Teva Footwear 2010 Sneak Peek

Most of these shoes and sandals will not be to market until 2010. But at an event today at the Teva Mountain Games, GearJunkie.com got a sneak peek of some interesting future footwear from the company.

The B1 shoe, pictured above being held high over Gore Creek in Vail at the Teva Mountain Games, is out on the market and for sale now. It is an interesting shoe, as its aesthetic is taken mainly from the world of skating and board sports. But underneath it is a bonafide shoe for the outdoors, with a grippy Vibram sole, tough construction, a comfortable footbed, and a polyurethane shock pad in the heel.

Teva’s Itunda Sandal, available in July of 2010, is a sandal that’s almost a shoe. Indeed, the closed-toe sandal protects the foot while in water and buckles on securely so the current won’t pull it away. It has drain holes in the sole to let water escape fast, and its upper is hydrophobic, meaning that after it’s submerged the material will not keep the shoe — er, sandal — feeling soaked on your foot. Will come in a men’s and women’s version for $100.

At $120, the Obern sandal is a top-shelf shoe from Teva. Built with leather and three types of foam in the footbed, it is made to be cushy yet durable and supportive enough for moderate outdoors activities. It has an outsole of Teva’s Spider rubber for grip. Teva will market the shoe as a crossover model — wear it canoeing in the morning, then keep it on for a meal on a patio somewhere at lunch. Available in 2010.

Women in search of something more feminine — but still with performance — might consider the Tirra, a sandal with an open toe. At $70, it’s a step down in price and performance from the Itunda. But the Tirra still has an around-the-ankle strap for a secure fit. Teva make the Tirra to be usable in a river, or passable — if not enviable — for daily life in the city and on the street.