men's sportswear & men's gear

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Men's Reforge with ion-mask by Teva

28 years ago, Teva made it's mark on the footwear industry in a big way by creating the world's first "sports sandal." Since then, Teva has relentlessly continued to develop products that power exploration, adventure and lead the action outdoor movement. Today Teva holds over 100 US patents and has products available in 40 countries world-wide! Earlier this month we decided it was about time we hooked up with Teva to go hands-on with one of they're most aggressive and technology packed hiking shoes to-date, the Mens Reforge with ion-mask.

The definition of "Reforge" reads as so, "To forge again or anew; hence, to fashion or fabricate anew; to make over." The Reforge from Teva is exactly that... a new, re-designed version of it's beefy leather built brother, the Forge. While still maintaining many of the Forge's styling queues, the Reforge was built to tackle rugged terrain, all the while keeping your tootsies high and dry no matter how wet the trails may get!

Teva Technology Incorporated into the Reforge:

Spider365 Rubber - Versatile rubber outsoles are made for high friction and durability. A non-marking rubber that performs well on wet or dry terrain.

Shoc Pad - A blended polyurethane/EVA unit in the heel cup evenly transfers the energy of impact throughout the footbed and away from the heel. This energy return actually provides greater spring with each forefoot push-off.

Mush Infused Insole - Mush comfort is injected directly into the performance footbeds, insoles and sockliners for ultimate step-in comfort.

E-Brake - Reverse lugs in the heel area provide enhanced downhill traction.

ion-mask - Liquid repellent nano-coating technology. It enables the product that it's applied to to be impermeable to water at a molecular level.

Mens Reforge Key Features:

Forefoot drainage.

Synthetic and mesh upper.

Mush Infused topsole brings the absurd comfort of our flip flops into this shoe.

A molded frame around the upper adds durability and gives you a secure fit.

Spider365 Rubber sole will hold its grip in all kinds of environment.

Heel stabilizer keeps your foot centered and in control.

ion-mask technology actually prevents the materials in this shoe from absorbing any water on a molecular level. It sounds like sci-fi, but it's real.

The Review:

Comfort: (9.5 out of 10) When sized accordingly, the Reforge fit and feel comfy like skateboard shoes, yet are more flexible and surprisingly breathable. The Mush infused insoles which Teva is famous for are an absolute dream to hike on. The more time you spend breaking them in, you'll actually notice they start to form to your foot, making the shoes fit even better over time. Combine that with the integrated Shoc Pad and the E-brake technology, and it all makes for an exceptionally comfortable ride even after a full day of stomping up and down steep rugged terrain. If feet could talk mine would be giggling!

Durability: (10 out of 10) The stitching and materials used to produce the Reforge are pretty hardcore. In-fact the front tips of each shoe are fitted with thick rubber to take all kinds of abuse from rocks and roots. After hiking and biking more than 30 miles, the Reforge showed no signs of serious ware or deterioration. Over time it is our opinion that the ion-mask technology will help these hiking shoes outlast the competitors, as water damage is a leading cause of deterioration and rotting when it comes to footwear.

Breath-ability: (8.5 out of 10) Built mainly to repel water, the Reforge are actually somewhat breathable as well. The main detractor of most shoes that tout their breath-ability is the simple fact that when they come into contact with water, your feet are instantly soaked! Teva's ion-mask technology prevents water from intruding while also allowing some descent ventilation. It won't keep your feet from sweating on a long trek, but it kept our dogs cooler than other waterproof hiking shoes and boots we've strapped on in the past.

Waterproofing: (9.5 out of 10) Teva's ion-mask technology is simply amazing. It took us some time to get comfortable with the idea for stomping our way through puddles and shallow creeks, but once we did it became quickly apparent that this waterproofing technology was no joke. The best way I can explain it is if you were somehow able to coat your shoes with Rain-X. The water simply wicks away and does not absorb into the shoe. Very impressive and awesome to see in action!

Traction: (9 out of 10) Spider365 rubber is some of the grippy-est stuff we've ever seen in a shoe. It's great on trails, rocks and logs, but where it really shines is on wet slippery surfaces. While fellow hikers were methodically plotting their way over slick rocks on the rivers edge I was (without knowing) blazing a trail more than 100 yards ahead of everyone else. I can't say that I never lost my footing while testing the Reforge, but I do know that they handled the terrain and slippery surfaces better than any shoe I've ever tested!

Value: (9 out of 10) Based on quality, comfort and the fact that these hiking shoes function exactly as advertised we're happy to report that they're worth every penny of the $130 retail price. And if you're able to find them on-sale consider it stealing!

The Bottom Line: We highly recommend the Teva Mens Reforge hiking shoe with ion-mask to guys who hike, bike and generally love spending time in the great outdoors. The Reforge were specifically designed for hiking, but I find myself wearing them everywhere! In-fact they double nicely as a fashionable golf shoe. To get a closer look at the Reforge, make sure to check out the embedded video below, in which Teva's "product guy" Chris Hillyer explains all there is to know about their go-anywhere shoe...

Price: $130 or go to: Teva.com