Remember last year when everyone suddenly started wearing Teva sandals? Well, that trend is going nowhere this summer, as I discovered when the nice people at Teva took me to Portugal this week to celebrate their new summer collection. Lucky me!
If you’re not already familiar with the brand, Teva makes really practical sandals – a simple rubber sole like a flip-flop but with velcro straps – with a spirit for adventure. They came about in 1984 when a Grand Canyon river guide was so fed up with losing flip-flops to the currents, he took a couple of Swatch watch straps and attached them to his shoes. Genius! The result was waterproof, comfortable sandals that stayed firmly attached to your legs when hiking, surfing or getting up to some other kind of outdoors activity.
I love my Teva sandals but I admit to being pretty lazy, and if a slip-on option like a pool slide is available, I’m fairly likely to go for that pair instead. I know, ridiculous, but especially when I’m on holiday, I really can’t be bothered to fasten my shoes. So it was with great delight that I discovered a pair of Teva slides in my goody bag when we reached our hotel on the Algarve. They have that trademark laid-back look of Original Tevas, but without the – admittedly not all that difficult – hassle of doing up some velcro. They also have leather straps, so have a little touch of luxury, but there are fabric versions available too if you think you might be getting yours wet.
Teva Originals, £35, teva.co.uk
Of course if you want your Tevas for the very reason they were initially designed – to not fall off – then have a browse of the Originals collection. There are LOADS of colour options available and they’re very reasonably priced. They’re also still totally on trend – I really like them paired with tailored trousers and sweatshirts as it’s a little incongruous. When Mr Brogue and I head on our walking tour of Devon later this year, I’ll definitely be packing my Originals (and I might buy him a pair too).
Anyway, back to that trip to Portugal, because I just have to tell you more about those nice people from Teva. After lunch with a stunning view and a surf lesson, we headed to a party with a load of people from Teva’s European HQ in Rotterdam. And boy did these guys know how to throw a party; at one point, they brought a load of house plants on to the dance floor for us to hold – incredibly weird but really funny! My favourite thing though, was that so many of the guys had styled their Tevas with VERY snazzy socks. What an absolute joy! Perhaps not a look I’ll be going for myself however, though I would definitely wear slim ribbed plain coloured socks with mine…
The shoes you can win are these Simmy mid-tops in white with an iridescent trim worth £169. I love them. As they’re a mid-top, rather than a high-top, they’re really flattering because you can still see the slim part of your ankle. And of course, everyone knows that white trainers go with everything! I’d wear these with turned up jeans (as I do with all my shoes!) but they look lovely with bare legs too, and I noticed when I shot these they have the added bonus of making your legs look more tan!
