Nike ACG Air Teocalli Gore Tex XCR – Owner Review

 

Name: Jason Boyle
Age:  26
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 6”/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.
Date: February 26, 2004

Backpacking Background:  I have been camping and backpacking for about 15 years.  I started with the Boy Scouts when I was 11.  I first started hiking mostly in the southeastern United States (Florida, Alabama, Georgia).  Later, I went to college in Connecticut and became versed in the New England outdoors.  I currently live near Washington D.C. and hike and backpack in the Mid Atlantic Mountains.  I have been section hiking the Appalachian Trail and have completed all of the Connecticut and Maryland sections, and I am currently working on the Virginia section. I used to carry everything and the kitchen sink, but I have become weight conscious in recent years and have attempted to lighten my load.

Manufacturer: Nike
Year of manufacture: 2002
URL:  www.nikeacg.com
Listed weight: none listed since this is an older model
Actual weight:  13 oz (370 g) per shoe
Size: U.S. 9/ UK 8/ EUR 42.5
MSRP: $99.95

Category: Trail Runner

As an adventure racing/trail running junkie, I am always looking for new trail shoes and was stunned when I saw these at a Nike outlet store for 50% off.  I am also transitioning to becoming a lightweight backpacker and thought these shoes would be a good start to help me make the jump.

Details:

Significant details from the Nike ACG website

Waterproof Breathable Upper – Gore Tex XCR keeps feet warm, dry, and comfortable

Durable Hard Rubber Sole – Dual direction rubber outsole has hard traction spikes for optimal winter traction

Nike Heel Air Cushioning – Our Nike Heel Air-Sole unit delivers consistent, lightweight, and long-term shock absorption and stability.

Test Conditions:

These shoes have been tested in all conditions over the last eight months.  Summertime temperatures experienced were in the 90’s Fahrenheit (30’s C) and on my most recent winter trips the temperatures were in the single digits Fahrenheit (- 15 C).  I have also experienced all precipitation types while wearing the shoes especially rain and snow!

Review: 

These shoes have become my favorite pair of running shoes, and this is a bold statement for me as I have 5 different pairs of running shoes in my closet at any one time.  As I said I saw these on sale and thought “hey what a good deal I will give these shoes a try!” 

The shoes have a gray upper body, with a gusseted tongue made from Gore Tex XCR material.  The gusseted tongue is a nice feature as it keeps me from having to constantly adjust the tongue to fit properly while wearing the shoe.  It also adds to the waterproofness of the shoe by keeping the upper body one complete piece to the ankle.  The visible mid sole is of a standard design with a typical NIKE air bubble visible.  The bottom of the sole has an aggressive tread pattern with lugs on the outside that are supposed to provide extra traction and help clear mud.  There is a small rubber bumper on the front toe and provides little to no protection. 

I have put approximately 300 plus miles (480 km) on these shoes over the past 8 months and they are still performing like they are brand new.  When backpacking my pack weight tends to run about 50 plus pounds (23 kg) if I am leading a group or in the winter, and about 25 pounds (11 kg) if I am solo hiking. In both of these situations, I have not noticed the normal foot fatigue that I am used to having after a long day in boots.  I can feel the terrain under my feet better than when I am wearing boots, which can be a good and bad thing. If the day is spent hiking rocky trails, then my feet are more tired than if I was in boots.  If I am hiking standard forest trails, my feet feel much lighter at the end of the day.

The Gore Tex XCR waterproofing lives up to its name.  I wear ankle gaiters with these shoes and have stepped up to the gaiter in water and emerged with out getting the rest of my foot wet.  I have not, however, stood in water to test the waterproofness. 

The shoes have stood up well to winter use.  The Gore Tex XCR material lives up to its name and purpose by keeping out water including snow.  However, the shoes do not provide much insulation for winter hiking and I felt the cold seep through the body of the shoe when hiking in snow.

I do use the shoes to run in, but they are not my everyday running shoes. Instead I use them whenever I can get on the trail to run and have had no problems with them.  I think the shoes are breathable, but then again, I do not really monitor my foot heat.  I expect my feet to be hot in the summer, so I do not notice if the Gore Tex material adds to foot warmth.

This sizing of the shoe seems to be NIKE’s normal sizing which for me is a size 9 US/ 8 UK.  As with any shoe or boot, one should always make sure the shoe or boot fits them well because not all shoes will fit all people.

Summary:

The Nike ACG Air Teocalli’s have been great shoes for me and I intend to wear them until they fall apart and will buy another pair.  They are great shoes to hike and run in.

Pro’s

Lightweight
Waterproof
Durable

Con’s

Minimal insulation leads to cold feet in the winter.
Feet take brunt of impact when using this shoe in especially rocky areas.