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Teva Women's Mush II Review

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Teva Women's Mush II Review
Credit: Teva
Price:  $25 List
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Manufacturer:   Teva
By Amanda Fenn ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Mar 16, 2014
66
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Stability - 25% 6.0
  • Comfort - 25% 8.0
  • Water Resistance - 20% 7.0
  • Traction - 15% 5.0
  • Style - 15% 6.0

Our Verdict

Our Best Buy Award winner, the Teva Women's Mush II flip-flop rings up at an amazing $25, which is $40 cheaper than our Editors' Choice Award winner, the OluKai Ohana - Women's. The Mush II features a cushy rubber/foam footbed that molds to the foot over time and definitely has that comfortable “Ahhhh” feeling that we love in a flip-flop. Its inch-wide straps hug the feet, and they come in a dozen fun patterns and colors. Of the 11 pairs of sandals in our review, six of them are under $40; among these six, the Teva Women's Mush II offers the most support and comfort, which are two of the most important metrics in our review. When choosing our Best Buy Award winner, we strive to find a balance between high performance and low cost…and we think that the Mush II does an incredible job of meeting that balance.
REASONS TO BUY
Good support for inexpensive sandal
Comfortable
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks in stability and traction

Our Analysis and Test Results

Hands-On Review


Ideal for around-town and general outdoor use, the Teva Women's Mush II has a lot of offer for a $25 flip-flop. We loved its cozy foot-molding footbed and appreciated its arch support. Although it didn't earn very high scores in water resistance or traction, we think it's an excellent option for those looking for a cute, basic-use sandal.

teva women's mush ii - from its comfy footbed to its fun patterns, this affordable flip...
From its comfy footbed to its fun patterns, this affordable flip stole our hearts.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Performance Comparison



teva women's mush ii - a classic! the teva mush ii is super comfortable, but doesn't offer...
A classic! The Teva Mush II is super comfortable, but doesn't offer tons of stability. Choose this affordable sandal if you're looking for an inexpensive general-use flip-flop.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Stability & Support


Throughout our testing process, we came to the conclusion that you can't expect sandals under about $40 to provide much in the way of stability and support. Although the Teva Mush II has a thicker, more stable sole and footbed than models like the Sanuk Yoga Mat - Women's or the Havaianas Top - Women's, it doesn't come close to the stability offered by products with contoured footbeds. When walking over rocks or other obstacles, this flip-flop doesn't remain stiff and structured like the Chaco Flip - Women's, but instead folds under the pressure.

That said, we were impressed by the amount of support that the Mush II provides, despite its lightweight sole and footbed. Teva designed this sandal with a sliver of extra rubber under the arch for added support. As the wearer breaks in the footbed, it slowly starts to remember the shape of the foot, which helps increase support and assists in keeping the foot in place on the sandal. If you're looking for an inexpensive foot-molding sandal and you're more concerned about stability than support, check out the Reef Sandy Sandal, which has a thicker sole, but less of an arch.

teva women's mush ii - teva on the left vs. reef sandy on the right. the sandy's sole is...
Teva on the left vs. Reef Sandy on the right. The Sandy's sole is thicker, making it more stable, but Teva has the yellow inset arch foam.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Comfort


From the very first time our testers tried on a pair of Tevas (for some it was all the way back in 8th grade), they've been hooked on the cushy, mushy footbed and comfortable straps. Now, more than 15 years later, we can confidently say that the Mush II was one of the most comfortable sandals in our review. Out of 11 different pairs, it made the top three in our comfort metric.

Teva uses a Durapontex rubber/foam compound for its squishy footbed; this material remembers the foot over time, and consistently provides the wearer with that “Ahhhh” effect we're looking for in our comfort category. Additionally, the double-layer nylon straps are about an inch wide and we didn't experience a minute of chafing or discomfort, even around the toe post. Even after months of use, this sandal remains quite comfortable (although it eventually loses the slight “sinking in” feeling it has when it's new). In the past, our testers have gotten years of use out of Tevas like the Mush II, even when they lose all powers of shock absorption and the sole wears down to a paper-thin layer of rubber, they still provide a fair amount of comfort.

If you're looking for an ultra-cushy footbed that provides a little extra stability and shock absorption, be sure to check out the Crocs Capri IV.

teva women's mush ii - the mush ii's footbed molds to the foot, and grows more comfortable...
The Mush II's footbed molds to the foot, and grows more comfortable over time. We didn't experience any strap chaffing with these nylon straps.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Water Resistance


When we started our water resistance tests, we expected the footbed of the Teva Women's Mush II to absorb lots of water (sort of like the Sanuk Yoga Spree 2). We were surprised to discover that the cushy material doesn't actually hold water, and that it dries in about 15 minutes of full sun. The straps took quite a bit longer to dry out (just under two hours), due primarily to the tubular or double layer design. Other pieces like the Reef Sandy Sandal dried much more quickly and offered better footbed traction when wet, but we'll get to that in a second.

Traction


With its EVA sole, the Teva Mush II actually offers a good amount of traction. As we mentioned above, a lack of stability compromises the amount of traction any flip-flop can offer, but again, given the inexpensive nature of this sandal, we're pleasantly surprised at how grippy the sole is. Even though this piece offers more sole traction than the Reef Sandy, it unfortunately missed the mark in footbed traction.

When the Mush II's footbed becomes dusty or wet, the wearer can slip around relatively easily, especially before the sandal is broken in with the wearer's foot pattern. After crossing a stream and thoroughly soaking the Mush II, we ended up scrambling over some rocks and almost ate it, due to the slippery footbed. Alternatively, when the Reef Sandy's footbed gets wet, it actually becomes more grippy, making it a better option for water-related activities. This phenomenon is similar to what happens with the OluKai Ohana: when this high-end sandal gets wet, the grippy footbed acts like a suction cup.

teva women's mush ii - reef sandy on the left, teva on the right. the teva offers better...
Reef Sandy on the left, Teva on the right. The Teva offers better sole traction, but the Reef has superior footbed traction to keep your foot from slipping and sliding.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Style & Fit


A simple sandal with thong-style straps and a rubber footbed, the Teva Women's Mush II definitely didn't top our style scores. This piece has a more casual, bordering on athletic, look that doesn't really work with a cute sundress. On the other hand, our testers do love this flip-flop for general around-town use with jeans or shorts. Plus, the straps come in more than 12 colors and patterns.

Our size 9.5 tester wore a women's size 10 in the Mush II and thought the fit was just about right. The straps weren't too tight or too loose and the length from the toe post to the heel was perfect (a size 9 would have been too small). The one quirk worth noting is that this sandal has a fairly narrow toe box. Rather than designing this flip with a boxier toe, Teva shaved off about a quarter inch to give it a slimmer profile. If you have longer toes, this design might leave your toes dangling just a little bit off the outer edge.

Best Application


Due to its traction and stability issues, the Teva Mush II is not the best water or hiking sandal. We recommend this piece for general around-town use and think it's comfortable enough to wear for at least half a day of walking around, if not longer.

teva women's mush ii - the teva mush ii lacks in stability, but still offers some support...
The Teva Mush II lacks in stability, but still offers some support and more comfort than many other inexpensive flip-flop.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Value


The second least expensive flip-flop in our review (after the Havaianas), the Teva Women's Mush II is a deal at $25. If you're not interested in spending a ton of money on your next pair of sandals, we heartily recommend our Best Buy Award winner, since it provides plenty of comfort and the most support you can get for under $40.

Conclusion


Affordable, comfortable, cute patterns…we love the Teva Women's Mush II. Although it doesn't offer the most traction or stability, we were impressed by the amount of arch support it provides and we loved its cushy foot-molding footbed. At $25, we couldn't ask for a better deal.

Amanda Fenn