Name: Anthony (TJ) Smith
Age: 29 years old
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (1.78 m)
Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)
Shoe Size: 9 ½ US
Email Address: tj@leaess.com
City, State, Country: Pensacola, FL USA
Date: August 30, 2004

Backpacking Background/Foot Characteristics: I have been camping for a little over 5 years now, mostly car camping. I have recently begun backpacking, and I am constantly adding new gear to my “collection” in an effort to get my gear list tailored more towards backpacking. Most of my backpacking trips are short duration, not more than one or two nights. I am planning some longer trips in the near future. My feet are just wider than normal width, but not quite a wide width for shoes. I also have slightly higher than normal arches, but not to the point of needing additional arch support.

Product information
a. Manufacturer – Avia
b. Year of manufacture – 2004
c. Manufacturer website – www.avia.com
d. Listed weight – not listed
e. Weight as delivered – 2 lb 11 oz (1.23 kg) for the pair
f. MSRP – unknown
g. Product description. "A great hiking boot for you by Avia, the Nevados Greylock Light men's boot, which offers comfort and support. The solid rubber cupsole makes this boot sturdy and durable, allowing you to trek through all types of terrain." (From Amazon.com website) These are a mid-height, suede leather and nylon upper boot.

Field Information

Location tested – I have worn these boots through a wide variety of terrains, from swampy to sandy to paved roadways. I have worn them in a wide variety of weather conditions as well, in light rain, heavy downpours, and dry days. Temperatures ranged from 50 F (10 C) to almost 100 F (37.78 C). However, due to most of my hiking being in Florida, I haven’t gotten to see how they perform on rocky or talus-type terrains, or in very cold or snowy weather. I have gotten a good bit of use in sandy areas though. I have hiked over 300 miles (483 km) with these boots so far, and they are still in excellent shape.

The Nevados Greylocks were comfortable out of the box. I wear them with medium weight wool hiking socks, which in my opinion adds a bit of cushioning to the insole. Without the wool hiking socks, the sole feels a bit firm for longer distances, causing a bit more foot fatigue than I would like. This could also be prevented by using an aftermarket insole; however I prefer to use the socks for this. The boots have a tread pattern that is similar to that of the Vasque boots with Vibram Contact outsole I’m more familiar with. The tread does not seem to hold onto large clumps of mud while hiking in wet terrain, and offers a good deal of traction in soft sand or when traversing rain-slicked slopes or walkways. The Nevados also perform well when traveling though marshy areas, although they do allow my feet to become damp (not wet) from the unavoidable puddles in these locations. Of course, I expect this could also be fixed by applying a Nikwax or other protective coating, which I plan to do in the near future. I have noticed throughout my use of these boots that they are a bit difficult to keep tightened down properly. I’ve tried a couple different lacing methods including "over under lacing," "double back lacing," "criss cross lacing" and "straight (European) lacing," (all as described on http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/lacingmethods.htm) but they still don’t seem to hold quite right after several hours of hiking. This could also be attributed to the material the laces are made of, but I haven’t tried other laces in the boots as of yet.

Summary

For the price I purchased these for ($24.95), the Nevados are in my opinion a great deal. They were fairly comfortable right out of the box as long as I wore thick socks. The tread pattern handles a wide variety of terrains nicely, and with proper treating before venturing out the boots should handle a fair amount of moisture as well. The boots are constructed of a suede leather upper with nylon breathing panels in the sides, which could contribute to the leakage problems I noticed during use in very wet conditions. The insoles have a moderate arch support, not as low as some boots and shoes I've worn, and not as high as others. The insole could be changed should I need a higher or lower arch than what is provided. I feel the issue with the laces not holding a knot are due to the material the laces are made of. I'm not sure of the exact material, although they are fairly slick and even with a variety of lacing methods and double knotting the laces they tend to loosen relatively quickly (within an hour or two.) The actual boot itself has held up very well, with very minimal scuffing or abrasion on both the leather and the nylon side panels. I haven't had any issues of the stitching coming loose or the sole delaminating from the uppers. I have gotten a few stains on the leather from pine sap, and was unable to remove those stains with Kiwi Leather Cleaner or spot cleaning with a product called Goof Off. Even for the difficulty with removing these couple spots, normal trail dirt and dust cleans off relatively easy. Most of the dirt can be brushed off, somewhat more difficult spots (aside from the pine sap) come off with water and light scrubbing. I haven't tested the Nevados for drying time with them soaking wet, but even after being out in a downpour in them they dried overnight just sitting out. I have noticed that even after wearing these boots for as long as I have, they still leave a leather smell on my feet and socks. This isn't necessarily unpleasant, and is much better than other odors I've gotten from shoes. But it is something I'm not used to after having worn a pair of shoes or boots for this long. Overall, I've been very pleased with my Nevados Greylocks. For anyone looking for an inexpensive boot that handles well in most conditions, I’d recommend the Nevados.

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