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Long-term Report:
This report should be read in conjunction with my
Initial
and Field Reports which provides more specifics on the shoes themselves
and my experiences with the shoes over the first two months of the test
program.
The Kamik Chase shoes have been my primary walking and
geocaching footwear for the test period. During the long-term testing phase
I wore the shoes on a weekend backpack on the Old Timberline Trail in the St
John Brook Conservation Park, Nannup. This walk involved carrying a
pack weighing about 15 kg (33 lb) and daytime temperatures around 30 C (86
F).
Additional usage of the shoes included my regular "John
Howard" (exercise walk) around Lake Herdsman (up to 6 km (4 miles) each day) and regular
geocaching trips (at least two or three a week most weeks) of variable
length and conditions. All this was further supported with day to day
wearing of the shoes around the home, shopping etc.
In terms of weather, Western Australia has
experienced a very dry winter so most of my walking has been in dry
conditions with the exception of the aborted August backpack [see my
Field Report] which was
pouring with rain from whoa to go.
Given this walking experience, how have I found the Kamik
Chase shoes over the test period? Surprisingly quite good shoes. They have proven to be quite
comfortable for me both with a load and without.
As this test comes to a conclusion I have two additional
comments to add to the thoughts I expressed in my
Field Report. The first relates to the shoe laces .... I just
don't get along with round laces. I have found the round laces on the Chase
shoes to be frustrating. They frequently come undone. Double tying seems to
work reasonably well, but I have a tendency to forget to do this until
they come undone. Why can't they come with flat shoe laces? Such a simple
modification that would make my experience with the shoes just that much
better.
The second relates to durability. The current
condition of the shoes can be seen in the above photo. The tread is wearing
down which may in part explain my concerns with poor grip and the side of
the shoe is showing some evidence of wear and tear. Other than these two
points the shoes have proven to be quite durable, surviving regular off
track walking which has been known to result in rips to the outer material
of previously owned footwear.
So in summary I have found the shoes to be:
-
Quite comfortable. This has been helped by the wide
last;
-
Quick drying. By no-means water-resistance but they do
dry quickly;
-
Quite durable;
-
Grip is less than desirable from my perspective;
-
Round laces. Would prefer flat ones.
I will continue to wear these shoes until they fall apart
and would consider purchasing them again.
My thanks to
BackpackGearTest.org and
Kamik for being able to participate in this test.
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