Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Dunham Waffle Stomper Terrastryder-Mid > Thomas Vickers > Initial Report

Men's Waffle Stomper Terrastryder-Mid Fast Packing Trail Boot- Initial Report

February 23, 2005

Thomas Vickers
37 years old
Male
5 ft 11 in tall (1.8 m)
175 lb  (79 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area

Tester Background:
I grew up in the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind the house. My style has evolved and over the last 4 or 5 years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible

Manufacturer Information:
Manufacturer: Dunham Bootmakers
Website: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com/
Weight:  NA
Sizes available: Men's 8-15
Widths available: B-4E
MSRP: NA
Other product attributes:

Information from Tester:
Left shoe weight: 20.50 oz (581 gm)
Right shoe weight: 19.90 oz (564 gm)
Total weight: 2 lb 8.40 oz (1.15 kg)
Size: Men's 11.5
Width: D (medium)
Normal shoe size of tester: 10.5

Website:
The Dunham website was very informative and easy to navigate.  The pictures illustrated the products very well  and the information was informative. Overall, the Dunham website is just the right mix of information and functionality. 

Arrival/Initial Impressions:
The boots arrived on my doorstep in perfect condition.  I managed to get them out of their box without hurting them and was very impressed. They looked like the picture on the Dunham website.   What I was bit confused about was the fact that the hang tag on the boots called them Trail Shoes.  A closer reading of the hang tag which was attached to one of the boots revealed that the Terrastryders are shoes and boots. With my initial worry taken care of I decided to get on with the initial inspection.  The boot color is brown with black highlights.  There are two major materials for the boot exterior which are waterproof Nubuck leather and waterproof Armour Tech Mesh.  The tongue is gusseted (attached to the boot rather than free along the sides) and the top two lace points are speed laces rather than loops like the rest of the lace loops are. The toe guard (rand according to the boot tag) is made of some sort of synthetic material and is black in color.  Basically, these are really neat looking boots. 

The next step was to try them on. I was wearing my normal cotton socks so the Terrastryders were a bit loose on my feet.  This was to be expected since I hike in boots that are from half a size to a full size larger than my regular shoe size.   This allows me to wear my hiking socks and liners and it lets my feet expand a bit while I am on the trail.   Next I pulled out the Dunham insoles.  The insoles were pretty much standard lightweight shoe insoles that are common in most boots/shoes.  I replaced them with my current insoles and then tried the boots on again.  My feet still fit in the boots and the insoles fit comfortably without slipping around. 

Then it was off to the sock drawer to get my hiking socks and liners.   I put them both on, then it was time for the real test.  Luckily everything went into the Terrastryders without too much fuss and I was able to lace them up.  The fit was snug, which I expected and desired.  One thing I had expected was a bit more room in the toe box of the boots, but the Terrastryders seem to fit more like athletic shoes than boots.  This is not a problem, but not quite what I had expected.

Overall, I am excited to see what these boots hold in store for me.  They seem to fit fine and now they are going to be a big part of my hiking for several months. One little extra that I noticed after reading the hang tag for this report was the non-slip oval lace.  Round laces drive me crazy because they slip and come untied too easily.   Many varieties of boots come with round laces these days and I think this is because the manufacturers feel that the round laces work better with speed lacing systems.  I am happy to see that Dunham found a compromise between the flat and round laces.  I can't wait to see how they work.

Testing Location:
·         Southeast Texas – Sea level.  40-80 F (4 –27 C).
·        Arkansas (Buffalo River Trail) - 0–2,000 ft (0–600 m).  35-75 F (2-24 C).
·        Northern California (Evolution Valley area) - 9,000–13,00 ft (2,700 m–4,000 m). 30–70 F (-1–21 C).

Testing Activities:
·        Training Hikes
·        Day Hiking
·        Weekend Hiking/Camping Trips
·        Extended (4+ days) hiking trips 

Testing Conditions:

The springs here in Texas are wet and muddy when on the trail.  My experiences in Arkansas lead me to believe that I will see plenty of rain and mud on my spring trip, not to mention more than enough stream/river crossings.  California is usually dry, but I will have a chance to walk, hike on some snow.

For this item I am fully expecting a rather cool, possibly very wet testing period. 

 Test Strategy:
Due to the nature of my prep for the upcoming hiking season, boots have a very detailed usage plan in my world.

 Phase 1 is to wear the boots pretty much everyday.  This will mean wearing them to work and on leisure activities for about two – three weeks.  This will allow me to break the boots in properly as well as make sure my insoles fit and form to the boots.     Once I get this “street wear” period out of the way, I will be off and running (figuratively) toward the trails. 

Phase 2 will be a longer period where I take the boots on weekly day hikes along the Lonestar Trail (8-16 miles (7-13 km)). These longer day-hikes will usually take place over the weekend and involve lighter than usual pack loads. I will also be taking “training” hikes during the week. A training hike involves wearing a full pack (and load) while walking 3-4 miles (4-6 km) on the streets where I live.  I tend to do this at least 3 times a week.

Phase 3 will consist of my two long hikes (4-7 Days) that I plan to take (One to Arkansas and one to California).  These will be full-fledged hiking trips where I have to wear the boots on the trail for several days.   I will continue Phase 2 activities between these hikes as well. 

Test Plan:

1. Can I put my own insoles into these boots?  

2. How comfortable are these boots with and without my own insoles?  

3. How water/element resistant is the boot?  Does the Dryworks membrane keep moisture out?

4. How well does the Dryworks membrane vent? I hate hot/sweaty feet which I have gotten with earlier types of waterproof/breathable boots. Will I suffer from this fate with these boots?

5. How quickly can I get into/out of these boots?  Do they utilize a speedlace system?   

6. Is this an easy task to get in/out of these boots on the trail or a task that requires the flexibility of a yoga master to achieve?  

7.   Do the laces stay tied?  

8. How long does it take to break these boots in? Will they feel comfortable and flexible after a week? Two weeks? Months? Never? 

9. Do these boots provide adequate support for my ankles? I wear boots over trail runners due to my fear of hurting my ankles.

10. How easy is it for debris to get into the boot when it is tightly laced?  

11. After prolonged trail wear (3+ days) do these boots start to smell? 

12. Will they have a permanently poor odor after 6 months of testing?   

13. Are there any strange friction points on these boots that might cause blisters for my feet?

14. Is the fit roomy or tight?  Does the size match what I need for hiking boots or are there sizing differences/irregularities for this brand?

15. Does the Vibram Supertrek outsole handle mud? Will it grab the mud or will I slip?

Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Dunham Waffle Stomper Terrastryder-Mid > Thomas Vickers > Initial Report