Editor’s Note: We originally published this ode in August 2022, but we’ve seen a resurgence of these rather nice-looking Tevas. In fact, no fewer than four of our own staffers have purchased a pair in the last six weeks. “I just couldn’t resist,” writer Dominique Pariso says, adding that they’re much dressier than other Tevas she’s owned. Features editor Katy Schneider started wearing hers as soon as they arrived, and writer Arielle Avila walked about three miles in them, straight out of the box, with no issues. When editor Maxine Builder bragged about her purchase to Simone, the original author of this ode, she was told to prepare for the “best summer ahead.” We’re republishing this piece so you, too, can pick up a pair of the Teva Voya Infinity sandals while the summer’s still heating up (and they’re still in stock).
It took me three summers to finally buy these strappy $40 Tevas. The first time I noticed them was when they were on someone sitting outside Sincerely, Tommy in the summer of 2019. A couple of months later, Mary-Kate Olsen was spotted in a pair. But it wasn’t until they showed up in Samantha Adler’s mid-coast Maine “Steal My Vacation” packing list that I finally made my move. “Waterproof and comfortable enough to hike in,” she described them convincingly, “and they’re great in the city too.”
I own almost every kind of plasticky rubbery summery sandal out there: Birkenstock EVAs, Chacos, Teva Hurricanes, Plasticana hemp jellies, Crocs, Salt Waters. But each has their limits. The Voyas, however, with their adjustable bungee-cord straps, quickly revealed themselves to work in all kinds of warm-weather situations: trips to the pool, morning walks, puttering around in the garden, sudden downpours. I wore them on a canoe trip in July, occasionally hopping out to trudge through shallow marshy water. (They dried off instantly and never got gross.) A few days later, I wore them out to dinner with a black, tent-y Shaina Mote dress. There’s something almost delicate about the skinny straps, something vaguely Emme Parsons–ish, but they’re just as sturdy as my Hurricanes and, honestly, way more comfortable.
This is because they literally feel like nothing. The foamy, non-slippery footbed is cushy yet supportive. And there’s no break-in time, no rubbing on your ankles or arches. Slip them on (you can do it mostly without hands — you just need to pull the back strap over your heel) and you’ll soon forget you’re even wearing shoes.
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