Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Dunham Alcatraz > Pam Wyant > Initial Report

Initial Report: Dunham Waffle Stomper Alcatraz

Product Information -

Physical description:  The Waffle Stomper Alcatraz has an upper comprised of several types of lightweight blue and gray fabric and gray leather-like trim.  The forefoot area and lower half of the tongue is made of a soft feeling textured blue fabric, and the upper half of the tongue and the rear of the shoe are made of a flexible mesh style fabric of gray and blue.  A slightly stiff translucent mesh panel covers the side sections, including the instep webbing system.  The laces pass through reinforced holes at the top and bottom and the instep webbing straps in the middle, plus a center webbing strap on the tongue.  On each side of the shoe at the bottom of the heel and forefoot areas are small openings covered in red mesh - the water evacuation ports.  The black, rubbery feeling toe rand has two small, blue fabric ports on each side.  Several small ventilation holes are scattered throughout the gray trim in the arch and heel areas of the shoe and in the fabric of the tongue and heel.  The heel has a larger ventilation hole at the top and a black rubbery reinforcement material at the bottom.

The shoelaces have a scalloped appearance - about every 3/4 in (2 cm) the lace narrows and then widens back out.  This prevents the laces from sliding through the lacing system as the shoes are put on or taken off, but  requires a bit of extra effort to loosen or tighten the laces to fit, since each section has to be  loosened or tightened more or less individually.   Pulling hard on the top of the laces  only tightened the top two sections, and loosening the bottom required first loosening the top sections and then the bottom sections.

The footbeds have many small ventilation holes, are blue on the top, black on the bottom and are removable.  They are labled "Dunham" on the top, and "new balance" on the bottom.  The letters JD also appear on the bottom of the insoles.

The soles have EVA and ABZORB cushioning in the upper section over a Vibram bottom. The gray EVA material has a soft, springy feel to it when pressed with a finger.  A harder opaque blue plastic material is located under the gray EVA in the ball area of the sole, and an even harder translucent red plastic material is located under the EVA material in the arch area of the sole.  The black sole has small lug shaped treads down the center, a patterned tread along the outside edge, and a grooved tread at the heel.  Overall the Vibram TC4+ sole feels softer than the Vibram Supertrek sole of the Waffle Stomper Terrastryder-Low, with the front section flexing easily and the rear section feeling a bit stiffer and more supportive.

A small red Dunham logo is located on the outside of each shoe in the ankle area and each tongue has a Dunham WaffleStomper.label.  The name Dunham is printed in red on the black rubber section of each heel.  Each sole has the word "ABZORB" in raised lettering on the outside edge in the arch area and on the heel, and the word "vibram" imprinted in yellow on the bottom and at the heel.  The red material in the sole is labeled "STABILITY WEB".

The quality of the material and the workmanship appears to be good, with no loose stitching or obvious flaws in the material.  The gray trim on the shoes I received is darker than I expected from viewing the website photo, but otherwise the appearance of the shoes matches the website photo.

Delivery/packaging:

The shoes were packaged in a brown cardboard shoe box inside a larger brown cardboard shipping box, and arrived in good condition.  Two hangtags were attached to the shoes, one with information on Vibram, and one with a diagram of the shoes construction and a description of the materials used.  The toes were stuffed with paper and two packets of silica gel were tucked inside the box to absorb any stray moisture. Somewhat ironic to try to keep water shoes from getting wet!  Unfortunately, they arrived after my departure for a four day whitewater rafting trip, so I missed the chance to give them a good workout right away.

Test Plan -

I will be testing the Dunham Alcatraz primarily on trails, country roads, and creek and river beds in West Virginia, varying from the mountainous eastern region of the state with elevations from 2500 to over 4000 feet (762 to over 1219 meters), to the river valley corridors in the eastern, western and central part of the state, with elevations from 550 to 1000 feet (168 to 305 meters).  West Virginia’s nickname is the mountain state, and it lives up to its name, so I anticipate doing a lot of uphill and downhill hiking from moderate to steep, with the occasional creek crossing thrown in.  Temperature ranges will likely vary from lows in the 40 F (4 C) range to highs as much as 100 F (38 C).  Weather will likely vary from bright and sunny to daylong rain.  Rainfall is ample in the area, with normal monthly levels ranging from 3-5 inches, and humidity levels are often high.  Much of West Virginia has clay soil, which will hold water for long periods of time after a good rain, creating puddles and soggy areas that may last for days or even weeks in some areas.

During a recent trip to the Otter Creek Wilderness, the Dunham Waffle Stomper Terrastryder Low shoes I have been wearing accidently were soaked during a bog crossing.  Although the Terrastryders are waterproof unless they are submerged, I was definitely wishing for a shoe that would dry quickly as I sloshed along in wet wool socks and shoes.  Unfortunately, the weekend was very humid, the Terrastrdyers never dried out, and I spent most of three days hiking with wet feet.  Unlike the Terrastryders, which are designed to keep my feet dry (if they aren't submerged over the tops), the Alcatraz is designed to allow my feet to get wet, but to dry quickly.  I’m looking forward to seeing how long it takes them to dry out, how comfortable they are when wet, and how my feet fare when they are alternating between being dry and wet.

During the field test phase, I'll be observing and reporting on the performance and durability of the Alcatraz shoes.  Will they be showing wear and tear, and if so, where?  Has anything come loose, are the soles wearing down, or are the shoestrings fraying?  I'll note and report on any problems I have had with the shoes, as well as my general impressions.  I anticipate answering these questions - How do my feet feel when they are submerged in water in the Alcatraz shoes?  Is the traction really as good in wet conditions as in dry as Dunham advertises?  Do I slip on slippery river rocks or muddy creek banks?  The soles seem softer and more flexible than my Terrastryder-Low soles - does this make a noticeable difference in comfort?  Are they adequate to protect my feet from river rocks?  Do they pull free from river mud reasonably well?  Do the water evacuation ports quickly clear excess water from the shoes or do my feet squish around for a while?  Do the ports allow river sediment, sand, or small rocks to enter the shoes?  Can I wear socks of different material or thickness comfortably with the Alcatraz shoes?  Can I comfortably wear them without socks for extended periods?  Have I developed blisters or sore toes when wearing the shoes either with or without socks?  Do they rub my feet or feel uncomfortable anywhere?  Have the shoes developed an odor, either while they have been dry or while wet?  Does mud cling to the shoes excessively or will the treads and sides slough it off?  Are the shoes relatively easy or difficult to clean?  Do they retain mud stains?

Continuing in the long term testing phase, I will look at how the shoes have held up over the entire test period.  I would anticipate some scuffing, but is there excessive wear noted, frayed material, noticeably thin tread, holes, or areas glue or stitching have pulled loose?   Are the insoles excessively compressed or worn and needing replaced?  Do the shoes still feel as supportive as they did originally?  How do my feet feel in them after a longer hike, especially after they’ve been soaked by a few creek crossings along the way?  How quickly did the shoes start to feel dry?  Do they dry completely within a short period of time, or does it take half a day or more to completely dry them?  Do they dry faster if the insoles are removed?  What are my overall impressions of the Alcatraz?  Did I have any warranty issues with them, and if so, how well were they handled?  Do I find I like being able to just plow on through water and let my feet dry out on the trail, as opposed to changing to water shoes for the creek crossings to keep my waterproof shoes and my feet dry?

Preliminary Likes:

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Dunham Alcatraz > Pam Wyant > Initial Report