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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Teva Steep XCR > Heather Oakes > Field ReportField Report Teva Steep XCR Trail Runners July 12, 2005 Tester Info:
Name: Heather Oakes Palmer Backpacking Background: I consider myself an intermediate hiker/backpacker having been interested for five years without any long-term trips over three nights. Day hiking and weekend backpacking comprise most of my weekend warrior experience averaging one backpacking trip per month and two day hikes per month averaging between 10-15 miles (16.1- 24.2km) per day. I tend to backpack in warm, humid climates, with a good amount of hiking in the southern Appalachian Mountains and I have rarely hiked in below freezing or snowy conditions yet. I am a lightweight backpacker and buy my gear accordingly. Product Info:
Manufacturer: Teva The Teva Steep XCR is advertised as a lightweight shoe designed for “mixed terrain” use. They also seem to be advertised as trail running or adventure racing shoes. Materials and features include: leather and mesh upper, Gore-Tex ® waterproof lining that is 45% more breathable than normal Gore-Tex ®, a “rubber mudguard at toe”, a molded EVA midsole, an outsole of Spider Rubber ®, and the Adaptive Heel-to-Toe protection. Field Info: These shoes have been tested in an almost complete range of weather from the gentle cold rain of late spring to the wrath-of-an-angry-deity downpours of summer during various day hikes and overnight backpacking trips. Temperatures were anywhere from the 40 F – 70F (4-21C) at night and from 60F – 90+F (16-32 C) during the day. Since most of my hiking was done in the mountains of north Georgia and North Carolina, elevation ranged from 1500- 5000 ft (457-1524 m) and reached up to 93% humidity on one particular mountain hike. Often each mountain had its own separate weather system, with one side of the mountain being cool and dry and the other side rainy and humid. Trail conditions were mostly on maintained national forest trails, with some instances of off-trail wanderings usually looking for water or some plant of interest. The trails were sometimes full of blow-downs after storms and still suffering the effects of last year’s hurricanes in the infrequently maintained areas. Rain-swollen stream crossings, ankle deep mud, gravel forest roads, and big old rocks added to the testing course. Report: See my initial report for a more detailed description. My previous pair of trail running shoes (owner review) were advertised as water-resistant, and I have been on the lookout ever since for shoes that did a better job at keeping my feet dry. I purposefully would splash around in nearly every puddle and stream on the trails to see how well the Tevas held up. In early July, one trail I hiked followed a creek for about 3 miles (4.8 km) and not only did I cross it so many times I lost count, but the heavy rains from the days prior to the hike made the creek overflow onto the trail. If it wasn’t covered in mud, it was covered by the creek. During the backpacking trip in June, it lightly rained off and on for the entire trip after about noon on the first day. While I missed hiking in any torrential downpours, the amount of rain and close encounters with water that I’ve had testing these shoes make me feel confident in saying that they were excellent at keeping my feet dry. Other than the usual damp that occurs from sweat, the only time my feet were wet was when I misjudged the depth of a stream and submerged my shoes over the ankle. Every other trail runner and shoe I’ve ever owned (besides sandals) will not keep my feet completely dry and sweat-free. I live in the south so I expect a certain amount of damp, and I really expected that the Tevas would not be very breathable. These shoes are heavier and have more rubber and Gore-Tex ® on them than any shoe or trail runner I’ve worn, but I discovered that they are incredibly breathable. In my testing, these shoes live up to their advertising; they are water-proof and breathable. Comfort is the most important aspect in testing footwear, but most subjective as it varies from user to user. Before I discuss the comfort with these shoes, let me first preface by stating that I have “princess and the pea” syndrome with shoes. I can always describe some sort of discomfort with shoes, most often a complaint with my arches and I have yet to experience perfectly comfortable shoes. From the first initial fitting, the shoes supported my arches well and had plenty of toe-box room. My narrow heel that normally has the tendency to slip up and down kept its place well on steep ascents and descents alike. On one hike I received a heel blister, but I think it was due to a wardrobe malfunction with my socks and it never happened again. I have hiked with and without my ghetto Dr. Scholl’s footpads and I have never had cause to complain of pain in my arches either using the footpads or not. After walking only short distances I began to feel pressure and rubbing on the tops of both of my feet in the same area, slightly below the top holes. Each time I hiked in the shoes I messed around with adjusting how tight the laces on top were, making sure that the tops of my feet would have more room and would be rubbed less. After each hike the tops of my feet were slightly red and sore from the pressure, but the minor discomfort would ease quickly if the laces were loosened or the shoes removed. After two hikes that were both over 12 miles (19.3 km), the tops of my feet were hurting more than previously described. The reddened area under the top laces was still sore the following day after one of the long hikes, making the next day’s hike painful. Short and long hikes would follow a similar pattern; my feet would swell normally during the course of the hike, I would loosen the laces, then my feet would swell more and I would eventually forget to adjust the laces or I wouldn’t feel the pressure due to the other aches and pains I was feeling in general. On the drive home I’d either loosen the laces or take the shoes off depending on how much my feet hurt. I am still hoping that the shoes will break-in more or I’ll learn the proper combination of adjusting them to reduce the pain. I expect a certain amount of discomfort after hiking up mountains for 8 hours, and each trip out it takes longer for me to feel the pressure so I can only hope that they are slowly breaking in. Since May I have been able to hit the trail for one overnight backpacking trip and about four day hikes, hiking around 80 miles (129 km) total. I’ve taken the Tevas through some fairly overgrown and rocky trails and they seem to be holding up very well. I also need to adjust the laces frequently and they show no signs of fraying. There is no tearing or holes on the tongue or uppers; and the sole, rubber toe guard, and heel area have no damage either. They are certainly heavier than the trail running shoes I’ve used before, the Montrail Hurricane Ridge XCR (owner review) and the Vasque Velocity, but I feel that the added weight from tougher materials contributes to my impressions that these shoes are more durable and will last longer. It could be my inherent grace, dumb luck, or quality footwear that has kept me from eating dirt while testing these shoes. I’ve walked over slippery rocks in creeks, slippery rocks during and after rain, ankle deep mud, mud on a 45 degree angle, and slippery wood and rock ‘bridge-lets’, and these have shoes kept traction easily. One trail in North Carolina was so steep and muddy from the three days and three nights of rain, my husband had to use trees to pull himself up while I kept a safe distance behind while he kept sliding down. I won’t say that I scrambled up that patch of slick mud like a ninja, but I didn’t need to use my hands. Since I was initially suspicious of the traction as the Tevas’ soles don’t have the deep grooves of various other shoes I’ve worn, I am happy to report that I have not taken any embarrassing spills and I am very pleased with the Tevas’ traction. Summary: These shoes would be absolutely perfect for me if I could only make them more comfortable. My heel doesn’t slip, my toes aren’t cramped, and my arches are not sore after I wear them but the pressure and rubbing on the tops of my feet is fairly painful. After the backpacking trip in June, my feet were still red and hurting the day after I had returned home. I am hoping that I will find the right lacing adjustment, or I will break in the shoes more during my final testing period because I am very pleased with them otherwise. They are actually both water-proof and breathable, a combination that makes me so happy during summer in Georgia. I can’t think of a hike I’ve taken since testing these shoes where I didn’t get my shoes wet either from rain, stream crossings, standing water or a combination of all three. These are the most water-proof shoes I’ve ever worn on the trail and they breathe better than the other, lighter shoes I’ve worn. They are very durable so far and seem tougher than most trail runners I’ve tried or looked at. I have no cause to complain about traction yet (they have kept me standing so far), but I’ll be able to better review this aspect of the testing in a later report. In the final phase of my testing I plan to take them in more and more water; as I’m sure it will rain more since its summer in Georgia. I also hope to report further on durability, traction, and comfort. These would be almost perfect shoes if I could just get them to stop hurting the tops of my feet.
Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Teva Steep XCR > Heather Oakes > Field Report | |||