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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Teva Wraptor Shield eVENT > Test Report by Chari Daignault

TEVA WRAPTOR SHIELD EVENT SHOES
TEST SERIES BY CHARI DAIGNAULT
LONG-TERM REPORT
July 29, 2008

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE INITIAL REPORT [March 12, 2008]
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT [May 21, 2008]
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT [July 29, 2008]

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Chari Daignault
EMAIL: chari.daignault@gmail.com
AGE: 45
LOCATION: Orlando, Florida U.S.A.
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.70 m)
WEIGHT: 135 lb (61.20 kg)

I've been an ultra light hiker for 35 years -- I take the bare minimum with me and prefer a pack under or close to five pounds. I've hiked all the Florida State Forest trails in Central Florida and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan when I was nine. I have hiked dry & sandy, rough & rocky and wet & boggy trails and as a result, have found what does and doesn't work for me in terms of equipment and clothing. Central Florida affords a lot of sun and rains, with high temperatures and massive humidity. It's a great testing area for clothing, footwear and headgear.


INITIAL REPORT [March 12, 2008]

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Teva
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website:
Teva
MSRP: US$140.00
Listed Weight: 14.5 oz (411 g)
Measured Weight: 12.8 oz ( 362.8 g)
Color: Black
Size Tested: Men's 7

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

My shoes arrived in a typical shoe box, with the shoes inside wrapped in paper. The shoes themselves had paper pushed tightly into the toebox and had a carboard form placed inside the top of the shoe to hold its shape. The box had an informational sticker on the inside of the lid which explained the aspects of the shoes' tread. The Teva Wraptor Shield shoes are much lighter than they appear. I like their look; particularly the spider logo on the top of the toe.

Side
Side View Closed


The Teva Wraptor Shield opens by disconnecting the Wraptor™ Fit system, which is a strap that wraps completely around the shoe and through the bottom of the arch. The arch is made of a hard plastic material. Once I disconnected the strap, I unzipped the zipper of the gaiter. The zipper, when closed, is almost completely sealed. Once the gaiter is opened, the top of the shoe inside is exposed [see the last photo in this report]. The shoe is gray in color, contrasting with the dark orange trim and black body of the gaiter. The lacing system on the shoe portion is made with a rip-cord with a zip lock fastener. The inside of the shoe feels stiff; it's cushioned, but it has a very reinforced feel to it.

Top
Top View Closed

TRYING IT OUT

It was verging on difficult to get my foot into the shoe. I had to disconnect the Wraptor™ Fit system and loosen it, then unzip the gaiter, then unlock the zip lock on the shoe's lacing system and pull it loose, then pull the shoe open. After all that I had to carefully insert my foot. Once on, the whole process is reversed to close up the shoe. The Wraptor™ Fit system has a hook and loop strip on the end with which I was able to adjust the tightness and seal the shoe to my foot.

Inside
Shoe lacing system


As noted above, the shoe feels very reinforced; almost stiff while on. And with the Wraptor™ Fit system pulled taught, it felt very close to being a part of my foot. I like that they are on the light side with regard to weight; I don't think I'd like something that tightly strapped to my foot if it were heavy. I wore the shoes one day around my office and found that I really didn't notice their presence on my feet; except when walking on a hard surface. At that point, the shoes, due to their stiffness and hard arch, make noises on the floor.

Inside
Inside Heel Detail


One thing I will be keeping an eye on is where the toe box begins on the top of the shoe, just at the base of my toes. This is where the gaiter is physically attached to the shoe and where the protective portion of the toe box begins. It's at the end of the zipper portion of the gaiter. This area seems to be a weak point with regard to the bending of the shoe when walking or running. I can feel it press on the base of my toes as I push off. I was wearing medium thickness sport socks during at this time, and will try them with thicker socks to see if this is still as noticeable. I also want to see if it develops into a sore spot after trail running for a distance.

Inside
View of Shoe inside Gaiter

TESTING STRATEGY

Now that the weather has warmed up and dried out a bit, I run on trails four to five times a week. I average 3 to 5 Miles [4.83 km - 8.05 km] during these runs. The trails I run on are about 2 minutes from my home and are located in the Hal Scott Preserve in East Orange County. There is a trailhead within our community, which is accessed by climbing over a locked utility gate [the local utility company actually gave us permission to access the Preserve this way].

Due to my weak ankles and the unpredictability of trail running, I prefer a trail running shoe with good support and excellent stability. The Teva Wraptor Shield Event boasts having these traits and I look forward to trying them out. I specifically am interested in the upper, made with a material known as eVent®. This is supposed to keep out the elements; and out on our trails, the elements usually end up embedded inside your shoes. I like that the shoe has the Wraptor™ Fit Technology, which appears to provide a better method of adjusting the fit of the shoe. I'd like to try a shoe that feels as if it's a part of my foot, rather than something I'm slogging around with each step.

I have very wide feet; especially in the toe area. My shoe of choice when not trail running is a pair of well-worn Crocs, so my toes are pretty well spread. The men's Teva Wraptor Shield Event shoe [which I am testing] has a fuller toe box. I hope this will work well with my feet.

Things I wish to find out the following during the testing period:

* How well do the Teva Wraptor Shield Event Shoes fit? Are they wide enough in the toe box?
* The shoe unzips under the gaiter; does the zipper system cause any comfort issues on the foot?
* How well does the Wraptor™ Fit system work? Is the fit of the shoe easily adjusted?
* Does the blended polyurethane/EVA unit in the heel cup actually absorb shock or will I feel any stones or roots I'm running over?
* Will the uppers truly keep debris, sand and water out?
* How good is the traction on dry sand, wet surfaces and mud?
* How well do they clean up? Can they be machine washed and dried? How long will they take to dry out?
* How well do any stitched, glued and molded seams hold up during wear?
* How quickly do the soles wear out? Specifically the outside edges of the heels?
* Are they COMFORTABLE?
* How heavy are they during use? Do they get heavier when exposed to water?
* The fabric uses a Direct Venting™ Technology and is supposed to be waterproof while still allowing breathability and sweat absorbtion. Does this really work?

I will also report on anything else uncovered during testing.

SUMMARY

In summary, I really like these shoes on first blush. Other than the bending issue mentioned and the slight difficulty with putting the shoes on, I don't see any issues jumping out at me at this time. I am looking forward to getting these shoes out on the trail and giving them a thorough workout.

This concludes my Initial Report on the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent Shoes. The Field Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from the date of this report. Please check back then for further information. Many thanks to Teva and BackpackGearTest.Org for the opportunity to test this product.


FIELD REPORT [May 21, 2008] 

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I've been testing the shoes in Central Florida, just southeast of the city of Orlando. The location is the Hal Scott Nature Preserve. The average temperature this time of year in the area I'm testing in is 84 degrees Fahrenheit [28.89 C], and the elevation is about 12 feet [3.6 Meters] above sea level. The terrain is mostly flat, with sand, gravel, scrub brush, local trees and the occasional creek or river to cross. The trails I'm running on have areas that are permanently under water, due to changes in the climate. The level of water varies, depending on the rainfall during a given period. Typically, I end up running through a lot of wet, muddy areas. We have been in an extended dry season though and rain has been extremely scarce, so the amount of water I've had to run through or around hasn't been too bad this year.

Hal Scott Preserve
One of the many trails in the Hal Scott Preserve


I have been trail running in the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent shoes 4 days a week since March 14, 2008. The distance I run is typically 2.5 miles [4.03 km]; sometimes farther. The distance depends on the heat and humidity levels at the time of day I'm running, which is around 5:00PM.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The Teva Wraptor Shield eVents have performed remarkably well in my opinion. Due to the women's shoes not being available in my size at the time this test began, I am testing a men's shoe, US size 7. One thing I immediately noticed with the fit of the shoe is that the toe box is very roomy. I have not had any problems with blisters, corns or tender spots on my toes. My feet can sit perfectly in the shoe and my toes don't bunch up when running.

Big Foot
Teva Wraptor Shield eVents in action


The tread grips well on the many types of terrain on which I run. This includes: sand, dry dirt, mud, through standing water, through running water, gravel and grass. I am very impressed with the comfort of the footbed. Even on loose gravel, I don't feel the rocks poking up into my foot. I can feel the individual rock pieces -- which allows me to keep my balance -- but I don't feel any hard jabbing into my foot. This has the added benefit of keeping me from spraining my knees.

When running through water, the built-in gaiter works very well. Aside from sweat, my feet are comfortably dry and only the tops of my socks -- which are protruding from the tops of the shoes -- have any feeling of wetness [I always wear good, medium thickness running socks with the Tevas]. The shoes wick sweat away very efficiently and keep my feet at a comfortable temperature.

On dry dirt, sand or dusty areas, no debris gets into the shoes. My socks come out clean and there is no trail dust or grit between my toes when I'm finished running. For that alone, I love these shoes.

My only complaints are with regard to putting on or removing the shoes. It takes practice if I wish to do so quickly. Over time, I've gotten better at it, but there is a definite order in which I have to secure/unsecure items on the shoes. To put them on, [assuming everything on the shoes are already undone] I have to slip my foot in, secure the zip cord on the inner part of the shoe, then zip up the zipper on the gaiter while ensuring everything that needs to be inside the gaiter is actually inside. Then I pull the Wraptor Fit system taught and secure it.

Also, if I only have one hand free, I have a very difficult time zipping up the gaiter. This is because the Wraptor™ Fit system, which is a strap that encircles the foot all the way around, goes over the top of the zipper and requires one hand to hold the strap out of the way, while the other hand pulls the zipper up. I've tried it with one hand and was not successful, although if it were really necessary, I'd probably attach a small piece of line to the zipper and use that to pull it closed. I ran into this issue after being bitten by a wasp on my right thumb. The thumb swelled up so badly that it was unuseable and after fighting with the shoes, I ended up not running that day [which in hind sight was probably a good idea].

I've also tried putting the shoes on and taking them off in the dark, and although I am very familiar with the shoes, it's still a difficult task. I know that if I were out in a tent and needed to jump up quickly, these would not be the shoes I'd grab at the time.

The shoes are very light, considering their shape and size and the amount of gear on them. The soles have started to show some wear on the outside portion of both of my heels, but not of a significant degree. I have not washed them yet, but have wiped them down with a moist cloth. They do not have any stains or show any damage of any kind. All seams are holding up well, and the self-sealing zipper opens and closes with ease [when the strapping system is held out of the way].

SUMMARY

Things I like about the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent Shoes:
Comfort
Stability
Weight [light]
Waterproof
Debris-proof
Sturdy

Things I don't like about the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent Shoes:
Putting them on
Taking them off

So far, these shoes are great for trail running. I really like them and I haven't experienced any real deal-breaking issues with them.

TESTING STRATEGY

I will continue to test these shoes in the manner in which I described earlier in the Field Report.

This concludes my Field Report on the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent Shoes.


LONG-TERM REPORT [July 29, 2008] 

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

I'm still testing the shoes in the Hal Scott Nature Preserve here in Central Florida. The average temperature for the past two months in the area I'm testing in has been 92 degrees Fahrenheit [33.33 C]. The late afternoon summer storms are occurring earlier in the day and have been bringing very heavy rains with them, so there have been a lot of mud and puddles to jump.

I have continued to use the shoes four times a week while trail running a distance of 2.5 miles [4.03 km] and during a couple of day hikes in the same area.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

In my opinion, the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent shoes have held up extremely well. They have been machine-washed twice and they dry out thoroughly overnight. They clean up well and even when they're not clean, they still look good. I have experienced no problems with them during long term testing and have put approximately 160 miles [258 km] on them since mid-March of this year.

Teva Wraptor Sheild

The outside of both heels have a slight bit of wear showing on them, but the tread is still there. There are no other signs of wear or tear on them. The insides are still in good shape as well.

Teva Wraptor Shield

Teva Wraptor Shield

As mentioned in the Field Report, the tread continues to grip well on the many types of terrain on which I run.  The footbeds are still comfortable. When running through water or sweating, my feet stay dry and don't feel over-heated and the shoes don't feel any heavier. Debris is still not entering the shoes. I've not had any degredation of the fastening system, including the zipper on the gaiter.

SUMMARY

The Teva Wraptor Shield eVent shoes have been very fun to test. They've supported my ankles and knees, they have good traction on all types of terrain including gravel, and they hold up well to repeated daily use. They're light, easy to clean up and they keep my feet dry, clean and comfortable. I have even gotten used to the rigorous hoops I have to jump through in order to put them on and take them off. Once on, they're easy to adjust and they stay adjusted.

These shoes will continue to be my trail running shoe of choice; especially for those trails with loose, rocky soil.

Many thanks to Teva and BackpackGearTest.Org for the opportunity to test this product.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.


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