The shoes are predominantly gray, with black toe and heel pieces and a black stripe and with a few pieces of orange trim.  They look pretty good, I think.  They’re not too gaudy for my middle-aged tastes.  The orange isn’t too much.

The uppers and the tongue are mesh construction.  The heel area is reinforced with solid material.  There is a hard plastic short shank in the instep area of the shoe.

The soles are made of Frixion, a black rubber material (see the website for more details).  There are two deep grooves in the tread pattern running across the width of the shoes.  These grooves are just behind the toe and right at the ball of the foot.  There is what appears to be a short piece of cord at the depth of each groove.

The shoes have conventional laces and are tied in the old fashioned way.  The laces pass through six pairs of fabric loops before reaching a pair of eyelets at the ankle.  There are no catches, latches, or hooks.

The website is full of technical language on materials and construction.  As an aside, I found an alternate website, www.lasportiva.com (the translated Italian version, I think), showing a listed weight of 630 g (22 oz).  

The attached hangtag is in English and is a warrantee/product registration card. 

Field Test Report:

I am very pleased with these shoes.  I began walking up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) per day immediately upon receipt and have not had a single problem with them.  They are light, they ventilate well, they dry well, and they have very good traction.

I have not worn any other footwear (except ski boots) since receiving these shoes.  I have worn them for over 14 hours at a time, and have not had any excessive foot odor or diseases. 

Most of my use has been on dirt trail and dirt road.  I have worn them everyday for light construction and remodeling work.  I have worn them in temperatures below 0 F (-18 C) on long walks in fresh snow and on glare ice.  I have worn them on high alpine winter snowfields (up to 13,250 ft/4040 m), wind-packed and crusty.  I have hiked up to 20 miles (32 kilometers) per day.  I usually use lightweight wool (SmartWool or equal) socks.  In very cold conditions, I’ve used breathable laminated socks (SealSkins) with a thin liner.  I’ve not yet experienced cold feet in these shoes, though I have not had them out in wet and freezing conditions.

They are just a little narrow for my feet.  This has not been much of a problem, even on a 20-mile (32-kilometer) hike.  I have not experienced any foot pain on long ascents, descents, or on long road walks.

There is some wear on the soles of the shoes.  I have logged over 200 miles (320 kilometers) of travel in these shoes.  In my experience, shoes of this type have an average trail life of about 500 miles (800 kilometers).  These shoes may not last that long, based on the tread wear I’m seeing.  I hope to exceed 400 miles (640 kilometers) by the end of the test period, and will be able to report more on this wear.

There is no visible wear on the uppers.  I recently wore them on a snow hike, and they came out of the snow looking clean and nearly new. 

There is no apparent deterioration of the midsoles or any other non-visible features. 

I have not slipped at all in normal trail conditions while wearing these shoes.  I’ve been on plenty of steep, loose terrain and dirt roads.  I am very pleased with traction on steep, dry, clean sandstone.  Ice has been slippery, but that’s expected.  I’ve been able to climb wind-packed snowfields nearly as well as a partner with heavy mountaineering boots.  I did notice less traction on the descent of the same snowfields, though.  I have not used any auxiliary traction devices with these shoes.

I have worn these shoes mainly in relatively clean conditions.  I have not hiked in desert or heavy brush and thorns.  I cannot yet report on how these shoes keep out thorns and other debris.

One minor point I’ve noticed is that the sole material will leave scuff marks on most flooring material, including carpeting, when I’m kneeling while working.  The scuff marks are easily removed.  It’s a minor annoyance.

Pluses are: a) the shoes are very light, b) they’re well ventilated and quick drying, and c) the price seems competitive. 

Minuses are: a) they feel a little narrow, b) the tread wear may be slightly excessive, and c) the sole material leaves scuff marks on floors when kneeling.

Ongoing Testing Strategy:

I hope to essentially wear out the tread on these shoes in the remaining test period.  It looks like I’m roughly half way there after over 200 miles (320 kilometers).

I hope to get out on a desert trip near the end of the test period to evaluate performance in a sharp and thorny place.

I will evaluate the midsole at the end of the test period.  I will try to find a new pair of these shoes at a local retailer at the end of the test period to compare with the tested shoes.  New shoes always feel so cushy and the change is so gradual, it’s hard to detect.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to test these shoes.