Smell is not the material, it is the moisture. Bacteria breed in damp that never dries out, so drying properly is the whole job.
Blot, wipe, then air-dry in shade with airflow. Give it a full day before you wear the pair again.
Never put wet footwear on a radiator or in front of a hairdryer. Forced heat bakes leather and it cracks.
Neither of our men's slides is leather, so both rinse and dry without ceremony. The leather care below is for leather sandals.
Already smells? Sprinkle baking soda inside overnight, then tip it out. It is safe on leather.
Water-ready slides are built to get wet, so caring for them is mostly about what happens in the hour after you take them off. Rinse the salt or chlorine, let them dry with air moving around them, and store them somewhere open. Leather asks for more patience, and the difference is worth knowing before you buy.
What Our Men's Slides Are Made Of
Worth saying plainly: our men's slides are synthetic, not leather. The Nalu (NAH-loo) Slide and the Ulele (oo-LEH-leh) Slide both use water-friendly synthetic straps, which is why they handle a pool deck or a rinse under a tap without any drying ritual. If you are caring for leather, the guidance further down applies to leather footwear generally, including our men's leather sandals such as the Mea Ola and the Hiapo.
The hide or the foam is not what smells. Odour comes from bacteria, and bacteria need moisture that stays put. Leather makes this easier for them because it is porous and organic, so it holds water in its fibres rather than shedding it. Seal a damp pair in a gym bag or a dark cupboard and you have built the ideal environment. Dry them properly and there is nothing for the bacteria to work with.
Five Steps After a Splash
Blot first. Press a dry towel or microfibre cloth against the straps and footbed to lift standing water.
Wipe the surface. Use a barely damp cloth with a little mild soap to clear salt, sand and grit, since salt is what dulls and dries a surface out.
Dry in shaded air. Stand them somewhere with a through-draught, out of direct sun, and give them a full 24 hours.
Condition leather once dry. If leather feels stiff after it has fully dried, work in a leather balm to put the oils back.
Store them open. An open rack, not a sealed box, a bag or the boot of a car.
What Never to Do
Never use forced heat to speed things up. A radiator, a hairdryer or a hot air vent bakes leather, and the fibres shrink, warp and crack, which is not reversible. Direct sun does a slower version of the same thing and can discolour the material as well. And never leave a damp pair sealed inside a gym bag, a plastic tote or a dark trunk, because trapped humidity is exactly the condition bacteria want.
If the Smell Is Already There
Sprinkle dry baking soda inside the sandals, leave it overnight, and tip it out in the morning. It absorbs the moisture that odour-causing bacteria live on, and it is documented as safe on leather rather than something you need to keep at arm's length. Make sure the pair is completely dry first, since adding powder to a damp footbed just makes a paste.
Synthetic or Leather, Side by Side
Feature
Water-ready synthetic slides
Leather sandals
Occasional splashes
Dries fast, no lasting effect
Fine, if you air-dry it properly
Prolonged water
Built for beach, boat and pool
Not for soaking or submersion
Drying
Rinse and leave to air
Shade, airflow, a full day
Odour risk
Low, the material sheds water
Higher if stored damp
Best for
Poolside, boating, the beach, the gym
Dinners, travel, dry daily wear
Why the Nalu Slide Suits Wet Days
The Nalu Slide takes its name from the Hawaiian word for wave, and it is the pair we reach for after a surf. Its adjustable synthetic straps are water-resistant, lined with a quick-drying jersey knit, and closed with a micro hook-and-loop fastening that still holds once wet. Underneath is a cushioned footbed with high arch support. It is $85, comes in a wide fit, and the strap adjusts to just about any foot width.
Care and Confidence
Rinse it with fresh water after saltwater, shake it off and leave it to air. That is the whole routine. It holds a 4.47 rating across 143 reviews in Black, and every pair carries a 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects plus free 30-day exchanges, so getting the fit right costs you nothing.
If You Want a Grippier Sole
One thing the Nalu does not claim is a specific outsole technology. If wet traction is what decides it for you, look at the Ulele Slide instead: it is built on a non-marking Wet Grip Rubber outsole with a lug pattern made for wet and dry surfaces, over a soft, anatomically contoured EVA footbed. It is $90 and runs a standard fit.
A slide is comfortable when the footbed holds the shape of your foot and the strap stays put without digging in. A flat slide gives the arch nothing to rest on, so your foot does more of the work across a long day. Take the width seriously too: an adjustable strap and a broader footbed stop the edge pressure and rubbing that make a pair unwearable by the afternoon. We are a Hawaiian-inspired Certified B-Corporation based in Irvine, California, sourcing our materials globally, and a share of what you spend with us goes to the Ama OluKai Foundation.
Can leather slides get wet occasionally?
Yes, provided you dry them properly afterwards. Leather resists water rather than blocking it, so a splash is fine and a soaking is not.
Why does damp footwear smell?
Bacteria, not the material. They multiply in moisture that has nowhere to escape, which is why a sealed bag turns a damp pair sour and an open rack does not.
How should I dry a pair after rain?
Lift the water off with a towel, clean away salt and grit, then leave them somewhere ventilated and out of the sun for a full day. No radiators, no hairdryers.
Can I leave them in a gym bag?
Not while they are damp. Trapped humidity in a dark bag is the fastest route to a smell you then have to remove.
What should I look for in a slide for wider feet?
A broad footbed, a sole firm enough not to fold under the edge of the foot, and a strap you can let out. The Nalu Slide covers all three.
Are your leather sandals waterproof?
Our leather styles resist water rather than blocking it, unless a product page says otherwise, and a few of ours do. Check the page for the style you are looking at.
Which of your slides is best for a wet day?
Either works. Pick the Nalu Slide if you want to dial in the strap and a wide fit, or the Ulele Slide if traction underfoot is the deciding factor.
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