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Long Term Report:
Dunham Waffle Stomper
Terrastryder-Low
Date: September 14, 2005
Tester
Information:
Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in
(1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77
kg)
Shoe Size: U.S. Women's 9B
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Last
year I finally acted on a long time
interest in backpacking, starting out slowly by day hiking, researching
backpacking products and
techniques, purchasing gear, and doing a few
overnight trips, including one solo. This year I’ve turned into a
“weekend
warrior”, taking a number of short trips, and hoping to take a longer
trip this
fall. I hike and backpack mainly in the
hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system.
For a
two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg), and I’m
striving to
lighten that a bit. |
Product
Information
-
Manufacturer: Dunham
Year of manufacture:
2005
Model Number:
WOW613TN
Delivered weight: 1
lb. 14 oz. (0.85 kg) for the pair
Size: U.S. Women’s
9B (UK 7, EUR 40.5)
Measurements: 11.5” long x 4.25” wide (29.2 cm x
10.8 cm)
per shoe
Color: Tan/Sky Blue
Manufacturer Website: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com/
MSRP: $110 U.S.
Advertised
Features:
Dryworks®
waterproof/breathable membrane
Vibram®
Supertrek® rubber
compound outsole with Waffle Stomper lug
Dual
TPU plates at front and rear, between midsole and outsole
AbZorb® cushioning in heel
and forefoot
Non-stretch
stability wings
Compression
molded EVA midsole
Gusseted
tongue
Armor-tech
mesh panels
SL-1
Sport last for an athletic fit
360° fit design available
in extended sizes and widths
Sizing/Pricing: The manufacturer
website lists the U.S. women’s sizes available, which range from 6-13
in length and 2A, B, & D in width. Half sizes
are available through size 10.5, and each length is available in all
three widths. The sizing seems to run true, as the
9B I normally wear fits me perfectly.
Physical description: The Waffle Stomper Terrastryder Lows have an upper
primarily composed of tan mesh panels with a texture similar to
coarsely woven canvas and tan and blue nubuck leather trim. “Non-stretch stability wings” composed of
leather, mesh, and a plastic-like material at the forefoot and heel
areas add support to the uppers. The lacing system is a combination of
ribbon-like fabric loops and metal hooks, with oval shaped tan fabric
laces. The
tongue is gusseted.
The toe area has an overlay of a black rubber like material and
a rubber rand. A lightweight pull loop is
located at the
heel. The interior of the uppers is a light
gray mesh
material. The removable insole is shaped with a defined heel cup, arch, and an area
for the ball of the foot.
The upper section of
the soles are composed of EVA and AbZorb®,
over thin plastic-like material. The bottom of
the sole
is black Vibram® . The sole is fairly stiff, with
shaped rubber cleats of various sizes. For a more detailed
physical description, please see my Initial
Report.
Field
Use -
Conditions:
Over the test period I've worn the Waffle Stompers in a variety of
weather, including bright sunny days,
light to moderate rain, and light snow. Temperatures have ranged
from the low
30 F range to slightly over 90 F (-1 to 32 C). I have worn the
shoes on a variety of surfaces, including dirt, mud, loose gravel,
small and large rocks, grass, small stream crossings, blacktop,
concrete, and treadmills. Elevations have varied from
approximately 550 to 4000 ft (170 to 1200 m), with terrain varying from
nearly level to very steep. Pack weight has varied from a small
day pack of about 7 lb (3 kg) to 32 lb (15 kg) for a weekend
backpacking trip. I have also used the Dunham Waffle Stomper
Terrastryder Lows with my grandson in his child carrier, at a
weight of about 35 pounds (18 kg).
Warranty information:
Shortly after my field
report, I made the decision to contact Dunham concerning the fact
that the Terrastryders were leaking in the toe area, since I felt the
typical purchaser would do so. I did not identify myself as a
tester, in order to report how responsive customer service would be for
an average customer. I am happy to report the call was handled
professionally and courteously. The customer service
representative listened to my problem, and said he would send me a
return authorization form, since it sounded like there might be a
manufacturing defect in the shoes. The form arrived a few days
later, and a few days after that, I packaged the shoes up and shipped
them to Dunham for analysis. Within two weeks, I received a new
pair of shoes, at no charge, in spite of the fact that mine were
showing a good bit of wear and that the return form stated a pro-rated
charge could be applied for items showing wear.
Use:
I've logged about 50 trail miles (80 km) on the new pair of shoes,
wearing them with a
variety of socks, including nylon, cotton, and wool of varied
thickness. So far the new pair have not leaked, and I've used
them in puddled water, shallow creek crossings, and wet grass. My
latest trip to the Roaring Plains area of West Virginia's Monongahelia
National Forest gave them a good workout on a variety of surfaces,
including swampy mud, small creek beds, hard packed clay, sandy soil,
tree roots, rocks of various size, and large boulders. Traction
has been good on most surfaces, although a wet rock covered in leaves
may cause slips. The shoes seem to breathe fairly well. I
haven't noticed excessive heat or sweat build-up when wearing the
Terrastryders. They seem to breathe as well as non-treated
leather or other fabric shoes.
Durability:
The new pair are showing minimal signs of wear so far, mainly some
small gouges in the EVA mid-sole. This seems to be a weak point
in the shoe, and although it makes the shoes look worn, there seems to
be no deterioration of performance.
Comfort:
Overall I've found the Waffle Stompers very comfortable.
Occasionally I have experienced a slight soreness and a callused
build-up in my left pinky
toe, which seems to occur mostly when I am carrying a load over 25 lb
(11 kg). Occasionally I have had a slight bit of discomfort where
the high tongue presses against the front of my foot, leaving a small
ache in that area that may last into the next day, and sometimes the
shoe feels stiff and unyielding in the area under my ankle when
traveling uneven terrain where my ankle may flex to the side, but this
has been very minor, and seems most
noticeable when the shoes are fairly new. In the past I have had
trouble
with pain in my
arch area on longer hikes, but this has not occured with the Dunham
Waffle Stompers. Very steep and long downhills have occasionally
made the ball of my foot feel pressure, but so far I've never developed
a blister
while wearing the Dunham Waffle Stomper Terrastryder Lows. The
Terrastryders do take quite a while to dry out if they get soaked
inside, but a good pair of wool socks makes hiking in the wet shoes
bearable, as I found out during the field test phase. I wouldn't
expect to get them wet and then be able to dry them out while walking
or during a wet or humid weekend.
Cleaning:
The Waffle Stompers clean up easily with a small scrub brush and plain
or soapy water, and I've also had good results when machine washing
them as needed. Occasionally after wearing the
shoes for a longer hike or on a hot day, I have
noticed a slight odor when taking them off, but this has always left
within a few hours.
Conclusions:
The shoes have provided comfort
to my feet when backpacking and hiking, making me feel better when
reaching camp since I don't have to deal with achy feet. I'll be
continuing to wear these shoes for backpacking and hiking until they
fall apart at some date in the future. The next
time I purchase shoes for backpacking, I will definitely be considering
a pair of Dunhams.
Likes:
Comfortable sole and insole
Light weight
Neutral color
Clean up well
Dislikes:
Hole in interior of heel on first pair, and gouges forming on midsoles
in both pairs
Tongue base leaked on first pair
Occasional discomfort in toe area and high on foot
Thanks
to Dunham and BackpackGearTest for the
opportunity to
test the Dunham Waffle Stomper TerraStryder-Low
Read more reviews of Dunham gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
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