If you’ve been reading us for any amount of time, you’ve probably seen posts and features on more casual wear, slippers and just items that aren’t 100% running specific. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it 100 times: We love running. A lot. But even the most dedicated runner is only wearing running shoes for an hour or two a day. The rest of the time, we need something else on our feet.
And running and hiking are pretty complementary activities. I mean, sort of tongue-in-cheek, isn’t ultra running for amateurs basically just hiking? I know it is for me half the time, and I don’t even do ultras.
All jokes aside, plenty of runners spend time on trails at a much more casual pace. Maybe you’re out for a few miles with the family, taking the dog somewhere more interesting than the neighborhood sidewalk, or just heading into the woods without any intention of running the whole thing. Sure, a lot of trail running shoes can handle hiking. But a true hiking shoe is still more or less a staple in the Pacific Northwest.
There’s a running-focused version of the Hurricane Trailsetter, as well as the more traditional hiking-oriented version- the Hurricane Trailsetter Mid GTX. And, perhaps surprisingly, we’re reviewing the latter.
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Looks:
The Hurricane Trailsetter Mid GTX (which I will refer to as the Trailsetter for the remainder of this review – knowing that there are a few versions) comes in a couple of different colorways, with one leaning toward black and the other mixing more tan and green. Both look earthy and appropriate for a hiking shoe without going full REI catalog. The black is the more understated option, while the tan/green version has a little more personality without looking flashy.
Either way, these look like hiking shoes – and I mean that as a compliment.
Construction & Fit
These are a joy to slip on. The Trailsetter has the taller ankle, GORE-TEX waterproofing and a speed-lace system, while the cushioning comes from Teva’s HYPER-COMF platform and traction comes from the Spider Rubber Endure outsole.
The shoe feels solid without feeling overly built, and the speed lacing makes getting a secure fit pretty painless. The added height gives it more of a traditional hiking-shoe feel than the trail runners we normally review, but it doesn’t feel cumbersome.
I’m not the world’s most intentional hiker, so I can’t really tell you how these are going to hold up to 7- to 10-plus-mile hikes over rough terrain. What I can say is that I’ve worn them on plenty of shorter and medium-length outings this fall — think 3 to 6 miles — and I’ve had no issues. They just feel great on the foot.
They do have a relatively formfitting fit, which I actually prefer in a hiking shoe. I’d rather have a shoe that holds my foot securely than one with a bunch of extra room that allows my foot to move around and potentially create rubbing or blisters.
I have a pretty middle-of-the-road foot, although I’d say I skew slightly narrow, and the Trailsetter worked really well for me. I do wonder if someone with a significantly wider foot would feel quite as comfortable.
Specs
- Stack: 37.5mm / 31.5mm
- Drop: 6mm
- Lugs: 4mm
- Weight: 11.56 oz (Men’s 9)
Upper:
The GORE-TEX Invisible Fit liner is nice, particularly for anyone hiking in the Pacific Northwest. I haven’t gone looking for puddles just to prove a point, but the added weather protection is something I appreciate on a hiking shoe. Trails around here don’t exactly wait for the weather to cooperate, and having a waterproof option makes the Trailsetter more useful once fall and winter arrive.
The upper also has a fairly clean, straightforward feel. Nothing about it feels unnecessarily technical or overly complicated, and the speed-lace system makes it easy to get the shoe snugged down.
Midsole:
The HYPER-COMF midsole is a nice fit for the kind of hiking I’m doing. There’s enough cushioning that the shoe doesn’t feel stiff or punishing underfoot, but it doesn’t have that overly soft, squishy sensation you can sometimes get from highly cushioned running shoes.
That’s probably important for me because I’m coming at this from the running-shoe side of things. I like cushioning, but I also want to feel reasonably connected to the ground when I’m walking on uneven terrain. The Trailsetter strikes a pretty comfortable middle ground.
Outsole:
The Spider Rubber Endure outsole uses 4mm lugs and gives the shoe the kind of traction you’d expect from something designed for trails rather than sidewalks. I’ve primarily used these on shorter hikes and mixed trail conditions rather than trying to turn them into a mountain-testing expedition, but traction has never been something I’ve worried about while wearing them.
Overall:
The Teva Hurricane Trailsetter Mid GTX isn’t trying to be a lightweight trail runner. There are plenty of shoes that blur the line between running and hiking, and Teva has a version of the Trailsetter that leans in that direction. The Mid GTX, however, feels like a real hiking shoe. It’s secure, comfortable, weather-ready and has enough cushioning to make a few hours on the trail enjoyable.
I’m a runner who hikes, not a hiker who happens to run. I’m probably not going to take these on a 12-hour alpine adventure, and I’m not going to pretend I have the expertise to tell you how they’ll perform on every kind of terrain imaginable. But for the kind of hiking a lot of runners like myself actually do? A few miles on a weekend, wet trails in the fall, exploring somewhere new, or just getting outside without worrying about pace?
These have been a really good fit.
