Field Report

Field Report
Bite Xtension 2 Sandals
July 5, 2005

Manufacturer: Bite
URL: http://www.biteshoes.com
MSRP: $79.99
Year Model: 2005
Listed Weight: n/a
Tested Weight: right 11.8 oz (335 grams), left 11.3 oz (320 grams), Women's size 8
Tester: Colleen Porter
Tester biography can be found at the end of this report.

Product Description: An all-synthetic, open-toed running sandal. There is a small raised wall at the toe-end of the footbed, which I assume is intended to provide some protection for the toes. The webbing straps that run over the top of the feet (closest to the ankle/leg) are adjustable, and open and close with a plastic side-release buckle. The straps around the back of the feet are also adjustable and run through a plastic slider that locks shut and must be opened in order to adjust the strap. The midsections of the feet are held in place with a neoprene-like cuff, over which two webbing straps come up from each side and are sewn around what appears to be a metal ring in the center. One set of these webbing straps feed through what looks like a small metal D-ring submerged in the footbed of the sandal. These straps emerge from the d-ring to become the straps which wrap around the back of the feet.

Field Information: Testing has taken place excluisvely in southern California. As of now, I have used the Xtension 2's at elevations ranging from sea level to over 8000 feet/2438 meters. Weather has ranged from cloudy and damp to hot and dry. Trails have ranged from smooth & maintained to eroded and rocky. Late July will see me camped on the coast for a week. We are planning some visits to the Sierra Nevada this summer, and perhaps the Grand Canyon in September. Alas, the Montana trip I mentioned in my Initial Report has been canceled. In addition to any other trips I may take, I also run/walk at least three times a week on the creekside trail system that passes by my house. I hop the creek a couple of times on each run, and the trail is quite overgrown with roots and rocks (it suffered a lot of damage from the winter rains).   I have been wearing the Xtension 2's almost exclusively on these walks.

Performance: So far, so good. The Xtension 2's continue to be incredibly cushy and comfortable for all-day wear. I haven't encountered any terrain yet that has been beyond what they can handle. I even had the chance to cross small patches of crusty snow while carrying over 30 pounds/13.5 kg on my back, and the Xtension 2's were all the shoe I needed. They have been completely adequate so far for backpacking trips with a full pack on my back - no foot soreness at all, no blistering at all. I haven't used them in muddy conditions, though - most of our soil here is too sandy to make very good mud. The Xtension 2's grip my foot firmly yet comfortably, and fit so nicely that it's easy to forget I'm wearing them. They are easily adjusted and I have yet to find a pair of socks I can't wear them with - although most of the time I wear no socks at all.

Alas, in the middle of all this shoe heaven there are a few minor complaints.   The straps around the back of the ankle (over the achilles tendon) are adjustable and have a locking slider, but occasionally that lock pops open and allows the strap to loosen almost immediately, which leaves the shoe feeling loose. I wouldn't want this to happen while I was negotiating a tricky downhill route. Imagine your shoe coming loose while you're sliding down scree! Based on the location of the slider, it's possible that I'm bumping it with my opposite foot and popping it open, but I haven't been able to catch myself doing that so I'm not sure that's the problem. If it is simply a matter of me kicking the buckle open, then perhaps the location of the locking slider should be reconsidered.

Another minor problem has to do with the top strap, the adjustable one that crosses over the top of the foot. This strap has a small patch of hook-and-loop on the end, which is meant to attach near the footbed of the sandal and secure the strap in place. The smallness of this patch is the problem - if you need to adjust the strap to accomodate a larger-volume foot or a very bulky sock, the strap is then too short to allow the hook-and-loop patches to seal together. This means that the strap will not stay adjusted at the desired tightness for very long. Perhaps the hook-and-loop patches could be made longer, to allow for a wider range of strap adjustment.

The buckle closure on that same top strap can pinch the skin if the wearer isn't being careful. I have no suggestions for design change to fix this, it's simply a matter of the user paying attention when they close the buckle.   Also, the soles of my feet STINK when I go sockless in the Xtension 2's, and I pretty much go sockless all the time (hey, I live in California). Even after washing both my feet and the sandals with Dr. Bronner's soap, the stink returns within a day or so.

Now, back to the good things about the Xtension 2's. When soaked, they dry reasonably quickly - at least here in dry, sunny California. As for the claim that the Xtension 2's "eliminate pronation," all I can say is the my feet do feel extremely stable when I am wearing them - I have never second-guessed my foot placement, or been hesitant to make a jump because of worries that my footwear wasn't up to the task.

Summary: I like the Xtension 2's a lot. They are comfortable, stable, downright springy, and so far the tread grip has been great. I am somewhat concerned about the locking slider on the rear strap - it has not created any problems for me so far, but I can see how in certain situations (especially downhills with tricky or loose terrain) it could be a big problem. Otherwise, any complaints I have are very minor. I'm glad I have another 4 months to wear them almost exclusively.

Tester Name: Colleen Porter
Gender: female
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"/1.73 m
Weight: 147 lb./67 kg (had the baby!)
Email address: tarbubble at yahoo dot com
Location: Orange County, CA

Backpacking Experience: I have been hiking for fifteen years, backpacking for eight. I've only been serious about it in the last three and a half years. I mostly hike on established trails – bushwhacking is rarely planned. I like gear to be simple and light, and I do make some of my own equipment. On my own I pack pretty light (about thirteen lbs/6 kilograms base weight) and am always trying to get lighter, but I am often on family trips with my three-year-old son and the weight usually doubles. My 3-season backpacking haunts are the San Gabriels, the Sierra Nevada, and the Grand Canyon, and winters find me in the Mojave and Colorado deserts.

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Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Bite Xtension 2 > Colleen Porter > Field Report

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