Product Review: Teva Pivot

I’ve been a fan of Teva shoes and sandals for years. Two years ago, when I reviewed the Teva Pinner, I asked them about any future plans for SPD compatible shoes. Their answer each time I asked was “we’re looking into it”

Flash forward to Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2013. Teva was showing a newly released cycling shoe, and guess what? It’s SPD compatible!

 The Teva Pivot is the shoe that I was waiting for. A cycling shoe with a resessed cleat mount that is comfortable and easy to walk in when you’re off the bike.

The Pivot has the same PedalLINK sole so you have a secure footing on standard flat pedals. Where the Pinner and Link shoes had more of the “skater” styling, the Pivot has more of a sneaker styling that “looks great with shorts – and terrible with spandex.” (from their website. I liked that description). They also have a velcro strap to keep the laces secure, and out of the way. They also have a composite midsole for stiffness and pedaling efficiency.

One of the best features, in my opinion, is the ability to secure your cleats to the shoes from the inside of the shoe. This is a great feature for a couple of reasons: you can adjust your cleat position while the shoe is on the pedal, and it also protects the bolt head from damage. I’ve had cleats that became “permanently” attached to my shoes because the bolt head either became clogged with rocks and debris, or they were banged up so much, that he correct size hex wrench would not fit.

The hole for the cleat adjustment is covered by this little flap.

T-handle Torx wrench included.

How do they wear? Well, I’ve had my pair for just over a month, and they have become my everyday shoes. Previously, for my commute, I would wear my mountain bike shoes, then change into a pair of normal shoes for walking around. These shoes are comfortable enough that I just keep them on all the time. How’s this for a walk-around test: I wore my Pivots for during both demo days, and for the three show days at Interbike last week. That’s an excessive amount of walking, and my feet survived.

dirt and dust courtesy of Bootleg Canyon

The only problem I’ve encountered was with the cleat mounting. I don’t know if I just didn’t apply enough torque to the bolts, but it seemed that my cleats would “float” on the exterior plate.

MSRP for the Teva Pivot shoes is $150, and they are available in black, or white/red. More information can be found at www.teva.com.

By the way, this post is #1001 for this little blog.