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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Teva Ossagon Mid eVent Boot > Test Report by David Heyting

Teva Ossagon Mid eVent Boots
Test Series
Initial Report December 1, 2008

Field Report February 9, 2009

Long-Term Report April 21, 2009



Tester Information:
Name: David Heyting
Age: 31
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 0”, 1.83 m
Weight: 205 lb, 93 kg
Chest: 46", 117 cm
Waist: 38", 97 cm
Sleeve: 36", 91 cm
Email: deheyting@yahoo.com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, USA

Backpacking Background:
I have been hiking and backpacking for over 15 years. A great deal of the backpacking that I do is related to mountaineering and rock climbing in the Pacific Northwest. When not climbing, I’m a hiker that tries to go light in order to push more miles. My main areas of exploration are the Washington Central and North Cascades, but I have done lots of hiking in the British Columbia Coastal Range as well as the Oregon Cascades. I am also an avid adventure racer and compete in several races each year ranging from 2 hours up to several days in duration.



Product Information
Manufacturer: Teva
Model: Ossagon Mid eVent Boots
URL: www.teva.com
Listed Weight: 1.1 lbs / .48 kg (each)
Measured Weight: 1.5 lbs / .60 kg (each)
MSRP: $120 USD
Size: 13 mens
Color: Black (also comes in brown)

Product Description:
The Teva Ossagon Mid Event hiking boots feature a full grain and suede leather upper that is coated with Scotchguard for added stain protection. The boots are lined with an eVent waterproof breathable lining that makes the boots waterproof. The boot has a padded tongue that is fully connected to the boot, to keep the boot waterproof. The shoes also uses the Teva Wraptor technology by having webbing straps running through the sole of the shoe that are then threaded by the laces. This means that the boots should provide a very snug fit. The lacing system is pretty standard and features one hook on the mid section of the boot. The boot has eyelets at the bottom of the lacing system.

shoe.jpg
Side view of the boot

The sole is constructed of a non-marking Spider XC material. That features a moderately aggressive lug pattern. The shoe also comes equipped with an Ortholite sock liner for added comfort and support.



lace.jpg
The lacing system with only one eyelet on the ankle support.



Initial Report
December 1, 2008

Initial Impressions:
The shoes arrived in new condition. The shoes met my expectations of the shoes based on Teva's website. The first thing that I have noticed is just how soft the eVent liner is. On all of the other shoes I have owned that feature a waterproof membrane, the lining is very course and rough. The eVent liner is incredibly soft and comfortable. The outer leather fabric is also very soft to the touch. My hope is that the softness of both of these will contribute to a more comfortable fit.


lite.jpg
Ortholite footbed

The sole seems to be fairly flexible, which I would think would add to the comfort level of the boots. However this can also be disadvantageous depending upon the outdoor activity. The lacing system is easy to use and I was able to get a nice snug fit, with minimal effort. The way the webbing part of the Wraptor technology works into the shoe is very impressive.
In putting on the shoes, I have found them to be quite comfortable. I am a user of secondary footbeds, such as Sole, thus I plan on putting a footbed in the shoe during most of the testing. However based on the initial comfort that I feel while wearing the boots, I will also do some trips with the standard Ortholite insoles.

Expected Testing
My main areas of exploration are the Central and North Cascades, where I should be at altitudes ranging from sea level up to 9,000 ft ( 2743 m).

Initial Likes and Dislikes:

Likes: The softness of the eVent fabric

Dislikes: Based on my initial boot fiting, it seems like the boots could have used two eyelets on the upper section for better lacing.





Field Report
February 9, 2009

Field Conditions and Locations:
During the testing period I have been able to take two snowshoe trips in the Central Cascades region, spent a week down near Mt. Bachelor in Central Oregon, took a trip to Mt. Rainier National Park (hiking up to Panorama Point), and did my usual assortment of local hiking on the “Issaquah Alps” peaks and Mt. Si near my house (5 separate trips). I also did a winter ascent of Mt. Ellinor (6,000 ft – 1800 m) in the Olympic Mountain Range. During my trips in the Central Cascade I did trips that where both approximately 7 miles round trip. Two outings featured deep fluffy snow (which is a wonderful change from the typically wet heavy snow that the area typically sees). The third featured breakable crust. My trip to Mt. Bachelor featured snowshoeing just outside of Sunriver and exploring the areas adjacent to the ski area. My local trips consisted of Mt. Si (8 miles 3,000 ft of gain) and Tiger Mountain ( 6 miles – 10 km 2,000 ft – 600 m of gain). The Mt. Ellinor trip was a 12 miles roundtrip hike that included a steep snow chute to reach the summit. The chute provided a great test of the Boots on a steep incline.

tracks.jpg
Ossagon tracks heading to Mt. Ellinor - looking down at Lake Cushman


Overall my region has seen some extreme conditions; going from the Seattle region being gripped with snow to a Pineapple Express system that brought tons of rain and massive flooding to the area. I actually think the most intense water test with the Ossagon Boots that I experienced was during the few weeks of snowfall that I experienced at my house. While commuting to work I wore the Teva’s each day (while bringing my work shoes with me) and I ended up helping five stuck motorist dig out there vehicles. I also wore the shoes while sledding with my children and building snowcaves with them. After the fun in the snow, my area experienced a massive snow melt when we experienced a Pineapple Express system that moved through. My street experienced some urban flooding and I wore the Ossagon Boots to clear the 4 inches (10 cm) of water that had pooled on the street in front of my house.

Field Performance:
Overall I have been very happy with the Ossagon Boots. They have proven to be very waterproof. This was very obvious while I was trying to clear storm drains near my house. I was standing in 3 to 4 inches (10 cm) of water, shoveling snow searching for the buried storm drains. I was outside for several hours. After finally finding the drains and allowing the water to drain, when I came back inside my feet were perfectly dry. I was very impressed to say the least.

During the testing period, I wore the original insoles for a hike up Mt. Si and Tiger Mountain. After those hikes, I decided to put in aftermarket insoles (Sole). In all of my hiking shoes I use aftermarket insoles. I find that the insoles that usually come with most shoes just do not provide enough support. I felt that the ones that came with the Ossagon Boots were actually well constructed compared with most company insoles. I have found the Boots to be quite comfortable for hiking. The most miles that I did during the testing period was 12 (20 km). I have not experienced any hot spots or rubbing with the shoes. I really like the soft feel of the eVent fabric on the inside of the boot. I think that it adds to the overall comfort.

I have seen a little bit of wear with the boots. On the outside of my right boot, the plastic piece that is connected to Wraptor Technology webbing strand has detached from the boot at the top end. It does not appear to affect the performance of the shoe as the way the Wraptor webbing is designed, the webbing system is still able to wrap around the shoe. However I worry that it might cause problems over time if the entire piece were to break off. I will watch this during the next testing period.

damage.jpg
Plastic piece that connects to the Wraptor band has detached


I also have found these Boots extremely difficult to keep laced up tight. I find myself constantly having to tighten the laces. I think this is due to having only one lacing point on the upper part of the boot. It seems that after I pull the laces tight and go to tie them, I lose some of the snug fit as I tie the laces. This is something that I will have to work on.

one.jpg
Single eyelet lacing system - difficult for me to tighten

During the testing period, I have hiked with the Ossagon Boots on snow and trail. I have also used them with snowshoes, instep crampons, SureGrip ice grippers and light-weight 10-point crampons. Everything has worked well with the Boot.

Field Summary:
I have found the Boots to be a very waterproof choice for winter hiking and snow sports. The Ossagon are very comfortable and work with all types of snow sport devices. I will need to monitor the durability of the shoe a little bit more

Items for Continued Testing:
I will continue to monitor the piece that has detached from the Boot to see how it affects the performance or if it gets worse over time. I also hope to provide some feedback on stream crossing and performance over a couple days if the boots stay wet.

Field Likes and Dislikes:

Likes: They very are waterproof

Dislikes: Trying to keep the laces tight.




Long-Term Report
April 21, 2009

Long-Term Conditions:
During the Long-Term reporting phase, I spent most of my time hitting the local trails by my house. I did my usual local trips which consisted of Mt. Si (8 miles – 12 km 3,000 ft – 1200m of gain) and Tiger Mountain ( 6 miles – 10 km 2,000 ft – 600 m of gain). I made one trip up Mt. Si, and I did four trips of varying distances in the Tiger Mountain trail system. I also did multiple hikes in other areas of the Issaquah Alps, in the Central Cascade foothills. I did a long loop on Cougar Mountain which was about 12 miles (20 km). And I did two trips up Squawk Mountain, both were 6 miles (10 km) round trip to the top (1500 ft – 450 m of gain).

During this period I was able to head down to Mt. Rainier for two separate outings. The first was a snowshoe trip with my family, in which I carried my two–year old on my backpack. We headed up to around 7,000 ft (2100 m) near Panorama Point. The second trip I hiked up to Camp Muir, which is at 10,000 ft (3000 m). The first trip I used snowshoes since I was carrying a fair amount of weight. However on the second trip I was just in the Ossagon. In total I used the hiking boots for 10 different trips.

Long-Term Performance:
The Ossagon have proven to be a solid footwear choice for me. I have found the boots to still be waterproof and the leather outer fabric has remained in good condition. I have still been using after-market insoles in the boots for some added comfort. Although on one of my hikes up Squawk Mountain, I realized at the trailhead that I did not have my insoles with the boots! Thus I did the 6 mile (10 km) hike without any insoles. I was very pleased to say that during the trip I did not have any blisters and actually my feet were very comfortable. I was very impressed by this.

The problem of the plastic piece tearing away from the boot at the point where it meets the webbing part of the Wraptor system did not seem to get any worse. Although I did notice that dirt would accumulate underneath the plastic piece due to the fact that it is no longer fastened. However with the design of the Wraptor System, I do not think that the boots had any performance issues as a result of the tear.

I still do think the boots are difficult for me to keep tight. This is due to the fact that there is only one lace loop on the upper part of the shoe – thus it is very hard for me to get the boots as tight as possible when putting them on.

Continued Use:
I plan on using the Ossagon Boots for a majority of my hiking, especially when waterproof shoes are on the agenda. I really love how they shed water. I also have found the boots to be quite comfortable as demonstrated when I left my insoles at home and still had a great hike!

Summary:
I think that the eVent fabric in the Ossagon is a great success. These shoes have proven to be very comfortable and shed water very well. They are a little difficult to lace up tight and had a few wear and tear issues, but all in all a great choice for winter or early spring/ late fall trips when mud and water are all around.

Field Likes and Dislikes:

Likes: They are very waterproof and the eVent Fabric is super soft!

Dislikes: Again - trying to keep the laces tight.

This concludes my Test Report. Thank you to both BackpackGearTest and to Teva for this fantastic opportunity to test the Ossagon Boots.

Read more reviews of Teva gear
Read more gear reviews by David Heyting

Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Teva Ossagon Mid eVent Boot > Test Report by David Heyting



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