Teva Grandview Max review: Sandals that put a pep in your step

It’s hard to walk down the street in the summer without coming across a pair of Tevas, but the Grandview Max Sandal is the new kid on the block. With its trainer-like comfort and grippy Vibram outsole, this is serious hiking footwear – worthy of testing on the trails over several months.

Sandal traditionalists, if such a group of people exists, might be discomforted by the Grandview Max. They’re certainly not minimalist, fitting into the category of hiking sandals which are trying really hard to be slightly-more-breathable-trainers.

Like many other brands, Teva has one foot in the outdoor world, the other in fashion. While these sandals are marketed for hiking, they also have that on-trend chunkiness that you see more and more on the streets.

But let our review of the similarly-chunky Merrell SpeedARC Surge act as a caution. As LFTO writer Milo finds, there’s a risk of traditionally outdoors-focussed brands veering too far in the other direction, sacrificing trail performance for street style.

The best of these brands – Salomon, La Sportiva and, yes, Teva – manage to do both well, creating shoes that genuinely perform well on the trail, yet wouldn’t be surprising to see at an electronic music festival.

The Grandview Max sandals confirm Teva’s position within the former category. These are the kind of shoes you can go for a day-long hike in, even in the mountains, then head straight to the restaurant, beach or festival.

But here at LFTO, we’re interested in hiking performance, so this review focuses on how well the Teva Grandview Max performs on the trails. I tested these sandals over a period of several months, on the footpaths around Sheffield and the Peak District – read on to find out my verdict.

Design and features

The Grandview Max is surprisingly light. Each sandal weighs 330g (UK6), which is similar to the Teva Terra Fi in the same size. With the Grandview Max, you get a lot of extra cushioning for not much more weight.

The colourway I tested these sandals in (caribou/seedling) shows the dirt easily – within a few uses, the sole was smudged with black. So it might be worth getting a darker colour if you’re wearing them for hiking.

Coming from Teva, I'm not surprised that these sandals are highly durable. They’re protected by a tough Vibram outsole, which extends up the sides to reinforce the midsole. On top of this, the straps are securely stitched to the mesh inner, which is reinforced by a “mudguard” and more stitching around the edges.

Apart from the gaping holes, they’re not super breathable. Your feet are essentially encased in neoprene-like material, which on a hot day is like sweating in a thin wetsuit. For hiking in the heat, you might prefer a more minimalist sandal, like the Lizard Super Hike. Or even some breathable trainers – see, for example, the Keen Versacore Speed.

Protection and performance

With a wide base, the Grandview Max is stable, helping you to get a secure footing. It's relatively speedy, too: the toe section flexes easily, which makes it easier to push-off and go faster.

These sandals are engineered to protect your feet as much as they possibly can, without becoming a trainer. This is down to three main reasons:

First, the tip of the outsole is upturned, which prevents stubbed toes and guards against debris (think: loose gravel, pine needles, twigs or dirt). Though it’s not completely failsafe, as these sandals are open-toed.

Second, on the outer-edge of the shoe, the mesh upper extends down to the outsole, stopping debris from entering the sides. This is supported by what Teva refers to as a “reinforced mudguard”, a tougher section of material that protects the side of your feet.

Thirdly, because of the chunky midsole, your feet are much more raised from the ground than most other sandals.

All of this means you can comfortably wear these sandals in forests or on gravel trails. How well do they perform on rugged terrain, though?

The outsole is made by Vibram and is known for its grippiness. The lugs – the part of the outsole that stick out and provide grip – form a pattern that's pretty similar to those on my Scarpa Mojito approach shoes.

This means you can trust these shoes on rocky trails. Mind you, they aren’t as grippy, supportive or protective as a good pair of walking boots, and I wouldn’t want to go scrambling in them. But on a moderate day-hike with mixed terrain, the Grandview Max is in its element.

Fit and comfort

The Grandview Max has dreamy comfort levels. Unlike most other hiking sandals, the straps don’t actually touch your feet at all: they’re supported by an inner shell of comfy, 100% recycled mesh, stretching the whole way around the foot.

This has two main benefits. Firstly, it avoids the problem of the straps digging in, causing discomfort when tightened. Secondly, since the material is quick to dry, you're unlikely to get blisters from wet straps.

Due to this supportive inner shell, I didn’t get any blisters wearing these sandals, even on long day hikes. There’s always a trade-off, though, and this time it’s the fact that you’re feet get hotter than they would in minimalist sandals.

The Grandview Max outshines its competitors for cushioning. Made from Teva’s ‘LITE-COMF’ rubber, the midsole is luxurious. Like a bouncy road running shoe, these sandals give a pep to your step – and they're very forgiving on tough terrain.

The Grandview Max is adjustable at three points: at the back of the heel, over the bridge of the foot and just before the toe. Each strap is adjustable with a Velcro-style attachment, which enables you to personalise the fit.

My only qualm here is that I couldn’t tighten the front or heel straps as much as I’d like. There’s two components to Velcro-style straps: hooks on the top, which attach to loops on the bottom. For me, the loop sections on the front and heel aren’t long enough to fasten the hook tightly.

As a result, I found that I either experienced unwanted heel uplift, or the fasteners were clinging on by a thread and felt more likely to slip. Having said this, it’s still possible to get a comfy, snug fit. It might just take some adjustment to get this dialled in. Plus, your feet are probably not identical to mine!

Price and competition

At £110 ($130), the Teva Grandview Max are on the expensive end of the hiking sandals spectrum. The price is in line with high-performing competitors like the the Merrell Speed Fusion.

You can get much cheaper hiking sandals, for instance the Lizard Super Hike, currently available for £25. These have strong grip but won’t protect your feet as much as the Grandview Max.

There’s plenty more sandals within the Teva range. Take, for instance, the Teva Aventrail, which just falls short of referring to itself as a trail running sandal. The classic Teva Terra Fi 5 is more suited to light hikes, while the Original Universal is best for day-to-day wear.

Verdict

The Teva Grandview Max is a supremely comfortable sandal, with plush cushioning and barely-noticeable straps. It excels in foot protection, though this makes it less breathable than more minimalist alternatives.

It’s grippy enough for rugged terrain, though I prefer the protection of boots or shoes, especially on long-distance hikes. For day walks through woods, on the beach and on gravel tracks, this is an excellent choice. And they’ll even carry you to the restaurant at the end of the day without cramping your style.

About the author

LFTO writer Evie has strained her cardiovascular system on many a steep incline, having hiked in over 10 countries across Europe and beyond. She's a big fan of the long-distance GR routes, her favourites being the GR20 in Corsica, GR221 in Mallorca and GR52 in the Alps.