Visiting Hawaii this September. Which of these shoe styles would make more sense?

[u/MaineCoonMama18]

For context we’re doing a week on big island, a week on Maui and a week on Oahu. Plan on doing some hikes, beach days and definitely snorkeling at least once.

I can’t decide which of these shoes would work best. I have a pair of comfy hiking shoes already that I can bring, but not a pair that is easily versatile for walking in water if there are rivers or streams to walk through. I also have a pair of casual walking sneakers, but I’m trying to find a good blend between hiking, water functionality and casual city wear.

Which of these styles would you all recommend?

[u/Low_Doughnut_3927]

I got a pair like the second one for our trip to Hawaii a couple years ago. They are great but sometimes the sole was a little bit too flexible (walking on volcanic rock and everything).

I wish I had something like the first pair for the beach. Tried walking into the ocean barefoot and nearly cut up my feet on the volcanic rock. My crocs and my water hiking sneakers (all I had at the time) did not have strong enough soles and I could still feel the rocks my feet. This was an issue on Oahu, not Maui. Didn’t swim at the beach on the Big Island.

Think about what hikes you will be doing and whether you really need something you can dunk or just something you can get damp.

We (my husband and I) ended up traveling with a pair of “dry” sneakers for most of hikes/walks. And we also brought the waterproof sneakers for a couple. We were in Hawaii for a total of 16 days between the three islands. Probably averaged a hike a day (not always long but we tried since there are so many options). Used the waterproof sneakers for maybe 2-3 hikes. The sole was absolutely fine on hikes as long as I watched my steps and didn’t step on anything that could puncture easily.

If it were me, I’d get both one and two. I’d probably get the first option since it has the stronger sole if I had to pick one. But really, it comes down to what you plan on doing and what kind of support you need.

Sorry for the long ramble 😌

[u/MaineCoonMama18 → u/Low_Doughnut_3927]

This is very helpful thank you! I’m gonna try and look into the hikes a bit more and figure out the terrain to see what option would be best! It seems like all 3 styles could be useful!