Review: Teva Links Shoes

Teva, pronounced “teh-vah” have been making shoes for the world of action sports since 1984 but the Links shoe was their first ever step into the world of mountain biking.

Teva have always had an obsession with being in and around water so naturally when the time came their mountain bike shoe had to incorporate some waterproof properties and technologies.

First Impressions

First impressions of the Teva links it was hard to look past the pretty intense colour scheme and yellow laces but if you let your eyes recover and look past this onslaught of colour you will find an incredibly technical and feature packed performance shoe.

For instance they feature Teva Innovative Design Elements Hydro which is most certainly a mouthful! Thankfully its abbreviated to “T.I.D.E hydro.”
Basically this means that they are made from predominantly waterproof materials throughout. They also feature ion-mask™ technology protects the fabric down to a molecular level. They won't keep your feet dry if you stand in a river but they are good for protection from puddles and splashes.

They also feature “T.I.D.E grip” that relates to some of the features in the sole. The Links shoes use Teva’s spider365 rubber that is an especially soft and sticky variety that is essential to the performance of a mountain bike shoe. They also have a sole pattern that is sympathetic to the pins found on mountain bike flat pedals. As an added bonus the heel end and toe of the sole features what Teva call “E-Brake” to give better grip when you are descending by foot.  This is a pretty awesome and essential feature if you’re partial to stopping off mid ride and grabbing some snaps with the camera!

Finally they also feature “T.I.D.E comfort.”  meaning they make use of Teva’s incredible MUSH insole that is used on all their flip flops to provide unrivalled comfort. They have a "shoc pad" in the heel which personally I believe is an essential in every mountain bike specific shoes to deal with the increasing hits that we put our feet through.

The Ride

We’ve been riding the Teva Links for nearly a year now and on the whole we have absolutely loved them. You will be hard pressed to find a mountain bike shoe review online that doesn’t compare the footwear in question to the market leader and downhill riders favourites 5.10 and that’s for pretty good reason… They are bloody good shoes to ride a bike in! The Teva Links aren't just another shoe trying to impersonate a 5.10 and claim to be the grippiest out there, they have a whole host of other features that make it a great and dare I say it, better shoe in it’s own right.

You knew it was coming… predictably the levels of grip on offer from the Links are not in the same league as the stealth rubber you find on the sole of any 5.10’s but I can only draw much the same conclusion as I came to in my review of the Vans Gravel shoes a while back. Having slightly less grip isn’t always a bad thing. You will begin to make slight changes to your riding style that arguably in the long run may make you a better rider. You tend to read the trail further ahead so as to prepare your feet and ensure they are in the right place to get the power down when required.

The rubber used in Teva’s sole may not be as grippy but its certainly stiffer than anything you will find on a 5.10 which in the long run makes for a more comfortable shoe out on the trail bike. We feel the Teva is aimed a little bit more of the epic adventure end of the spectrum with its ability to excel when travelling by foot if it gets a little bit too wild to still be pedaling. This becomes even more apparent with Links "ion mask" coating that will keep your feet dry from splashes and mud. Even one year on they still repel the water and we repeatedly come back from rides with drier feet than our 5.10 using riding buddies. Best of all the coating means they don’t take 3 days to dry in the airing cupboard, which is definitely an attribute that you shouldn't just gloss over.

As for build quality and durability they absolutely cannot be faulted. They have very little signs of wear and still look tidy enough to wear to the pub which is all you can ask for from a shoe that arguably is going to get some seriously tough abuse!

If your expecting the same grip as you get from a 5.10 you’ll be disappointed, but you will be pleasantly surprised in many different ways including waterproofness, comfort and durability. The Teva Links are a winner in our books!

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