Reviewer Information

• Name: Cora Hussey
• Age: 23
• Gender: Female
• Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
• Weight: 150 lbs (70 kg)
• Email address: cahhmc "at" yahoo "dot" com
• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Date: March 14, 2004

Basic Product Information

• Year of Manufacture: 2004
• URL: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com/
• Listed weight: 1 lb 10 oz (0.75 kg)
• Weight as delivered: 1 lb 12 oz (0.8 kg) per boot, with laces
• Size: 9.5 D US Mens (43 EU)

Preliminary Information

• Date of arrival: March 11, 2004
• Contents of package (contents were complete):
  • One pair of Waffle Stomper Paramount Boots laced with red laces
  • One pair of dark brown laces
  • A shipping information sheet
• Condition upon arrival: Excellent
• The boots were easy and intuitive to use out of the box
• The boots were exactly what I expected from the website, although the website had limited information about the features. The information that was present was accurate.

Product Description

+ General:

The Dunham Paramount boots are midweight style leather backpacking boots. They have Vibram soles, metal eyelets, a gusseted tongue and leather tongue cover, and padded mesh lining. There are five feed-through eyelets on either side of each boot, and three hook-around eyelets (the type that one hooks the laces around while lacing up) up each side of the ankle area. At the back of each heel is tough feeling plastic rather than leather. The Vibram out-sole is bonded to a stiff gray rubber mid-sole, and there is an even stiffer red rubber heel counter at the very back of the sole above the gray rubber layer. Here is an image which details the eyelets, the Vibram and gray-red rubber layers, and the plastic insert at the heel (which I have shown the height of in blue):

Perhaps the most interesting part of the Paramounts (other than their Waffle Stomper Vibram soles) is the two-layer design for the tongue gusset. The inner tongue has slightly shorter gussets like most one-piece hiking boots. In addition to this tongue, there is also an outer layer of thicker leather which wraps over the inner tongue and its gussets. This outer tongue attaches on the inside (medial) edge of the boot, and works like a flap to sit under the laces and over the tongue. Here is a picture looking down into the boot. It is the right boot, and it shows the gussets of the inner tongue and the flap of the outer tongue on the left side where my hand is. You can also see the outer flap sticking out in the side view picture above.

+ Fit and Dimensions:

Dunham claims that the boot sizing is "true to fit". I do not exactly know what this means, but I normally wear a 9.5 US Mens size comfortably, and the Paramounts are indeed comfortable. They are a bit looser than I normally wear my boots, but not enough to want a smaller size. Also, the width is perfect, and the toe box is roomier than I expected. The ankle height is 5 in (12 cm) from the inside insole. The top two thirds of the ankle cuff is well padded, and the padding becomes stiffer and thinner toward the heel. This provides a nice cup for my heel to rest in.

+ Details and Other Notes:

The provided insoles are only simple foam. One thing that I very much liked is that the laces are long enough to tie my most common three knots in them: the standard bow, the twice around bow, and the double-knot bow. Regardless of actually what these knots are, I find that although most laces have me fiddling with much less length than I would like, these laces are more than adequate. The lace material is also very knottable and stretchy.

Field Testing Plan

Trip Details:

My testing of the Paramount Boots will occur over about six backpacking and day trips from spring snow to early summer. The locations will probably include the Sierras of California, although locations change as my trip leading schedule changes. Weather will likely include wind, rain, snow, and temperatures ranging from 80 F (27 C) to below freezing. Elevations will range between sea level and 11,000 ft (3,000 m), and the trips will be mostly in mountainous terrain.

Test Plan Details:

I plan to test the following aspects of the Paramount Boots:

• Support
  • Support covers stickiness of the sole, stability of the ankle, and overall protection from trail-bashing. Does the leather both resist unnatural torque (for ankle support) and yet break in to allow an easy stride? How much can I trust these boots to take good care of my ankles with heavy loads? To take care of the rest of me on slick or wet surfaces? How effective is the lug pattern, and over what conditions? Finally, can I do more abusive types of recreation, such as scree climbing, rocky river crossings, and other such foot-bashing pursuits with these boots on and feel my feet are protected?
• Comfort
  • For my feet, comfort is extremely important. Testing comfort will include logging miles over varying terrain with different loads, sock configurations, and weather. I wish to know whether the Paramounts lace up easily, stay snug enough to not flop around, and yet remain loose enough to prevent hot spots and continue to be comfortable in camp after a long day. Do they flex easily? Does the tongue gusset pinch or bind, or does tightening up the ankle cause loss of comfort elsewhere? Does the inner lining disperse heat? Wetness? Do the boots keep my feet warm, within reason?
• Weather Resistance
  • I usually encounter a variety of weather conditions on my adventures, and so I wish to see whether they leak, soak up, or freeze. A good boot, for me, deals with weather both internally and externally in a reasonable amount of time and tends to stay in a dry, pliable, and durable state.
• Durability
  • In addition to how well the Paramounts stand up to the paths of my adventurous spirit, I wish to test more standard items. Does the waterproofing wear off? Does the padding pack down, or the inner lining wear through easily? Are the laces durable, and do the metal outset eyelets not crunch in? How fast does the rubber on the sole wear away? I will also observe any needed maintenance and care over the test period.

Initial Tests and Personal Observations

Naturally, the first thing I did once I opened the box was to put the boots on. The two-tongue design was a surprise, but no harder to put on and lace up than any other boot I've used. I enjoyed playing with the long laces for a while. Tightening the laces up worked like any other stiff leather boot I've had: although the eyelets across the instep were curved at the edges, the friction of the laces on the leather prevented the one-pull tightening. Thus, I carefully tightened them across the instep, hooked the laces around the top three eyelets, and tied the Paramounts up for stomping around the apartment.

After a bit of playing, I then tried a few different configurations. One thing that seems to be a disadvantage to the long laces is that if I only hook them through one or two of the hook-around eyelets at the top, the loops of the bow at the top drag below the bottom of the sole. I almost always lace up my boots using all the eyelets, however, so I do not expect this to be a problem.

The last thing that I want to comment on is the stiffness of the sole, which surprised me. I enjoy stiff and solid-feeling soles, and these Waffle Stompers definitely fit the bill. Right now, with no breaking in, the soles are too stiff to bend with my hands alone. I can bend them across the toe while walking, but that is about it. Time will tell how they break in and feel after some use. But all in all, these boots are much stiffer and more solid than I expected from looking at the website, and that certainly makes me excited to get out to hike in them!

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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Dunham Waffle Stomper Paramount Boots > Cora Hussey > Initial Report