User Review: Timberland Cadion Waterproof Mid

Timberland Cadion Waterproof Mid
Above: The current Cadion Waterproof Mid, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed September 25, 2007 by Scott Etienne

Rating:
Use: Rough trail w/ heavy pack (35 lbs)
Break-in Period: Two, 10-mile day-hikes, and 50-miles of backpacking.
Weight: Under a lb each
Price Paid: $140

I own a pair of Men's Cadion Mid Dark Grey w/ Gore-Tex XCR® Membrane, and have used them for a couple of backpack trips. I have been backpacking for over 15 years, and have logged over a two thousand miles. I have owned three other pairs of backpacking boots.

I think these Timberland boots are good, but could be better. I have taken a couple of weekend trips, and logged almost 50 miles on them. What I have found is after hiking on a irregular trail, with lots of rocks and roots, my feet start to give out. The problem is with shooting pain between the balls of my feet and in the arch. I can feel the soles flex too much when backpacking rough-trail, especially when stepping on softball-sized rocks. My feeling is that these boots do not have adequate sole-stiffness, nor adequate arch and metatarsal support.

I am going to shop for some new insoles, but think that, due to the sole-stiffness issue, the insole upgrade will provide only a partial-solution.

I also have a problem with the top-cuff not adapting to my bony-ankles, causing me pain when laced all the way up. This wasn't noticeable till after I have been backpacking rough trail for at least six or seven miles. I have worked around this issue by re-lacing to relieve pressure at the top, but at the price of support. The problem is the boot-cuff puts too much pressure on the outside ankle-bone that comes up from the outside of my foot. I did not notice any of these issues when I tried the boots on in the store--although I walked around the store for an hour before buying them.

These issues aside, I like the lightness of these boots and think this boot-design shows a lot of promise. I can't speak to the waterproofing of these boots yet, as it didn't rain on either trip this year, although my feet were wet from sweat at the end of a hot day.

I lead multi-day trips for a local group of Sierra Club, and feel that the Cadions are good backpacking boots. If they had better support, they would be much better.