Teva Men's Obern Outdoor Sandal

I bought here almost 2 months ago because the free shipping made them less expensive than the Teva site (I normally don't spend this much on a shoe). I also don't like dealing with returns and the Teva site seemed more intimidating. I found these to be very comfortable- a little like walking on marshmallows but not so mushy as to give any loss of control. The tread is much deeper than my sneakers & there is nice padding under the straps. The straps on my other sandals (a "New Balance" sport sandal) dug into my feet pretty bad during the break in period (They were a gift, I didn't wear sandals at the time & they sat around here for 2 years first -I knew they would fit, otherwise I would have returned them) so the comfortable padding under the straps is a big plus for me. The straps are also split on the ends so you have an easy pull tab to unlace, at first I didn't think they used enough glue, then I realized how handy it was to get a grip on. Very good quality- I expect these to last the rest of my life. These are considered a "Lifestyle" sandal rather than a "sport" sandal. The main difference I can see is these seem to have more padding under the foot & under the straps which I think makes it a little heavier but this level of comfort is worth it. The strap behind the foot is a little lower but I don't think makes the sandal any less secure, just something to get used to. I read another review about buckles on these sandals, I disagree. If the straps had buckles & you put them on too tight & then your feet swell you wont be able to get them off (or any shoe for that matter). The Velcro allows more adjust-ability and if you keep it clean it will last. I've also read things about the arches being too high or low. I am undecided, I think it depends on how your feet settle from side to side and can change very slightly when you first put them on. After reading that, to get them to fit right I unlaced them completely and then lined up my feet with the arches instead of measuring from the front or back. After lacing up they fit perfect, now I only unlace the middle one to get my feet out. According to Teva these are waterproof & though not listed they (Teva told me on the phone) have that anti-microbial product as well. I would definitely purchase again. I also noticed a difference in color on different sites. These are a nice dark (slightly rustic) Brown with a subtle Gray stripe that is less noticeable in person. They are not Red or Grey or Green.

As much as I loved wearing these, they became useless when 2 straps pulled out from the sole.

I got in one shipment all in size mens size 11:Teva Obern 11Teva Toachi 11Teva Katavi 11Teva Hurricane 11Obern - of the four this one was the most expensive and the heaviest and felt the most solid and had the most feeling of ‘quality’ about it. The strapping and the side panels were very nice and looked and felt good, but the rear ankle strap for me was a bit off angle and did not ride quite as well as in the others. Worst - and the deal breaker for me - was that for me the footbeds of these had was too rigid in combination with the pronounced arch support and contour of the footbed. When I took each step in them I felt the hard arch support and contour of the footbed in a less than good way. On the other hand, if if fit your foot it would not be a problem.The summary for this one is that if you happen to have a foot that fits the pre-defined contour of the semi-rigid footbed, then this would likely be an excellent sandal. It happens it did not work out for me, but it deserves many stars for quality and construction. I rate them highly because of this, even though they are not for me.Obern 13 1/2 oz 383g (single mens 11)Here are the differences and comparisons of the various sandals (see photos):Weight of single sandal (size 11):Obern 383g (13 1/2oz)Toachi 343g (12oz)Katavi 308g (10 3/4oz)Hurricane 295g (10 1/2oz)Note that that the Katavi and Hurricane XLT weigh almost exactly the same, even though the Hurricane is billed as ultra-light and the Katavi not advertised as such so much by Teva.The four from top, side, tread are in review photos.Hurricane and Katavi had identical treads with different slightly foot beds. The shape and foot fit of the beds was virtually identical for the Hurricane and Katavi. The Obern was close, but had a higher arch support and was more rigid and felt a bit narrower at the middle foot. I felt the arch support too much on the Oberns. The Toachi in contrast had an extremely narrow tread and footbed and my foot could not even fit on it.All of these were size 11 in mens - but they fit very differently.The Hurricane and Katavi are the most similar, and the Katavi with the extra side mesh panels and suede material for the strapping was much more comfortable with and without socks. The material used for the Hurricanes was not nearly as comfortable and the expose rings added to that feeling compared to the Katavi. The Hurricanes, however, I expect would handle being wet better than the Katavi and dry faster.

Chose five stars for the construction, the fit, the comfort, and the looks. Like the thick shock absorbing heel and comfortable insole. I would recommend these to anyone interested in a pair of sandals. This is my second pair of Teva sandals. I wear these most every day of the year, since the weather in Florida very seldom gets really cold. When we have rain, I use my regular shoes.

Got these less than an year ago. Figured I have to rate these so you know the pros and cons before you shell out your hard earned cash.THE GOOD: As most reviewers here have said, these ARE comfortable and do provide adequate arch support (I have low arches). I have used them on all day events walking on grass, beaches, natural trails, and urban surfaces, without any problems. There are no friction/pressure marks at contact surfaces with the straps, and my feet/ankle do not hurt at the end of the day. Besides, they seem to grip well on most surfaces, wet or dry. I do recommend these as a family medicine physician who knows a little bit of podiatric medicine.THE BAD: Only 1 complaint. One day, I though I got something stuck under my forefoot and tried to brush it off, that's when I noticed the worn out sole at the forefoot area, revealing the green foam underneath the paper thin leather-like top layer! I am disappointed that this happened within 1 year. And upon further investigation, the sandals are Made in China, which explained why. Due to the worn sole, I can only comfortably wear these with socks, which looks nerdy, so I am only giving these 3 stars, and that's being generous.