**5 YEAR UPDATE** Fantastic sandals once you find the correct size.
Now that I have finally found a pair that are fit right, these sandals are great. The are very comfortable and seem to be a good quality. The built in bottle opener is a neat little perk. Only time will tell how they hold up. (See my update below)So I don't know where Reef gets their foot size dimensions but they are obviously a bit off. To start, I wear a size 9.5 Men's in pretty much every pair of shoes AND SANDALS I've owned for the past 25+ years. It's pretty consistent. I could probably wear a 10 in some brands, but 9.5 usually works once worn in some. Based upon numerous reviews on here, these sandals run small and people recommended ordering a size up, so I did. Holy crap the size 10 sandals were enormous, I put my foot in them and the amount of sandal sticking out passed my heel could likely be considered a reversed swim flipper. No lie, it was at least 2 inches passed the back of my foot. The strap placement and toe area were close to correct, but still too large. Figuring this was a fluke of some kind, I then ordered a size 9. Guess what, the size 9s are EVEN BIGGER than the 10s were, by a good half inch. It made absolutely no sense. I've already returned the 10s, so I can't take a comparison photo at this point, but the 10's were a solid half inch shorter than the 9s. Someone please explain that. So I tried wearing the 9s around the house a couple days to see if I could get used to them, but I just couldn't. It was like a never ending flat tire risk with those things. I would have to walk 4 feet in front of someone to avoid getting tripped up. So finally, I ordered a set of size 8s, which in theory should be WAY too small, especially considering everyone said they run small. But they are PERFECT. Perfect toe placement, perfect strap placement, only about a 3/4 of an inch passed the end of my foot. Perfect. Obviously that means something is wrong with this sizing too, but at least I found the size that fits a 9.5 foot. Now I have to attempt the return of the size "9s". So yeah, once you land the correct size, they're great. Good luck when you order. May the odds be in your favor.***5 year update***So I've had these sandals for nearly 5 years now and they are still great after wearing them basically daily from mid-May to late September. They're still super comfortable to wear and fit great. They are showing some decent wear on the bottom, but so far they haven't become noticeably slippery. I mean, how can you complain about heavily used sandals that still function perfectly after 5 years? I'm planning on buying another pair now just because these aren't the prettiest anymore, but I'm sure I'll continue to wear them frequently until they eventually give out. Still a Reef fan, no doubt.
✔ Verified Purchase
Best flip flops ever, buy them and you won't ever buy another brand
Best flip flops ever, it's the only brand I'll wear. They are comfortable and provide a lot of support. They last forever, I guarantee you'll wear them out before anything on them breaks. I don't use the bottle opener on the bottom of them, but don't let that prevent you from buying these. They are great in water or just for everyday use. I started wearing them years ago, and now everyone in my house and my brother's house all swear by them. True to size, lots of colors to choose from. Would make a great gift.
✔ Verified Purchase
F
Forrest Hayes
November 05, 2016
Very comfortable but heavy
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.
✔ Verified Purchase
