| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Field Report: Dunham Waffle Stomper
Alcatraz
Date: September 30, 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.
|
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:
WOW513GR
Delivered weight: 1
lb 5 oz (0.60 kg) for the pair
Size: U.S. Women’s
9B (UK 7, EUR 40.5)
Measurements: 11.5” long x 4” wide (29 cm x
10 cm)
per shoe
Color: Gray/Magnetic Blue
Manufacturer Website: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com/
MSRP: Not listed
Sizing/fit: U.S.
women’s sizes 6-13
and
half sizes through 10.5 are available in 2A, B, & D width according
to the manufacturer's website. The 9B
I received fits perfectly, leading me to the conclusion the shoes run
true to size. The shoes fit comfortably with or without socks,
and seem to cradle my foot securely. The shoes seem to be a
comfortable height in the tongue, ankle, and heel areas.
Physical
description: The
Waffle Stomper Alcatraz
has an upper comprised of several types of lightweight blue and gray
fabric, mesh inserts, webbing, and gray leather-like trim. On
each side of the shoe at the bottom of the heel and forefoot areas
are mesh water evacuation
ports. Both the uppers and the removable footbeds have many small
ventilation holes. The
soles have EVA
and ABZORB
cushioning and a Vibram bottom with small
lug shaped treads down the center, a patterned tread along the outside
edge, and a grooved tread at the heel. The front
section flexes easily and the rear section is a bit stiffer and
more supportive. For a more detailed physical description, see my
Initial
Report.
Field
Use -
Conditions:
Air temperatures I've worn the shoes in have ranged from around
50 F to slightly over 80 F (10 C to 27 C), and water
temperatures have been as low as 50 F (10 C). Elevations so far
have varied from
approximately 550 to 4000 ft (168 to 1219 m), in terrain varying from
nearly level to very steep. They've carried me through rocky
creek crossings, over root and rock strewn trails, through red clay
mud, and protected my feet in sandy and muddy river bottoms. Pack
weight during weekend trips has been around 30 lb (14kg).
Day hiking I've done so far in these shoes has involved little more
than
carrying along a bottle of water. Humidity
levels
have ranged from low, to high, to very high.
Use:
So far I have worn the Dunham Waffle Stomper Alcatraz shoes
primarily
as water shoes for creek crossings, canoeing, and whitewater
rafting. Mileage hasn't been high, but they have seen a lot
of water.
 Their first good dunking was during a canoeing class at
Girl Scout Camp. I enjoyed just being able to walk right into the
water at river's edge without worrying about shoes that would be
holding water and dripping a lot of it into my canoe, and it was very
easy to help girls get into and out of canoes when I wasn't worrying
about getting my feet wet. I found the shoes sunk into the mud a
bit, but pulled free easily and did not get stuck. One of my
initial concerns was whether
the evacuation ports would let in sand or mud. Unfortunately, the
muddy bottom of the Little Kanawha River proved this concern to be
valid, and I have to report that they do. On the good side
though, much of the sand and mud washes right back out of the ports
when the water drains out of the shoe. Some sand remained under
the insole, with a small amount above the insole, however there were
not large enough amounts left inside to irritate my feet. One
thing I really liked is how quickly the shoes drained - pretty much
immediately. So even though the shoe is wet, it isn't squishy
like most water shoes or neoprene footwear.
My next use of the Alcatraz shoes gave them a good workout, splashing
through 23 creek crossings of varied size in the Ramsey's Draft area of
the George Washington National
Forest in Virginia. This was a two day, one night backpacking
trip, carrying a pack weighing around 30 lb (14 kg) including food and
water. The weather was warm, with temperatures in the 70-80 F
(21-27 C) range during the day, and somewhat cooler at night. I
wore the shoes sockless, since my feet would be wet so often. I
found they provided excellent footing both in the water and on the
trail between the creek crossings. Traction was good even on wet
river rock, and the shoes were very supportive. I really enjoyed
the sensation
of the nice cool water flowing through the shoes in the streams, and
the way they drained almost instantly when stepping out of the
water. I also found I didn't have to worry about my feet sliding
around in the water like I sometimes have experienced when wearing
sandals as water crossing shoes. Again, I found some sand would remain
inside the shoes after walking on sandy areas of the creek.
Although the interior of the shoes remained wet the entire
six miles I walked the first day, I experienced only minor problems
with my feet - a small blister on my left pinky toe, a bit of friction
but no blisters on my left heel, and some soreness in my toes near the
end of the day. I left the shoes under my hammock to dry
overnight, but in the highly humid conditions present that night, found
they did not dry out much more. Since we had no creek crossings
the second day, I stowed the still damp shoes in a plastic bag inside
my pack, and wore my dry shoes to complete the trip.
The Dunham Alcatraz shoes also went along on a Labor Day Weekend trip
to the Roaring Plains area of Monongahela National Park in West
Virginia. The shoes saw limited action here, as camp shoes, and
for one large creek crossing on the last day, but again I found it very
pleasant to just be able to splash right through the water, cooling my
tired feet in the process. Since my socks were sweaty and dirty
anyway, I left them on, and found the shoes did quite well, although I
only hiked in them a short distance after the creek crossing.
Once again, some sand was noted in the bottom of the shoes after the
creek immersion. Temperatures were in the 60-70 F (16-21 C) range
during the day.
Evening temperatures were around 50 F (10 C), and the Alcatraz were
quite comfortable to give my feet a break at the end of the day.
 Next for the Dunham Alcatraz was a world class challenge -
I wore them
with hydroskin socks while whitewater rafting on the famed Upper Gauley
during opening weekend of Gauley season. Temperatures during the
day ranged from around 60 - 80 F (16 - 27 C) with a water temperature
around 50 F (10 C). The shoes were up to the challenge.
They were comfortable in the raft, at river's edge, and offered good
grip scrambling up a rocky narrow path to our lunch spot. I liked
wearing them better than my normal neoprene rafting shoe, because they
didn't hold water and didn't feel squishy for any length of time like
the neoprene sometimes does when moving from water to shore.
Although they were constantly soaking wet, with the hydroskin socks my
feet stayed warm during the entire trip. I felt confident on both
dry and wet rocks due to the Waffle Stomper tread. The shoes did
give me a moment of concern when my left heel slipped out of the back
of the shoe during one rapid. Visions of having to buy a new pair
to complete the test flashed through my mind, but I was able to keep
the rest of the shoe on my foot, and after
resecuring my heel in the shoe and tightening the laces, I had no
further incident. About a month later I wore the Alcatraz again
on a rafting trip down the Lower Gauley, lacing them tightly at the
beginning, and experienced no loosening or slipping. The river
guides tell you very few people ever fall out of a raft - but a good
number are "violently ejected". Even when I joined the ranks of
the "violently ejected" and ended up unexpectedly swimming in some
swift water near the end of one rapid (after sliding completely across
the raft and over my friend, knocking our guide into the water in the
process) the Alcatraz shoes stayed put on my feet. Due to the
lightweight construction and mesh inserts enabling the water to flow
freely through the shoes, I didn't feel weighted down or uncomfortable
due to the shoes being on my feet while I was endeavoring to swim
across the swift current. On this trip in spite of again wearing
the hydroskin socks, my feet did feel a little cold toward the end of
the day. Temperatures at that time probably dropped to around 60
F (16 C) with water temperatures again around 50 F (10 C), but the sun
was not shining as brightly or often as on the previous trip.
A change of pace was next, when I wore the Alcatraz for a weekend of
assisting with program at Girl Scout camp. Even after several
hours of standing on the concrete lodge floor assisting campers with
various activities, my feet still felt comfortable. When I awoke
the morning of the second day, I faced an expanse of dewy grass between
my half cabin and breakfast at the lodge, and wondered how soaked my
feet would get, considering the mesh along the bottom of the
Alcatraz. Surprisingly, I felt only a small amount of moisture
seep in, and my feet and the shoes quickly dried out. I've since
worn them on a few day hikes where water has been standing on the
trail, and if it isn't very deep, I've found the soles are sufficient
to keep my feet raised enough that they don't get wet. If the
water is an inch or so deep and penetrates the shoes slightly, they've
quickly dried.
 So far trail use has been limited, since I was finishing
up testing the
Dunham Waffle Stomper Terrastryder lows, and was using them for most
trips. They have been used on one overnight backpacking trip,
which was dry and warm. I've also used them on a few day hikes,
including some wet and muddy trails, including one with my grandson in
his child carrier. I've used them with light and
mid-weight wool socks and with mid-weight nylon socks while
hiking. I do like the way they fit and the breathability of the
lightweight fabric uppers. They don't seem to rub or pinch my
feet anywhere, and they feel supportive even though they are very
light. I have noticed however that they do not have quite as good
a grip on wet red clay mud as the slightly heavier sole and tread on
the Terrastryder lows, but do seem to grip well on wet sandy or loamy
soil and wet leaves. I have noticed larger bits of rock and
gravel can be felt
slightly through the soles. I've also noticed that long steep
down hills carrying a load of 30+ lb (14 kg) will make my toes feel
slightly sore.
Durability:
So far, the Dunham Waffle Stomper Alcatraz are almost no signs of
wear. There are some compression wrinkles and small abraded areas
in the mid-sole. The uppers and the laces still look like new.
Comfort:
So far, I have found the Alcatraz very comfortable and lightweight, and
have experienced no foot discomfort other than the very slight problems
noted when wearing them sockless on the Ramsey's Draft trip, and a bit
of soreness in the toes after carrying my grandson in his child carrier
on a long down hill grade. The
breathability of the shoes is great - my feet have never felt hot or
sweaty when wearing them.
Cleaning:
The Alcatraz have been very easy to clean. After a rafting trip
or wet hike, I just remove the insoles and throw both shoes and insoles
in the washing machine with some towels or clothes. So far
they've been washed a half dozen times or so, with no adverse
affects. I've noticed no odor after any of my trips, other than a
bit of a "river" smell after they've been submerged. I can
usually clean any mud off of them with a wet paper towel or rag, and
have only noticed a minor discoloration of the soles from the
mud. The colors of the uppers remain the same as when I first
received them.
Miscellaneous:
The shoe laces usually stay tied quite well with only a normal bow, but
will sometimes come loose. On my rafting trips, I double knotted
them to make sure they stayed tight.
Test Plan:
As the days grow shorter and
colder, I will be changing the emphasis on testing from water shoe use
to trail shoe use. I'll be testing the Dunham Waffle Stomper
Alcatraz on West
Virginia trails and back roads on day hikes and at least one
backpacking trip, and possibly a few hikes in neighboring states, in
addition to
using them for casual use. Elevations
and terrain will remain similar to those already traveled, and
temperatures from 20 - 80 F (-7 - 27 C) may be experienced. Pack
weights
will vary from a small day pack of perhaps 7 lb (3 kg) up to 40 lb (18
kg) when packing my grandson on a longer day hike in his carrier.
I hope to see if
the Alcatraz will dry out while hiking if I get them soaked during the
less humid weather conditions we usually have in the fall, and if they
will dry out overnight on a backpacking trip in less humid
conditions. I'm also anxious to see how comfortable my feet can
stay as temperatures become colder. How low a temperature can I
tolerate with wool socks and wet feet? Safety will have to come
first, so I will be carrying a pair of waterproof shoes or boots as
well. Do I find I need to switch to them quickly in colder
temperatures? I will continue to monitor the performance of the
shoes in the areas of
comfort, wear, traction on varied surfaces, performance
in the
mud, and ease of cleaning. Will trail
use make the Alcatraz begin to show wear more quickly? Do they
still feel as supportive as
they did originally? Are they at all practical for cold weather
use?
Likes:
Comfortable
Supportive
Breathable
Light weight
Good durability so far
Dislikes:
Occasional sore toes on steep down hills
Sand can penetrate evacuation ports and remain in the insole area
Thanks
to Dunham and BackpackGearTest for the
opportunity to
test the Dunham Waffle Stomper Alcatraz.
Read more reviews of Dunham gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant
|
