I mostly wore my hiking shoes on longer or more obscure hikes, and sandals in town and in parks with pretty good paths, etc. If I'm on a pretty good busy path I'm not worrying about stickers or poisonous plants and because the dirt was dry it shook right off my sandals and rinsed off of my feet. I don't remember having to slosh through any wet spots at all - something that is an issue where I live. (I am actually shopping for a new pair of muck boots for walking on certain beaches and the wetlands behind my house as we enter the Fall season. Yesterday I got my beach shoes REALLY muddy!)