The Teva Wraptor Shield eVent shoes are light weight trail runners with integrated softshell gaiters.  The shoes use the Teva Wraptor system which consists of a nylon webbing strap that begins at the inside edge of the heel, wraps across the instep, passes through a slot in the shoe's sole, wraps once more across the instep forming an X shape, and buckles to a shorter piece of webbing strap that attaches to the outside heel section.  According to Teva's website, this serves to secure the foot directly over the cushioning platform for support and stability. 

These shoes are quite different than anything I've ever worn, or for that matter, seen.  The gaiter portion of the shoe covers the entire outside, with reinforcing leather-like materials sewn over the toe and heel areas, which appears to help provide additional support.  Five small stripes of reflective silver accent each side of the toe area. 

A small rubbery toe cap about an inch (2.5 cm) wide extends over the top of the toe at the center, and features an embossed orange spider symbol and the words SPIDER XC.  A small section of webbing runs directly from the toe cap to the base of the zipper opening on the softshell material.  The black softshell material has orange swirls imprinted in a decorative pattern at the heel and toe sections, using a material that feels like that of an iron-on T-shirt transfer.  On each side of the shoe, under the Wraptor strapping system, is a stiff vinyl-like support piece that extends to within about an inch (2.5 cm) of the center zipper.  A vinyl like tab is fastened with hook and loop across the top of the zipper, and there is a webbing finger loop at the heel.  The softshell material has a smooth, elasticized outer face.

The sole of the shoe has a moderate lug, with small V-shaped lugs arranged in a straight pattern across the center of the forefoot and larger V-shaped lugs around the outer edge following the curves of the sole.  The heel has a diagonal pattern of lugs.  Two grooved channels are located in the forefoot, and one long groove bisects the heel area.

When the Wraptor system is loosened and the softshell gaiter unzipped, the orange colored interior of the softshell is visible, and it is has a waffle-weave appearance.  Also visible is the grey colored interior portion of the shoe, which has the appearance of a soft fabric sneaker.  The inner shoe is sewn to the gaiter along the lower sides, and also fastened to the gaiter by a stretchy tab at the back of the heel.  Nylon webbing support straps cross the instep area of the interior shoe.  Similar to other trail shoes, the tongue is sewn in.  The shoe is lined with white fabric imprinted with the eVent name and logo, with a tightly woven orange mesh fabric lining the top of the inner shoe.  The insoles are removable, and appear to be foam on the bottom and a fleecy material on the top. 

The inner shoe was a cord lacing system that tightens by sliding a small pull toward the foot.  The laces pass through small triangular plastic grommets at the top and thread through two sets of webbing loops before passing through small holes in the outer gaiter across the toe section.  Due to the way the sewn in gaiter and the Wraptor system limit access to the lacing area, it appears it would be impossible to replace the laces.

Trying them on:

I found the Wraptor Shield eVent shoes very difficult to get on.  First the quick release buckle must be unfastened, and the Wraptor webbing pulled through the channel in the sole to loosen the webbing as much as possible.  Due to the webbing being one piece, a strap remains in place in front of the zipper.  Due to the hook and loop attached to the webbing, which will not pass through the channel, I get only about an inch (2.5 cm) of  space under the webbing to work with.  Then I unfasten the hook and loop at the top of the zipper.  Next the softshell portion is unzipped, which takes a bit of maneuvering due to the webbing strap being in the way.  When I let go of the zipper at the bottom, the hook and loop at the top usually partially fastens again.  So, I unfasten it again, exposing the inner shoe, and then pull the plastic tab on the laces as far loose as possible, pull the tongue out, and spread the shoe as wide apart as possible in order to insert my foot.  The webbing strap in place across the instep again limits how far I can spread the shoe apart.  Since the inner shoe and the gaiter are both soft fabric, the upper edges of both shoe and gaiter tend to want to fold inside, so I need to try to hold the fabric taut as I slide my foot inside.  Sometimes I still end up with a fold in either the inner shoe or the outer gaiter, so I have to reach inside the tight area to pull the offending area straight and finally, smooth out the tongue.

Then I'm ready to fasten the shoe.  First, I pull the laces tight and slide the plastic tab down the laces to secure them in place.  Next, I zip the zipper up about half way till the webbing strap stops my fingers.  I then reach under the webbing strap to pull the zipper the rest of the way up, fold a gusset of material that extends behind the zipper head out of the way, and finish zipping to the top.  I then fold the zipper pull down, and fasten the hook and loop tab across the top of it.  Finally, I pull the webbing strap of the Wraptor system tight through the channel in the sole, and fasten the quick release buckle, and the procedure is complete.

As the manufacturer website indicates, the shoes fit snugly in the heel cup and across the instep area, and has a roomy toe box.  The inner shoe has what I would consider a normal sneaker style cut, while the outer gaiter extends to just cover my ankle bone.  The top of the gaiter fits very snugly, and the vinyl-like hook and loop fastener that covers the zipper feels a bit stiff in the front of my foot.

The shoes seem to fit properly with sufficient length and width, while providing a lot of support across the instep area, the forefoot, and the heel cup.  They feel very stable on my foot, with no real lateral movement.

Preliminary Impressions:

The Wraptor Shield eVent shoes appear to be well made with even stitching and quality materials.  Considering the technical appearance and materials, my impression is that these shoes have been designed with performance in mind.  The soles of the shoes feel cushiony for comfort, yet supportive and stiff enough to prevent rocks and sticks from being felt through the bottoms of the shoes.

I like the light weight and apparent breathability of the materials, although I have not yet had the opportunity to test their waterproofness or to put them through a hard enough workout to test just how breathable the material is. 

The only real concern I have at this point about the shoes is the cumbersome method of putting them on and taking them off.  While this would not seem to be a problem with short day trips, I often like to air my feet during lunch or other long breaks on backpacking trips, and considering the time it takes to take the shoes off and put them back on, I may find this burdensome.  Although I sometimes take Croc shoes along for camp and water crossing shoes, on some warmer weather trips I like to leave spare shoes behind, relying only on my trail shoes.  I have some apprehension about the feasibility of getting the Teva Wraptor Shield eVent shoes on quickly enough for those inevitable middle of the night bathroom trips, so I wonder whether it will be possible to rely on them for my sole shoes on a trip.

Summary:

The Teva Wraptor Shield eVent shoes are unique in design and from the type of materials used and the design that stabilizes the foot while providing support and comfort appear to be built for performance.  However, putting the shoes on and taking them off is cumbersome and could use some simplification.

This concludes my Initial Report.