First the fixture. I recommend you read the website in the link. These fixtures are better designed. They tolerate having the back box being a little out of level which is a very common issue, won't corrode and come with xenon lamps which are rated for 10,000 hours average instead of the 2000 in the Focus. This will be a big deal when you start having to change lamps. I didn't see anything about low copper aluminum in the focus specs and usually one brags about this. Powder coated regular aluminum won't last. We don't care as much about the face since it can be replaced but the back box must be something that will last forever. FX uses a composite back box and either copper or composite face. They used to have a stainless steel back box and I was worried about the new back box but it seems to be very nicely designed.

For safety, lighting each step is best. The problem with mounting step lights in the risers is that the tread blocks the light from falling on all other steps. So if each is not lighted you get a series of light and dark. In our peripheral vision we can't see the individual steps. If there isn't another source of light nearby we may not be able to clearly make out the edge of the dark step. Lighting the steps from the side can require less fixtures because each light can play out on more of them.

Here is a link that might be useful: FX step lights

Wow--thank you so much. I will definitely look at the FX rather than Focus.

If you don't mind, what would you recommend? I really don't think having a louvered fixture on each step will look good (at least it doesn't as I try to imagine it)--seems like it will draw your eye to it which is not what I'm going for...I can't use that type of fixture on the side as there's nothing to attach it to. I've been trying to avoid what seems to be called 'area' lighting in the Focus catalog (only catalog I have at the moment although I'll be checking out FX). On one side of our stairs is our driveway and the other will be landscaping but relatively flat landscaping and the shortest of these area lights is 12" -- they'll extend up over much of our softscape; again, a look I was hoping to avoid. Is there some alternative I've not thought of? Many thanks.

Have you ever looked at waterproof LED strips? You can attach them on the side of the steps instead of in the middle.

Some models are continuous (light LED Xmas ropes) whereas other are like small clusters that are in 6-8 inch separations. Installation is easy and it takes only a few Watts to make it work.

I install them on wheelchair ramps too.

Many colors, and color changing are available at about 10$/m, thats 3$/ft for our USA friends.