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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR > Kathleen Waters > Long Term ReportLong Term Report: La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR Trail Shoes Contents: Tester Biographical Information <back to top> Name: Kathleen Waters Backpacking Background: My husband and I started hiking in 1998, starting with Mt. Hahn just north of Steamboat Springs, CO. We return to Colorado at least twice a year, summer and winter to play outdoors - winters, we snowshoe. At a minimum, when home in Southeast Michigan, we make it a point to hike 2 or 3 weekdays, usually 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 km). Weekday hikes take place in nearby Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, a decent mixture of moderately steep hills and flat terrain, heavily wooded. Weekend hikes can end up anywhere! My style is as light as possible, but comfortable! Product Information (from website) <back to top>
Product Information (from tester) Size: 8 USA/40.5 EUR/7 UK Description: For a more detailed description of the La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR Trail Shoes, including warranty information, please see my Initial Report and Field Report. Field Conditions/Completed Tests Results <back to top> During this long term test period, I continued to wear the La Sportiva Mid XCR Trail Shoes more than I normally would wear boots so that I could report on how the materials held up with extended usage. In addition to my trips to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado where hiking was the primary activity of the day, I wore the La Sportivas daily while walking my dog on asphalt streets (2 M/3.2 km), hiking trails in Pontiac Lake Recreation Area (4 to 6 M/6.4 km to 9.6 km) and even while training on my treadmill (about 90 minutes a session). Over all, the most miles put on the boots were located in southeast Michigan where I currently live. While I personally would consider the La Sportiva Mid XCR Trail Shoe better suited for a summer/fall boot, this long term test period fell in winter. Even so, with my usual winter-weight socks, the boots performed just fine! During my testing, temperatures ranged from 25 F (-4 C) to 59 F (15 C). I hiked in cold, rainy, even snowy conditions on several occasions. Snowshoeing was really limited due to the lack of snow, but I was able to get a couple of hikes in using the La Sportivas. In Michigan, I pretty much wore the boots in non-punishing situations, such as groomed trails, and at worst, snowshoeing on groomed trails. These hikes were generally flat with moderate hills and featured no boulders, loose rock or other hazards. On my last trip to Colorado, I spent four solid days hiking in the same 70 acres - half of it is now MY 35 acres! My husband and I decided to take the plunge and move to Colorado and we had to make sure we were choosing the best place to build. So the La Sportiva Mid XCR Trail Shoes were laced up before daybreak and didn't come off my feet until long after dark. These were long 12 hours days during which most of it was spent checking out every nook and cranny of the land during both day and night. The terrain runs the gamut of flat prairie land to an almost 90 degree vertical cliff. In between are rolling juniper-covered hills and spring-melt ravines. The La Sportiva Trail Shoes performed well in all areas. I barely noticed them on my feet while tramping around in the valley, but was acutely aware of their support when I needed grip climbing up a very steep mini-cliff. The boots with their generous toe rand saved my toes from total destruction via the sometimes house-sized boulders and all the bowling ball-sized ones as well. I'm not the most graceful hiker and while gaping around at the scenery, I very often smashed into inanimate hard objects! Thanks to the La Sportivas, nary a bruised toenail to be had. On this particular trip, we suffered no rain, so I made sure to stand for a full 3 minutes in ankle deep water at Four Mile Creek. As long as the water did not exceed the height of the gusseted tongue, my feet remained nice and dry - freezing cold from the mountain stream, but dry! I could squeeze the water from the outer fabric, but the Gore-Tex® liner held nicely. On descents of more than a 45 degree slope, I found that I have to re-lace the left boot to achieve the ankle support that I feel I need and to stabilize my foot. If I don't make this adjustment, my left foot tends to slide uncomfortably forward. This doesn't cause my toes to bump into the boot toe, but is does result in a lack of control. As soon as the ground levels out, however, I need to loosen the left boot laces again a bit or risk a hot spot on the outside of my left ankle. A minor bother, but notable and weirdly, not an issue on the right foot. Overall, I'm happy to report that, quality-wise, the La Sportiva Mid XCR Trail Shoes held up splendidly throughout this 5 month long term test! There are no torn spots, holes, broken treads or the like. The sole shows minimal wear and the laces have not even begun to fray, no less break. Summary <back to top> Pros: Light-weight but supportive. Good ankle height for maximum ankle support when scrambling on rocks or steep descents. Very waterproof and sturdily made to hold up in rough terrain.
The La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR Trail Shoes are great boots! I really like how light-weight they feel on my feet, yet how heavy-duty they perform in the field. The support that they impart is far better than what I expected from boots not made from sturdy leather. I expect that these trail shoes and I will continue to hike many more miles of trail in the future. Thank you for allowing me to test the La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR Trail Shoes. Kathleen Waters Read more reviews of La Sportiva gear Read more gear reviews by Kathleen Waters Reviews > Footwear > Boots > La Sportiva Venture Mid XCR > Kathleen Waters > Long Term Report | |||||
