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If you've been paying close enough attention to the sandal space (and why wouldn't you be), you may have noticed the slow emergence of a breed of hybrid footwear that combines sandal and shoe. Chaco's on it with their sock-equipped Z/Ronin, and Snow Peak's modular New Balance collab is more of a hiking boot, but it certainly has some sandal spirit. Teva's new Revive '94 Mid would complete the trend—if it hadn't originally come out nearly three decades ago.
Back in 1994, Teva dominated the sandal business and made the best hiking sandals, but saw new competition from the likes of then-emerging footwear brand Nike. In response, Teva created three hybrids: the SandalHiker, SandalShoe, and SandalBoot. "We’re feeling pretty confident in our back yard, and now we're going after their back yard a little bit," Peter Link, then vice president of Deckers, which owns Teva, told the Los Angeles Times at the time.
Teva made that first sandal-hiker hybrid for adventuring into slot canyons of the likes found in Zion National Park, and the reissued Revive '94 stays true to its form with upgraded materials like recycled straps, a modern memory foam insole, grippy outsole, and neoprene cuff. It has built-in drainage should you submerge it, though it's also weather-resistant to keep your feet as dry as possible.
Even with these features, Teva says the Revive '94, which is available now for $160, is ideal for everyday use and hanging around camp, despite the sandal's (shoe's?) more technical roots. We'll count that as permission to wear them anywhere, during any season.
Published 08-10-2021
