Teva Riva Mesh is one of the newer offerings from Teva, which is a name best known for its sandal offerings. Teva was founded in 1984 by Mark Thatcher, who was working as a rafting guide. His design for a sporting wet weather sandal took off, and gains in popularity provided gains in amount of products offered.
Moving forward, Teva has branched out past its stable of sandals and into lightweight hiking shoes. Shown below is the Tea Riva Mesh, which is a lightweight shoe built to be highly breathable with large mesh panels for hot weather.
Click the below image for loads more pictures, information and a minor rant on proper mindset when you are off duty.
morePeople who know me understand that I wouldn't bother to write a review on shoes unless there was some reason or way to tie it into a larger picture. In this case, shoes you wear off duty are more than just about comfort, or a way to match your belt. Shoes tie into a larger picture and mindset. If your vehicle breaks down, how far can you walk? How well-prepared are you in general? To be more to the point, can you fight in what you are currently wearing? A police chief in a school shooting a few years back found himself running to aid his men. Chiefs aren't known for wearing tac gear and full load outs, and this one was no exception in his slick bottomed dress shoes. He went up a hill only to find himself coming back down the hard way. On or off duty, be prepared, the chief wasn't and clearly stated in certain circles that all cops need to be ready at all times.
The vast majority of our readers are of the same mindset as myself. We hold a duty to country and family that doesn't stop just because we aren't in uniform. Think about your family and the safety you provide to them. Do your slick-soled pretty shoes hold up if you need to fight?
While Teva certainly isn't selling these shoes with a combat mindset, they offer features that I find important. Lets start from the bottom and work our way up.
The Teva Riva Mesh uses a Vibram sole that is well-textured, and gives a secure grip in a variety of conditions and surfaces. I've worn these on concrete, fine sand, wood and grass. Most importantly, I wore them to visit a friend and his kids, and had the chance to walk up their plastic slide. I was impressed with how well these did, and while I won't recommend running up children's slides, I had no troubles. There are not many outdoor obstacles as slick as a kids' slides.
Teva states they use a "blended polyurethane/EVA unit in the heel cup that evenly transfers the energy of impact throughout the footbed and away from the heel." I tested the heel cup by jumping and landing on my heels. No complaints with the heel cup in impact, walking or in the way they fit. The heel is very comfortable for my foot.
The opposite side brings us to the toe box, which is wide and generously cut. I don't think it's a shock to anyone that our feet swell when it's hot, and my latest trip to a sporting store had a very nice lady explaining that it's not uncommon for feet to go up by almost half a size, and pointed out that you need extra room in the toe box than most people think. There are a list of feet and toenail problems that can be brought about by poor shoes or shoes that don't fit. While I don't have fat feet, I found the extra room comfortable, and the shoe construction prevented my feet from sliding around.
The front of the Teva Riva Mesh have a rubber layer for added protection, and will help the shoe leather from getting torn up. For people who get into the details, the rubber has a fine texture and is sticky enough for grabbing if you are a climber. If you aren't a climber, I guess you could impress your friends and neighbors by opening cabinet doors or something else a bit less exciting.
The lacing system is secure and works with the overall Teva Riva Mesh design to secure your foot nicely without any pinch points. The leather eyelets blend nicely into the design of the shoes for fashion-conscience people, and the top eyelets are metal for greater durability.
While I might sounds like I have a fetish, I always check the interior of shoes to see how the stitching is done. A minor glitch in a stitch might seem acceptable in a store while trying on shoes, but it will almost assuredly come back to bite you when you least expect it. Interior stitching tells the story of overall quality. A check through the Teva Riva Mesh had no sharp edges, protruding stitches or other oddities.
Wide mesh panels on the side give great breathability to these shoes. They probably lessen the weight by a bit as well, but these are already a pretty light shoe.
Looks are subjective, and while I'm not exactly the most fashionable guy, I'm pretty happy that way. These shoes work for me based on the above factors. I can work out of these, I can fight out of these, and I can kick back, look good and drink beer while wearing these. In the end, that's a pretty good recommendation.
My favorite Teva rep (Peter) pointed out the four fun facts listed below. I like it when a rep drops the fluff and gives me straight info.
* Full grain nubuck w/mesh upper
* Nylon shank
* Shock pad in heel
* Vibram outsole
Check out www.teva.com for more info.
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