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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Oboz Sawtooth Trail Shoe > Test Report by Michael Pearl
OBOZ SAWTOOTH LOW
INITIAL REPORT - July 20, 2017
TESTER INFORMATION
I have a great appreciation for the outdoors and get out at every opportunity. I am a three-season, learning to be a four-season backpacker and year-round hiker. Currently, my trips are two to three days long as well as an annual week-long trip. I utilize the abundant trail shelters in my locale and pack a backup tarp-tent. I like to cover big distances while still taking in the views. I have lightweight leanings but function and reliability are the priority. I mostly travel woodland mountain terrain but enjoy hiking beautiful trails anywhere. PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Oboz Footwear Year of Manufacture: 2017 Made in Vietnam Manufacturer's Website: obozfootwear.com MSRP: US$110.00 Listed Weight: Mens 9 - 15.6 oz (442 g) Measured Weight: Mens 9 - Left 16 oz (458 g), Right 16 oz (464 g) and 2 lb (907 g) for the pair Sizes Available: 8 through 14, available in regular and wide Size Tested: 9 Regular Colors Available: Umber (brown with green accents) and Pewter (gray with green accents) Color Tested: Pewter Materials: Uppers - Nubuck leather and abrasion-resistant textile, 3D molded heel counter Features: 0 Fit Insole - a combination of low, medium and high density EVA* at key places to provide cushion and support with a moisture wicking top layer. Outsole - built to be versatile, flexible and supportive Midsole - nylon shank for added support between heel and forefoot. Dual density EVA midsole provides supportive balanced cushioning. Molded Heel Counter - helps maintain snug, comfortable heel hold. *EVA (ethylene vinyl accetate) two plastics, ethylene and vinyl joined to make a copolymer and turned into a foam making a light weight, water and corrosion resistant, insulating and shock aborping material. Fit Tip: Length runs true to size. Form hugging heel cup, sculpted mid-foot, and a wider forefoot and toe box. Warranty: Oboz shoes are covered by a limited 1-year warranty against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship. Issues of size, or damage due to normal wear and tear, abuse or accidents are not covered by this warranty. INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
TRYING THEM OUT
Slipping my feet into the Sawtooth shoes I right away feel the cradling of my heel and support in my arch. The toe box is close but still allows plenty of toe wiggle. I pulled the laces tight and tied them up. The shoes are snug without squeezing anywhere. When trying on some shoes my feet seem wide in the forefoot and toe compared to their length and slightly high in the arch. On first wear the Sawtooths accommodate all of this and my feet feel relaxed. SUMMARY
The Oboz Sawtooth shoes are well made and comfortable. They are secure and stable on my feet. My feet feel well supported and cushioned. These shoes are ready to go right out of the box. I look forward to getting out on the trails with the Sawtooth shoes. FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
Four Day Hikes at Balch Hill - Hanover, New Hampshire PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Oboz Sawtooth trail shoes saw 96 miles (154.5 km) of hiking during this period of testing. I hiked my local hill on four occasions with the Sawtooth shoes. They were comfortable and responsive every time. The bulk of the time in the Sawtooths were five consecutive days of backpacking. Here the shoes began to reveal their strengths and weakness.
Day one on the Long Trail was hiking in a misty, wet cloud all day. Everything was wet from a rainstorm the night before. The shoes wetted through after a few hours from wet brush and puddles on the trail. My socks and feet were moist all day. On two rest stops I removed the shoes and my socks to air out. My feet dried and recovered after about 30 minutes. The socks were still damp and shoes were not quite damp but not dry either. However I felt the Sawtooths allowed my feet to breathe and some heat and moisture to escape. So my feet were never terrible uncomfortable and my skin stayed intact. After settling into my tent for the night I removed the insoles from the shoes and set everything up to dry. While the outsides of the shoes were caked in mud the insides were dry by morning. My feet stayed dry the remainder of the trip except for the minor slips while crossing streams. When only a small portion of my sock was wet it would dry out after several hours of hiking. I think the major issue the first day was the near 100% humidity, not much dried that day. The next four days on the trail remained dry, not counting stream crossing and very frequent copious amounts of mud of many varieties and consistencies. Many after hiking in Vermont on the Long and/or Appalachian Trail jokingly refer to the state as "Vermud". But mud was not the only terrain I encountered. There were rocks, roots, dirt, gravel, iron rungs drilled into rock slabs, an aluminum ladder bolted to a 15 or 20 ft (4.5 to 6 m) vertical ledge, wooden bridges and one suspension bridge. The Sawtooth shoes handled all this terrain without pause with two exceptions. On wet wooden boards, usually the ones placed to avoid the deepest and widest of mud pits I would lose traction sometimes. This was almost like sliding on ice, I even twice fell to ground. This only happened when moving fast or not paying close attention to my steps. The other place this occurred was on exposed bare rock slabs or large jumbled piles of rocks. Several times in these areas even when moving with care I would lose traction. This would happen on rough but wet rock and on dry but smooth rock as well. Falling on a wooded board and mud is one thing but a fall on a jumbled pile of rocks or on a steep slab is another. This made me nervous when crossing these areas and slowed me down to be extra cautious. I never injured myself but my confidence was pretty shaken. The fit of the Sawtooths work very well for my feet. Over the five days and 80 miles (129 km) I never had sore feet, hotspots or a blister. The Sawtooths are amazingly comfortable. Each morning I put them on my feet slid in without complaint. My feet never felt hot or sweaty. They provide nice support for all day hiking over rough terrain. Stomping through mud quickly discolored the Sawtooths. Scrambling over blown down trees and rough rocks bumped and rubbed the shoes. The only negative outcome to report would be a minor peeling of the left toe rand. No biggie other then it tends to pick up and carry grass and small twigs.
SUMMARY Overall I am very happy with the Sawtooth trail shoes. The comfort and fit are so good that it's close to perfect. I like the breathability and think it beats being waterproof. I like preventing water from getting in but I much prefer moisture, sweat and heat being able to get out. The episodes of poor traction are dissatisfying but not a deal breaker. My theory, which over the course of five days I had plenty of time to develop plenty of theories, is that the outer sole is harder material to prolong wear. But maybe this comes at the cost of traction lost then if the material was softer and potentially providing more grip. Another hiker I met on the Long Trail was wearing a pair of Sawtooths. He had the same complaint with respect to traction. However he found this improved after about 100 miles (161 km). So I will be rolling the odometer or would it be pedometer on the Sawtooths into that mileage for the next test report. And just in time as the family and I are hiking the steep, wet Falling Waters Trail at the end of the month. LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
I broke the hundred mile mark in the Sawtooths during Long-Term testing. I added just shy of 44 mi (71 km) for a total of 149 mi (240 km) during the test series. I saw perfect fall weather mixed with a winter preview on two and half overnight backpacks and one day of trail maintenance. Fortunately the traction issue experienced in field testing did not reoccur.
SUMMARY
Read more reviews of Oboz gear Read more gear reviews by Michael Pearl Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Oboz Sawtooth Trail Shoe > Test Report by Michael Pearl | ||||||||||||||||||
Two day overnight backpack to Mount Lincoln and Lafayette - Franconia Notch, New Hampshire - 8 mi (13 km) from 1770 to 5260 ft (539 to 1603 m). Temperature 55 to 25 F (13 to -4 C) sunny and clear to cloudy and spitting snow and ice. Pack weight - 20 lb (9 kg).
dozen streams and rivers, one of them twice after I became slightly lost. A few times my feet were wet by the time I reached the other side but never saturated. The trail up and down one of the mountains is a "slide" where soil has been washed away by one or more processes, that's the trail in the photo on the right. The trail here is stacks of boulders, jumbles of rock and loose dirt. It's very steep involving hand over hand climbing up and "crab walking" and scooting on the way down. On the mountain top the trail was mostly bare rock. Once back down I decide to shorten my route by hiking an abandoned trail. I could sight the trail but the treadway was covered by lots of fallen trees, leaf litter and overgrown brush. This was almost like being off trail, a pseudo-bushwhack. The Sawtooths handled all of this without pause. Although I had to pause when I lost the trail and hence crossing a river twice. I was happy once heading in the right direction again. And my feet were quite happy too. I endured only two minor discomforts. The first being no fault of the shoes, twice I had to remove the Obozs to get several pebbles out while on the slides. I was wishing for some lightweight gaiters here. The second was cranky toes when slipping into shoes in the morning. The combination of damp shoes and 40 F (4 C) air made my feet cold during breakfast. But after I got moving all was well again.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in and everywhere I have hiked with the Oboz Sawtooth Low trailshoes. The initial wear-in period of the soles was a mild frustration. This would have been lessened if knowing of the potential ahead of time. Once the soles fully wore-in these shoes rank as some the best hiking footwear I have used. The fit, comfort, breathability and later on traction are top notch. As the temperature dipped to 45 F (7 C) or 50 F (10 C) and wet my feet were a little chilly in the Sawtooths. In conditions above these points the Sawtooths are well suited.