Initial Report

Initial Report
Bite Xtension 2 Sandals
April 25, 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 will primarily occur throughout southern California. May and June will see our local mountains still thawing out from the appallingly heavy winter we just had (38 in/97 cm and still rising), so I hope to hit the trails there as the roads re-open (lots of landslides & washouts). Late July will see me camped on the coast for a week, and after that I hope to get up to northwestern Montana for at least two weeks, during which I will be paddling on Flathead Lake, dayhiking in Glacier National Park, and otherwise tootling around in the wilds. In addition, I run/walk almost daily 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).

Initial Impressions: The shoes came with a two-page brochure describing how to fit Bite shoes properly, but with no information specific to the Xtension 2 model. This left me to figure out on my own how to adjust them, which thankfully wasn't very difficult. When I put the Xtension 2's on for the first time, I thought "These are much bigger than I imagined." The footbed/sole of the shoe extends on average 1/2 of an inch (1.25 cm) around the perimeter of my feet. At first I thought they were a bit too large, but then I held them up against the soles of some of my other shoes and discovered that they really aren't any larger than any other trail shoes I use - they just look a bit larger because there isn't a lot of leather, mesh, plastic or padding filling out the area around my feet.

Once I stood up and began to walk around in the Xtension 2's, my second thought was "Wow, are these shoes cushy." I would even go so far as to say that they are springy. After a few easy adjustments to the straps I was able to achieve a comfortable fit. Twice I have noticed a slight irritation on the back of my left heel, but a quick loosening of the rear strap did the trick.

So far, I have worn the Xtension 2's twice on my morning trail run/walks (I'm almost seven months pregnant right now and it's a bit of a stretch to call it running - fast walking, if you will), both times with thin Coolmax liner socks on. I try to alternate between the wider, better maintained trails and the fainter, rougher trails that wind over them. Typically the trails are riddled with roots, damaged by recent flooding, but only steep in a few sections. The Xtension 2's have performed quite satisfactorily, even surprising me at one point with how snugly they stayed in place while I did a bit of steep sidehilling. I have been wearing them daily "around town" just to get a better feel for the fit, adjustability and all-day comfort. I also wore them with 200-weight fleece socks on one cold morning and had no trouble adjusting the straps to accomodate them.

There is a tendency for the neoprene-like cuff to catch on my foot as I put the shoes on. It then begins to roll under a little bit as my foot slides forward. It's relatively easy to adjust by hand, but with the fleece socks I did need to remove the shoe and put it on again while holding the cuff slightly up. The straps over the cuff are adjustable, but the cuff itself has to rely on its stretchiness for fit.

I have already managed to choose poorly while hopping a stream, and got one of the shoes wet (but did not submerge it). The wetness seemed to pose no problem - the shoe did not turn slippery and my foot dried out reasonably quickly. The Xtension 2's don't seem to retain much water, but we'll see what happens when they get completely soaked.

The toe guard does have a drawback that I had anticipated - on sandy trails it does help to scoop some soil up and into the shoe, right in front of my toes. So far this hasn't bothered me, only gotten my socks dirty. But to expect socks to stay clean in a sandal is a pretty hopeless endeavor anyway.

Test Plan/Considerations: Bite is marketing these sandals primarily as a running sandal. Since they show a picture of someone running on a trail, I assume they’re marketing to trail runners as well, which implies that the soles are intended to handle a wider variety of terrain than “street shoes.” What sort of traction will the Xtension 2’s be able to provide? I’m sure they’re fine on hard-packed dirt, but what about wet, slippery stream crossings? What about skittery, pebble-laden downhills? What about overgrown, underused trails? What about mud? Will the toe guard really protect my toes, or will it just help to scoop debris into and underneath my toes?

It’s hard to tell from the photos on their site, but it looks as if the models are running both with and without socks. I very much like having the option to go sock-free, but will absolutely test the Xtension 2’s both ways, and with several different weights and thicknesses of socks. I’ll try them with my thick woolens, my “light hikers,” my thin Coolmax liners, and on cold mornings in camp with my 200-weight fleece socks.

What about fit? I want – nay, crave - a shoe that hugs so securely that it merely becomes an extension of the foot. Bite claims a “pulley strapping system that secures the foot to the midsole,” that the “dual buckle design provides a snug, adjustable fit,” and that the “forefoot straps hold foot securely around metatarsal heads.” So far, the shoe lives up to these claims. The fit is snug and comfortable, with very little lateral slippage so far, even on steep sidehill routes. But the flipside of a snug fit is heat buildup inside the shoe. Being a sandal does not guarantee adequate ventilation. If my feet start getting uncomfortably warm, even without socks, that will be reported on. So far I have had no problems with my feet overheating in the Xtension 2's, but it's still spring.

Bite has a LOT to say about their outsole. “Multidirectional grip” is pretty self-explanatory. I have only been able to use the Xtension 2's on my local creekside trails, but so far the tread's grip has been up to the task. The heel and ball/toes are apparently padded differently – to absorb shock in the heel and provide spring for the toes. Bite describes it as "ATS heel pad for soft impact and forefoot Pe Launch Pad for life." I can absolutely feel the cushioned yet springy pads under both the heels and balls of my feet. Bite claims the Xtension 2's “eliminate pronation,” which would be a handy thing indeed. I'll note how much of an effect I notice on the alignment of my ankles.

Basically, what this all boils down to is that I plan to run and hike in the Xtension 2’s, and then report on pretty much every aspect of performance that I can. I’ll wear them with no pack, with daypacks, and with as much as 30 pounds on my back. As a running sandal, I wonder if they are robust enough to support the extra weight of a full pack. They’ll be used on asphalt, concrete, and as many varieties of natural terrain as I encounter. I’ll differentiate between their performances according to what conditions they were used in.

Shoe History/Experience: Oy, have I been through a lot of shoes! Currently the models that get the most action are my Merrell Chameleon Lows, my New Balance 704’s, and my trusty Teva Wraptors (which are, coincidentally, also a running sandal). I have tried the other two major hiking sandals on the market, Chacos and Keens, but alas the Chacos aggravate an old foot injury, and my horrific experience with the Keens was well-documented in my Long Term Report from that test series.

Tester Name: Colleen Porter
Gender: female
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"/1.73 m
Weight: 156 lb./68 kg (almost 7 months pregnant right now)
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.

Read more reviews of Bite Shoes gear
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Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Bite Xtension 2 > Colleen Porter > Initial Report

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