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TEVA
DALEA MID EVENT HIKING SHOE
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 52
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 170 lb (77 kg)
E-mail
address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western West Virginia, U.S.A.
Backpacking Background:
I enjoy a variety of outdoor activities, including backpacking,
day-hiking, car camping, and canoeing. Most of my excursions
are confined to weekends, although I try to fit in at least one
longer backpacking trip each year, and have started section
hiking the Appalachian Trail (AT), accruing a little over 300 mi
(483 km) so far. My style varies with the activity, but since
becoming a lightweight backpacker, I've noticed I tend to pack
somewhat minimally even on trips where I have more space.
Still, I don't like to sacrifice warmth, comfort, or safety.
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Initial Report - October 7, 2009
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Product Information:
Manufacturer: Teva
Year of manufacture: 2009
Model: Dalea Mid eVent
Uppers: Nubuck and suede leather
Color: Major Brown
Size: US Women's 9
Advertised
Weight: none indicated
Measured Weight: 904 g (1 lb 15.9 oz) per pair
MSRP: $140 US
Website: www.teva.com
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Product
Description:
 The
Dalea Mid eVent is a light weight mid-height hiking shoe constructed
with suede uppers, which are reinforced with nubuck leather for
stabilization in key areas such as the ankle, heel, arch area, lower
sides, and the top of the tongue. The shoes have a Scotchguard
treatment on the exterior and an eVent lining to provide
waterproofing. The Major Brown color I received is a pleasant,
medium brown with light green accents on the laces, heel tug strap,
heel support area, and inside of the sole. The shoes have a
uniquely patterned Vibram sole with somewhat shallow lugs.
The shoes have a rubbery rand in the toe area. An extension of
the Vibram material that runs from the arch upward toward the heel
area. A brown patterned insert is set into the extension,
providing a fashionable look. The lugged Vibram sole also extends
partway up the heel in the back. They have a generously sized
suede tongue that extends slightly above the top of the shoe in the
front, and which is gored with a stretchy fabric at the sides to help
keep it in place. The shoe dips lower in the rear, especially in
the Achilles tendon area, which should serve to prevent rubbing in that
area.
The rounded laces are brown with small green specks. The laces
are held by a webbing loop at the bottom of the tongue, and pass
through two sets of metal lace keepers before passing through another
pair of webbing loops at the center section of the tongue. They
then pass through three more sets of metal lace keepers. The lace
keepers are similar to metal hooks in other shoes I have worn, except
they form an entire circle that the lace passes through, instead of
having an open hook. This should serve to help keep the laces
from slipping off when passing through brushy areas, which is a problem
I have had with hook style lace systems in the past.
The shoes are lined in the collar area and upper tongue with a soft
brown fabric with a waffle weave. The lower portion of the shoe
is lined with a cream colored silky fabric with the eVent name and
logo,
as well as the slogan 'let the sweat out'. The brown colored
insoles are removable, and have a foam bottom and fabric top, with the
Teva name and logo. A sizing label printed onto the tongue of
each shoe gives USA, UK, EU, and Japan sizing, and indicates the shoes
are made in China.
 Preliminary
Impressions:
I typically wear low hiking shoes, but with the wet and slushy fall and
winter season approaching, the Teva Dalea Mid eVent shoes seem like
they may offer a little more protection for adverse weather conditions,
and I am looking forward to trying them out. The preliminary fit
out of the box seems pretty good. The Achilles tendon dip makes
it easy to flex my foot back and forth without rubbing uncomfortably in
the rear, and the collar is well padded and hits just above my ankle
bones, so even when I flex my foot sideways, no hard edges cut into my
ankles or legs. The sizing seems pretty true in length. The
heel cup fits comfortably and does not seem to slip. The forefoot
(in the area corresponding to the ball of my foot) is a little tighter
than many of my other hiking shoes, but not uncomfortably so. The
toe box also seems slightly smaller than some of my other shoes, but
again, not uncomfortably so during preliminary use around the house.
The tongue is soft and feels comfortable. The laces are just long
enough to tie, without excessive length that can drag on the ground or
get caught in sticks or brambles along the trail. The sole is
relatively stiff, and provides a lot of support, but flexes well enough
in the forefoot for agility. Materials and workmanship all appear
to be of good quality.
The only concern I have at this point is that lugs appear a little
shallow, so I wonder how good traction will be on sloppy trails or
slick rock.
Summary:
The Teva Dalea Mid eVent shoes appear to be well made and well designed
shoes that also happen to be comfortable. I also consider them
fashionable, and love the mostly neutral color. The small
splashes of brighter color serve as a cheerful accent without being too
gaudy, at least in my opinion. So far, this seems to be a winning
combination, and I look forward to seeing if performance lives up to
promise.
 Things I
like:
Soft and comfortable, yet supportive
eVent liner should make the shoes breathable while providing
waterproofing
Nice neutral colors with fashionable, not gaudy, accents
Things of concern:
Forefoot and toe box seem slightly tighter than I am used to
Lugs appear a little shallow
More to come:
This concludes my Initial Report. Please check back in mid
December for field testing results.
Thanks to Teva and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity
to
test the Dalea Mid eVent hiking shoes.
Read more reviews of Teva gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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