FIELD REPORT

Kamik Chase Trail Shoes
Richard Lyon
October 2, 2006

PERSONAL DETAILS AND BACKPACKING BACKGROUND

Male, 60 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon AT gibsondunn DOT com
Home: Dallas, Texas USA

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a week long trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m).  I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.  Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose a bit of extra weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Manufacturer: Kamik (http: //www. kamik.com).  This website changes with the seasons; to find the Chases the viewer must now navigate through the "Summer 2006" tab.
Year of manufacture: 2006.
MSRP: Not provided by manufacturer.
Measured weight (pair): U.S. size 11 ½ (European size 45 ½), 2 lb 13 oz (1.3 kg); U.S. size 12 (European size 46), 2 lb 14 oz (1.3 kg)
Color: Black; also available in brown.
Size tested: U.S. size 12 (European size 46), 2 lb 14 oz (1.3 kg)

Features: From the website: "Combination Suede & Nylon Leather; Upper Moisture Wicking Lining Elastic Gore Tongue; Thermoplastic Heel Counter & Toe Box; Integrated Stablility Shank; Antibacterial Footbed; Strobel Lasted Construction; Compression Molded EVA Midsole 'HORIZON' Non-Marking Rubber Outsole."  This last feature is new in 2006.

For additional details of the Chases, please see my Initial Report.

TEST ENVIRONMENT

I've put the Chases, which are low-cut trail shoes, to work on day hikes around Dallas, Texas, where I live, and in Yellowstone Park in Wyoming.  Daytime temperatures in Dallas (close to sea level) ranged between 90 and 106 F (32 – 41 C), depending on time of day, and in Wyoming (elevation about 7000 ft/2100 m) from 70 – 90 F (21 – 32 C).  Both locations were dry and dusty, with a very low humidity.  I wore my usual liner and wool hiking socks on the first Texas hike, but because of the fit of the shoes (discussed below) and the hot weather I quickly switched to merino wool ankle socks.  I've worn these shoes several times as weekend casual footwear (with ankle socks) and once or twice to the office with thin cotton socks on our "super-casual" Fridays.

Since I met with no rain I did some staged testing by wearing the Chases while washing my dogs with a tub and garden hose.  My golden retriever HATES to be bathed and her squirming and attempts at self-drying ensured that the shoes were thoroughly soaked when I had finished.

TEST RESULTS

Fit and Comfort.  As noted in my Initial Report, I found the shoes to have a medium width, markedly narrower than most hiking or trail shoes.  This is a plus for me, as I have a narrow foot and especially narrow ankles, and the snugger fit with these shoes has allowed me to replace a liner and heavy socks with thin ankle socks.  In the Texas summer that means much less perspiration and, at least relatively, cooler feet.  Whether from the breathability of the shoes or less wool to absorb perspiration my feet have been much drier than usual at the end of my hiking.  Also, my feet slide around less than in a wider shoe, which has meant no heel blisters (which lately have been a problem for me) or even "hot spots" on the longest hike that I've taken (about five hours) despite the high temperatures.  I can sometimes avoid blisters by using a custom footbed, but to date I haven't needed one in the Chases.  Probably because of the accurate fit in width, I've found the Chases to be as comfortable a trail shoe as I can remember wearing.

Durability.  I give the Chases high marks here too, though I haven't put them to the bushwhacking test yet.  I have seen no problems with stitching, welts, other construction, or even normal wear and tear.  Neither the shoes nor my feet have emitted any especially pungent odors after a day's hiking, so as far as I can tell the anti-microbial treatment continues to work effectively.  The stiff, reinforced toe box has meant no stubbed toes from rocks on the trail or my inveterate stumbling.   I especially appreciated this on the Yellowstone hikes, when my eyes were on the scenery and not the trail.

Capacity.   My heaviest load during the test period has been about 25 pounds (11 kg), on a twelve-mile on-trail day hike, and the Chases handled this without a problem. 

Water.  My limited experience indicated that the Chases' nylon uppers are not completely waterproof, though they come close.  When I checked my socks after washing the dog, though, I found that only the tops of the socks were damp, indicating that the suede leather portions of the shoes can withstand a few minutes' exposure to a garden hose.  I don't expect much rain over the balance of the test period, so I may refine my experimentation somewhat to evaluate this feature more scientifically.  Leather and nylon dried completely after about ninety minutes in the Texas summer sun. 

Traction.  I've been pleased with the "Horizon" soles' traction on the dusty and rocky trails, and on large rocks around Slough Creek on one of the Yellowstone hikes.  Immediately after washing my dog I tried sliding on wet portions of my driveway (cement and cobblestones) and garage (smooth cement), and didn't skid an inch. 

CONTINUED TESTING

I have two- or three days of hiking scheduled for late October/early November in the Rockies, and if I don't have to hike in snow I'll specifically test the traction of the Chases on rock scrambles, scree walks, and bushwhacking generally.  If conditions and companions' desires allow a backpack, this trip will also provide an opportunity to see if the Chases will take a full backpacking load (for me, at least 35 lb/16 kg).  If not, I'll test this at home, with a backpacking load on a day hike.

For a fair evaluation of these shoes I must do more water testing.  If I can't find the rain I'll do some stream walking in the creek in my back yard, testing for waterproofing.  Whether in the field or around home, I'll hike in wet shoes to see how quickly they dry while being worn, whether they will retain a proper fit when they are wet, and whether a wet Chase will chafe anywhere on my foot.  It will pain me to do it, because the Chases are smart-looking shoes, but I'll walk through the mud on the trail or under contrived conditions to test waterproofing, how easy or difficult it is to dispose of the mud, leaves, and similar debris that might cling to the shoes, and whether the Chases become waterlogged.

I haven't yet run the Chases through the washer or otherwise done more than minimal spot cleaning.  During the next two months I'll try to determine the best way to clean them, and see if cleaning adversely affects fit, protection, the anti-bacterial treatment, or general durability.

My thanks to Kamik and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing opportunity.