Test Reports
Test Cycopac 1 | Test Cycopac 2 | Test Cycopac 3 | Test Cycopac 4 | Test Sandals |Product Tested: Source Vagabond "River Crosser" Womens Sandals
Dept. 3 Field Test F5501
Date: February 21, 2002
Product Tested: Source Vagabond Sandal River Crosser
Description: orange/black, 39, womens
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RATINGS: (1=poor through 10=excellent)
Category 1 Initial Impression = 9
Comments: The speed and ease of getting the sandal on my foot was the very first thing I noticed, as I have a very high arch.
Category 2 Fit/Sizing = 9
Comments: The river crosser gave my wide foot plenty of room and was very easy to clear rocks or coral from the space between my foot and the foot bed. I used these shoes in the Virgin Islands where the wave action was intense and little pieces of coral would wedge under my foot while I was lifting the kayak out of the water onto the beaches.
Category 3 Comfort, Support, Stability = 9
Comments: These shoes felt very light on my feet and were extremely stable in rough water and felt comfortable in the boat
Category 4 Odor Retention = 7
Comments: I never took these sandals off for 5 days, except at night, and never noticed an odor. They stayed salt water every day with no fresh water washing. When I returned to the hotel I did wash them in the shower with a bar of soap, a habit I started when wearing Teva Alps Pros for a full month in the summer.
Category 5 Traction = 7
Comments: The land in the Virgin Islands is comprised of volcanic rock and all rocks in the water had plant growth all over them but the shoes gave me good traction and the strap held very well.
Category 6 Materials and Construction = 8
Comments: The straps dried very fast, and were not chaffing to my skin
Category 7 Overall Performance = 9
Comments: So comfortable !! I own both Chacos and Teva Alps Pros, and these River Crossers are the most comfortable as the arch is in between the high Chaco arch and the low Teva Alps Pro. The quick dry strap was outstanding in comparision to Teva fabric straps.
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Question 1 Comparing
The Rivercrosser felt so much better at the end of the day. The strap was fully dry, my arch felt good, fully supported. When I wear Chacos, my arch feels supported, but pushed upward to the point of my toes spreading outward. I do have 4 pairs of Teva Alp Pros that I have preferred for my water sports activities, but always thought the arch was too low, but the straps held well until you got into mud and then the shoe pulled off. The river crosser did not pull off, nor did the strap break.
Question 2 Location
I attend the Canoe Redevous in Houston, Texas, where it rained all three days. We have gumbo soil, which is heavy with clay and is notorious for tearing your shoes off your feet. The River Crosser held well and gave good traction. I also took these shoes to a 5 day island to island kayaking trip in the Virgin Islands. They were so comfortable I even wore them in town later in the week. They look great with shorts! Each island had some hiking on volcanic rock, heavy coral beaches and lots of sitting in water in the kayak! I will take this shoe over the Tevas and the Chacos. The soles held up very well, as opposed to the Teva sole, which separates on the underneath side and has to be reglued. I've never had trouble with the Chaco,except for the strap length, which I found to be too short for the high arch, wide foot. Chaco added a longer strap for me and that solved one of the problems.
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OPTIONAL COMMENTS: Sorry I missed the deadline,but I wanted to test these on my trip to the Virgin Islands and put them to the test.
