Backpacking Background:

Along with my two sons – ages eleven and thirteen, I am very active with our local Boy Scout troop.  I’ve been involved with Scouting as an adult for the past ten years.  Besides being the Committee Chairman, I’m also the High Adventure Leader.  As such, one of my responsibilities is to teach the young people about the "Great Outdoors".  I especially love to teach them about hiking, backpacking and canoeing.

Field Information:

The weather around here has been typical for late winter/early spring.  Daily temperatures for the field tests have ranged between 10 - 80 F (-12 - 27 C).  A couple of late season storms at the onset of the test series insured continued testing in winter conditions locally.  We are now in early spring conditions, which spells high creeks, wet trails and plenty of rain.  Winter conditions prevailed in the Adirondacks, and we found warm, sunny weather in South Carolina.

Test Results:

I found the Paramount Waffle Stompers fit very nicely right out of the box, although rather stiff.  There was a slight break in period, but nothing like what I'm used to with a new pair of leather boots.  I've worn them with synthetic hiking socks and ragg wool socks, both with and without liner socks.  I've always found the boots comfortable, but I did experience some leg fatigue when new.  With break in, this fatigue dissipated.  I am happy to report not a single blister!

These boots are made of full grain leather and treated to be waterproof.  Usually, this means that breathability is a non-issue, since it doesn't exist.  But, I've found that the Paramount Waffle Stompers do seem to offer some sense of breathability.  I really believe this comes from the absorbing qualities of the materials used to line the inner portion of the boot.  But, whatever it is, it seems to work to some degree.  This was a pleasant surprise!  Don't get me wrong, they're not like running shoes with mesh uppers, but they are very comfortable for a leather boot.  Plus, they don't stink!  So far, I haven't driven away any tent mates.

Part of my testing included testing of the Waffle Stompers using snowshoes and overboots.  I was fortunate to be able to test the Waffle Stompers quite a bit in snowy conditions at the onset of the test series.  I tested the boots with a pair of Crescent Moon Gold Series 10 Backcountry snowshoes.  I found the Paramount Waffle Stompers lent themselves perfectly to snowshoeing.  They fit very easily into the bindings, the TPU heel counter protected the boots exactly where the rear binding strap attached to the boots, and the boots where beefy enough not to disfigure when the bindings were tightened.  There were no comfort issues encountered in any of the snowshoe outings.  I also was able to test the boots in conjunction with a pair of NEOS overboots.  The Paramount Waffle Stompers fit right into the NEOS overshoes.  There were absolutely no problems encountered using these two products together.

Typically, I tear up footwear where I hike.  The trails are littered with rocks and boulders.  I prefer a boot with a shank.  It protects the bottoms of my feet and allows me to scramble over the boulder fields much easier.  So far, the shank in each of the Waffle Stompers has done an exceptional job.  It seems to be stiff enough to offer the necessary protection, yet flexible enough that it doesn't feel like I'm wearing heavy duty, mountaineering boots.  The lightweight materials used in construction (polyurethane midsole, tapered nylon insole board) have held up very well to some pretty aggressive trails.

The unique tread pattern on the Paramount Waffle Stompers is what gives the boot its name.  I have found the tread pattern quite effective overall.  The sole is soft enough to allow pretty nice traction over most surfaces including rock, especially shale.  The tread pattern allows for plenty of contact.  It's decent in wet conditions; although prone to some slipping, especially crossing algae covered creeks.   To a limited degree, it's effective in snow and mud.  Speaking from experience, I can say that if you're not paying attention, you can slip and slide down a hill on your butt, right into a creek!   The tread pattern sheds residual earthen materials (i.e. mud, snow, slush) quite well and does not become compacted.  The boots have proven to be quite waterproof.  It's been an extremely wet spring thus far.  I've worn them through downpours, snow, slush and raging creeks and haven't had a single leak.  I've torn up the toes on both boots somewhat, and was concerned that they would allow water penetration, but that hasn't been the case.  The gusseted tongue has proved to be quite effective.  The only time any moisture penetrated the boots was early in the testing.  Conditions were warming up, but there was still snow cover on the ground.  I ended up doing quite a bit of post holing without any sort of gaiters, wearing only the boots.  Some moisture worked its way down from the top of the boot around my leg.  I was impressed with how quickly the thick padding around the "neck" of the boot dried.  Even wet, I didn't find it uncomfortable to wear. 

In my Initial Report, I expressed some concern regarding the small toe guard offering inadequate protection to the toe of the boot.  That has proven to be true.  The toes on both boots are scratched up, much more than any other part of the boot.  Fortunately, none of the scratches so far are very deep and there are no signs of the waterproofing being compromised.

 I really like these boots.  I've been wearing boots all of my hiking life.  So far, I'm very pleased with the Dunham Paramount Waffle Stompers.  I was really impressed with the fit and comfort out of the box, and that has only become better with time.  They are a well-made, nice looking boot in my opinion.

Thanks again to Dunham and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test this fine product.

Tim