Review: Teva Mush Flip Flops

I started wearing Teva Mush Flip-Flops my first year of college, and I've never looked back. Named for a "mushy" sole that eventually conforms to the wearer's foot, the Teva Mush is an incredibly comfortable pair of flip-flops, good for everyday wear. The flip-flops are black, with a choice of colored and patterned straps. The straps themselves are very comfortable, and I've never felt any sort of chafing from them. Teva also offers a slightly more expensive model with leather straps, but I've never owned a pair.

Teva Mush Flip-Flops are very durable: my college campus had rough brick streets notorious for their ability to destroy shoes, and one pair of Teva Mush's lasted me through three years of heavy walking. The soles of the flip-flops are the highlight: they're made of this squishy material that compresses down to conform to the shape of the wearer's foot for an extremely comfortable fit. It takes a week or so of good walking for the flip-flops to conform, but once they take their shape, they'll stay that way. The soles have a very smooth texture that feels great on the foot.

Unfortunately, the Teva Mush's smoothness is something of a problem if you have to wear them in the rain; moisture tends to accumulate between your foot and the sole of the flip-flop, making them somewhat hazardous to wear in damp conditions. Furthermore, if you accidentally step in a puddle, the fabric straps will get damp, and it takes a while for them to dry out.

The conforming nature of the flip-flop has a minor drawback, as well: depending on the shape of your foot and your body weight, the center of the soles have a tendency to get a little thin, and if you step on something sharp, you can feel it through the shoe. It can be a bit uncomfortable wearing the flip-flops if you have to walk over gravel or small stones, as the pieces have a tendency to lodge in the bottom of the sole. In my experience, this was only a problem above a certain body weight: when I weighed 280 pounds, I had more problems with the soles thinning out than I do now at a much healthier, lower body weight.

At the time of this writing, the Teva Mush sells on Teva's website for $22.00, but I've found them cheaper elsewhere, and sometimes you can find sales that drop the price to $15.00 or even as low as $10.00. Personally, I love this shoe so much that when I found a good deal on several pairs, I bought a few to put in my closet for use when my current pair wears out. I've never found another pair of flip-flops that were as comfortable to wear as my Teva's, and even if they aren't particularly suited to wearing in the rain, I still wear them more than any other shoe I own. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a durable, comfortable pair of everyday flip-flops.