Field Report: La Sportiva Venture XCR Mid
(Trail Shoes)
Date: 1-10-06
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name: Bob Sanders
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 190 lb (81.6 kg)
Shoe Size: 11 U.S. 44.5 European
Email: sherpabob(at)mac(dot)com
City: Boulder, Colorado
Backpacking Background: I went on my first backpacking trip as a Boy Scout at the age of 16. Over the years I have hiked the Wonderland Trail in Washington and section hiked parts of the Florida Trail and the Appalachian Trail. In 2003 during a seven week period I hiked 740 mi (1191 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail. Best vacation I ever took. I continue to backpack and hike year round in the Colorado mountains. I have evolved from a heavyweight backpacker to a lightweight backpacker. My three day summer solo adventures (using a hammock) have me hovering around a 12 lb (6.8 kg) base weight.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Manufacturer: La Sportiva
Year of Manufacture: 2005
Manufacturer Website: www.sportiva.com
Size: 11 U.S. 44.5 European
Listed Weight: 2 lb 8 oz (1.1 kg)
Measured Weight: 2 lb 13.5 oz (1.28 kg)
Color: Olive
MSRP: $125.00 US
Manufacturer's Specs:
Super light, breathable and waterproof multi-purpose trail shoe for everyday use. Built for protection from the elements as well as off-road terrain. Mid height and low cut options with contoured heel pocket to keep your foot firmly in place when the terrain is technical and the footing tricky.
• UPPER: Nubuck Leather/AirMesh/Rubber coated rands
•
CONSTRUCTION: Slip Lasted Strobel
• LAST: Magic
• LINING: Gore-Tex® XCR lined to keep the wet stuff out, with sturdy full Nubuck leather protection for the rigors of daily life
• SOLE: AT compound FriXion® rubber outsole provides soft, resilient ride and superior traction on rocky loose dirt trails
• MIDSOLE: Trailon with polypropylene shank
On the La Sportiva website the Ventures are listed under their Trailsport category and defined as a "multi-purpose trail shoe for everyday use". I would further define them as lightweight hikers with scrambling capability because of the sticky aggressive tread.
In my Initial Report I discussed my out-of-the-box impressions and a detailed description of the boots. In this report I will discuss and evaluate the field performance over the past 2 months.
FIELD REPORT
Testing locations and conditions: These boots have been used on almost a daily basis in and around Boulder, Colorado. Temperatures have been between 60° and 0° F (16° and -18° C) and elevations between 5000 and 9000 ft (1524 and 2743 m). They have been used on a multitude of surfaces ranging from asphalt, hard-packed and muddy trails, rocky and rooted trails and on snow and ice. I have used these boots to climb Mt Sanitas (numerous times), Green Mountain, Boulder Peak and on trails in Rocky Mountain National Park. The longest single day mileage has been 11 miles carrying a 20 lb (9 kg) day pack. I know that sounds like a lot for a day pack but I was carrying my normal day gear plus a digital SLR camera, three lenses and a tripod.
Between walking the dog, daily fitness walks and weekend hikes in the mountains I estimate I have put nearly 150 miles on these boots. They have held up well and have far exceeded my expectations. I love these boots!
Sizing: If there is such a thing as "the perfect fit" I believe I have found it. As mentioned in my Initial Report I went down to REI and tried on several La Sportiva boots before deciding on what size to order for this test. Of all the boots I own these seem to fit me the best. Because of the cooler weather my sock combination has been a thin wool liner and a mid-weight Merino wool sock. The heal is snug with no slippage and there is plenty of room in the toe box.
Comfort: The first day I tried on the boots I noticed a pressure point developing almost immediately on the left boot where the edge of the tongue touches the front part of my inside ankle. I switched to the sock combination mentioned above and have had no problems since. In the two months I have worn these boots I have developed no blisters and at the end of the day my feet are tired but completely unscathed.
With a mid-weight wool sock and a thin wool liner my feet have been warm (while hiking briskly) down to 0° F (-18° C). The boots are uninsulated and during brief rest periods my feet do begin to chill. This would not be my boot of choice if I knew I would be inactive in below freezing temperatures. I believe the Gore-Tex® XCR lining does add a small bit of warmth because it slows down evaporative cooling. The lining is breathable but it keeps that warm moist air around your foot longer than an unlined boot or running shoe would. That being said I am glad I am testing these boots during the cooler months.
Moisture management: With the addition of the Gore-Tex® XCR linings these boots are classified as "waterproof". During the two months of testing I have not had the opportunity of testing them in rainy, wet, sloppy conditions. We have had very little rain and the creeks are either dried up or frozen. The boots have seen many miles in the snow, even post holing up to my waist on several ocassions. No water penetrated the boots but the suede leather on the exterior has become soaked from melting snow. On the ride home from the trail the suede leather was completely dry in about one hour.
Not satisified with the trail testing of the boots waterproofness I decided to try the famous bathtub test. I filled the tub with approx. 4 in (10 cm) of water, put on the boots and stepped in. I stood there for a minimum of four minutes and to my surprise, no water had penetrated the inside of the boots. My socks were dry and when I reached in and felt around there were no wet spots. The outside of the boots were quite wet with the suede and nylon mesh soaked with water. I know this test does not replicate real life, but if these boots can remain dry on the inside after being submerged for 4 minutes, I think small creeks and light rain should be no problem.
The other aspect of moisture management is how well do these boots breathe in order to keep my feet dry on the inside? I would consider my feet to be very sweaty and the major cause of blisters for me, especially during the hot summer months. Over the past couple of months my socks have been only slightly moist after a good long hike. I think part of this is due to the cooler temperatures and the low humidity of Colorado winters. Since my foot is much warmer than the outside air the moisture vapor passes through the Gore-Tex membrane much easier. As temperatures rise and the outside air becomes more humid the internal moisture vapor will move much slower and my socks will get wetter faster.
Construction: Overall the boots are very well made. They have held up well with only small scratches and scuffs. The rand is still glued tight and all the stitching is intact.
The gussetted tongue has done a excellent job of keeping debris out of the boot and the generous toe cap has protected my toes from rocks and roots. One area I was concerned with for durability are the eyelets for the laces. On the lower part of the boot the laces pass through eyelets made of the same Nubuck leather as the boot. I was curious to see how well the leather holds up to repeated use. No worries here, the leather looks as good as new with no tearing or stretching.
Soles: The soles of the Ventures are a proprietary tread pattern and rubber compound referred to as "FriXion AT (All Terrain)" The soles have lived up to their name with good traction on most surfaces. The boots have not done well on extremely wet slippery surfaces (like wet tree roots) or ice. The soles have worn some but there are plenty of miles left.
FURTHER TESTING
I will continue to wear these boots almost exclusively over the next 2 months while I walk the dog, go on my daily four mile exercise walk and my weekly hikes in the mountains and foothills of Colorado. I also have several backpacking trips and at least one snowshoe trip planned during which I will test these boots.
I will be looking closely at:
• Comfort — Over the long haul will my feet continue to be comfortable and blister free?
• Breathablity — Will the Goretex lining continue to breathe enough to keep my feet dry, especially as the temperatures warm up?
• Waterproofness — Will the Ventures handle sloppy wet and snowy trail conditions?
• Durability — How well will the Nubuck leather hold up?
• Soles — Will the soles wear faster because they are made of a softer, sticker compound?
I have to say I really like the looks of these boots. They are stylish enough to look good with a pair of jeans and have become a part of my everyday wardrobe.
I would like to thank both BackpackerGearTest and Sportiva for the opportunity to test these fine boots.
Read more reviews of La Sportiva gear
Read more gear reviews by Bob Sanders
| 