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Teva Steep XCR
Long Term Report - November 13, 2005
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc@hotmail.com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, U.S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 17 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 am a lightweight hiker, and normally carry only what is necessary. I use a hammock in summer, tents the other seasons, and the lightest and easiest to use of the other gear I can afford. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and have been exploring the area and learning new places to backpack and camp.
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 on the hilly soft bark trails of my neighborhood here in Snoqualmie.
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 more information please see my initial report. and my field report.
Summary:
Six months, 400+ miles (644 km) later the shoes are still kicking. They show a lot of wear and the Gore-Tex is wearing out some, but otherwise they are still a dependable, stable shoe.
Long Term Test Conditions:
I have worn these shoes exclusively over the past six months. I have worn them on both coasts of the United States! I have used them while running, hiking, and backpacking on concrete, asphalt, bark trails and normal rocky hiking trails. I have experienced all forms of precipitation including snow. Elevation has ranged from sea level to 4000' (1219 m). I wore these shoes on hikes in Shenandoah National forest and on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia and on the soupy trails of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the central Cascades. Temperatures have ranged from 90+F (32+ C) to 28F (-2 C).
Long Term Test Results:
One of my main concerns was fit and the shoes have gotten significantly more comfortable over the last four months. I think that my foot adapted more to the shoe and the upper finally became pliable and conformed more to my foot.
I was also concerned with the durability of these shoes, as I knew I was going to be putting some serious miles on them. I am happy to say that they have stood up very well. The shoes did develop a small tear in the front part of the toe rand around mile 130 (209 km) and it has kept growing. I would have put something on it to repair them, but in the name of testing I wanted to see if the tear would lead to complete failure. It hasn't but the tear has grown pretty significant.
The tread is also beginning to show some wear. All of the cosmetic markings on the bottom of the tread have been worn off, as well as, some of the lugs have been worn down on the outside half of the shoe. I supinate so the tread on the inside of the shoe looks hardly touched.
There is a noticeable bend across the toe of the shoe, but the leather and cloth upper shows no signs of failure. The rubber toe guard has done a great job of protecting the toe of the shoe and shows no signs of wear.
I did an early October hike up to Myrtle Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It was not raining during my hike up to the lake or my return the following day, but it had been raining previously and the rain had turned the trail into a stream. This trail proved to be too much for the Gore-Tex liner. On the hike out after submerging the entire toe of the shoe repeatedly for 11 miles, I finally felt wet feet. My feet were not soaked, but they were definitely wet. Nothing is perfect!
On an early November trip up to Olallie Lake in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness I encountered a new type of precipitation - SNOW! The Gore-Tex liner did a good job of keeping the moisture out even after hiking and snowshoeing for several hours in the white stuff. One thing to note though is that these shoes do not provide good traction while hiking in snow. The lack of lugs on the shoes caused me to slip and slide while hiking up an incline and down a decline.
One thing I never noticed was the whole "Adaptive Heel" feature. I never felt like it caused my heel to remain in place better than in shoes without the feature.
Improvements:
I have just a couple of improvements for the Steeps. The first would be to lighten the shoe if possible. The second would be to provide a little more aggressive tread pattern on the sole.
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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