Hiking - Page 73 of 82 - We Are Explorers

Lisa took the new Teva Arrowood 2 Mid Waterproof boot for a test run across 3 of South-East Queensland’s mountains. From slippery dirt trails to rocky outcrops, here’s how they performed. When most people think of hiking boots, I’m sure they picture them as bulky, unsexy parts of an outdoor adventure kit that are purely functional. But then comes along the Teva Arrowood 2 Mid Waterproof boot. Teva promotes their Arrowood 2 Mid Waterproof boot as an adventure-seeking shoe offering both style and comfort --- and it’s true. When I first pulled these shoes out of their box, I’ll be honest that I was impressed at how good they looked --- and how light they felt. They certainly aren’t your normal hiking boot. To see if this boot could stand up to my fervent adventuring style, they went on not one, but three hikes across the Scenic Rim region, tackling a variety of terrains ranging from rock scrambles, ridiculously steep ascents with only tree roots and vines to help with the climb, and bush-bashing. Comfort & Fit When I first got these boots, I wore them around the house to check that they were the right size. They were extremely comfortable and after 15 minutes of wearing them I actually forgot I had them on. They are that comfortable and lightweight that you’ll feel like you’re not wearing hiking boots. Each shoe weighs in at about 278g – I still can’t believe they can make a hiking boot this light. When I resumed wearing my usual hiking boots for a hike they actually felt heavy compared to the Arrowood boot. The Arrowood boot also boasts a PU (polyurethane) sock liner and Float-Lite™ midsole that provides cushioning in the shoe --- adding to its comfort and lightness. From the first wear, these shoes were comfortable, and I never even got a hint of a blister. Even after an all-day hike lasting more than 7 hours, they were still comfortable. The Teva Arrowood 2 boot is best suited for a narrow foot and was a perfect fit for me in terms of width. Traction, Stability & Toughness The Teva Arrowood has a thick rubber outsole with multi-directional tread that proved to provide great traction on most surfaces you find in Australia’s great outdoors. The boots hold up very well to dry, rocky terrain but I did find they lost a bit of traction on wet rocks. Coming down steep, slippery, dry, gravelly and dirt slopes on 3 hikes, I was surprised how well the boots performed. I started to slip a few times but the boots gripped in seconds and saved me from sliding further. These Tevas offer excellent ankle support and no matter how much my foot rolled on the trails and I tripped on vines, they strapped me in and kept everything stable. These are not your normal heavy-duty boot however and after taking them on trails involving rock scrambles and bush bashing, the shoes had a few scuffs on the toe and showed some slight wear on the sides of the soles. Back on a positive note though, they are very easy to clean. Despite being covered in a layer of dirt turning the tan shoe to brown after each hike, they did clean up very easily. Waterproofing The Teva Arrowood Mid are made using a waterproof leather, which not only keeps the water out but adds to the stylishness of the boot. In addition, Teva has added a waterproof membrane as a further seal to keep water out. While I only took these boots for a brief spin in watery conditions, owing to the current drought drying up many creeks, they fared well and proved incredibly waterproof --- water just splashes off them. There didn’t seem to be any weakness in the seams meaning your feet stayed dry. The Results The Teva Arrowood Mid is an excellent choice of boot for most terrains you tackle in the Australian outdoors and would be perfect for your every-weekend hiker as long as the terrain isn’t too rough. The boots are incredibly lightweight, comfortable and offer very good traction. No matter what terrain I threw at them, they stuck firmly to the trail and the multi-directional tread saved me from eating dirt dozens of times. And they look good too! You could wear these easily with a pair of jeans and people would not realise you were wearing hiking boots. I got so many compliments about how nice these hiking boots look --- and questions on Instagram on what brand of shoe I was wearing in my photos. However, they are not heavy duty and are less suited for tackling terrain with lots of rock scrambling or bush bashing that will impact the toe area. On formed trails I think they will last a long time. I’m looking forward to taking the Arrowoods on more on-track adventures in the mountains over the coming months. Lisa was provided with the Teva Arrowood 2 boots for review purposes and got to keep them afterwards. The views are entirely her own. So, are the Teva Arrowoods a shoe-in? Scarpa Kailash Trek GTX // Gear Review Keen Targhee EXP // Gear Review How Does Kathmandu’s High-End Gear Really Hold Up? 10 Hiking Lessons Learnt On The Green Gully Track