Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Bite Xtension 2 > James Triplett > Field Report

Field Test Report:

Personal Biographical Information:

Backpacking Background:

I was brought up exploring the woods, primarily West of the Mississippi from Missouri to as far North as Hudson Bay, and have a heavily ingrained appreciation for nature.  In college my recreation consisted of hiking to bouldering areas and rock climbing on the bluffs and trails in Southern Illinois, which ultimately led to continuously hiking the lower 1/3 of the Appalachian Trail.  I hike every day, and backpack when possible.  I am a mid-weight backpacker, experienced hiker and camper, and have had some exposure to longer hikes of 50 to 500 miles (80 to 800 km).  I prefer a tent over a tarp, in fact I love tents, but have not yet tried a hammock.

Manufacturer Information:

Product Information:

• Mens 7 - 16
• Womens 5 - 11

• Mens:
• 5005a - Wheat / Almond
• 5005b - Taupe / Natural / Red
• 5005c - Taupe / Natural / Yellow (this test)
  
• Womens:
• 5005a - Wheat / Almond
• 5005b - Taupe / Natural / Ruby
• 5005c - Natural / Navy / Teal

Upper
- Xtension 2 pulley strapping system secures the foot to the midsole
- Quick-drying lightweight Durahide upper
- Dual buckle design provides a snug, adjustable fit
- Forefoot straps hold foot securely around metatarsal heads

Outsole
- Burst outsole with multidirectional grip
- Thin, responsive outsole for lively ground feel
- Enerflow system transfers energy from heel to toe
- Contoured Phylon midsole cradles the foot for support
- ATS heel pad for soft impact and forefoot Pe Launch Pad for life
- Medial post featuring Grey Matter to eliminate pronation
- Motion Control Stabilizer and Spring Bar for exceptional foot control
- Arch shank gives extra support and stability
- Toe Guard protection for security

---

Review:

Size Issue and Exchange:
I started wearing the Xtension 2 Sandals immediately upon their arrival.  The fit of the lower portion of the sandals (the base to which all the straps and "uppers" are attached) seemed reasonable, although maybe just a tad big.  The BITE literature says that "a shoe that has a more generous fit is better than one that fits tightly", so I thought I was okay.  As it turns out, the uppers of the sandals became looser and looser, and the tails of the two adjustment straps became quite long as I continued to tighten the sandals over several weeks.  The strap which goes through the buckle over my ankle became long enough that I would step on it as I hiked.    This is the strap which is secured with Velcro, and with the wide soles of the sandals, and the strap going out and over the sole, the Velcro securing system became difficult to secure. The other strap could be tucked into the sandal, but it was quite long too.

In addition to the uppers seeming too large for my feet, another discouraging symptom developed with the Xtension 2 sandals.  Neither of the two buckles on each sandal would stay tight.  The over the ankle strap has a friction buckle (1st picture below) which uses Velcro on the strap end to provide the locking after it is adjusted.  As I mentioned above, this strap would become slightly looser over short distances of hiking.  The buckles around the heals (2nd picture below) have a flip-to-lock mechanism, yet this lock would allow the strap to slip through significantly to the point where my feet would move around on the footbed of the sandals.  This would occur, on a good day, after a mile (1.6 km) of hiking, and on a bad day the sandals would be loose after only 5 minutes of hiking.  The locking buckles would still be locked, but the strap would become loose.



I contacted BITE about this issue, and they were most friendly with their response.  Without acknowledging any issues with the buckles slipping, or the design of the Xtension 2 Running Sandals, I was told that it sounded like I needed to drop down to the next smaller size sandal.  Given the limited options, this seemed like the proper choice.  BITE has a 45 day fit guarantee, and I was told that if the new size ended up being too small then I could return them too, and go back to the larger size.  I shipped the sandals back to BITE and a seemingly long 17 days later I received the replacements.  The new sandals arrived just this week.

Field Testing:

At this point in time, my field testing has been done primarily on the larger (size 12 US) sandals.  Despite having to continually tighten the sandals, I believe the performance of the Xtension 2s was adequately tested, and I am reporting on that here.

I started off by wearing the sandals around the house, to the store, and for general non-demanding use.  After only a few days I took the BITEs on a two mile (3.2 km) day hike, with a 22 lb (10 kg) pack.  The BITEs gripped well and I had a pleasant experience.  After that point I wore the sandals on my early morning daily hikes, over pavement and on dirt trails through the woods, every day, rain or shine.  All wearing of the sandals has been sockless.  I was impressed with the effectiveness of the toe-guard (pictured below), as it kept nearly all debris away from my toes.  I did encounter a few jabs from sticks that I inadvertently kicked straight on, but this was the exception and generally my feet have been safe and sound.  Of course, protection from sandals is not the same as from shoes or boots, but BITE has designed the Xtension 2 sandals to provide reasonable protection while still offering all the plusses of sandals.



What the sandals do offer is the comfort of open-feet hiking, which I have quickly grown to enjoy.  The sandals provide open air cooling, with minimal pressure points from the straps which obviously cover less area of my feet than shoes.  Having my feet not overheat is a true blessing.  Also, I have plowed right through big puddles and hiked in the rain, and my feet have actually enjoyed this as well.  The wet sandals cause my feet to slosh around in them a tiny bit, but they still feel stable.  The sandals also make a sloshing sound, but nothing too serious, and... they dry off while I'm wearing them and I don't need to worry about whether or not they are waterproof.

The tread on the BITE Xtension 2 sandals seems aggressive for this type of footwear.  My hikes have taken me over dry dirt trails, through mud, tall brush, and gravel, as well as pavement.  These are the same areas I have hiked with hiking boots and trail runners, and the grip of the BITEs has been comparable with my other footwear.  Any shortcomings in stability have come from ankle support (or the lack thereof) and a small amount of movement of my feet within the sandals.  None of this has surprised me as it is what I expect from sandals.



The BITE Xtension 2 sandals are listed as running sandals, however I have not run in them.  I have played tennis though, with my son Drake and some of his 11-year-old friends.  This has not been serious tennis mind you, but I have made some heroic moves in effort to retrieve some wild shots.  The BITEs have performed admirable on the tennis courts, and surprisingly the strap loosening issues have been less problematic during this sport.

 

The BITE Xtension 2 Running Sandals are attractive and comfortable.  I am very pleased with the support they provide my feet, and how quickly I became acclimated to wearing them.  The issue of the loosening straps has been addressed by changing to a smaller sandal size, which may or may not prove to be an effective solution.  BITE's 45 day fit guarantee and courteous customer service speaks well for placing a high priority on customer satisfaction.  I am still enthusiastic about theses sandals and can't wait to put many more miles on them.



Respectfully submitted,

-James T.

Reviews > Footwear > Sandals > Bite Xtension 2 > James Triplett > Field Report