Magic Shoes

Robert DeCanio

February 19th

I tried to send this e-mail through the Teva website and it was returned twice. My name is Robert DeCanio and I'm an Interpretive Naturalist living on Hilton Head Island, S.C.. I would like to take a little of your time to tell you a story. While living in California in 2002-03, through a mutual friend, I was Teva's guest at the 2003 Outdoor Retailers Show in Salt Lake City, Ut. At the time my friends and I were involved with adventure travel trips in South America. At the show we received various shoes to try. One of which being a hiking shoe. I believe it was the first with your Wraptor technology. A couple of weeks after receiving the shoes, we left on a trip to Peru and Bolivia. I don't remember the name of the shoe, but the Teva s/n is 6628. Without trying to break them in, I put these shoes on my feet and used them on a three week adventure of hiking through the Andes on the Inca Trail and other incredible places in Peru and Bolivia. The foot wear was amazing. I never experienced anything but support and comfort. I used these amazing shoes for the next 1 1/2 years on all my adventures.

I started guiding in kayaks through the salt marsh and estuaries on Hilton Head Island, S.C. for the past four years. Kind of shelved the hiking shoes and really forgot about them. Just packed them away with my hiking/camping gear. In late 2005 I experienced a bad ankle injury playing sports. After 1 1/2 years of rehab and continuous ankle pain the ankle finally healed. I took my brace off and was actually able to play without one. That same week, I injure the other ankle in the same spot playing sports. Very frustrated at this point. Using the brace, but being as active as I am, the healing process was so slow. I was changing foot wear up, but nothing worked. I then remembered that I had those hiking shoes. I started to wear them as often as I could. For some reason, these were the only shoes that my foot didn't hurt in. My ankle healed in record time. Any foot, or related injury I get is non existent while in these shoes.

I would like to thank Teva for these "Magic Shoes". They have definitely been a life saver. I have a very active job and life style and this has been the best foot wear experience of my personal or professional career. I will be moving back out west, this time to Arizona. I will be returning to my hiking guiding. Does Teva still have a shoe that is similar to the one I have? Nothing really resembled it from what I saw on the website, but I have been known to miss a thing or two. Any help and guidance in this area would be greatly appreciated. Or if you could forward my e-mail to the right person.

Thanks for your time and patience,Rob

Sad Day Today

Name

February 14th

It's a sad day today.

After 3 years of standard and less conventional use, my Tevas finally gave in. Yes the bottom sole was already complely worn out to the point where some of the little spiral shapes had completely disappeared ( as you can see on the photo) but they still wore great.

And then yesterday, like that, without warning, I was crossing the delightful pasadena diagonal crossing ( where you go from SE to NW of the street and end up right in the middle of that huge intersection with a little orange sign on the other end warning you you have 15seconds left.) the back strap of the left foot violently gave out, and the sandal almost flew out of my bare foot. It was harsh. Lucky I had my girlfriend to coast me to safety on the other sidewalk. Needless to say I was shaken. I limped along to a restaurent, and it took the better part of a 3 course dinner at an upperscale italien restaurant to bring my sprirts back into shape.

Boy I had gone a long way with these Tevas. My best adventure was when we were deep into Sequoia NP on the John Muir trail. It's the end of September and it's bare-torso weather at 12000ft near Kearsarge pass. That's when I start realizing that the new La Sportiva hiking boots I'm breaking in are actually breaking me in. My heel is on fire and within another hour of gaining altitude, I've got seething blisters grinning my teeth into pain. I remove the boots and put on my Tevas which I had initially brought only as camp walk- around-sandals. Unbelievable as it sounds, I hiked the rest of the 3 days on the John Muir trail, in the high Sierra in those sandals (see lower photo). I felt swift as a sparrow, and agile as a lezard. No blisters, no pain. I have strong ankles so no worries in that department. The Tevas probably saved my life in the High Sierra country.

It was a sad day to loose them. Today, I'm browsing on the Teva website to find a worthy replacement for my valliant globetrotters. Please help me in my endeaveour.

Yours truely,

Denis Barkats

Pasadena, California

Researcher in Astrophysics and avid multiday 4-season trekker.

It's changed my life

Jeff Matlow

February 11th

Let me gush about Teva a little since I see you work with them. I have been running in Asics (Kayano) for about 10 years. Coincidentally, I've had calf/achilles injuries for about 10 years as well. This past year I raced the SOS in upstate NY and bought the Teva X-1 as it seemed like the best shoe for swimming/running. It's changed my life. For the first time in 10 years I am not only injury free, but I am getting the speed back that I once had when I was younger. I've given all my Asics to the Salvation Army. I now wear the X-1 on-road and off-road. I wore them for the NY Marathon in November and will probably be wearing them for Ironman Arizona in April. I have no clue why this shoe is working so well for me on the road, but I've stopped asking why � I just run and smile. I'm a new Teva convert and very happy to be a reborn runner!

Just wanted to share.

Jeff Matlow imATHLETE.com

Big Sur

Joanne Hagerty

February 10th

Teva People:

Last year I completed the Big Sur International Marathon, I participated in the 10.9 mile walk, in your Teva "mush" sandal. On the day of the walk I have a terrible blister on the side of my heal which made wearing my shoes painful. Since I had been preparing for the walk I really didn't want to not participate, so I tried on my Teva, "mush" sandals and my feet felt perfect! I walked the 10.9 miles no problem in them. I did receive many comments on why I was wearing sandals for this walk.

I will be participating in the walk again this April and will probably wear a pair of Teva's again, since my first experience went so well. It's a beautiful walk along the Big Sur coast line to Carmel.

Thanks Teva, Joanne Hagerty

World Wide Tevas

Name

February 9th

Maybe it's the air at 7,000 feet that clears your head and gets you thinking... Maybe it's the stars that come to life and inspire you in the deepest parts... Maybe it's wandering some of the coolest canyons and country in the world... But there's something about growing up in Flagstaff, Arizona that inspires adventure. It's not surprising Teva was born in the area, and they've been a part of some of my best memories.

I started on the red rocks of Sedona-leap froggin through Oak Creek Canyon. Frugality is one of my best qualities, so I started with the imitation Teva. But it doesn't long to realize your friends Tevas keep going when you keep buy new immitations. So I switched and it's been Teva ever since.

Itching for adventure, I quit my job a few years out of college and bought my first "round the world" ticket. My tevs went every step. From China, to Thailand, Cambodia, India and Europe. One of the best adventures, however, was in Laos. I heard of a sweet experience called the Gibbeon Experience. Trek into a little village in a Laos jungle, zipline from tree hut to tree hut, and wake up to the songs of gibbeon monkeys. And when you have to hike through swollen rivers and muddy trails for 7 straight hours, Tevas come in pretty handy.

I made it around the world and so did my tevs. Unfortunately (or fortunately), when you been bit by the travel bug the only cure is more travel. So now after returning to the corporate race for 10 months it's back around I go... this time by sailboat. Sailing with a friend on a 33 foot boat, raising money and donating time and effort to needs along the way.

So at this very moment, after a week in the sugar cane fields of the Dominican Republic working with empovershed children, I am writing from some little cafe with Internet. Happy. Proud. With same pair of Tevas that already made it once around the world on my feet. Only this time, to do a little good along the way.

Next stop-Panama.

Live the dream. Wear Tevas.

Derek Turner

Four pairs of Tevas

Brian DeVine

February 7th

I have had only four pairs of tevas and I'm going back twenty some odd years. I found my first pair in Lake Placid NY and fell in love. They looked just like flip flops however they had the ankle straps. The second pair the puppy had for lunch. I still have the third pair and they are going strong. I started looking for something diffent, something with a toe protecter. I found them on your website. What I found was two really great things, the first is your website. I can't say enough, has to be one of the best. The other was just what I was looking for, I bought the TOACHI. I could have killed myself if I had gone out and got something different. I can't wait for spring, my kayak, the black river and my tevas.

Brian DeVine Seneca Falls, NY