Article by Jeff and Allison Valliere
Teva Aventrail R2T Trail Running Sandal ($120)
Introduction
Pros: Secure and comfortable straps/upper, deep cushion, overall comfort, versatility, traction, quick drying, stable - Jeff/Allison
Cons: The R2T is a firmer and not as plush as the Aventrail sandal although this can also be considered a pro or con depending) - Jeff/Allison
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 8.15 oz / 231g US 9 // women’s 6.7 oz / 190g US 7
Sample Weight: men’s size US 10 - 9.6oz / 273g, women’s US 9 - 8oz / 226g
Stack Height: men’s 41.5mm heel / 33mm forefoot, 8.5mm drop spec (Still looking to confirm these specs, which seem generous, but is what Teva provided.)
measure Platform Width: 105mm heel / 75mm midfoot / 125mm forefoot
First Impressions, Fit and Upper:
Jeff V: Reminiscent of the Aventrail trail running sandal that we reviewed last year (RTR Review), the R2T has a very comfortable W strap system for lockdown and support. The W strap velcro closure system over the forefoot is familiar, with 3 separate straps, with two over the top of the foot and one around the rear
A soft padded mesh protects the foot from the straps and is designed to add comfort and protection, while adding a little bit of structure to the “upper”. I find the “upper” to be very secure for general use, as well as light running, though on steep downhills, I quickly find the limitations of the R2T, but it is a sandal after all. That said, for most use, I feel confident with the foothold and performance.
Of course, being a sandal, it goes without saying that breathability is excellent and the neoprene mesh understraps are particularly breathable, comfortable and quick drying. For the most part, I set the front lower foot strap and heel strap just once, then operate the middle strap whenever I put them on. As a bonus, the upper consists of 52% REPREVE® recycled polyester straps, mesh upper made with 27% recycled nylon and 33% recycled polyester. Fit is true to size.
The padded neoprene mesh is quite comfortable and breathable. The upper dries very quickly and does not seem to retain odors.
Allison:Agreed with Jeff on the above points and he goes over the details well. The R2T upper is very secure and easy to operate, where the velcro straps are easy to operate, are high quality and well constructed, snugging down very well over my low volume foot.
Like Jeff, I find the upper is true to size and very secure through a wide range of conditions. For testing, I have run in the R2T and am confident in them, but prefer to use them for all around daily wear, so it’s a comfortable sandal that I can run in if needed (hurrying from a storm or across an airport).
I appreciate that when hiking, my foot feels very well held to the midsole/outsole and there is no significant sliding, movement or rubbing, but like Jeff, they do slip a bit when running steep downhills (which I did in very small doses).
Midsole & Platform
Jeff V: The midsole is listed as 41.5mm heel/33mm forefoot (8.5mm drop spec), which is more than the 33.5mm heel / 27.5mm of the Aventrail model, but I am not certain that is accurate, as the R2T feels lower to the ground with less cushioning and stack than the Aventrail.
Either way, the LITE-COMF midsole is firmer, though very comfortable, providing a more responsive and stable feel than the Aventrail does. With its lower to the ground more stable feel (despite the conflicting specs), I find the R2T to be better suited to more technical terrain.
The composition of the midsole adds to the versatility. They performed very well and have great cushion underfoot for hiking, light running and particularly long days of general wear.
Allison: I also find the feel of the midsole to be firmer in comparison to the Aventrail, but will also note that they softened up and “broke in” nicely after several runs. The firmer midsole is still very well cushioned and comfortable, infinitely more so than traditional sandals and they are comfortable for hiking, long walks and light running if necessary.
Outsole
Jeff V: The Spider rubber outsole with 3.5mm lugs provide excellent grip on a wide range of terrain, with enough lug for wet muddy challenging conditions, yet are low profile enough for daily wear and door to trail.
The bulk of my testing was on a 2 week trip to Costa Rica, where we hiked muddy trails, crossed creeks and rivers and negotiated slippery boulders and rocks exploring waterfalls where they provided confidence inspiring grip. They are also great on dry trails here in Colorado and are grippy under just about any circumstance.
Allison: Like Jeff, I found the Spider rubber outsole with 3.5mm traction lugs to be very appropriate for a wide range of conditions, be it dry trails here in Colorado, daily wear, or the slippery muddy hikes in Costa Rica exploring waterfalls, coastal shorelines or crossing creeks.
I never felt as though I needed more traction and am confident in the grip anywhere.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Jeff V: The R2T is a versatile, do it all sandal that is perfect for hiking, day to day wear, travel, watersports and light running. It is advertised as a running sandal and they work better for that than any sandal on the market, but I look at that as a bonus as that level of capability just further enhances the comfort, stability, security, traction and cushion of an amazingly comfortable day to day sandal.
We took a 2 week trip to Costa Rica and I wore them almost the entire time. They were great for the travel to and from (including a full on sprint across the Houston airport when a delayed flight got bumped back to an earlier time), steep hikes up to 10 miles through rain forests, to waterfalls, muddy conditions, crossing creeks, negotiating wet boulders, exploring beaches and coastline. The upper often got wet, but would dry quickly and not retain odorsl, the midsole is very well cushioned and the outsole provides great traction everywhere we went.
Jeff V’s Score: 9.5/10
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Allison: Agreed with all of Jeff’s points above. We used the R2T for just about the entire trip and even the few times we chose to wear trail running shoes, we would have been totally fine in the sandals. If I were to go back, I would likely just wear the R2T for the entire trip. I really appreciate the comfort, cushion, traction and all around do it all versatility. The new colorways are also very good looking and I often get compliments on them.
Allison’s Score: 9.7/10
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Comparison
Teva Aventrail (RTR Review)
The Aventrail has a softer midsole, a stack that feels higher and more softly cushioned, more mesh material in the upper and more significant 5mm lugs. Both are great sandals and I could flip a coin on either and there is a lot of overlap in performance and usability between the two. I think the R2T is a bit more stable and perhaps more versatile, with better trail competency due to its firmer more predictable midsole and lugs that cross the line between road and trail.
R2T Trail Running Sanda
TEVA
Tester Profiles
Allison Valliere is a 5th generation Coloradan who is passionate about the outdoors and has been hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing and running in the mountains since she was young. She has completed all but 5 of the Colorado 14ers (a dozen or so in winter), has many hundreds of year round ascents of 14ers, 13ers and other peaks in Colorado and the West. Allison has also traveled the world and trekked to over 18,000 feet in the Himalayas, to high altitudes in Ecuador and has worked for the National Park Service mapping plants in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California . Her almost daily routine involves runs/power hikes in the foothills above Boulder, or 4-5 mile flatter runs at 8-10 minute mile pace if schedule necessitates. But what really keeps her on her toes is working as a nurse and taking care of her 15 year old twin daughters who are also growing to share her love for the outdoors.
Jeff Valliere loves to run and explore the mountains of Colorado, the steeper and more technical the better. He has summited all of the 14ers in the state, many 13ers and other peaks in Colorado and beyond, plus, he has summited his local Green Mountain over 2,100 times in the past 20 years. He can be found on mountain trails daily, no matter the weather, season, conditions or whether there is daylight or not. On the side he loves to ski (all forms) bike and hike, often with his family, as he introduces his twin daughters to the outdoors. Jeff was born and raised in New Hampshire, but has called Colorado home for over 25 years. He is 5’9” and 145 lbs.
Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. No compensation was provided by brands for writing this article. RoadTrail Run does have affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
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