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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > The North Face Adrenaline Gore-Tex Mids > Owner Review by Mike Wilkie

THE NORTH FACE ADRENALINE GORE-TEX XCR MID BOOTS
BY MIKE WILKIE
OWNER REVIEW
May 10, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Mike Wilkie
EMAIL: foreverwild1885@yahoo.com
AGE: 30
LOCATION: Davenport, New York (USA)
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 8" (1.73 m)
WEIGHT: 148 lb (67.10 kg)

Hiking for me started early as I was always an avid camper, and belonged to the Scouts. Now living in the Catskill region backpacking has become serious for me over the past two years. I backpack nearly every weekend. I'm a heavyweight packer as I am always prepared and use a tent for overnighters, but want to lighten my pack. My trail adoption keeps me busy doing maintenance in the Catskill Park. I am now an aspirant of the Catskill 3500 club, and plan to become an Adirondack 46er, doing some winter hiking and snowshoeing and complete major thru hikes.

PRODUCT INFORMATION


Manufacturer: The North Face
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.thenorthface.com
MSRP: US$100
Listed Weight: [pair] 2 lbs 4 oz (1010 g) *based on Men's 9
Measured Weight: [pair] 2 lbs (0.91 kg) men's 8.5
Other details: The Adrenaline is a multipurpose, waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex® XCR® mid-cut shoe designed for fast-paced outdoor performance activities.
Gore-Tex® XCR® waterproof, breathable membrane
1.6-1.8 mm waterproof nubuck leather upper
1.4-1.6 mm waterproof pig suede underlays
Waterproof, breathable ballistic textile
Seam-sealed construction
AgION™ antimicrobial lining and X-2™ footbed
Reinforced toe box
Molded rubber heel counter
Gusseted tongue Bottom Compression-molded, lightweight EVA midsole
TPU shank with forefoot protection plate
UltrATAC™ rubber outsole

*above details taken from product features on thenorthface.com

IMAGE 1


Image courtesy of thenorthface.com

My first impression of the Adrenaline Gore-Tex XCR Mid was, "WOW, look at how well constructed these are". The North Face really knows how to build. These were given to me during the winter of 2005 so I couldn't put them to the test until spring when most of our snow had melted off. I did however pace throughout my house and plowed driveway with much excitement. I first reacted to their look. They looked more like a sneaker than a boot.

The Adrenaline Gore-Tex XCR Mids are named from North Face as a multipurpose mid-cut shoe and are listed under their multisport and trail running genre. However, these multipurpose shoes have all the features of a rugged technical hiking boot. These were definitely built for the outdoor enthusiasts and athletes, to assure comfort, to protect, to take a beating and last.

The Gore-Tex, UltrATAC™ and H2O Proof add extra grip and protection for those wet and slippery conditions. The footbeds with the AgION Antimicrobial protects from odor and bacteria growth. The ultralight weight of these shoes is a great start for me to lighten my load.

My shoe size is 8.5 and I am a heavy packer. This review is based on all hikes taking place in the Catskills. The Catskill Park is a rugged, mountainous wilderness and has very uneven terrain and lots of ankle twisting rocks. When these rocks are wet our trails become very slippery so good traction is a must. The Adrenaline Gore-Tex XCR Mid shoes were used in all types of weather conditions during the spring, summer and fall months.

IMAGE 2


FIELD USE

My first time out on the trails I found the North Face Adrenaline Gore-Tex XCR Mids definitely needed to be broken in. The stiffness around the ankles was annoying but never had any pain. For the sole of my foot I had no complaints.

The second and third time out with these shoes I backpacked on the Escarpment Trail at North/South Lake in the Northern Catskills at an elevation of 3000 ft (914 m) with temperatures of 45 F (7.22 C). The third time out on the trails the stiffness seemed to fade. The fourth time out in the shoes I volunteered to help the Catskill Mountain Club blaze a new portion of the Long Path. Weather conditions were rainy and cool temperatures of around 50 F (10.00 C). My feet stayed warm, dry and comfortable the whole day working.

Each time the North Face Adrenalines are worn the comfort becomes greater each time. Now after having these shoes for a while I couldn't imagine wearing any other. The light weight and the extreme comfort kept me going as I have logged many miles in them.

Climbing some steep scrambles gave me the traction and support needed. I was given great protection as I banged and kicked my toes into large rocks. The days on the trail when the weather was wet, cold and rainy the Adrenaline Gore-Tex XCR Mids kept my feet warm and completely dry. I remember on several occasions stepping in a deep puddle or a stream and saying my feet will be definitely wet after that one and surprisingly, nothing. The waterproof liners really work. I can now step anywhere without hesitation or worry of wet feet.

At the times on the trail when I needed to jump from rock to rock with and with all the pounding on my soles, the TPU shank with forefoot protection plate gave me the support needed to keep my feet from getting sore. That goes for the TNF Trail Grip as well. The traction given on wet rock was unbelievable. The molded rubber heel counter really locks my heel in place. As for the AgION Anti-microbial Footbed, it works. After a year and a half they still have that new shoe smell.

Wear and tear hasn't even started to show yet. The laces aren't frayed and there are no signs of thread pulls. All seams are completely intact and I don't see any sections coming unglued. The soles are ever so slightly worn. With all the rock we have on our trails here I am very surprised to see how little wear is on these shoes.

As advertised by North Face "the Adrenaline is a multipurpose, waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex® XCR® mid-cut shoe designed for fast-paced outdoor performance activities." They really got that one right.

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SUMMARY

The North Face Adrenaline Gore-Tex XCR Mid is an excellent shoe. From super comfort, to completely water proof these shoes offer ultra protection and stood up to all conditions I could put them through. The awesome traction and grip gave me that extra confidence to place my foot just about any where.

I can only come up with one minor complaint about these shoes and that would be the uncomfortable stiffness during the break-in period. However, by my third trek out (30 miles later (48.30 km)) in these multisport trail shoes the uncomfortable stiffness turned to extreme comfort. I hope when the time comes where I need to purchase another pair of trail hikers, North Face is still making the Adrenalines.


THINGS I LIKE

1. Lightweight and completely water proof
2. Ultra support and super comfort
3. Awesome traction and grip

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

1. Uncomfortable stiffness for first 30 miles (48.30 km)

IMAGE 4

SIGNATURE

Mike Wilkie
foreverwild

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

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