Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > TrekSta ADT 101 GTX Surround Shoes > Test Report by Marina Batzke

TREKSTA ADT 101 - WOMEN'S
TEST SERIES BY MARINA BATZKE
LONG-TERM REPORT
March 27, 2016

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

I converted from day hiking and car camping to backpacking in spring 2013. My backpacking trips are mostly weekend excursions in Southern California: desert areas in the winter months and mountainous areas in the summer months. I try to backpack one or two weekends a month. I always hike with a group and I like the gear talk when in camp. While I am looking for ways to lighten my pack, I am not an ultra-lighter: I like sleeping in a tent with a sleeping bag on a comfortable pad.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: TrekSta
Year of Manufacture: 2015
Made in China
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.trekstausa.com
MSRP: US$190.00
Listed Weight: 13.7 oz (390 g) for one shoe
Measured Weight: 15.5 oz (438 g) for one shoe size 8.5
Other details:
available colors: Blue, Pink.
available sizes: from 6 to 10 in 0.5 increments.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The TrekSta ADT (All Day Trail) 101 arrived inside a brown cardboard shoe box which had TrekSta's NestFIT system described on the inside lid: NestFIT is designed to hug the foot along every contour and wearer's specific foot shape for superior support and improved comfort. By measuring 20,000 individual feet, TrekSta accumulated measurements and incorporated those into the upper, the insole, the midsole and the outsole mold to build a shoe that is the actual shape of a wearer's foot. This is intended to reduce muscle fatigue and foot pressure.

The ADT 101 is designed for trail, travel and everyday wear. I am testing the pink colored ADT 101 in size 8.5.

Lug sole, shoe top + insole

UPPER OUTSIDE:
The shoe front consists of a black rubber toe box with the word TrekSta in purple.

Front view

The shoe upper is a combination of water-repellent Nubuck leather (a top grain cattle leather that has been sanded or buffed on its outside to create a velvet-type surface) and Split leather (the bottom portion of hide with an artificial layer applied to the surface for a suede type feel) in black.

Shoe inside + outside view

Along its sides, each shoe has five small slit-shaped purple mesh vents and seven big rectangle shaped purple mesh vents. In a seam above the top mesh rectangle, there is a small sewn-in fabric tag with the wording GORE-TEX SURROUND. TrekSta explains that this consists of special GORE-TEX laminates that are integrated all-around in the upper materials of the shoes. A special construction also provides this under the foot. It allows sweat to vent through the under-foot laminates to so-called 'spacers' and through the ventilation outlets to the outside of the shoe for improved breathability.

The top rim is surrounded by purple mesh.

The heel upper is part leather, part a wide black rubbery X-shape with TrekSta's logo: T. Attached to the top of the heel is a black/purple fabric loop for pulling the shoe on.

Back view

LACING:
The pink colored shoe lace with two black edges is guided through 4 fabric loops on each side and a metal-ringed hole at each top. The lace is additionally held in position by a vertical strap of fabric that the lace is guided under once. The lace is plenty long for me to tie the shoes with a double knot.

The lacing system

The shoes have a fully gusseted tongue.

SOLE:
The midsole is pink, while the outsole is purple. TrekSta's HyperGrip sole is made of proprietary rubber compound and has 0.15 in (4 mm) deep lugs. I notice a few of the earlier mentioned vents underfoot. I am curious how these integrated vents will perform once the shoe soles get muddy and dirty over time.

The boot tread

INSOLE:
The insole has a soft silvery fabric surface with 'TrekSta NestFIT technology' imprinted and a blue foam plastic base. The insole has distinct contours, quite noticeable in the arch and toe areas. When I glide my fingers over the fabric surface, I can feel the ups and downs.

A close visual inspection of both shoes shows flawless seams, stitching and workmanship. When I slide my hand into the shoes, the insides feel smooth and I am not noticing any projecting seams.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

A tag that was attached to one shoe explains that after each use, the wearer should remove any dirt, mud or debris, using a soft, wet brush and clean water. These shoes shall not be washed in a washing machine or placed in a clothes dryer. It is recommended to dry these shoes at room temperature with an external heat source or by the sun.

The shoe lining should be cleaned periodically to prevent odor.

WARRANTY:
TrekSta warrants its shoes to be free from defects of material and workmanship for one year.

TRYING THEM OUT

I selected the TrekSta ADT 101 in women's size 8.5. Some of my hiking boots are 8.5, others 9. I put the ADT 101 on with normal socks and did a first walk around the block. They do not pinch or rub. They feel soft, very comfortable and pleasantly warm on a 60 F (16 C) day.

SUMMARY

I am impressed that shoes which I did not previously try on in a store fit so well, from what I can tell after the first walk around the block.

FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Catalina Island, Southern California, USA
3 day/ 2 night hotel stay November 2015
Estimated 10 miles (16 km)
Temperature: 68 F (20 C)

Multiple Beach Path Walks on asphalt, Southern California, USA
December 2015
4.4 Miles (7 km) on average
Temperature in the low 60s (around 16 C)

Joshua Tree National Park, Southern California, USA
Elevation: 3200 ft (975 m)
2 days/ 1 night car camp January 2016
Estimated 5 miles (8 km)
Temperatures: 49 - 34 F (9 - 1 C)

Henninger Flats, Angeles National Forest, California, USA
Elevation: 2600 ft (790 m)
2 days/ 1 night backpack January 2016
6 miles (10 km) round trip
Temperatures: 64 - 35 F (18 - 2 C)

Multiple Beach Path Walks on asphalt, Southern California, USA
January + February 2016
4.4 Miles (7 km) on average
Temperature in the 70s (around 21 C)

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

In November, I spent 3 days on Catalina Island and for all island activities, whether walking around town, on a pebbly beach or back country hiking, I always wore the TrekSta shoes with low-cut terry socks. The shoes were very comfortable. Nothing pinched. No discomfort.

TrekSta on pebbly beach

During the Holiday month of December, I had no chance to backpack and instead took long walks on the beach path at every opportunity. We had a couple of days with intense wind, combined with around 60 F (16 C). I always wore normal cotton socks in the TrekSta shoes.

In January, I wore the TrekSta shoes during two days of navigation exercises in Joshua Tree National Park, while walking on sandy desert floor with very little elevation change. I wore my hiking socks (consisting of 28% Polyacrylic, 22% Wool, 9% Polyamide, 40% Polypropylene, 1% Elastane) inside the shoes. The TrekSta shoes supported me very well, while hiking around stinging mojave yucca, jumping cholla, prickly pear cacti and over desert floor holes, created by desert tortoises, kangaroo rats or desert woodrats. In the evening of the first day, we all sat around a campfire at 40 F (4 C). I perceived the evening as really cold, my feet felt cold and I switched from the TrekSta shoes to my mid-ankle high leather hiking boots to keep my feet pleasantly warm while seated. The Sunday morning exercises started a 7:30 AM with 36 F (2 C) and while standing and waiting for our navigation instructions, I got really cold toes in the TrekSta shoes. My toes started warming up once I got my first assignments and started walking.

The Henninger Flats backpack had 1400 feet (427 m) of elevation gain on 3 miles (5 km) of fire road. That got my body including my feet warmed up very quickly. I again wore my hiking socks inside the shoes. In the evening, when it got colder, I put on a dry pair of socks to keep my feet warm before turning in for an early night.

January and February brought more walks along the beach. I also enjoy wearing the TrekSta shoes for my local errands (including a long day at a museum). I estimate I have walked and hiked about 50 miles (81 km) in the shoes.

SUMMARY

I am pretty amazed by how comfortable the TrekSta ADT 101 shoes are. The shaped insole is really pleasant. I have not developed any sore spots and have been blister free. I have worn standard cotton socks, terry socks and my medium thick hiking socks in the TrekSta shoes and all worked well. During the windy beach path walks, I once or twice got a little bit of sand into the shoes. When out hiking, I always wore long pants that well covered the tops of my shoes, not needing gaiters and I did not get any dirt into the shoes.

PROS:
super-comfortable shoes
insole very pleasant for my feet
nice, long shoe laces that allow a double-knot
tongue stays centered even after long walks
nice color combination

CONS:
none at this time

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Valley Forge Campground, Angeles National Forest, California, USA
Elevation: 3500 ft (1067 m)
2 days/ 1 night backpack February 2016
4.6 miles (7.4 km) roundtrip
Temperatures: 68 - 55 F (20 - 13 C)

Dayhike to Paul Little Picnic Area, Angeles National Forest, California, USA
Elevation: 1600 ft (490 m)
5 miles (8 km) roundtrip March 2016
Temperature: 75 F (24 C)

Quail Mountain, Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
Elevation: 5813 ft (1772m)
2 days/ 1 night backpack April 2016
18 miles (29 km)
Temperatures: 74 - 39 F (23 - 4 C)

Shortcut Canyon to West Fork Trail Camp, California, USA
Elevation: 3100 ft (945 m)
2 days/ 1 night backpack April 2016
7.5 miles (12 km)
Temperatures: 63 - 53 F (17 - 12 C)

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

To get from Red Box to the Valley Forge Campground, the trail drops 1160 ft (354 m). After getting out of the car following a long drive to the trailhead, putting on a 29 lb (13 kg) backpack and starting to hike down a first steep decline, I felt a bit insecure in the low-cut TrekSta trailrunners at first. On the steep decline portions, I wished for ankle-covering boots, worried I might twist an ankle.

Once the trail flattened out more, I sometimes purposely stepped on pointy rocks and stones to see how well the lug sole dampens the indentation. I was impressed: the Treksta lug sole is very sturdy and strong. It well protected my feet from pointy rocks and stones. This trail also has a number of stream crossings and hopping from rock to rock to balance across the streams worked well.

Little Paul dayhike

The Quail Mountain backpacking trip was a combination of on-trail and off-trail hiking. I started out with a pack weight of 36 lbs (16 kg) due to the lots of water needed for the desert. We began on a rocky trail, walked in a sandy wash, did navigation off-trail, scrambled up and down ridges and gullies. We hiked up to the highest peak in Joshua Tree National Park on a well-treaded rocky path and came back down to Juniper Flats cross-country. The rubber toe box well protected my toes from impact when I hit a rock or had to push my shoe into the soil to get a good foothold. Yet I had one instance where a cactus thorn poked through the Nubuk leather of the right TrekSta shoe and stung one of my toes. It hurt at first, so I took the shoe off but the thorn was no longer stuck in my toe. I could see on my toe where the thorn hang stung through the leather.

The Shortcut Canyon backpack started with a 1550 ft (470 m) decline on trail. At times, the trail was rocky; other times overgrown. Shortly before reaching the trail camp, we had about 30 creek crossings and 15 log over- or under-scrambles. I felt very comfortable in the TrekSta shoes except for one millisecond misstep in the rocky section where for a glimpse moment I thought "this is it", thinking I would twist my ankle. I could catch myself and carried on without incident.

Also in April, I did a more technical, steep backpacking trip to Eagle Mountain in Joshua Tree National Park where I decided to NOT wear the TrekSta shoes. We had a 2350 ft (716 m) climb up to the peak predominantly off-trail. From two past trips up there, I did not feel comfortable wearing trailrunners and opted for my ankle-covering leather boots with Vibram sole. We were surprised by strong rain up at the peak and had to climb down several hours through mud and dirt, half sliding in the rain. I feel I made the right decision.

SUMMARY

Throughout the test period, my feet neither got any blisters nor developed any hot spots. The TrekSta ADT (All Day Trail) 101 shoes are very comfortable to wear and fit my feet very well. I am very impressed by this, as they are the first pair of shoe ever that I did not try on in a store before starting to extensively wear it.

The shoes have not developed any odor. I did not test the TrekSta in wet conditions, really more hopping from rock to rock when crossing creeks being successful not getting into the cold creek water.

TrekSta after 4 months

TrekSta soles

The shoe upper has kept in good shape despite all the dust, sand and rocks it encountered. The shoe laces are still in good condition. My double knots never came loose. I see no loose threads or surface damage.

A look at the shoe soles shows that those vents which I was concerned about in my initial report are not clogged. After four months of use, I noticed that three treads of the sole have ripped off.

Tread torn off

close-up of tread

I continue to fully agree with the Pros and Cons that I listed in the Field Report.

CONTINUED USE

I will continue wearing the TrekSta ADT 101 trailrunners for my local walks to the beach, for day hikes and easy backpacking trips on-trail.

Thank you to TrekSta and Backpackgeartest.org for the opportunity to test the TrekSta ADT 101.

Marina Batzke

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > TrekSta ADT 101 GTX Surround Shoes > Test Report by Marina Batzke