Backpacking Background:

" [T]he Trekker™ is the perfect product to wear over running shoes when snowshoeing, over hiking boots for river crossings and for boat landings when visiting remote locations...[e]ssential for adventure travel!" - from NEOS to BackpackGearTest on the new Trekkers.

Field Information:

I have subjected the NEOS Trekkers to a lot of dayhiking the first two months of testing.  I have also tested them on two weekend hikes with the Boy Scouts.   I estimate that the Trekkers have logged about 75 miles (121 km) so far.  Conditions throughout the field-testing phase have been classified as spring conditions.  True summer conditions are just arriving now.  It's been wet, muddy and cool - great opportunities to test the Trekkers!  The two test areas I have visited thus far for testing include Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania.

Test Results:

After the first two months of testing,  I am quite pleased with the Trekkers thus far. I keep asking myself how I ever managed without them before!  They are light, quick to put on and offer great protection.   We've had an exceptionally wet spring and early summer.  I've been able to utilize the Trekkers in wet and muddy conditions virtually every week since the onset of the test.  For example,  just the other day I was out on a short two mile loop near home with my dog.  I've hiked this trail many times over the years.  I was more than a little disappointed to find out the all-terrainers also recently discovered it.  Although it was a beautiful sunny day, my nice path through the woods was replaced with two water-filled ruts.  It was so deep in some places, I feared it might even go over the top of the Trekkers - and that's no small feat!  For all intents and purposes, the Trekkers were completely submerged, without a single leak.  In fact they've never leaked. That says a lot to me after the places I've worn them and the abuse they've been exposed to.

It's difficult for me to baby something on my feet when I'm out in the woods.  I like to look around, not just at the path in front of me.  I guess that's part of the reason I still prefer to hike in boots over trail runners or sandals.  I end up stomping on downed branches, kicking rocks and  plowing through puddles.  It was no different in the Trekkers.  After two months of this, I cannot find any place on the toe guard that has been compromised.  The soles are also holding up great! They have a few scratches, but that's it.

I'm very happy to report that the soles of the Trekkers do an excellent job, in my opinion.  They have great traction on most surfaces, like algae-covered rocks, turbid streams, and of course dry trails.  I can't test them in winter conditions due to the time of this test series, but I can say that they've been great in muddy conditions too.   I'm not saying they are the 'end all and be all', because they're not.  The groves have a tendency to build up with mud, and they don't shed it all that well.  But, even though they end up being mud-packed, they still maintain some respectable level of 'grip-tion'.  In other words, I don't find myself skating down the side of a riverbank or my feet flying out from under me and me landing on my butt.  They do slip, but definitely no worse than any other shoes I've worn, and better than most - definitely better than any of the footwear I've had on underneath for this test series. 

I've tried a multitude of different footwear with the Trekkers so far, including hiking boots (Merrel Ultralites and Dunham Paramounts), trail runners (New Balance 806s), work boots (Sears brand), sandals (Teva ),  casual shoes and even dress shoes.   The Trekkers work well with all styles of footwear.  Of course, the larger hiking boots require more room than my running shoes.  NEOS sells an EVA insert to be placed inside the Trekker to improve fit with smaller volume shoes.  I opted to make my own inserts out of a high density foam packing material that came in a package through the mail.  I simply traced around the Trekker's sole onto the material and cut them out, allowing room so the inserts would easily fit into the boots.  The inserts made all the difference in the world with how well the Trekkers fit with my smaller volume footwear - like my shoes, sneakers and sandals.  Without the inserts, I found the Trekkers fit, but felt sloppy on my feet.  Some of this I feel was because at a size 11 shoe, that put me right between two sizes on the NEOS sizing chart.  I decided to follow NEOS's advice and go with the next size up.  This is good advice if you like to wear boots or other high volume shoes, but results in a rather poor fit if you prefer to hike in track shoes, etc.  Fortunately for me, I do like to wear boots and am glad I have the room for the larger fitting hiking boots.  With the homemade inserts in place, I can enjoy the fit of the Trekkers as well with my shoes and sneakers.

The fit of the Trekkers has been very nice.  The top is secured with hook and loop fastener, located at various locations around the top to allow for different sizes.  The lower portion of the Trekker mounts with an adjustable nylon strap secured at both ends to the Trekker, running across the top of the foot and meeting in the middle with a quick disconnect nylon buckle.  At the very top of the Trekker, there is an elastic cord with cordlock at the rear of the boot.  Just below the cordlock is a loop whose purpose in life is to provide an aid for pulling the Trekkers on over my shoes.  The loop is adorned with the NEOS logo around it.  To put on the Trekkers, I simply open the boot (it opens up enormously), step into the Trekkers wearing whatever shoe I desire, wrap the upper portion around my lower leg and secure with the hook and loop fastener around the top.  Then I secure the lower portion with the strap - close the buckle and tighten, then adjust the tension in the elastic cord at the top of the boot with the cordlock.

The boots are held up via the tension in the wrap and in the elastic cord around the top.  In my experience, the fit needs to be snug, but not overly tight.  I experience discomfort if I set the elastic cord too tight.  I've been impressed so far with the strength of the hook and loop fasteners along the tops.  They have not slipped or opened up.  I've also been impressed with how well the boots have stayed up on my legs.  But, in all fairness - they are hot on the legs.  The material does not breathe.  So, when the sun comes out, the Trekkers come off unless necessary.  I expect this to be less of an issue as the summer conditions subside during the long-term testing phase.  My other knock is they are a bit noisy.  The nylon used in the construction of the Trekkers needs to be beefy, and it is.  But, the price to pay for its strength results in a heavier, stiffer, and noisier material.  In reality, I don't even notice the increased noise any more, and really had to dig deep to come up with that criticism. 

Summary of Field Experience

The NEOS Trekkers are great!  The combination of boot and gaiter rolled into one, lightweight package works for me.   The Trekkers provide excellent stability, increased traction, and great lower leg and foot protection,  My exposure to foot roll is not increased with the Trekkers, as compared with my regular footwear alone.  I can easily wear the Trekkers for hours with only minimal added strain on my feet. They also pack nicely together when not in use.  Inserts are well worth it to me; they improve fit thereby increasing comfort.  My only real knock of the Trekkers is that they are hot on my legs. 

Thanks again to NEOS and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this product.

Tim