Travel Shoe Review: This Versatile Wedge Gets Through Airport Security!
I’ve been pretty remiss in offering travel heel recommendations the last few years — my mainstays have held up so well I haven’t needed new pairs. But all good things must come to an end and my Teva Cabrillo sandals finally needed to be replaced.
When I started looking last year, all the sandals similar to the Cabrillo had far too many straps (excessive straps are more likely to pinch or cause blisters) so I decided to branch out a little more and try Teva’s Arrabelle Universal Sandal. It was a taller shoe with a lightweight cork wedge and slightly sportier “Teva-looking” straps.
I liked the height, but missed the look of leather. However, they appealed more than my other options so I decided to give them a try. Of course, after I bought them I discovered they’re also available in various colors in leather which takes the look up a notch.
Anyway, now that I’ve been globetrotting in them for six months or so, I finally feel ready to offer a useful travel shoe review.
Why I would recommend them as a travel heel:
- You can wear them through airport security!!! The thing I love most about this travel shoe is that you can wear them through the TSA security metal detectors! With a wedge, you’re never sure what’s inside and you often only find out through trial and error. I was beyond excited the first time I wore them and got through without a problem!
- Height. I find them to be the perfect height. At 2.75″ they offer more of a heel feel than my previous 2″ sandals but being under 3″ with a .75″ platform keeps them within the realm of practicality (can still job through the airport without risking a turned ankle)
- Lightweight. They might be bulky but they won’t add much weight to your baggage and after a long day of walking they won’t feel like anchors around your ankles.
- Rubber sole. The joy of Teva’s nicer shoes is that you still keep the sport shoe sole. The rubber gets great traction on all surfaces and while I wouldn’t go hiking in them, I’m not afraid to off-road a little. 🙂
- Versatility. The sturdy construction and good soles make them a great option for walking on pavement and off. The clean lines and height of the shoe make them a good fit with more than just casual dresses and jeans, especially with the leather straps.
- Easy to clean. The smooth leather insole makes it easy to wide down and clean. The sueded insole of the Cabrillos was one of the few things I didn’t care for.
Why they’re not my favorite pair of travel heels
I like them ALOT, but they’re not without faults and you’d definitely need to plack a second pair of heels to give your feet a rest if you plan to do a lot of walking. By the way, if you have a narrow foot you may not have to worry about any issues below except for the slapping noise, though having a narrow foot might bring its own problems.
- Noise. That smooth leather insole that is so easy to clean also means you can wind up with that annoying “slapping” sound you get with flip flops.
- Unforgiving insole. That leather insole once again…after several hours of vigorous walking and/or hot conditions, the insole will begin to stick to your foot and chafe it. And the sides of the insole curve up a little, so if your foot extends past any of the sides, it becomes a new pressure point after you’ve gone a few miles.
- Metal buckles. My biggest complaint with this shoe was the amount of time it took to break them in. I don’t have a slim foot, but it’s not wide. It fit within the straps without any compression, but after a little while the metal buckle on the side of the toe strap would irritate my two smallest toes. It was only after several weeks that the shoe loosened and my feet acclimated enough to handle more than a few hours at a time.
Overall Assessment
Teva’s Arrabelle Universal Sandal is a good wedge for travel offering style without sacrificing practicality. The light weight, TSA compatability, and Teva sole make it a win in my book. It’s my go-to shoe for a morning or afternoon jaunt, but I wouldn’t count on it for more than 8 hours if you’ll be doing a lot of walking or standing.
After three years your blog is finally back on topic!
Don’t your feet get cold on the plane with sandals? Sometimes the air is freezing down by the floor.
Hi Keri, since we are on the topic of shoes and airport security, do you know if average fashion leather boots (up to below the knee) can be worn through TSA-precheck? TIA 🙂
Rarely! I found a pair of BearTrap boots that had no metal in the heel that got through just fine, but when I tried to go through in an almost identical (updated version by BearTraps) pair, it set off the metal detector. Whether you can will vary by shoe 🙁