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Teva Steep XCR
Field Report
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.
Date reviewed: July 11, 2005
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 16 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the BSA and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I currently live near Washington D.C. and have made the mid-Atlantic mountains my playground.
In addition to hiking, I am an aspiring ultra runner and very hard on shoes. I run trail and road races from 5k (3.1 miles) to 40 miles (64.5 km) and my shoes are my most important piece of gear. Most of my training takes place in DC and the mountains and trails in the area, but will change to the Northwest Pacific when I move to Seattle this summer.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Teva
Model: Steep XCR
Size Tested: Men's size 9.5 (UK 8.5/EUR 42.5)
Color Tested: Black and Red, also available in Taupe and Yellow
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL:www.teva.com
Listed weight: None listed
Measured weight:
R Shoe: 16 oz (454 g)
L Shoe: 16 oz (454 g)
Total: 32 oz (907 g)
**Disclaimer: the closest my scale will measure is in whole ounces**
MSRP: $110.00 US
Country of Manufacture: China
Product Description:
"The Steep XCR was built for fast paced outdoor activities over mixed terrain, offering the right blend of technology and comfort all in a lightweight package."
For a full description please see my initial report.
Summary:
These shoes have performed well over the past two months. They have exhibited great durability and the Gore-Tex XCR has kept my feet mostly dry. They only thing I am not sold on is fit, and this is in my opinion subjective to the wearer.
Field Test Conditions:
The shoes have been worn almost exclusively over the past two months. I have put in over 95 miles (153 km) on all sorts of terrain: the concrete and asphalt jungle of the metro Washington DC area, the typical forest paths (duff, gravel, roots and mud) of Cedarville State Park, in Southern Maryland, and the rocky trails of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Elevation experienced has been sea level to +3000' (+914 m). They have been worn in all precipitation conditions except for snow. I have worn the shoes in temperatures between 50 F to 90+ F (10 C - 32+ C). In addition to hiking and running in the shoes, I have also worn them while cycling, playing golf, weightlifting and for everyday wear.
Field Test Results:
I am torn with these shoes. They seem to be very well made and quite durable but they still have not developed into the comfortable shoes I hoped they would become.
The shoes have proven to be very durable so far. I have put almost 100 miles (161 km) on them and they are showing very little signs of wear. The "Spider" sole has done a very nice job of fending off the rocks, dirt and gravel that has shredded my other shoes. The Steeps have developed crease lines in the "toe bend" area as all shoes do, but the leather main body of the shoe is holding up fine. The rubber toe guard is still in good condition, it shows some scuffs from were I have kicked a rock or two but that is all. The shoes do a good overall job of protecting my feet when I am out on the rough and rocky trails in the mid-Atlantic mountains. I am especially happy with the way the upper leather sheds mud. I have buried the toe of the shoe in mud and it sheds off like the shoe was a non-stick pan.
Fit... ah where to begin... This is a very subjective issue. The shoes fit ok. I have worn them with various insoles and they just fit ok. They tend to cause small blisters on my toes between my big toe and the number two toe next to it. I have tried different socks, and insoles to no avail. The hot spot/blistering is more apparent on the longer distance hikes/runs. It is because of this blister issue that I have not actually used them for anything other than training runs and hiking/backpacking. A 40 mile (64 km) race is hard enough with having to worry about getting blisters from my shoes. However, I do think wearing the heavier shoes helped my overall endurance when I switched to my lighter shoes for racing.
I cannot tell if the adaptive arch has provided any significant benefit to the shoe. The verdict is still out on that. Additionally, I have had no problems lacing the shoes multiple ways, although the traditional way of tying shoes has worked fine.
The shoes were quite stiff to begin with and took me a good 50 miles (81 km) before I felt like the shoes were actually "broke in." They are still stiff and provide good stability, but definitely more stiff than my other trail shoes.
The Gore-Tex XCR liner has performed as advertised. The liner and integrated tongue keeps out the morning dew and water from puddles and shallow river crossings without any problem. The only time I have had any problems is while wearing them for a conservation project during a steady downpour. After four hours in a steady rain everything I had on was wet, including the shoes and all of the other "waterproof" stuff I was wearing.
The Gore-Tex liner in these shoes is great for making the shoes waterproof, but not for allowing my feet to breathe especially in the hot summer weather here in the Metro Washington DC region. These shoes are definitely hot while wearing them in the summer and required me to change socks midday to keep my feet dry.
I have not noticed any traction issues while running/hiking on various terrain. I have not gotten into any super slick mud, but will see if I can find some over the next testing period. The shoes have provided good traction on dry rocks, dirt and asphalt/concrete.
Improvements:
If TEVA could make the shoe lighter, it would be awesome!
Testing Plan:
I will wear these shoes for most of my ultra marathon training over the next four months as well as day hikes and backpacking trips.
I will examine the shoes for the following characteristics:
Durability:
I am still concerned about durability. Will the "Spider" sole hold up for another 200 miles (322 km)? What about the upper? My shoes normally fail at the toe bend in the upper before the sole goes. How long does the rubber toe guard protect the shoe?
Fit/Feel:
Do the shoes increase in comfort with mileage?
Waterproofness:
Will the Gore-Tex liner continue to hold up over the rest of the test?
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Teva for allowing me to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Teva gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
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