Teva Sandals Review

Key Info

• Open and closed toe available
• Leather and synthetic available
• "Drain Frame" for water use
• "Spider Rubber" soles

Construction

The construction of Teva Sandals is very good in my experience and comparable with the leading makes of sandals. To be fair they are no better and no worse. "The Drain Frame Technology" Teva talk about is basically a series of holes and channels from the insole to the sides of the sandal. This means that the water drains away from the sole of the foot quickly, helping keep the foot dry and preventing annoying slipping of your foot on the insole when the the sandal gets wet. It may sound gimmicky, but it works well and if you've ever worn other makes of sandal where your foot slips and slides around the insole, you'll appreciate the idea! The soles on many of the sandals I have tried are Spider Rubber - a fairly soft rubber sole, more of this later. The sandals have a fairly standard clip on and off design, but many models benefit from a wrap around webbing strap which pulls all around when tightening the adjusters, giving a firmer grip on your foot and better support. 

Usage

You will see from the rest of the website that we are of the outdoor persuasion, and that is exactly the type of sandal I was looking for. I wanted a sandal that was capable of beach, water and trail wear. I do a lot of trail walking in the summer as well as water sports, and the problem I have found is that most "trail" type sandals could not cope with water without becoming incredibly slippery both on the sole and insole. I also could not find a pair of sandals that didn't slip on wet rocks. The Teva sandals have turned out to be a great solution, as they drain well and the "Spider Rubber" soles are extremely grippy. I have also found the support offered by the sandal very good. My preference is for the closed toe type, which give you that added protection against toe stubbing on rocks, stumps etc. My only slight criticism would be that the in order to be so grippy, the "Spider Rubber" soles have to be quite soft and so they do wear out! I reckon on a couple of years per pair, but as I said I do a lot of walking so you could possibly do better. I also replace my sandals before the sole is smooth or worn through, for obvious reasons! 

Conclusion

Having tried several other makes of sandal, I would highly recommend Teva. They are supportive, comfy and strong, and great for water and trail use. They are also hard wearing, apart from the sole as I previously mentioned, however, I guess you can't expect decent grip from a hard sole, so that's a necessary sacrifice. If you want a sandal for pottering around the garden or the odd trip to the beach, then this is probably not the sandal for you as there are cheaper alternatives for that use. However, if you're looking for a sandal that will cope with the extremes of water wear and trail walking then look no further!  

Amazon.com sells a wide range of Teva Sandals.