What's It For?
The new Storm Chaser eVent Mid is a higher cut version of CÀRN's Storm Chaser with an additional eVent liner to make the upper waterproof. It's intended as tough but light all-round walking boot with additional ankle protection to ward off pesky rock strikes and heel and toe reinforcement for durability and stability. See our initial impressions.
The Techy Bits
CÀRN is a brand new British brand that's just appeared on the market this spring and they've come armed with a whole helicopter gunship's worth of technical features and acronyms. It's pretty clear that the boot has had an awful lot of development and thought, which is what you'd expect from a company with a combined 80 years plus in the footwear industry.
We won't go through everything, but the boot is built on an advanced chassis that's claimed to give an optimum combination of cushioning and stability. A concealed fore-foot mid-sole is claimed to lower the centre of gravity and improve stability. A massive external heel counter holds the heel stable and what CÀRN calls the N1700 Stability Core, reduces torsional flex with the help of a dual layer TEXON board.
The outsole is CÀRN's own unit, dubbed uTRXZ or 'Ultimate Traction' and one really interesting feature is an EVA wedge built into the heel unit and dubbed SDn - Shock Diffusion - which softens initial heel strike.
There's more besides, but the other notable technical feature is an eVent waterproof and breathable lining to ward off ponds, puddles and other wetness. And to help with that, all materials used are water repellent treated.
How They Performed
When we first got our mitts on the Stormchaser Mids we were impressed with their instant, cushioned comfort but unsure how they'd manage on tougher terrain. To find out, we took them for a weekend of lightweight backpacking in the Lakes.
First, they're just as comfy as we remember, but what we did find on the rocky paths of the Lakes, is that while the longitudinal flex is great for comfort, a lack of lateral stiffness in the midfoot means you have to be quite precise with foot placement to avoid instability. Fine if you have neat footwork, but if you're a 'plonk it down regardless' merchant, you can expect the odd tottery moment, particularly with a pack on board.
Grip underfoot was decent on all surfaces and the ride on hard terrain really soft and cushioned, even when we hit the road after two days of solid walking. Where the Storm Chasers really did get outfaced was on an unrelentingly steep scree descent near Pillar. The combination of feet sliding forward, soft uppers and widely-spaced, chunky lower eyelets, ended up with the lace hardware digging painfully into the top of our feet. Quite painful, but also a one-off due to the extreme steepness of the terrain.
The same section also hammered the very soft nubuck uppers with prominent creases appearing at flex points, though to be fair the rubber toe and heel protection seemed to minimise abrasion damage.
What we did find was that the eVent lined uppers were happy to cope with the odd stream crossing, the uppers beaded and dried fast and even in hot conditions, our feet didn't overheat.
Verdict
To be fair we probably took the Storm Chaser's well out of their comfort zone - most users will view them as lower level, general walking boots and in those conditions, the slipper-like comfort and excellent cushioning works fantastically. They will also cope with rougher terrain, but limited torsional rigidity means that you'll need to be precise with your foot placement and accept that you won't be edging on scrambles.
The soft uppers may turn out to be an achilles heel as well, both for the way the lace hardware can press into your foot on really steep ground and in terms of long-term durability, but only time will tell.
Buy if... you want slipper-like comfort, place your feet quite precisely and are prepared to sacrifice a little durability for luxurious underfoot feel.
