TEVA LINKS LONG TERM REVIEW

TEVA LINKS: LONG TERM PRODUCT REVIEW

TEVA is no stranger to outdoor enthusiasts and when they decided to enter the world of cycling shoes we knew this was going to be great for the MTB industry. TEVA supports the industry with events like the TEVA Mountain Games, riders sponsorships, and bringing their existing footwear technology into our realm. So how do the TEVA LINKS perform you ask? Well we waited to bring you our review as most of us get new shoe euphoria and the beatings a mountain bike shoe take on the trail are the true test. Now 90 days into testing with the various models we can share our thoughts.

The Good: Another player in the market is always good for innovation and TEVA specializes in innovation and the thorough approach. The Links came in a box marketed with a QR code which plays a video of Teva Riders and all around shredders Cam McCaul and Kurt Sorge. Once out of the box and past the stages of new shoe inebriation, we laced up and were impressed by the overall quality of the Links. Everything from the laces and their metal end caps to the extreme comfort of the shoe, led one tester to blurt out " These are like the Cadillac of Vans!!!". He was right on the money as this felt like the most comfortable bike shoe we had laced up and quite a few of us are devout followers of a certain MTB shoe company that was bought by Adidas. So comfort and style are definitely strong characteristics of the Links but would that translate into a good trail shoe? Our first bike excursion was actually a local skate park sesh and we found the LINKS to feel like the perfect mix of grip and protection without feeling like a moon boot. After a solid thrashing we headed out to run errands and had no intention of changing shoes. Everyday comfort was amazing and we wore these shoes regularly of the bike with almost no complaints. Trail time! We hit a local trail head that was a mix of XC and AM riding and the true beat down began. We will address our thoughts on traction further down but the highlights of this shoe are the fact that the outsole called PedalLink was designed for riders. If you are a rider that makes constant contact (rubbing) with your cranks and rear triangle while riding flat pedals, you will be amazed at the integration and design of the Links. We felt less bike contact from the shoe and felt like the shoe curved around the pedal itself. That being said there was no discernible curvature to the sole and the shank provides a relatively stiff platform to transfer power through the pedal stroke. All of our product reviewers across the board commented on how stiff the shoe feels initially but that they were perfect after a couple times wearing them. The only unified traction comment from our diverse group was actually in regards to off-the-bike excursions where we all felt they were exceptional at hiking up or downhill and trail exploring.

Time after time the Links excelled out on the trail by providing comfort, increased grip, deflecting rocks and wiping clean for casual wear when done. The construction is sturdy and the average person would never know that they have been abused as they still look fresh after 90 days of almost daily wear. These are all important factors when deciding if you are willing to shell out $110.00 on a pair of shoes.

The Bad: Let us start with the biggest flaw and move on ... The Links simply did not meet our grip expectations when it came trail time. The bar has been set high for this shoe and TEVA has managed to surpass it in so many facets with the Links that we were left stunned when traction became our biggest gripe. We slipped off the pedal numerous times on the trails and have beautiful pedal tattoos on our shins that are still healing. While we realize that you are not going to be completely locked in with your pedal without going clipless, we felt other shoes provide more grip in the pedal contact equation. Off the bike the Links provide the most stable footing we have experienced on the trail as our crew climbed rocks to take photos, hike-a-biked sections, etc. Only our youngest reviewer and DH rider was stunned by the grip tenacity of the Links. He has no previous sticky flat pedal cycling shoe experience and spent the majority of his testing pinned downhill in attack mode (Off the Seat - Weight distributed). The interesting note is that most the pedal slips our riders experienced happened when seated or being lazy. When standing the traction ramps up and inspires confidence yet something like a lazy (almost seated) slalom through a series of berms, was were our tendency to have a foot bounce off the pedal always seemed to occur. Moving on .... The only other weaknesses we want to point out are areas that some may not see as a low point but can help you decide on what shoe is right for you. PRICE .... $110.00 is a lot of money in the minds of some cyclists which is an arguable point. Nice running shoes, Clipless pedal shoes and all sorts of other shoes cost more and will not be nearly as durable as the Links have been. TEVA has also addressed this issue by offering the PINNER which is a model that takes away some of the features like waterproof uppers and comes in at a pricepoint of $90.00. Ventilation would be the only other complaint we have with the Links and its a small one considering they are cycling shoes. But Damn TEVA for making a shoe so comfortable that we want to wear it daily! If you end up wearing your Links daily be fore warned that when temperatures hit 100+ you are going to feel when you are off the bike. The built-in ventilation is more than adequate when blazing new trails and creating a breeze, but sit in the sun for a few minutes and your feet/toes are going to feel like five biggest loser contestants crammed into a sauna in the Sahara desert... or not enjoyable.

The Dirty: The Cadillac of Flat Pedal cycling shoes
We would have liked more tenacious grip but the LINKS score high in every other category