sandals Should You Consider?

If you’re not convinced that the Astral Webbers are the best hiking sandals for you, try some of these similar options.

Teva Original Universal Review: Half the price yet just as functional, the Teva Original Universals are an excellent budget-friendly choice for hikers seeking a stylish and versatile sandal for casual wear. Their plusher midsole and adjustable heel strap provide a more comfortable fit, our tester states. 

Luna Mono Winged Review: A semi-minimalist pick, the Luna Mono Winged hiking sandals feature a zero-millimeter heel-to-toe drop with a 15-millimeter stack height, making them feel much sturdier than a typical barefoot-inspired sandal. They are a good choice if you want traction and stability while prioritizing foot freedom.

Ecco Yucatan Review: The Yucatans are much more robust than the Astral Webbers (and the two picks above). They aren’t even close to a minimalist sandal, so if zero-drop is a must, you should pass on these. However, if you’re looking for more stability and greater traction without a toe thong, the Yucatans are definitely worth checking out.