Customer Reviews Teva Original Universal

I really wanted to love these. I took them traveling and was sad I couldn't use these as much as I wanted. They were initially comfortable but the longer I wore and walked in them, the more they irritated my feet. The back and front straps kept rubbing along my skin to the point at the end of the night my skin was so red. It also started hurting as I was walking under my big toe. All in all, uncomfortable but I realize that everyone's feet and preferences are different so I wouldn't let that sway you from trying them if you want. Only sad that I can't return them since I wore them already but don't see myself reaching for them.

I don't completely dislike these sandals, they are pretty comfortable and nice for short periods of wear. However, the soles feel very cheap and are basically just a thin piece of foam with no structure or support at all. I wouldn't recommend these for anything more than light use, definitely not for hiking. I got these on sale so I'm not unhappy, but I wouldn't pay full price for these.

I had a pair of Teva original sandals for over 25 years that finally bit the dust. When I ordered and received a new pair of Original Universal sandals, I was very disappointed - they are no where near as good as the original Originals and I doubt will last 25 months, let alone 25 years. They are all around less substantial - they weigh significantly less, the straps are flimsier - they feel like flip flops - not Tevas. They make me unhappy.

Sandal is well made. The sole, however is not smooth, and was not comfortable for my feet. The perforated surface of the sole us why I gave it 2 stars.

No half sizes available!!! Went by the reviews suggesting sizing down to the smaller whole size. Mistake. Too small! For the high price that's charged you'd think they would offer half sizes.

I had what I thought were the ideal Teva sandals, that looked like these, except for the fact that the soles were not the same. I didn't realize that when I ordered them, but took a chance since they were titled "original". Well, the original soles on my Teva sandals that lasted about 10 years, were what I thought I was getting. They were formed and two layer. Eventually they died, and I wanted to replace them. The construction of these sandals felt cheap when I received them, so I called Teva. The rep didn't tell me that what I wanted is still available in a more expensive model, and so I wore the Universal and am still wearing them, but returned the second pair that I ordered with the same sole. It is the cheapness of the sole that I am not happy with and because of the multiple 3 layers, my feeling is that they won't last as long as I wish. I hike, walk on and in the ocean, streams etc with these on, so I guess I will see how long they last. I would not rebuy these, but would go with the non light weight sole of the Hurricaine or Terra F1, which seem to be a much more durable sandal, and what I did not see when I ordered the ones I did.

For the life of me, no matter how I tried I couldn't get the heel strap to peel apart so I could adjust it to my own heel. It seems the manufacturing has changed and the heel strap can no longer be adjusted. I ended up returning the sandals for credit.

Would have loved to keep these but they were way too big. I don't feel like buying a size smaller & wondering if those would fit. Easy & fast returns tho but enjoy buying and having my purchase.

Light weight casual sandal that I wore in the 1990's that I loved. The 2021 version looks the same but the rubber sole feels very flimsy! I have tripped several times and fell once wearing them.

wore only a few times this summer and the white was ruined quickly

Do not like the rough sole under the foot.

I love the colors, quality seems fair, however they'd fit better if all three straps were adjustable the way my old old tevas were

For some reason, every time I wear these shoes I trip over the toes. Thinking it might be the sole as I have another pair of Tevas that have the molded food bed and I love them!

I based my purchase completely off of style and honestly i have no complaints in that department! Super cute. But the shoe itself is not sturdy at all, the sole keeps folding over especially when going down the stairs. Not at all worth the price paid

These looked like my prior Teva sandals on line, but seem to be a cheap imitation. In particular, the soles remind me of a flip flop and don't seem sturdy at all.

I've been wearing Teva sandals for 30 years now. My foot is 10.5 and you can't buy half sizes. The back strap is not adjustable so I can't move my foot forward. This leaves a huge amount of space in front of my foot and I constantly trip on things when the front of the sandal gets caught on something. This pair has almost no cushion. I use them for working in the yard and keep my XLT2s for hiking. Going from the XLT2 to a universal is like going from plush comfort to walking on a board. It's pretty striking. Unless they start offering half sizes, I won't buy this again.

This is a comfortable sandal but it starts to squeak after about 10-15 minutes of wearing. I assume it's from moisture (sweat) against the friction of walking. I would recommend a different sandal.

I only worse these shoes a handful of times before giving up on them completely. They are not too comfortable, as the straps rub on my picky toes. In addition, when my feet sweat the material causes my feet to slide ever so slightly. It's enough to notice though when walking, and it isn't practical for long walks.

I wanted to love these because the bright 90's colors were so fun, but these just weren't that comfortable and didn't feel sturdy. Compared to the Hurricane Verge and Drifts that I have, the quality was nowhere close to the other Teva's I have. They aren't terrible shoes, but I don't feel like they're last and for the price I couldn't justify keeping them. The front strap across my foot irritated my pinky, no matter how much I adjusted it. The sole felt thin and I sensed it would wear down quickly. The biggest problem was they were super slippery?!? The sole had no grip (it was almost velvety feeling) and I nearly slipped and fell down in my kitchen testing these out. IMO Teva makes some great sandals, but these aren't it. These are fun fashion sandals, but I don't think they'd last and don't feel great for long periods of time.

I've wanted a pair of Tevas with a celestial pattern for so long, a pair that wasnt as bulky as the ones meant more for hiking instead of just walking. I finally splurged and got these and I'm going to have to return them. There is no padding/cushioning inside any of the straps, which means chafing. I wore these up to the grocery one block away and back and I was already developing a blister because of the straps at the toes rubbing against the inside front of my right foot. The strap is placed so it's right against the bone and there's no way to avoid or reposition it. Instant problem. I'll either have to put something on the underside of the strap or wear a blister guard. The second problem is that these shoes have literally no traction on smooth surfaces. I've never experienced this in a Teva shoe before, not in more than 25 years of wearing them. You can slide right across tile/linoleum with no effort - I nearly slipped and fell on the way to the elevator in my building. This is just no good at all. I buy Tevas for a reason. Finally, these sandals just feel cheap. The Universal Trail is also light and feels less solid than they used to before Teva started using these new materials, but you can tell it's a good shoe, and the traction is great on smooth surfaces, plus there is the cushioning. There's just no reason to strip this shoe from the traction soles or padded straps. They're not trail shoes, but one must still walk in them, and these two flaws combine to make that a painful and even hazardous endeavor. Finally, I'm upset because I can't order other styles or any men's shoes at all with this pattern, and I can't order most women's styles in just plain black without some kind of stripe or other colour involved. This is problematic. As I said in my other review, shoes do not have a gender. I would like to order any shoe in the pattern/colour I like. But especially please make solid black an option in all women's shoes. It's unbelievably sexist not to.