Reef Men's Leather Fanning Sandals - Comfortable & Stylish Beach & Casual Footwear for Outdoor Adventures & Summer Wear

I'm going to start this review by clarifying that I have a lean, narrow foot. I have a C toe and a B heel. So this review is biased towards a narrow foot. That being said, I have tried about twenty different sandals to find a couple that fit reasonably snug. So for comparison purposes this may be a useful guide for people. My preferences are light weight, comfortable, with a heel strike that has some padding. I also like moderate arch support. I don't want a lot of flop in my flip. I don't want a negative heel. I'm going to list the sandals I've tried, and give a brief comparison, which should be helpful to everyone. I'll start with this one:Reef Mens Leather Fanning ll - (9 Mens) These are the heaviest of all the sandals I've tried, weighing in at 219 grams each. The footbed is comfortable but more firm than some of the others. Nice looking. They have an average fit, (fairly snug), but they were a little lose on me. I think these would last a long time. Unlike with the Reef Draftsman, I did not feel the bottle opener under my arch. Comfortable, but expensive and heavy.Reef Leather Slap ll - (Mens 9) Oddly, this sandal was a full size shorter than any other Reefs I tried, (A full 1/2 inch), so order up. They weighed in at 205 grams each, making them the second heaviest in this comparison. Had they been the same size as the Fanning ll's they would have been the heaviest. Average fit. These are one of the most comfortable sandals in this line-up. Very cushy heel.Reef Phantom LE - (Mens 9) This leather sandal is much lighter, weighing in at 142g. Somewhat more snug fitting than average. Very comfortable and attractive. Reasonably priced. This pair was a keeper for me.Reef Phantom Prints - (9) Weighing in at 113g, these were the second lightest sandal of the bunch. Snug fitting and comfortable, these are my personal favorites. Reasonably soft heel-strike with an average width footbed and just the right amount of arch support. They won't likely last as long as some of the heavier sandals, but they can be had for half the cost. I've seen them for $20 on up, depending on color and size.Reef Phantoms - (Mens 10) These synthetic sandals seem to be made elsewhere from the other two Phantoms listed above. The fit is much different. They are wider in the footbed and sloppy fitting. These are made for a wide foot. Again, they are fairly light, weighing in at 134g, and I got these a full size up from the other two because everyone said they ran small. I think they run just a half size smaller.Reef Draftsman - (9) This is a leather sandal with no additional heel support. It also has a bottle opener on the bottom. Nice looking, fairly snug fitting, and fairly light, (About 156g) but this sandal has an issue. As others have indicated, you can feel the bottle opener under your arch. I don't think anyone would be comfortable in these for long. I sent these back.Reef Crew - (9) This leather sandal is fairly light at 138g each. They have a slender footbed and a somewhat snug fit. I like that, however, there is no additional heel support and they run as high as $60.Reef Twinpin - (9) These basic synthetic leather sandals are fairly light at 137g each, and they have a slender footbed, but the thong is very lose and has no additional heel-strike.Sanuk Fraid So - (10) These sandals weighed in at a modest 139g each and were really comfortable and attractive. I loved this sandal. Unfortunately, they have a very wide footbed and a very lose fitting thong. Yep, fraid so. But if you have fat feet, you'll love these.Sanuk M Fraid - (9) These leather/poly sandals weighed in at 175g each, making them one of the heavier sandals here. They have a slender footbed, (A full half inch thinner than the Fraid So), but with a sloppy thong. Sanuk Beer Cozy - (9) This fabric sandal has a wide footbed and a sloppy thong, but weighed in at a respectable 134g each. These have a very cushy, comfortable footbed. People rave about how comfortable they are. But you need to have fat or wide feet. Dang!Teva Mush ll - (9) These are by far the lightest of the bunch, weighing in at a mere 92g each. They're also comfortable with a fairly narrow footbed and a snug thong. So, yes, I love these. And at $25 they are a bargain, even though they won't last as long as some of the more expensive sandals here. The middle of the heel-strike is a little harder than the surrounding area and some people have complained about it, but I haven't been bothered by it in the short periods of time I've spent in them.Teva Men's Classic - (9) This is a very basic, uninspired sandal with a ruff, heavily textured, old school footbed. Perfect for some people, but I found them uncomfortable. It's light, but not as light as the Mush ll's. The thong was more loose than the Mush ll and it runs a little more money.Teva Mush ll (Canvas) (9) I listed these as well because the canvas thong fits more loosely than the regular Mush ll's and weighed a little more. Other than that they have the same footbed.Excellent quality, size and price...Ok I am a flip flop guy. For many years I have worn rainbow flip flops. Due to wearing rainbows with no heel cushion I developed a heel problem. After doing a minor surgery on my heel, I bought these and with the air cushion heel sole they make a huge difference. Great product, I have worn these in the past I was not happy with the way the front of the flip flop would wear down too quickly. But when this happens I will just replace.Good bye Rainbows and welcome Reefs. My foot thanks you.I've had my Reef Phantoms for almost ten years so I decided it was time to retire them! I originally bought them to go kayaking in but ending up wearing them all the time in the summer and they were starting to get nasty so I decided it was time to give the Fannings a try. So far I think they are going to be some of the best sandals I own! They stay on your foot snug but not too tight, they don't pop loud when you walk, and they are just flat out comfortable. They do have the bottle opener but I don't plan on using it b/c it seems like of nasty to open your beer with the bottom of your shoe. They are on the expensive side for a pair of sandals but you get what you pay for.They will loosen up a bit as your foot compresses the foam material. This is my third pair and they last quite awhile. I still have my other two pairs. I keep one pair in the truck just in case I end up at the beach in regular shoes I can swap out to sandals. I usually buy a new pair when the foam compresses to the point that the ball of my foot hurts from not enough padding, otherwise they are still very usable. Heal padding seems to last. The arch support is good for a sandal. Other cheaper sandals that I own usually fall apart or break at the toe strap. I have yet to have any of the toe straps break.This is my 5th pair in over two decades and I wear them practically everywhere. I've worn the right side and a side bigger and it's always been comfortable. The sole has never worn out and I've had to replace them every 4-5 years because the toe strap eventually gives way.I've had Fanning's since they were introduced. For the price they are simply the best available. I am a very wide 9. 10s fit but stretch out to become too loose. I buy 9s and wet the uppers on the first use and they stretch to be perfect. Then I'm good to go for a good 5 years. I have a pair going on 10 that are high mileage. Buy them. You won't regret it. You can't get them much cheaper too. They are $69 to $80 in the surf shops near me.This is the third pair of Reef Leather Fanning sandals I've purchased after purchasing two non-leather Fanning sandals as these are the only flip flops that fit me and don't fall off when I walk and are extremely comfortable. I was a bit disappointed in this latest pair as Reef has substituted the soft grain leather on the underside of the uppers for a knit fabric which is not nearly as comfortable and I am concerned about how well it will wear.Have been wearing these constantly during this heatwave, very comfortable even walking longer distances with the dogs.This is my second pair after dog ate one of my others.Not sure about the bottle opener in the soul, effective yes, hygenic probably not so much.I was going to return them for a bigger size as they felt a little tight but after about 20min they were fine I went for a one size smaller think half a size would be better but don't think think they come in half sizes overall they are comfy and stylish.Unfortunately, these flip flops were uncomfortable. The main reason was that the leather "thong" part between the toes was very hard and I had to return them for a refund which I have received.Great Product. My last pair lasted over 10 years so expecting a long and comfortable experience this time as well.Comfy, appear well built, the beer bottle opener on the sole is very handy! These are worth the money and well comfy.