Teva Aventrail R2T review

Its reasonable price point and an array of benefits make the Teva Aventrail R2T an appealing summer sandal for people who:

• need one go-to pair for city-to-trail use, especially by the water
• look for maximum comfort and impact protection for long hours outdoors
• want a mix of cushioning, stability, and durability in a lighter-than-average package

The only major reason not to get the Aventrail R2T is if its strap system doesn't bode well with your feet, and you could use something more enclosed for active outdoor use and trail running. In that case, the Aventrail Sandal or even the Aventrail Shoe could be a better choice.

And if you value stability and groundedness over soft and chunky cushioning, the Teva Hurricane XLT 3 Closed Toe is also worth a look.

Just when we thought hiking sandals couldn't get any more max-cushioned, Teva bridged the gap between trail running shoes and sandals, setting a new record for shock absorption!

With a whopping 143 SA, the Aventrail R2T even outperformed the average impact protection of trail runners! Its LITE-COMF cushioning feels heavenly comfortable for miles on end, reducing fatigue for both walks and runs.

Teva mentions 'responsive comfort' when describing this sandal's cushioning, suggesting some bounce-back in its midsole.

However, our energy return test showed a rather moderate result of 49.9%. This confirms that the Aventrail R2T doesn't feel dull or dead, but we wouldn't call its ride springy or bouncy either.

We didn't even need a caliper to see that this Teva sandal towers above all the other sandals in our lab. With a high stack of 36.3 mm in the heel, it proved even taller than the chunky HOKA silhouettes!

But please note that our lab measurements deviate significantly from the brand's official specs. Because the latter suggests the Aventrail R2T should have an even higher heel stack height of 40.5 mm!

The regular Teva Aventrail Sandal, on the other hand, returned an exceptionally high heel stack of 41.5 mm. This makes us suspect that the stack heights are reversed for the Aventrail R2T and the regular Aventrail sandal on the Teva website, as the R2T variant looks and feels more grounded.

We also observed a deviation in the sandal's forefoot stack. Even though it's exceptionally tall at 28.4 mm, it is still far from the promised 32 mm.

No wonder we got such a high shock absorption measurement in this Teva sandal! Its bottomless foam mutes the ground feel like few other sandals do!

And as for the heel-to-toe drop, we found it quite close to the stated 8.5 mm, with our caliper readings yielding 7.9 mm.

This offset puts the foot in a perfectly comfortable, ergonomic position that suits most trailgoers. The heel is slightly elevated above the toes to ease strain on the Achilles and calves, but not so much that it feels tippy.

The Aventrail R2T's midsole is made up of two thick foam layers, a firmer one at the bottom and a softer one at the top.

An amazingly plush top foam layer prevents this Teva shoe from feeling like a brick, and our durometer reading reflected its softness at 32.0 AC.

And with a durometer reading of 42.5 AC, the sandal's bottom cushioning layer provides a stable base and good protection against sharp trail obstacles.

That way, its midsole softens the blow of each landing, but then follows up with a firmer base to maintain support and stability.

Like most Teva sandals, the Aventrail R2T relies on a W Strapping System with three adjustable straps (two around the ankle and one in the forefoot) to provide a fine-tuned fit.

The neoprene mesh underlays beneath the straps make the sandal's fit a bit more enclosed, but not as much as in the regular Aventrail sandal or the Aventrail shoe.

But please remember that you can only expect this much lockdown from a sandal, as it doesn't keep the foot as secure as a trail shoe on hilly terrain with steep descents.

P.S. Good to know that the sandal's upper is made with sustainable materials too:

• straps: 52% REPREVE recycled polyester
• mesh: 27% recycled nylon and 33% recycled polyester

The 'R2T' abbreviation stands for 'road-to-trail' in the Aventrail R2T's name and echoes its versatile outsole design.

Measuring the sandal's lug depth at 3.2 mm, we found that it is indeed better suited for semi-urban use, light terrain, gravel, and coastal areas.

We wouldn't describe this Teva sandal's outsole as aggressive, but its M-shaped lugs provide reliable bite on moderate ascents and descents.

Yet at the same time, the flat, wide nature of these treads prevents them from poking the foot on hard, smooth surfaces such as boulders, concrete, and boardwalks.

The Aventrail R2T's massive platform inevitably limits its ability to bend forward like most other sandals.

And its resistance to bending showed up in our stiffness test, requiring an above-average force of 13.5N to bend by 30 degrees.

But despite the rigidity, this Teva sandal's ride feels nice and smooth thanks to the curved rocker geometry, which allows the foot to roll smoothly from heel to toe.

Despite its chunky silhouette, the Aventrail R2T sandal turned out to be the lightest among the Teva Aventrail variations. It is even lighter than the average for hiking sandals at only 8.7 (247g). That's a truly impressive cushioning-to-weight ratio!

Its tall stack height and plush top foam can raise concerns about the Aventrail R2T's stability, but our tests confirmed there is nothing to worry about.

The platform of this Teva sandal is so wide and structured that it can resist torque nearly as good as an average trail running shoe. Requiring 14.8 Nm, it prevents the foot from collapsing and rolling inwards.

A small shank is embedded in the Aventrail R2T's midfoot to help resist lateral twisting. Even though it's not a very common feature in hiking sandals, we appreciate that its presence doesn't weigh the sandal down.

Its broad midsole dimensions also contribute to the Aventrail R2T's stable base. Our caliper recorded a solid width of 120.5 mm between the most extended points of its forefoot.

The heel, on the other hand, turned out to be even wider than average at 98.9 mm. It is narrower than that of the regular Aventrail Sandal (104.2 mm) but still quite broad for a typical sandal.

This creates plenty of surface area for landings to feel stable and surefooted in the R2T.

Teva is definitely onto something with its Spider Rubber Endure outsole on the Aventrail R2T!

After subjecting the compound to a rigorous Dremel test, we found that the tool barely scratched the surface! If it weren't for our precise tread gauge measurement, we wouldn't even notice the 0.5 mm damage!

But as you can see, rubber coverage is not very abundant on this Teva sandal, exposing quite a lot of foam to direct abrasion. And the rubber layer itself is not particularly thick, at only 1.8 mm, according to our caliper.

But it's a fair compromise Teva made to keep the Aventrail R2T's weight down.

Even though the padded mesh beneath the straps showed a moderate thickness of 2.0 mm, we still found it sufficient to buffer chafing and pressure from the straps themselves.

The mesh also proved to be breathable and quick-drying and barely felt on the skin.

No finger loops are attached to the Aventrail R2T, but the adjustable straps make on-and-off easy enough.

Teva offers something unique with the Aventrail R2T: it is essentially a trail-running shoe platform with a sandal-style upper. Immensely comfortable, well-cushioned, and durable, we believe that it is fairly priced against the competition.