Sensing the growing popularity of the new wakeskating action sport, Teva decided to develop a water shoe to address the needs of these underserved riders. With a perforated midsole, the Teva Gnarkosi delivers maximum water performance married with distinctive skateboard street styling.
Wakeskating is an adaption of wakeboarding where riders are not attached to the board in any way. This allows you to do more technical skateboarding type moves as well as use water obstacles like rails and ramps. Wakeskaters can be towed behind jet skies or even by on shore winches.
Wakeskaters have until now been wearing skateboard shoes in order to get maximum traction on their boards. Skate shoes naturally become water logged and quickly get heavy, cutting down on performance and enjoyment. With numerous enthusiastic wakeskaters in the office, Teva set out to design a water shoe that offers superior grip and traction, along with excellent drainage, foot protection and board feel.
The Gnarkosi is the ideal wakeskate shoe but also perfect for any other water based adventure. The water shoe is built from hydrophobic materials so will not absorb water. An integrated, compression EVA midsole with Teva's Drain Frame perforations in the toe and heel ensure maximum water drainage. A completely flat outsole with Teva's proprietary Spider Original rubber provides maximum surface contact and grip, both on the board as well as on wet rocks or river beds.
The Teva Gnarkosi water shoe will be available in men's and women's versions by February 2011 with a retail price of $100.
Click on the video box below to be taken to Teva's Vimeo site to watch the water shoes in action. Teva won't allow me to embed it for you!