Since then, I have worn them almost every day – and I’ve even managed to wear them while riding a couple of times.
The Teva Pinner (and its freeride cousin, the Links) was designed to interface with the flat pedal on your commuter or trail bike, giving you a stable platform while pedaling, without sacrificing style or walking comfort. The sole uses Teva’s Spider 365 rubber compound to give you traction in all kinds of environments and a tread pattern designed to give you a secure connection to your pedal or when you have to hoof it. Teva’s Mush® infused insole, which gives you the same comfort that you would find in their flip flops, a Shoc Pad™ in the heel and ample padding in the uppers add up to a very comfortable shoe.
The main difference between the Pinner (the shoe that I have) and the Links is the finish. The Pinner has a synthetic leather and suede upper, while the Link uses waterproof materials with Ion-mask™ technology to help shed any water and muck you may be riding through. The Link also has a heel stabilizer and rubberized toe armor to protect your feet.
What do I think of them? Well, If the second sentence of this post didn’t give it away, I really like them.
I’ve been familiar with Teva since the late 80’s when I had a pair of their original sandals which I wore all the time. I was impressed back then by their durability and comfort, so when they contacted me about their cycling shoes, I was eager to see if they lived up to their legacy.
The styling is very similar to a skateboard shoe – in fact, when I first took them out of the box, my 13-year-old immediately tried to claim them. Fortunately, he wears a larger shoe than me (he’s going to be taller than me before he’s in high-school!). The padding in the upper took me a little while to get used to – it felt tight and restrictive at first, but that is because I was used to wearing Converse All-Stars before this.
Teva Pinner
Detail of the sole
Teva Links
How do they work on the bike? Great! I used them on my fixed-gear for commuting, and riding around town with my 9-year-old. The sole flexes for walking comfort, but resists flexing in the opposite direction for stable pedaling.
Like I said, I really like them. They are a great commuter shoe, that combines performance features with a shoe that doesn’t look out of place with your normal clothes. Is there anything I would like to see in the future? A shoe that incorporates a recessed SPD pedal would be my only request,
The MSRP for the Pinner is $80 and the Links is $100. More information can be found at teva.com.
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