The 10 Best Huarache Sandals for Summer 2022

Since 2013, New York-based Knickerbocker has built its brand by crafting quality essentials for men. One of those classic pieces is the huarache, which Knickerbocker makes with a family that has been producing them for more than 50 years in the Michoacán region. This one has the makings of a traditional huarache with a leather upper, insole and midsole and a rubber outsole. Get it in black or tan.

Few brands understand leather like Yuketen, so it’s no surprise the artisan retailer has one of the best huaraches available. Yuketen takes the original workings of a huarache and remixes it, adding a Vibram 2060 outsole with a generally flat bottom, which helps with grip, durability and traction. Its leather is completely hand cut, hand dyed and hand woven, resulting in a smooth first wear. You’ll never have to worry about replacing your summer pair with such durable soles again.

Those on a budget can save big by cutting out the middleman and ordering huaraches directly from an artisan-maker, through Etsy. One of the biggest sellers on the platform is Macarena Collection, which offers your standard pair of Mexican-made huaraches for about half the price you’d drop on an imported set from a department store. These are more artisanal, made with recycled rubber outsoles and a single strip of leather. They also ship for free for even more savings.

Indigenous artisans in central Mexico combine soft leather with a flexible EVA outsole to create the Cancun Huaraches by Chamula. The tip is rounded so it won’t rub, and you can easily get in and out with the bottom tab. Plus, the leather adapts to your foot with wear, making riding even more comfortable over time.

Huaraches are often seen in smooth, polished leather, but this pair from LUCA replaces that with textured suede. Made in León, Mexico, its outsole will stretch and break over time, darkening and adding a little more character to these lounge-ready sandals. It comes in a dark brown and reddish brown.

These may be the only pair on this list that’s suitable for poolside wear, as they’re water-resistant, tied with a foam midsole for some shock absorption, and have non-slip outsoles. A well-balanced and durable huarache, Nisolo offers its version in nine eye-catching and polished colors.

Maybe Alex Crane’s sandal isn’t reminiscent of the prototypical huarache, but it is, by definition, and built with tradition in mind. Made with rawhide from León, Mexico and assembled in Oaxaca by a third-generation family business, these Primo sandals rely on recycled bus tires for their soles and a nickel buckle to adjust their back strap.

These easy-going, veggie-tinged blue zipper huaraches are more casual than formal. Their insoles will mold to your foot and become softer with wear, and loosen the more you put them on.

Not so much Mexican-made as Mexican-inspired, these huarache-style slides from Malibu Sandals swap leather for tough nylon and recycled tire soles for EVA rubber. If there was a contemporary version of the huarache beloved by hippies, it would be them.

Shoelaces on a huarache? It’s a regional thing. These are huaraches hand stitched with cowhide, hand painted and tied with a crepe sole for a tougher quality than old rubber tires. Opt for this traditional pair if you’re looking for a more formal take on the leather huarache.