Just by looking at the new Crank Mid shoes, you can tell what sort of angle Teva are going for.
The brand claim that they were inspired by the number of slopestyle/dirt jump riders at the Teva Mountain Games who were wearing skate-style shoes. The look – and the fit – has been heavily influenced by mid-height shoes from the likes of Vans and Etnies.
The sole is the most important part of any riding shoe, and the Cranks’ grippy Spider365 rubber is the same as that used on their acclaimed Links shoe. It’s a lot thinner though, providing more flex and a bit more feel.
It’s too flexy for technical trail usage and there’s no real impact absorption but for street/dirt jump thrashing the Crank Mids are spot-on. The PedalLINK tread pattern offers just the right amount of grip too. Try before you buy, because we found the sizes to be on the roomy side.
This article was originally published in Mountain Biking UK magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.