Teva Fuse-Ion Shoes, Lark Winner and More About Stuff!

The summer Product Parade continues here at Cranky Fitness, but fear not, Product-Averse People, it's also the debut of the Cranky Enlightenment blog, at which there is an actual post today!

Yep, as you may have guessed, Crabby got greedy again. She's been snapping up review opportunities right and left and up and down and sideways, even if some of the products aren't reader giveaways. After playing around with her new toys, it belatedly occurred to the covetous crustacean that she might need to eventually cough up some feedback. She hopes that sponsors never, ever stop sending free stuff!

So today, it's a review of Teva Fuse-Ion Shoes, pictured above.

But all this me leads to a question: For those of you who like giveaways or will tolerate reviews, what sort of stuff appeals to YOU? Do you like electronic gadgets? DVD workouts? Yoga mats? Powder Designed to Remedy Buttock Odor Reminiscent of Monkeys? (Note: you may need to check out the Cranky Fitness Facebook page from last week to discover what that was all about.)

Anyway, stay tuned to find out who won the Lark Sleep-Measuring Doohickey, or check out the Teva shoes, or weigh in on preferred giveaway contests. Then if you got a minute, go visit the new blog!

First up, the shoes:

The Teva Fuse-Ions are billed as: "The highest performing water shoe you would gladly wear to the bar." High performance shoes? Cocktails? The combination was a little too tempting to refuse.

According to the PR description these are the most waterproof shoe in the world. Some of the website tech details say these shoes feature:

T.I.D.E. GRIP:   "Spider Rubber + JStep outsole will stick to a grease-covered aluminum ramp...Wet rocks shouldn't be a problem."

T.I.D.E. HYDRO: "Drain Frame™ sheds water like a sieve, keeping your sandals dry and light." and,

T.I.D.E. COMFORT: "The perforations in the sole were done with freakin' laser beams."

As it happens,  I spend summers in Provincetown Massachusetts, where there are plenty of chances to splash on the beach, walk or run for miles and miles, clamber over slippery rocks, get caught in thunderstorms, and frequent bars. So a pair of high-performance, water-friendly, nonslippery shoes that aren't too ugly to wear out sounded like just the ticket.

 Also a good place to just sit on your ass sometimes too.

Crabby's Provincetown Teva Test Results:


Cuteness: Exceptionally high marks! Keep in mind that I'm not a girly girl; Rachel Maddow is more of a role model than Anna Wintour.

Sigh. Both Crabby and the Lobster still have a big fat crush.

Photo swiped from Rachel Maddow's website.

But these Teva's look like "real" shoes you'd wear on purpose to me.

The blurry photo below (let's just pretend it's that way on purpose, to be arty) was taken while dancing at one of the legendary BoatSlip Tea Dances. Notice that my athletic-shoe clad foot (foreground) fits in perfectly with what others were wearing?

Comfort: Well... that depends. Are you a minimalist? These will do nicely! They were certainly comfortable enough to kick around in; they were lightweight and despite being snug as water shoes should be, were easy to get on an off.  They did chafe a little, but I read they were designed to wear without socks, so I wore them that way, though I did add an orthotic insole.

But for long walks or impact activities, I like a shoe with quite a bit more more support and cushioning. Even with my orthotics (which have a soft pad on top) my feet were feeling the street after just a couple of miles.   (I have another pair of Teva's, sandals that I think are Tirra's which feel a little more supportive and cushioney; I think I was hoping these would have a similar feel).

Grip: Very grippy!  I didn't attempt to climb a grease covered aluminum ramp, but these were great on wet rocks.  On the other hand, if they get wet and sandy, they're more slippery.  And you can still slip on slimy sea-vegetation, so use common sense and don't be a idiot; they grip well but will not turn you into Spiderman.

Water-proofiness: We did actually get caught in a thunderstorm on the way back from the Boatslip, and my feet remained dry!

But they're not designed to repel water when immersed; instead, there are lots of drains to keep them from getting too water-loggy and heavy.  The shoes didn't drain to the point of dryness, but most of the water did squish out.  The cuff-like top kept sand from getting in, which was very nice! Though I didn't slog through any deep dunes or anything.

Overall: A great walk-at-the-beach, climb on rocks, get caught in a thunderstorm, head-to-the-bar shoe!  But for folks who need extra cushioning and support, don't try to run any marathons in 'em.


And The Lark Winner was:  Sally!  
Please email me at Crabby McSlacker at gmail dot com by end of day Friday the 29th!


So, does anyone have any thoughts on water shoes, or what sorts of fitness products you'd like to win/hear about?