Teva Illum Sandals Features:

• Dual, detachable LED pedlamps
• Spider365 outsole rubber
• EVA foam of varying densities to cradle, cushion and support
• Built-in arch supports
• MSRP: $50

Teva Illum Sandals Review

After a full 6 months of wear, the Illum’s are still hanging tough and providing as much comfort as day one. The improved construction built into the Illum’s can be immediately felt and translates into a long-lasting, comfortable flip. When I first saw the LED light on the top of these sandals, I was really wondering how useful they would be. As it turned out, I actually used the lights more than I thought.

While these surf-inspired sandals were originally built for early morning surfing excursions, I think the real reason for them is to make the midnight bathroom trip a little safer without having to tote along a flashlight. Since there’s no dawn patrol surfing options here in Utah, I’m going to have to say that they do make for great midnight bathroom companions. No stubbed toes and night vision kept intact.

Another time they came in handy was after a late-night family party in search of lost shoes. Everyone was impressed as I quickly scanned the yard and found the lost shoes. Kudos to the Illum’s.

As far as comfort goes, the Illum’s take the squishy comfort of the Mush and make it much more durable with solid traction to boot. I’ve been able to walk around all day in these without so much as a smidgen of discomfort. Three layers of varied-density EVA foam cradles the foot in squishy comfort yet still provides enough density to keep their shape after months of wear. The built-in arch support is great for my flat feet and the overall feel of these sandals does make for some of the best-fitting and most comfortable sandals on the market.

The only negatives I’m seeing are that the inside of the heel area (see above) is getting a little bit ragged and the low-profile toebox does put your toes in harm’s way, so be careful when traipsing around unlit.

Good Illum

• Very comfortable sandals
• Can be worn all day on pavement, no problem
• Footbed comforms to your feet
• Great traction
• LED light does come in handy on occasion

Bad Illum

• The LED light is quite the toy for kids… mine love to turn them on while I’m not looking
• The inside edges of the footbed are getting a bit ragged
• Sometimes the outsole can be too grippy on carpet

Bottom Line: Teva Illum Sandals

I’m gonna have to say that these are the most comfortable flip flops I own. While some may scoff at the gimmicky LED pedlight, I think it does come in handy on occasion, but the real star of the show is the comfort of these flips. Your feet will dig them, guaranteed.

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The simplicity of slipping these shoes on and going, right off the bat, is quite refreshing since most of the time I’ve got to hunt for an available pair of Superfeet or Sole insoles to swap from an idle pair of shoes. With Chaco, I don’t have to think about that… just slip and go. While I’ve been a fan of Chaco sandals, I’d heard that they were re-tooling their shoe designs, but that they were sticking to a handful of shoe/sandal crossovers and that included the Paradox, which I’ve been tooling around in for the past few weeks.

About the Chaco Paradox

Part shoe, part sandal, the Paradox is somewhat of a conundrum. It breathes like a sandal, yet wears like a shoe (heck, you could even sport socks with them if you so choose). All that polyester webbing provides ample support while the BioCentric footbed gives you stability and comfort for long days on your feet.

Features of the Chaco Paradox

• Polyester webbing upper
• BioCentric footbed (seen below)
• Available in Men’s or Women’s
• Colors: Chocolate or Gun Metal (tested)
• MSRP: $110

Chaco Paradox Review

When the Paradox shoes arrived, I was instantly drawn to them. Lets just say that they might as well be called the McGuire because they had me at hello. Slipping my feet into the BioCentric footbed and comfortable uppers, I felt cradled and comfortable. Add on top of that, awesome breathability and the result is a pair of shoes that’s hard to get me to pass up in the morning when I’m heading out the door.

With jeans or shorts, the Paradox sandals are stylish and unique. I might go so far as to say that if the Paradox had come on the scene prior to the ubiquitous Crocs sandals, Chaco just might have won over the market–at least the high-end of the market with these shoes. They are very comfortable and provide support and traction aplenty.

My primary focus so far has been casual wear, but I’ll file updates as I push the limits of these sandals on the trails and in the water.

The Paradox’s are built with Chaco’s standard polyester webbing running fore and aft with strategically-placed cross-members of either solid polyester or stretchy elastic to properly cradle the foot. For my normal-width, flat feet, I found that the elastic bands could have provided just a tad more resistance, but other foot sizes should find them perfect.

One pull of the adjustable cross strap and the shoes are cinched down for better fit and function. I did find that the buckle was easy to bump loose inadvertently, but not annoyingly-so. This same single buckle makes removal a cinch. The aggressive diamond-shaped tread pattern provides excellent traction in all conditions.

The best application for these shoes I’ve found thus far is travel. They are easy to slip off at security gates and compact down to nothing in your carryon bag.

Good Paradox

• BioCentric footbed is supportive and comfortable
• Webbing uppers breathe very well
• Super-grippy soles with aggressive tread pattern
• Easy slip-n-go on/off
• The definite “go-to” shoe
• Still comfortable after an all-day pavement-fest in downtown Chicago

Bad Paradox

• Could use a “Z” cross webbing like regular Chacos for a more secure forefoot
• Not as suited to water as regular Chacos

The Bottom Line: Chaco Paradox

Go ahead, ditch your ugly Crocs already and pick up a pair of Paradox shoes. These are now my go-to casual shoes for everything short of heading to Church on Sunday (maybe I could rock them still). Bio-Centric insoles on top of sandal-like breathability and the Paradox seems more concrete to me than a paradox.

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I can only tolerate the right thickness and type of socks for my activities, but once I’m done running, hiking or biking, the first thing I grab is a nice pair of sandals so my feet can breathe and remain cool and comfortable. For years, my trusted pair of flip-flops has been the Teva Mush Sandals.

About the Teva Mush Sandals

On the surface, there’s not much to mention about the Mush Sandals. They are a flip-flop (or thong, if you prefer)… plain and simple. But what makes them different from other flips is the squishy foam they are made from. Shock-absorbing and foot-comforming, this foam is a thing of wonder and makes up the upper layer of a dual-density outsole.

Features of the Teva Mush Sandals

• Dual-density sole with 7mm Soft Mush EVA
• Available in Men’s, Women’s and Kids
• Arch support wedge
• MSRP: $24

Teva Mush Sandals Review

I have purchased a pair of Teva Mush sandals nearly every year for 3-4 years straight. They are my go-to flips for all-day activities, mowing the lawn or post-ride comfort.

When new, the foam material is firm, but all it takes is a week or two of consistent wear and these conform to every little detail of your feet. It’s amazing how well-cradled your feet will feel with these sandals. If I have to choose from any of my sandals, I’d go for the Mush every time.

Not only is the EVA Soft Mush foam squishy, but there’s a built-in arch support wedge that adds to the overall comfort–especially for flat-footers like me.

The only real downside of the Mush sandal is that the material–while soft and cushioning–squishes out and compresses relatively quickly. Once the upper foam squishes out, the lower, denser foam can start to crack and lose its shape entirely. And, by that time, the heelstrike area is typically bald as bald can be–making for some treacherous stepping on wet, slippery surfaces.

Overall, for the low price ($24), the short lifespan of the Mush sandals is still worth it for the season of squishy comfort they provide.

Good Mush Sandals

• The pinnacle of sandal comfort
• Upper foam conforms to every detail of your feet
• Lightweight
• Inexpensive

Bad Mush Sandals

• Only enough squish for a season of wear - these are one season past that
• When the tread is worn, the heelstrike area is very slippery

The Bottom Line: Teva Mush Sandals

When your feet crave soft, cushy comfort, grab a pair of Teva Mush Sandals and relax away. While they wear out after a season, their low price and customized comfort pay you back in spades.

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However, no matter how much I spent on the orthotics, I couldn’t get them to work in all my shoes, so over time, they ended up in a single pair, then ultimately tucked away in the corner somewhere only to be used on occasion. I’d almost always go back to the Dr. Scholls arch supports because they were cheap and easily swapped between shoes. That was until I discovered SOLE orthotic footbeds and sandals.

Earlier this year, I posted about the SOLE Dean Karnazes signature line of footbeds. Those remain my all-around favorites and provide me with all-day comfort out-of-the-box.  With my flat feet, I get the most support by wearing the footbeds as-is without heat molding them.

SOLE Wins Over Skeptical Podiatrists

I had a chance to chat with SOLE’s Marketing Manager, Claire Thompson, while at Outdoor Retailer. She filled me in on a few cool things SOLE has been doing lately. For starters, they introduced the new SOLE Platinum Sandals just a few months ago. These are a revolutionary step forward in comfort and design. I’ve got a pair that I’ve been flogging for a few weeks now and they are the most comfortable flip-flops I’ve owned (more on that in the coming weeks).

She also mentioned a few cool things that happened recently. The first was that SOLE crashed the annual American Podiatric Medicine’s conference in Hawaii last month. One of the topics of discussion was what the podiatrists call “Flip-flop Itis”. No, it wasn’t a discussion on Hillary Clinton, but rather a discussion on the negative effects of wearing flip-flops.

Knowing this, Claire walked right into the conference, showed off the new SOLE Platinum Sandals and immediately won over the podiatrists in attendance. They are now in the process of receiving the association’s seal of approval as the only sandals they recommend.

SOLE Footbeds Transfer More Energy

Another tidbit she shared was a study that was done by Charmichael Training Systems comparing the wattage output of a cyclist wearing standard insoles, Specialized Body Geometry shoes and insoles, Superfeet insoles and SOLE orthotic footbeds. The results were that SOLE insoles transferred much more energy (wattage) to the pedals because of the virtual elimination of any air gaps between the foot and the shoe.

So, if you want to gain an edge on the road or on the singletrack, get some SOLE footbeds. Available in a variety of styles that vary in thickness to accommodate nearly any shoe.

Introducing SOLE Platinum Orthotic Sandals

As mentioned earlier, even grumpy podiatrists were standing in line to buy the 250 pair of SOLE Platinum Sanals that were brought to their annual conference. The support provided by the Platinum sandals is unsurpassed in the world of flip-flops.

The foot is cradled from heel to toe with the perfect support, thus providing continuous contact and the elimination of aches and pains commonly associated with wearing sandals all day. In the two weeks I’ve had them, I’m sold and I know you will be too. Learn more about what makes these sandals tick.

The SOLE Platinum Orthotic Sandals are available in a variety of colors and sizes for $79.95. Read my SOLE Platinum Sandals review.

More Info: Visit SOLESandals.com or YourSOLE.com