Initial Report: La Sportiva Venture XCR Mid
(Trail Shoes)
Date: 10-30-05
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
Manufacturers 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
 
INITIAL REPORT
On the La Sportiva US website (there is also a European 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 agressive tread.
Sizing: I would consider my feet to be a normal width with a normal volume. Straight out of the box the boots are comfortable with plenty of room for my toes. I previously owned a pair of La Sportiva Makalu's that have always been a little snug on me. So before the test I went down to REI and tried on several pairs of La Sportiva boots. REI did not have the Ventures in stock but I figured that the fit would be similar. My other sizing consideration would be the weather. The testing period would be between November and February which is the dead of winter here in Colorado. Since the Ventures are not insulated I wore heavy wool socks when trying to determine the size I would need.
On the La Sportiva website there is a page that discusses sizing. Since La Sportiva sells their boots in European sizes, converting that measurement into US sizing can sometimes be a little confusing. Most of the advice given on their site is quite sound with the exception of one. It states, "To use our size chart to fit mountain boots, find your American size then go across to your European size, and then add one half size". For me adding the one half size is totally unnecessary. If I would have followed this advice (without trying the boots on beforehand) the boots would have been too big. My impression of the statement on their website is that it applies to mountain boots ONLY. Not to hiking or backpacking boots. The most sound advice seems to be try the boots on with the socks you intend to wear.
Comfort: When I first tried on the boots I was wearing mid-weight cotton socks. I wore them around the house and noticed a pressure point developing almost immeditally on the left boot where the edge of the tongue touches the front part of my inside ankle. I adjusted the tongue and relaced the boots several times with no solution. I switched to the heavy wool socks I originally intended to wear and the pressure point disappeared. During the course of the test I will be keeping an eye on this.
I am very curious to see how well the Gortex XCR lining works. My feet tend to be very sweaty especially during the warmer months. I will be testing to see just how breathable and how waterproof the lining is and how quickly the boots dry after becoming wet.
Construction: Overall the boots are very well made. No loose threads or extra glue exposed. The uppers are made of a grey nylon mesh, referred to as "AirMesh" and an olive green Nubuck leather. The leather is not listed as waterproof but I stuck the boot under the kitchen faucet for about 10 secounds and the water just rolled off. None seemed to soak in to the leather. I will be testing to see if water continues to bead up and roll off.
The tongue is gussetted (attached along the sides) which keeps debris and possibly some moisture out of the inside of the boot. There is a nice rubberized toe cap (Rand) and heal cap sewn to the upper that is very substantial and looks like it will take a lot of abuse. Another feature I really like is the pull-on strap on the back top of the boot. Most boots just have a small tab to grab on to. The Venture has a big beefy strap with a hole in the middle big enough to get a gloved finger into. This strap is really going to come in handy on those cold mornings.
One area I am going to keep an eye on 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 will be curious to see how well the leather holds up to repeated use. The upper part of the lacing system utilizes metal hooks which makes the lacing process very fast and efficient.
The tongue, ankle collar and the ankle area of the boot is lightly padded and lined with what looks like an absorbent nylon or polyester black mesh. The lower part of the boot is lined with the Gortex XCR laminated to a soft absorbent fabric with the words GORE-TEX XCR printed all over it. The insole is a very simple thin foam with the same black mesh laminated to the top. I will be evaluating how comfortable this simple insole is after wearing the boots for many miles.
Soles: The soles of the Ventures are a proprietary tread pattern and rubber compound. Referred to as "FriXion" which comes in several flavors. The Ventures are fitted with FriXion blue AT formula. The website states "FriXion AT (All Terrain) The perfect compound for trails and dirt roads, sticky softer and more durable". I will be testing to see how well the soles perform in the snow, mud and on wet rocky trails.
PROPOSED TESTING
I will be wearing these boots almost exclusively over the next 4 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 that hot spot come back and will I develop any blisters?
• Breathablity — Will the Goretex lining breath enough to keep my feet from soaking the boots from the inside?
• Waterproofness — Just how waterproof are these boots? Can they handle simple and moderate rain? How well do the Ventures handle sloppy wet and snowy trail conditions?
• Durability — How well will the Nubuck leather hold up? Will the soles wear faster because they are made of a softer, sticker compound?
• Soles — How well do the lugs shed mud and snow?
I have to say I really like the looks of these boots. They are stylish enough to look good with a pair of jeans. I won't be surprised if these boots become part of my everyday wardrobe. Here in Boulder, Colorado hiking boots and just about anything is the "style".
I would like to thank both Backpacker Gear Test and Sportiva for the opportunity to test these fine boots.
Read more reviews of La Sportiva gear
Read more gear reviews by Bob Sanders
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