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Women's Dunham Cloud Pileus Boots
Initial
Report December 19, 2005
Tester's Information
Name: Liz Neely
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
Email address: liz at armory dot com
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Tester's Background:
I've been day hiking for many years, and started
backpacking in 2005. My hiking and backpacking has been primarily in
the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in forested areas of partial
to full shade, on well
marked trails, with occasional stream crossings. I've been on four
weekend
backpacking trips, all in state and national parks in the San Francisco
Bay area.
I've learned a lot about backpacking from reading books and from the
internet message board, forums.backpacker.com. My pack weight has been
in the 30 to 35 lb (13.6 to 15.9 kg) range, and I expect it to stay in
that range.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Dunham
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com
Materials: Leather, Polyurethane, Rubber
Listed Weight: not listed
Measured Weight (size 10.5 B): 3 lbs 1.5 oz (1.4 kg) for the pair
Available Colors: Brown
MSRP: Unknown
Product Description:
The boots arrived on December 15th, 2005. They were packaged with
crumpled paper in the toe of the boot and a cardboard insert in the
boot opening, and came inside a sturdy shoebox. The laces were also
included, which were already laced on the boots when they arrived. The
bottoms of the
boots are made of a stiff rubber material with deep treads. The front
half
of the boot has an abrasion resistant material extending a
couple inches up from the sole. The upper portion of the boot is made
of a smooth leather on the outside and a padded inside, which is
especially thick from the ankles up. The laces go through seven sets of
metal loops
and hooks going along side the tongue, and five fabric loops going
up the center of the tongue. The tongue is attached in such a way so
there are no gaps between the tongue and the rest of the boot (there is
fabric where the gap would be), so nothing can get into the boot in
that area. The boot is several shades of brown, with just a touch of
purple around the logo and on two of the lace hooks, and has "Dunham
Cloud"
printed in white and purple at the top of the tongue.
These are the features the manufacturer highlights on their website:
- Dryworks® moisture management membrane system provides
waterproof protection and breathable comfort in the wettest conditions
- Graphite Rollbar® is a biomechanical rear foot technology
utilizing a graphite structure to provide significant motion control at
the beginning of the gait cycle
- Dunham’s proprietary Tru-Trak® provides excellent
multi-directional traction and long lasting durability
- Abrasion resistant toe rand and mud guard
- Double-lasted construction supports an internal midsole that
brings the wearer closer to the ground for increased stability Dunham Comfort
- Internal leather lined collar and tongue combine with full grain
leathers with minimal seams to provide superior comfort and a luxurious
fit on the trail
- ABZORB® pods in the heel and forefoot, which provides
superior shock absorption and ideal underfoot cushioning for maximum
multi-mile comfort
- Full-length ABZORB® insert, with a bi-fit lasting board that
is also covered with a full length of ABZORB cushioning for additional
comfort.
- Gusseted, articulated tongue with high density foams that provide
a more contoured fit to the natural shape of the foot, resulting in
superior comfort
- Polyurethane midsole provides durable support and shock absorption
- Pieced leather design protects and respects anatomical shape of
the foot
- Dunham Specific Hiking last provides a precise all day fit
- 360° fit design considers not only length and width but also
volume
- Extended sizes and widths to fit everyone
Initial Impressions:
The boots arrived in good condition, nicely packaged, and appear to be
very
well constructed. This stitching that's visible looks like it uses very
thick heavy duty thread and small stitches, and most of it is double
stitched. So far, the boots are everything I expected and
more. They are very comfortable and fit well, and after wearing them
around the house and town for a few hours, my feet feel great with no
sore spots anywhere. They also have some nice added features, such as a
complete fabric connection all along the tongue, to the boot, leaving
no gaps for debris to sneak into the boots; and having one set of lace
hooks set back further than the others (see the second set of hooks
from the top in the photo), above my ankle, to allow more precise
tightening around the narrow part of my leg.
So far the only concern I have about these boots is that they feel
pretty stiff which makes me wonder if this will cause rubbing or
blisters on a hike. I had them on for a few hours and did not have any
problems, however, I was not on my feet that entire time and I was on
flat easy terrain such as floors and parking lots.
Fit:
I was very concerned about fit since I was unable to try on these boots
before choosing what size to order. Since sizes vary a lot from one
manufacturer to another, and my current shoe sizes, from different
manufacturers, vary from size 9.5 to size 10.5, I was unsure on what
size to order. I carefully measured my foot and ordered a size 10.5
since that's what I measured out to. I am extremely pleased that these
boots are true to size, and the 10.5 fits me perfectly. These boots
also have enough loops and hooks for the laces that I'm able to tighten
them in just the right places. I especially like that the loop just
above my ankle is set back further than the others, allowing me to get
it nice and tight around that narrow part of my leg. These boots have a
lot of extra room in the area above my toes, to the point where I was
worried at first that they were too large. But, all the extra space is
on top of my toes, not at the end of the boot, which I believe in the
long run will prove to add to the comfort by allowing my toes to move
up and down a bit without hitting the top of the boots.
Test Strategy:
I will test these boots primarily hiking and backpacking in the Central
California coastal and inland areas, with elevations ranging from sea
level to around 3500 ft (1067 m) and temperatures ranging from 45 to 65
F (7 to 18 C). The weather conditions will most likely include both
rain and sun. I will also wear these boots after skiing in the sierras,
where they will be exposed to slush, snow, and mud, and I'll wear them
at any other opportunity that arises during the test period to test
their advertised features.
Testing Comfort/Fit:
These boots are advertised as needing little to no break-in. I plan to
test this by wearing them on a long day hike without first breaking
them in, and, after breaking them in, to wear them on a similar long
day hike, and compare how my feet felt after a long day hike with no
break-in, to how my feet felt after a long day hike
after they were broken in.
I also plan to test the comfort and fit of these boots when going down
long steep sections of terrain. One of the problems I have had with
other boots, including my current boots, is that on steep downhill
slopes, my feet slide forward in my boots and cause my longest toe to
get jammed into the front of my boot, causing a lot of
pain and purpling under the toenail. I will be interested to see how
this higher quality boot performs in these conditions.
I will also note any sore spots or blisters I get on my feet after
wearing these boots, as I do not typically get sore spots or blisters
when hiking.
Waterproof:
I will test their waterproof capabilities by wearing them in wet and
rainy conditions and seeing how dry my feet stay. I will also submerge
them completely in a stream and see how they feel walking in them after
being submerged, as well as recording how long they take to dry.
Traction:
One of the problems I have with my current boots is that even though
there is plenty of tread left on them, when trying to go down steep
trails of loose dirt, they have very little grip. I will pay close
attention to how much traction the Pileus boots have on loose dirt on
steep trails.
Durability:
After wearing these many times, I will take a look at how much wear the
tread shows, how scuffed or otherwise marked up the boots are, and
whether any parts of the boots show significant wear that I would
not expect after four months of use.
Thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Dunham for giving me the opportunity
to test these boots.
Read more reviews of Dunham gear
Read more gear reviews by Liz Neely
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