Reviewed: Teva Links flat pedal shoes
The percentage of riders on flat pedals is huge, and for those that see the need for a cycling specific flat pedal shoe the market has been dominated heavily by Five-Ten. With their proprietary rubber sole and a well-known roster of pro riders on their books, their name has become synonymous in the industry- a situation that could all be about to change with the arrival of the Links shoe from Teva.
To give a bit of background first, Teva (pronounced “teh-vah” not “tee-vah” from the Hebrew word for “nature”) have been around since 1982 and started out making shoes for river sports such as kayaking that did not retain water and therefore dried far quicker than a pair of trainers. Fast forward to now and they’ve got an impressive portfolio of shoes and flip-flops for watersports, hiking and now- mountain biking.
The Links shoe is the result of a collaboration with Jeff Lenosky, a legendary figure on the North American freeride scene and holder of the bunny-hop world record at a staggering 1.15m!
I took a pair to France this year to see what they were all about and will categorically say that I won’t be using my Five-Tens ever again if I can help it. So what makes them so good? First of all, they’re actually slightly less grippy on the sole than Five-Tens. This means that if you need to move your feet on the pedals, you can do so without lifting off- something that’s quite helpful when you’re descending an Alp! The flip side of this could be disastrous, but I’m pleased to report that when I was concentrating on riding, my feet were stuck firmly to my Straitline pedals and I never once wished for more purchase on my (already sparsely pin’d) platforms.
The soles also felt really stiff and supportive and the reinforced, cushioned heel ‘stabiliser’ seemed to do its job well when cornering and landing, keeping your foot where you want it- in the middle of the shoe.
What absolutely sealed the deal for me was the ion-maskTM (hydrophobic) treatment to the shoe’s uppers. The Links are not a waterproof shoe so you will get wet feet if you ride in all conditions. The difference with them is that due to the ion-maskTM, they don’t retain any moisture and it just beads off the fabric. Get home with from a wet ride and these are good to go again in the morning, when all your mates are pulling wet newspaper out of their damp, cold, festering shoes.
Longevity seems pretty good too with my shoes showing no signs of wear as yet, helped by the rubberised toe section and leather uppers.
Overall Teva have produced a great product, and one that you’ll be seeing a lot more of on the UK scene. I’ll leave you with the promo video with Lenosky and friends shredding at some amazing looking trails wearing the Links. If it’s good enough for them…
The Links is available in two colours- Ultra-Violet (pictured), and Lunar-Rock (Grey/Yellow/Cyan), and priced at £84.99. All branches stock a full size range.
Tom (Petersfield)
