INITIAL REPORT

Kamik Chase Trail Shoes
Richard Lyon
July 25, 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).  All quotations in this review  come from this website. 
Year of manufacture: 2006
MSRP: Not provided by manufacturer
Measured weight (pair): 2 lb 13 oz (1.3 kg), U.S. size 11 ½ (European size 45 ½)
Color: Black; also available in brown.
Features: "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.
Warranty: None specified

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The Chases are low-cut trail shoes, with a 4.4 in (11.2 cm) heel, measured from the bottom to the top of the heel at the rear of the shoe.  Mine arrived from a distributor in a retail box with a single, small, non-product specific hangtag that describes, in English and French, Kamik's shoe philosophy in a couple of sentences.  

Kamik's website is easy to navigate for pictures and descriptions of its products, and the pictures and descriptions are helpful when comparing various shoes and boots.  The "Technology" tab gives details of various processes, fabrics, and treatments used on different footwear.  Regrettably, I couldn't always determine which of these are used on which products.  For example, there are two different waterproofing techniques on the Technology page but neither of them is mentioned on the Chases' page, and the "Strobel Lasted Construction" identified as a feature of the Chases isn't described under the Technology tab.  Kamik conducts no direct sales from its website, but provides an easy-to-use search tool to locate a retailer in Canada and the United States that carries some of its shoes.  There is also a link to a page of international representatives, with a name and email address to contact in 28 countries.

The Chase shoes are made of medium weight black suede leather with a black nylon panel that runs from the toe box to the heel. The hard rubber soles are grey with small (so small as not to be visible unless I'm looking for them) multicolored dots on the outside that at first glance look like paint had been spattered on the rubber. The Horizon outsoles are similar to other rubber soles, with a ribbed pattern for traction; the Kamik name and logo form part of the ribs.  The leather appears heat-welded to the rubber sole, but the pieces of the upper are sewn to each other with double stitches.  As shown in the photo on the right, there is contrasting grey leather piping around the leather upper and grey stitching at four places along each side's ventilation panel and on each side of the tongue.  The Kamik logo appears twice on the upper, printed in red on a small rubber circle on the outside of each shoe just below the ankle, and imprinted on the outside of the rubber reinforcement of the toe box; the kamik name (in lower case) is printed in red at the top of the tongue.  Overall, a very understated and handsome shoe.  The reinforced toe box and heel piece are stiff but the leather and fabric uppers quite flexible. I found the shoes to have a medium width, slightly narrower than most hiking or trail shoes I have worn.  (Photos compliments of Kamik; all rights reserved.)

TEST PLAN

I have narrow ankles and, unless wearing sandals, almost always hike with a liner and socks with a high wool content.  When it's really hot – and if the Chases fit snugly enough – I shall substitute lighter weight ankle socks.  I normally use Superfeet insoles in my hiking shoes, but shall test the Chases with their original footbeds before making any substitution for fit and comfort and to evaluate the anti-bacterial feature.

I plan to test the Chases on day hikes around Dallas, where the next two months will be hot (at least 104 F/40 C likely) and dry.  I've planned some long day hikes or short backpacks in Montana and Wyoming in August and September.  One is a two or three-day trip in the Slough Creek Valley in Yellowstone National Park over the Labor Day weekend.   The hike to our campsite is short (5 mi/8 km) along an old wagon road that's now a trail, at an elevation of about 8000 ft/2500 m.  One reason we selected this route was a good selection of day hikes from our campsite, several of which are off trail.  Normal daytime temperatures are 60 – 80 F (16 – 27 C), with low humidity and probable afternoon rain squalls.  I may get to use the Chases around Missoula, Montana prior to a weeklong backpack trip there in early August. (I'm working as a Forest Service volunteer on this trip, doing trail maintenance, and Forest Service regulations require over-the-ankle boots.)

I shall look for the following in the Kamik Chase trail shoes:

Fit. If a shoe doesn't fit properly, my feet start to hurt, and if my feet hurt I'm soon miserable all over.  Will these shoes, which come in only one width, accommodate my narrow feet?  Is the fit comfortable with (a) liner and socks, (b) one pair of socks, and (c) lightweight ankle socks?  Will I need a custom footbed or other orthotic for a secure and comfortable fit?

Protection. Are these shoes waterproof? Water resistant? With or without a waterproofing treatment (and, if treatment is advisable, what's the right one)? How quickly will the shoes dry? Will they retain proper fit when they are wet? Will they chafe when wet? Do they become waterlogged and heavy when wet? Is the leather strong enough to protect my feet from injury during rock scrambles and bushwhacks?

Comfort. How breathable are these shoes when worn during normal hiking, with and without a backpack? This will be especially important for summer hikes in Texas.

Capacity.  I'm not a lightweight hiker.  How much arch support do these shoes provide when used on backpacks? This will be a closely watched (closely felt?) test when I wear the Chases with a heavier backpacking load.  Do these shoes have enough support for me to hike with a 35-pound (16 kg) pack?

Durability.  Are the stitching, sealing, and materials robust enough to withstand trail rocks, scree scrambles, and bushwhacking? How long will the anti-microbial treatment in the footbed remain effective?

Functionality.  What kind of traction do these shoes provide on pavement, dry trails, mud, dry and wet rocks, and streambeds? I am unfamiliar with the "Horizon" outsole so this will be fun to test.

Care.  How easy is it, at home or in the field, to clean these shoes thoroughly – enough to eliminate all grease and dirt, or at least enough to avoid extra weight or discomfort?  What's the appropriate cleaning agent or agents? Will cleaning adversely affect fit, protection, or durability?

My thanks to Kamik and BackpackGearTest.org for this opportunity, as the Chases could fill a real gap in my shoe locker.