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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR > Coy Starnes > Initial ReportLa
Sportiva Venture Mid XCR
(hiking boots) Initial Report October 29, 2005  Get ready for the trail!
Tester Bio I live outside a small town in northeast Alabama. I enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing and most other outdoor activities. Backpacking is my favorite pastime. I enjoy hiking with my friends and family or solo. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However, I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3 season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length. Product Information
Product Description Here is what La Sportiva has to say about the boots. "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 *AT compound FriXion® rubber outsole provides soft, resilient ride and superior traction on rocky loose dirt trails *Gore-Tex® XCR lined to keep the wet stuff out, with sturdy full Nubuck leather protection for the rigors of daily life" I see these type boots in general as all-around boots. They look like they are suited for most trail work with a pack. They should work for my type of hiking as I am not into serious mountain climbing or trail running. The boots are fairly lightweight compared to full leather boots. The sole is a lot thicker than most trail running type shoes but not as thick or as stiff as heavy duty hiking boots. Below I will summarize the boot construction and materials used. Uppers The uppers are a combination of Nubuck leather, AirMesh and rubber over the toe and heel areas. To better understand what these materials are, La Sportiva offers the following in their online Technical Glossary. NUBUCK - Very supple and full-grain, the top-grain is micro-abraded for a soft finish of close fibered and water resisting leather. Because the grain layer is sanded, this leather accepts water repellent formulas very easily. AirMesh — Nylon fabric woven into a breathable mesh pattern that is extremely durable. The boots lace in typical mid-height boot fashion with 2 speed hooks at the top. The sides are mostly covered with the Nubuck leather with weight saving AirMesh panels strategically placed. The tongue is mostly made of the AirMesh with a section of leather at the top end where the speed hooks are located. The tongue is also designed to help prevent water from leaking into the boot and is part of the boot liner up to where the speed hooks are located. Sole La Sportive calls the sole the FriXion AT and says this sole is the perfect compound for trails and dirt roads. The sole looks aggressive but not overly clunky. They also say it is sticky, softer and more durable. It will be interesting to see how a rubber sole can be softer but at the same time more durable. The sole is molded around the perimeter of the boot in such a way that no stitching at the sole/upper interface is visible. This should be a good thing as far as protecting the stitching in this area. The picture below shows the sole of the boots.  Inside La Sportiva lists the liner of the boot as Gore-Tex XCR, and sure enough, Gore XCR is printed into the pattern on the lining. The material is soft and feels good in my initial fitting. The lining continues down to just under the edge of the footbed area which is covered by a removable insert. Initial Impression A thorough inspection revealed no construction issues visible to the eye. They look like a boot I would select for the type of hiking I do which consists of fairly rugged trails with lots of stream crossings. The website gives a good view of the Venture Mid XCRs and a little digging reveals more details on these and all other La Sportiva boots and shoes. I am really impressed with the out of box comfort so far. I have worn them around the yard and on a short day-hike and can't wait to get a chance to wear them for a long hike with a pack. Fitting My feet are normally referred to as high volume. I have a high arch and wide feet. A lot of boots leave a red mark across the top of my foot even when laced up loosely. The boots are sold in European size designation so picking a size was easy. However, even with US sizes it is never a sure thing to order boots online, as fit varies from brand to brand and even with different boots within the same brand. The chart on the website indicated a 45 would fit my 11.5 US shoe size. However I have 2 other European size 45.5 boots which fits me very well if I wear thick socks. I also have a size 45 boot which pinches my toes even though I wear them with some very thin nylon dress socks. I decided to get the size 45.5 based on this and it seems like I made a good choice. The boots felt great when I first put them on. I was wearing a pair of Thorlo Protection Level 3 Hikers which are a fairly thick sock. My feet felt rock solid inside the boot. The boots also felt like they would not need to be broke in. Test Plan I will wear the La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR boots on all my upcoming hikes which will include day hiking and quick overnights on the trails behind my home and longer backpacking trips in Alabama and other close by states. Terrain will vary from steep to flat. There will be many creek crossings which always bring slick rocks into play. I will navigate through muddy, slick, overgrown trails that tax the hiker and the boots. The weather will be typical fall and winter conditions for the southeastern United States. In other words, cool and damp most of the time but occasionally warm and humid. While hiking I will be looking at the following areas of boot performance. Waterproofness and Breathability The boots are supposedly waterproof but highly breathable. I will find out as I cross the creeks and streams, taking care not to get water over the top of the boots which would of course let in water. With colder weather fast approaching I hope they keep my feet dry because wet feet and cold weather do not mix well. My feet also sweat even in cold weather. Hopefully they will breathe well enough to keep my feet dry. Trail Worthiness I will see how the boots handle the varied terrain. Will the soles slip and slide on wet moss covered rocks or even worse the ones with the green slime. Does mud cake in the tread, making the boots heavy as well as not very effective for traction? Will the sole flex satisfactorily as I traverse uneven terrain while the uppers hold my ankle in place as I side-hill or otherwise need ankle support? Comfort Will I develop any blisters while hiking long distances? How will the boots feel when I am carrying a heavy pack? Will a single pair or outer sock over a liner sock work better with these boots? Will I experience any toe pinching? Do my feet slide in the boot, especially on steep downhills? Do my feet feel good after a long hike in these boots or do the boots murder my feet? These boots are not advertised as winter boots but will they keep my feet warm and dry in the milder Alabama winter conditions? Care and Durability How well do the soles hold up. Where do they wear faster (this is usually a result of foot anatomy and walking style i.e. pronation or supination)? My feet are supinated and I wear the outside edge of the soles faster, especially at the heel area. Do the uppers resist the abuses usually endured while hiking in rough terrain? Will the leather remain supple after repeated wettings in creeks and wet grass? Do the eyelets hold up? Laces do wear out but I will report on how these fare. Do the laces remain tied? Will the footbeds (insoles) last for a season of hiking? Will I suffer a blowout with these boots? There is nothing worse than a boot with the sole flopping in the breeze allowing rocks and trail debris inside next to my tender foot. WARRANTY We guarantee La Sportiva Products to be free of defects in materials and workmanship to the original buyer for one year from the date of purchase. There is no implied life span for our products due to the many variables that affect footwear. This Warranty does not cover wear and tear or extend to any La Sportiva product that has been resoled, repaired or otherwise modified. Only original La Sportiva materials and workmanship are covered under this Warranty Summary It is too early to say much about the La Sportiva Ventur Mid XCR boots. They look good on paper and feel good on my feet. If they perform as advertised they should work great as my hiking boots this winter. Keep in mind I'm speaking of Alabama winter. As always, I will document all weather, trail, and other conditions that affect this test and will pass along what I find. Stay tuned! Read more reviews of La Sportiva gear Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes Reviews > Footwear > Boots > La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR > Coy Starnes > Initial Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||