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DUNHAM WAFFLE
STOMPER® NIMBLE SHOES - FIELD REPORT
Background Information
Name: Karen Ross
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Height: 5'0" (1.5 m)
Weight: 103 lb (47 kg)
Email address: karen DOT ross AT tufts DOT edu
City, State, Country: Metropolitan Boston area, MA
Date: July 12, 2004
Backpacking Background
I have been hiking and camping for as long as I can remember. I'm an avid runner
and day hiker, ski occasionally, kayak, car camp, and generally like to spend as
much time outdoors as possible. I started backpacking a few years ago and my
trips have been mostly limited so far to shorter ones, although I'm slowly
working my way up to longer trips (including trail maintenance work). Being
small, I tend toward lightweight gear, although I'm not one to hit the digital
scales with every item. It's more of a philosophy than a science for me. I like
to think of my style as light, but not without a couple luxuries.
Product Information
Manufacturer: Dunham Bootmakers
Manufacturer website: http://www.dunhambootmakers.com
Year of manufacture: 2004
Listed weight: 12 oz (340 g)
Measured weight: 14 oz (397 g) - left shoe; 13 oz (369 g) - right shoe; 27 oz
(765 g) - pair
Size: 7B
Sizes available: AA: 6-11,12,13
B: 6-11,12,13
D: 6-11,12,13
Colors: Grey/blue/red
MSRP: US$89.99
Selected Features (from the website):
ABZORB in Heel and Forefoot - Provides
maximum shock absorption
Vibram Sole Unit with TPU Plate - Traction, durability, and
stability
EVA Midsole - Provides lightweight cushioning and flexibility
Gusseted Tongue - Provides water resistant protection by attaching
the tongue to the upper
Split Suede/Mesh Upper - Provides natural comfort and support
Product Description
The Dunham Waffle Stomper® Nimble shoes are lightweight hiking shoes, billed as
outdoor performance shoes which are "incredibly light and comfortable and ready
for any outdoor challenge you can dream." They are a handsome mixture of grey
suede and sky blue mesh uppers with red and black trim and black Vibram® soles.
"vibram" (in all lower-case) is written in yellow on the outer back part of the
sole; on the back of the shoe, about half-way up, "ABZORB®" is written in red
against the red trim.
The laces on the Nimbles are the same bright red as the trim on the shoe;
however, the extra pair of laces matches the blue color of the shoes' mesh. Each
shoe has seven pairs of eyelets: five running up the side of the shoe, and two near the
top. The laces also feed through two webbing straps on the tongue: one in between the two
lowest eyelets, and one about half-way up the tongue of the shoe.
According to the website, the Nimbles are constructed from "SL-1" lasts. What
this means is that the heel width, instep height, toe box depth and forefront
width are all standard (Other lasts might have deeper toe boxes or higher
insteps, for example). The Nimble shoes come with removable black foot beds
marked Dunham Waffle Stomper®. The tread, trademarked as part of the Vibram®
sole, has a unique waffle-shaped pattern (hence the name Waffle Stomper®).
Field Testing
I have been wearing the Nimbles frequently almost daily since I received them in
March. In addition to hiking trips, I've worn the Nimbles to school and work, in
snow storms, and even running when I didn't have my trail runners with me. In
short, they've been through pretty much everything a pair of shoes can go
through and they've more than proven themselves!
I've worn the Nimbles on a number of day hikes in addition to a three-day
backpacking trip which occurred on the last weekend of March in Harriman State
Park (in the Palisade Park System in New York). Temperatures during the first
two days were about 50 F (10 C), one sunny day and one day when it drizzled from
dawn to dusk but never really rained hard, and about 65 F (18 C) and clear the
last day of the hike. I had no concerns about my feet getting wet from the
drizzle. However, the muddy and wet weather made me wonder how well the mesh
uppers on the Nimbles would fare, especially since the trail I was on required
me to cross a number of streams (quite high as a result of the snow melt). A
number of times I slipped off the rocks I was crossing the stream on, and found
myself ankle-deep in freezing water. At the end of each day when I set up camp,
however, my feet were still dry, a fact I attribute to wearing my SealSkinz
Chillblocker Socks.
The last day of this trip I wore regular tennis socks with the Nimbles and
luckily didn't have to ford any streams. However, the trail was still very
muddy. Nonetheless, my feet (once again) remained dry, thanks to the thick soles
on these shoes. Although quite dirty, the Nimbles more than proved their ability
to keep my feet dry and comfortable through the muddiest of conditions!
In addition to this trip, I've worn the Nimbles on a number of day hikes near
Boston, in New York State, and more recently, in the varied terrain of Southern
Africa, and have come to regard them as among the most comfortable lightweight
hikers I've ever worn. The pressure on my right big toe, which I felt the first
few times wearing the Nimbles, is something that I've entirely forgotten
-likewise for the feeling of a high arch bump against my foot. My feet have felt
comfortable wearing the Nimbles in terrain ranging from desert-like sand dunes
to mountain passes, rocky trails and asphalt surfaces. After 4 months of wear, I
have yet to experience a blister wearing the Nimbles - a miracle in and of
itself!
Furthermore, the mesh/suede uppers have kept my feet comfortable even in high
temperatures (it was nearly 90 degrees F (32 degrees C) on one of my early
summer day hikes). One of my initial concerns regarding the Nimbles is the fact
that they are low-cut shoes. For the past 10 years I have mostly worn hiking
boots high enough to guarantee good ankle support, a precaution I have taken as
a result of a bad sprain several years back. Despite their lack of ankle
support, I haven't had any problems with the Nimbles. I suspect this is due to
the good traction on the shoes, which have helped prevent my ankle from turning
no matter what the terrain.
I tend to travel a lot, and try to pack as lightly as possible (even when I'm
not planning on carrying everything on my back). As a result, one weekend in May
I found myself visiting friends and having only the Nimbles as footwear. This
forced me to wear the Nimbles on my morning run, leading me to determine that
they are not designed as running shoes (something I intuitively guessed before
the run as well). Although the Nimbles are lightweight hiking shoes, they are by
no means light enough to wear while on a road run, and my feet felt heavy and
cumbersome for the duration of the 3 mile (5 km) run. Ah well - I suppose
nothing can be perfect!!
Maintaining the shoes - Upon returning from the muddier of my hiking trips, I put
the Nimbles in the washing machine to remove some of the dirt caked on them.
Each time I've washed them, the shoes have come out of the cycle looking as good
as new (much to my relief - I've had shoes in the past that cracked and tore
when placed in a commercial washing machine). Moreover, the Nimbles dry
extraordinarily quickly: within approximately 3 hours (I haven't yet risked
placing them in the dryer).
Continued Testing
Over the next several months I anticipate wearing the Nimbles on all of my
hiking trips as well as frequently as everyday shoes. Over the past few months
they have become my favorite choice of footwear, and many a day I will be seen
wearing them regardless of my walking/running/hiking plans. I expect this will
continue until the shoes fall apart, hopefully well after the testing period
ends! As the days and weeks go by I will be testing the Nimbles for their
continued comfort and foot support as well as durability. Although the Nimbles
no longer look entirely new (the rubber soles have begun to crack a bit on the
outside, and some of the dirt just won't come off anymore), I haven't
experienced any significant durability issues as of yet. I will be inspecting
the shoes carefully to determine how long they last. And until they fall apart,
I will enjoy wearing the Dunham Waffle Stomper Nimbles as often as I can.
Read more reviews of Dunham gear
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