Teva Aventrail: Why Running in Sandals Isn’t Actually Crazy

After 20 years of running, Teva had me truly testing something new by running in sandals last year in the original Aventrail. They’ve now also released the R2T for road to trail and this led us all to ask a lot of questions, like why would you run in sandals?It turns out the answer is surprisingly easy if you ask professional ultrarunner, Mike Wardian: It’s fun!

Granted he also thinks some of the wildest most out there races I’ve ever heard about are fun, but I have to agree. So if you’ve been curious about trail running sandals let’s talk.

Benefits of Running Sandals

For most of us the biggest difficulty with sandals is mental. We feel weird with our top down hair blowing the breeze, so to speak. Admittedly I’m less sold on the trails where I do like that extra toe coverage because I kick everything.

But on the roads:

• Running while dealing with a black toenail, hello pain free
• Running through a broken toe, yup been there
• Hot days and seriously sweaty feet are going to breathe better
• No hanging on to water if you go through a water crossing
• Less laundry when you run sans socks

Now the Aventrail isn’t like many traditional running sandals which are in essence a way to run barefoot with some light protection. This is like putting a Hoka Clifton on your foot, then stripping away the upper.

In other words, cushion.

I’m not in to the barefoot style sandals. While the debate rages on that barefoot running is “better for you”, the science says it just isn’t so.  Cushion is not only protective, but also makes running more enjoyable for many folks. We still recommend having a shoe rotation, so you aren’t only in max cushioned shoes but you needn’t go to the extreme of just a piece of leather underfoot.While our fear of trail sandals seems valid, you then have to remember there are whole tribes of Ultrarunners who use them just fine day in and day out! Perhaps because they’re feet are used to hitting rocks and have toughened up, perhaps they just have us beat mentally, who knows.

Teva Aventrail Sandals

Another fun fact since you’re learning so much today, it’s pronounced Teh-Va no Tee-Va. Right?

Like many I only thought of Teva in the past as water shoes for our kayaking and outdoor adventures. But they do indeed have a different line up for performance. Is it going to be a daily trainer for everyone? No. But does it have the features where it could be, absolutely.

So let’s have some fun and find out more about this line up.

Right now the Aventrail running line up consists of:

• Teva Aventrail – The mesh running sandal shown above with  nylon plate
• Teva R2T – A slightly faster ride for road to trail to pick up pace
• Aventrail Running Shoe – Pictured below it has a nylon plate and firmer feel than the Aventrail

All shoes have a men’s and women’s last, which we love to help with fit. We found they all fit true to size in length and are pretty accommodating for wider feet thanks to the W strap.

Each model also has a  sustainability initiative!  You’ll find a 100% recycled mesh on the shoe, and the sandal mesh is 100% recycled plastic using traceable, verifiable REPREVE® polyester yarn by Unifi®. That gets an extra two thumbs up from this reviewer.

Of course you can’t really give an opinion on any of these without putting them to the test on the trails, so that’s exactly what we’ve been up to.

Aventrail Sandals Quick Take

Mentally being open to your toes being exposed might be the biggest hurdle.

Ok if you can get past wearing socks with sandals on the trails. It’s very much a mental thing because we aren’t used to our feet being exposed and some of us have a tendency to hit every rock in our path.On the plus side, the Aventrail fit is great. I loved the W straps which allow you to dial in how snug the sandal feels. I never had any issues with overall fit.

Unfortunately you can’t really adjust the back strap to lock the heel in more. This could be an issue for those with a more narrow foot.

Cushion we can’t complain about and a 6mm drop that is very much in line with what we recommend for daily trainer. You can also see the great lug patterns which felt good on the trail, but honestly we put in time on the roads very comfortably in them as well. The slightly smaller lugs on the R2T would be better, but we also prefer the cushion level in the Aventrail….so it’s a toss up.

Genuinely we think this is indeed a fun shoe and can se a whole lot of you hiking in it and taking it on big adventures.

Will you test out a trail running sandal?? Have you??

Aventrail Running Shoe Overview

All right, so you still aren’t entirely sold on the sandal. Should you be looking at the shoe version?

While we found the shoe really comfortable, in taking it out on a trail with roots, rocks and lots of water we discovered something that  surprised us. The shoe is fantastic for drainage, but has horrible grip when wet.You can tell from these two photos that the sandal actually has a bit more grip coverage.

If they upgrade to a Vibram outsole for the next version we will be highly recommending this shoe. Otherwise the massive benefit of being breathable and drainable, seems a bit wasted when you’re nervous about footing.

NOW having said that Wardian skipped hopped and jumped all over in the shoes without concern. He agreed they lost traction, but that didn’t seem to be an issue for him. So for our trail confident friends, grab em and go!

There you have it! The inside scoop on running with sandals and the Teva Aventrail.

We LOVE hearing from you. Have you tried running sandals? Cushioned, barefoot? With socks, without?

What to read next?

• Summer Running Gear Must Haves
• 53 Hacks for Summer Running
• Gifts for Trail Runners