An OOC REVIEW: What’s the deal with Tecnica’s new Hiking shoe?

The last two months, I’ve made a conscious effort to go on more hikes, in different terrain, mostly for the testing of the Tecnica Magma S Mid shoe. I’m lucky enough to have some really varied terrain right outside my door for this kind of thing, so with that said, let’s get into the details.

The Shoe – Tecnica Magma S Mid Shoe, $190 U.S

The Highlights –

There are a lot of things to like in this shoe.

• By description, this is a shoe designed to “hike, run or scramble” – which is valid. I actually struggled to figure out if this was a hiking boot or a running shoe, and in the end I have realized it’s more than capable for both.
• The outsole (the rubbery bottom that prevents you from slipping everywhere) is actually designed after the idea of a mountain bike tire, which I find to be very innovative, especially when it comes to grip. A combination of Vibram Litebase & Megagrip compound rubber allow for max traction, without feeling too stiff or too soft.
• The Gore-Tex liner is a must, for all hiking shoes. Yes, it ups the cost a bit, but it also makes for a breathable and water resistant shoe, so for a nominal price increase, suck it up
• They’re actually surpsingly light (370 grams in a sz 9) – for example, Hoka’s Speedgoat Mid is 751 grams.

The Fit:

Available sizes: Men’s 7-14.5 (Tested 10.5)

• When I was getting these sent out, immediately Maro recommended going about a half size down. This turned out to be an excellent recommendation as these 10.5’s definitely fit more like 11’s.
• The fit, aside from running big, is extremely dialed. I was shocked, actually. They hug your foot nicely, offer great ankle support, and your heel stays locked in… kind of like a ski boot.
• On the ski boot topic, Tecnica’s Custom Adaptive Shape (C.A.S.) can be used to further dial in the fit if necessary, but again, I found these to fit great out of the box, and my usual hot spots were non-starters here.

Fashion // Function –

As some people know, I like style. It’s a very important thing to me, but I’ll never sacrifice function for that reason. Initially, I was worried. From afar, these look techie, even nerdy. But once you put them on, especially with pants, it all changes. You’re now Swaggy P.

• Functionally these are a win, all around. They’re categorized as “fast hiking” shoes, and qualify for that and some.
• I’m always concerned that lightweight shoes are going to crush my knees, especially being 220lbs and not a gentle mover, but I had no more issue here than any other lightweight shoe, even less so. This was the one area I felt like a pair of Speedgoat Mids were far superior, cushion. But then again, that’s their bread and butter.
• All of the features that I mentioned in the intro – fit, rubber, weight, all factor in to a high performance pair of kicks.
• The swag factor; is mid to mid-high. Now, I’m not going to go claiming that these look as good as a pair of Salomon X Palace collab kicks, or Nike ACGs, but they’re functionally hot. I’ve actually just worn these out after a jaunt, and didn’t feel like a complete dork, so to me, that’s a big victory for the folks from the ski boot world.
• Colors are GOOD. Black is clean (kill that orange, I don’t care if it’s on brand), Blue is HOT ( I need a pair), and green is very nice. Big fan of a little variance in traditional Tecnica color-ways.

All in all:

I want more than one pair, and the fit is so good it outshines any of the perceived negatives. Seriously consider these, especially if you want to be a runny-hiker.

Fit: 9  Function: 8.5 Fashion: 5.5

Score: 7.5/10

To Shop — www.OutofCollective.com

For more gear reviews — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1Y1BNWCqV-8rioCq_frIg

Tagged as: Shoes,  hiking,  speedgoar,  tecnica.