Lowa Mountain Boots - GTX
[AALowamo]

Lowa, a name that is becoming synonymous with boots, to the point that I have even heard people suggest these for people with foot issues.

When I first opened the box to the Lowa Mountain GTX boots, I instantly thought of the old German army mountaineering boots, as these are clearly a modern take on an old classic. They have all of the elements that you would expect from a modern boot, such as Gore-Tex cambrelle lining and a Vibram sole, so when (or if, as these soles do tend to soldier on for ever) they do get worn down, a decent cobbler can replace these for you.

The first thing that I noticed when I tried these boots on was that the laces were a little on the short side and in fact I initially struggled a little to tie these up. To be fair, once the boots had softened after a little wear, I was able to get a little extra lace to the top of the boot and comfortably tie a bow, however I am one of those that like to double bow my laces and I did not have enough lace to do this. That said I also know that everyone is slightly different and although I found the laces to be a little short, I know that many others dont like long laces dangling everywhere and laces are easily changed. One thing to note for those of you who throw yourselves out of aeroplanes is that they rely on the hook and D ring method for the laces, which is great for those of us who want something quick and easy to put on or remove, but not so great for those with concerns on these snagging parachute lines.

I initially wore these gently for a few short walks around the local streets (around half an hour per walk), just to break them in after which I wore them on a 20 mile cross country trek, which varied between grass and chalk land. When walking on grass, I couldnt fault these boots at all, as they gave excellent ankle support and grip and at around 930g per boot, they are quite lightweight compared to many boots on the market. I wore the boots primarily in conjunction with a pair of 1000 mile socks as the weather was quite warm and I managed to cover the distance with no major issues at all, however I did start to feel a couple of hot spots starting around the 18 mile mark. That said, when I got to the end and checked my feet over, they were a little sore but no blisters so more than happy with this result.

The boots have a leather outer, coupled with a Gore-Tex and cambrelle lining that is designed to keep your feet dry, cool and abrasion free. I have always been a bit of a fan of the cambrelle lining as the lining is designed to transport moisture away from the foot, storing it away and releasing it back into the environment when the footwear is removed and as such reducing foot odour. Allegedly cambrelle is so efficient at moisture management that it is capable of absorbing three-and-a-half times its own weight in moisture keeping the foot cooler, drier, and more comfortable. That said, I wore these boots over several different days and weather ranging from baking hot and dry to freezing cold and wet and I did notice that once the weather started to get a little warmer, my feet were often damp with sweat, so I wouldnt wear these boots if the weather is too nice and certainly wouldnt pack them for a warmer tour.

These boots also come with the Lowa climate control system built into the soles of the boots, where moisture around the sole of the foot is absorbed away and then pumped out of the boot via the air permeable material using the pumping effect generated by walking or running.

There is also a soft padded leather area, just to the rear of the boot around the Achilles area, which increases the flex of the boot and also the padding and support at the rear of the ankle, which is a nice idea and works well. I found that the boots really hugged my feet and with the combination of their lightweight and supple leather, I found that I was able to move swiftly across several types of surface without getting overly fatigued.The boots are also waterproof to the top, so other than the sweat issue already mentioned, these are going to keep your feet dry unless the water comes over the top of your boots.

As previously mentioned, I have always been a bit of a fan of Vibram soles and far from having any issues with them, I have always found them to be very hard wearing, however when water testing these boots, I did hit a bit of a snag. Although these are sold as a mountain boot, you have to be quite careful when the soles are wet as they lose their grip on smooth surfaces including wet rocks and smooth concrete. They are fine on grass and tarmac, but I first noticed this when I put my foot on a stone that was just proud of the water level and my foot slipped straight off so I had a bit of a play on other surfaces and it wasnt a one off.. For most users, this isnt going to be a huge issue, as its only a case of remembering to be a little more careful with your footing when it is wet (which most people will do naturally), however I was surprised to find this issue in something labelled as mountain boots as I wouldnt want to have that extra little concern when half way up a mountain side.

In summary, all in all, these are an excellent pair of boots that are not only well designed, but also built to last. I do find it a bit odd, that although the boots appear to be designed for the colder and wetter end of the weather, the soles losing their grip in the wet is a bit of a concern.

Date Added: 13/06/2011 by Arrse Reviews