All the minimalist lovers I know wore Tevas before they shed their shoes. But I will be heading back to Teva shoes on April 1st, 2011, when they officially release the Teva Zilch.
Teva has been pretty tight lipped so far about what we are to expect, but I managed to track down an information sheet. True to Teva's reputation, the Zilch is going to be a performance shoe. This means we can expect the same great traction and comfort I get from the Terra Fi but with the barefoot freedom I have become accustomed to.
But down to the technical information. You can expect the Zilch to weigh 7.0 ounces with a total of 10mm between your foot and the ground. Teva is using the Spider Original Rubber sole, which is made to stick like crazy in wet environments. But don't let this trick you into thinking this is only a water shoe. The outsole does well in dry environments too. It was designed to mimic the human foot as much as possible, so it moves and bends with your foot.
I haven't gotten a chance to really try out the Zilch, since it hasn't been released yet, but I was lucky enough to briefly try on a prototype. I tried it on indoors, so I cannot speak about the grip of the outsole, but I can say that the topsole was incredibly comfortable. There is no built in support, just the polyurethane that fit my feet so well without trying to change it. I will admit, it wasn't as "bare" as my Vibram Fivefingers, but they did seem a bit more discreet and a bit less sweaty on hot days. Expect a full review as soon as I can kick around in them for a week or two!
Here's some pictures of the Zilch all folded up.
Labels: barefoot, minimalist shoes, shoes, teva, teva zilch, zilch
