Teva Riva Mesh Trail Shoes - Nubuck (For Men)

These are really comfortable shoes for hiking, especially during hot weather due to its ventilation. When I first tried them on, it was a "wow!" experience. They should dry out quickly if they get wet inside due to sweating or from environmental intrusion. Although they are not waterproof, when my foot very briefly dipped into creek water, my foot surprisingly remained feeling dry.

I find most hiking shoes today tend to run on the narrow side, so when I can find a width that's more true to size, I'm a happy camper. These run on the wide side; therefore, you have to be really careful about getting the right size that works for you. If you can fit these, like me, they should be a five star winner for you. If not, they could prove too loose and unstable for you. You do not want your foot moving around in your shoe while hiking in a pack otherwise you could twist or stretch your ankle.

If you have properly measured your foot with a Brannock device, Order one half size up as they run short. I'm a 12M (11.4" insole length) and had to go to a 13 (no size 12-1/2), which still works for me. (I can hike a lot, so my feet can swell a bit and the extra length is often recommended in my case.) I can easily get a finger behind my heel which is desirable to prevent toe ramming, numbness and nail loss. The 12-1/2 would have been perfect for my width requirement, but at 13 there is a little extra width room that requires me to use a heavier duty sock and lacing that is more pulled in. I have always used a very thin synthetic lining sock and a medium weight merino sock, and that works for me in this case. Some have remarked that the shoe is so wide, tightening the laces brings the eyelets together--At the wide point of my foot, my foot girth is 10-1/4 inches around and I still have about 1 inch between eyelets when secured. Since they are leather, they may stretch over time, but after 10 miles, they seem fine with the room I have between the eyelets. If you have any questions about the insole size of this shoe to better help you fit it, call Teva. Their customer service has a chart that is accurate. You could also contact STP customer service and get a measurement for the max width of the insole of your proper size to see how your foot will fit on it.

I recommend using low cut shoes with no more than 25 lbs on the back otherwise you may encounter instability with your ankles. I was okay with 28 lbs but noticeably better at 25. The shock cushioning protected my knees, and I had no issues with blistering. These shoes are a little heavier than sneaker styled trail runners, but they seem more durable and able to protect the foot better. The toe guard is desireably wider (After 2200 miles of Appalachian Trail, I know what it's like to accidently kick a rock), and the high quality Vibram rubber should give you at least 700-1000 miles of hiking.

If I had to do my AT thru-hike all over again, I would get three pair of these and leave my camp sandals at home (less pack weight), as these are easy to slip into for short late night privy hikes from the shelters/huts/lean-tos. I would use cushy medium weight 1/4 crew coolmax socks with spandex and a thin synthetic micro-sock liner (friction between socks instead of skin) and let the ventilation and activity do their job drying my feet and shoes. I would hike through rain without the cumbersome need to gaiter up and amphibiously enter deep Maine creeks without the need to de-boot my former keep-the-water-out-strategy goretex midcuts. The quicker drying time of these ventilated shoes eases my fear of walking with wet feet. I'd rather change socks and drain an easy on/off shoe than deal with a cumbersome pair of goretex midcuts and wait for them to dry out. The comparably lighter weight of this shoe makes hiking a LOT easier, too.

I'm surprised that there was appeciably more arch support in this shoe than otherwise commonly found. This is good to prevent tendon inflamation of the arch on long hikes. I've had plantar fasciitis before, and it can take you off your feet for several weeks.

The dark gray color is masculinely handsome, but I'd rather find a different colored lace. The shoe looks good enough to wear casually.

I've walked in narrow boots for hundreds of miles. The room I have in the toe box is such a welcomed thing. I have no doubts these would be the perfect AT thru-hike shoe for me.