I hike a lot in the mountains so I need good trekking boots. They need to be solid, comfortable, light, waterproof and have a firm sole. So far, Lowa Renegade GTX Mid boots have met all my expectations .
They are ankle-high nubuck leather mountain shoes. By now, I have been using them for 3 months. They already underwent serious tests in all-day hikes in Tatra mountains about which you can read here . There was lots of snow on the trails but, fortunately, no moisture got inside the boots. I also tested them in shorter, several-hour hikes in humid weather and their inside stayed dry.
Big thank you to those awesome people who invented GORE-TEX membrane!
The boots fall in midweight category - they weight 990 grams. Could be better but, I guess, it’s very difficult to find really light all-terrain hiking boots.
Outsole is Vibram Evo and it’s another thing I like about these boots. The sole is firm and amortizes shocks well but its firmness doesn’t make my feet ache after all day – seems a bit flexible and adaptable. During our winter hike in Tatra mountains I also observed that, compared to Bartosz’s “way of hiking”, I was slipping on the snow much less often than he did. I’m not sure if soles of my boots are better or it’s just me being more agile 😉
Some additional elements I find useful in Lowa Renegade GTX Mid boots are comfortable padded tongue, a collar which holds the ankle well and full-length nylon stabilizer.
What I don’t like about the shoes is their price – they cost 600 PLN (about 155 USD). I bought mine at Decathlon because they were a bit cheaper than in other shops. Out of curiosity, I checked their price in a few American online shops – the price soars to 230 USD! That’s quite a lot for a hiking boots...
Another thing which is worth mentioning is that the boots are rather wide . It may be a drawback for some people but it’s brilliant for me – my feet are, unfortunately, rather wide. I guess that hikers with narrow feet would need to wear thicker socks for the boots to hold their feet well.
In general, I find Lowa Renegade GTX Mid boots comfortable and of high quality. Despite being fairly new, they never made me get a blister or a hot spot. They’re good for long hikes in all weather. The major drawback is their price but it may turn out that, in the long run, you’ll pay a lot less with these boots. I will update this post to inform you if they are durable – it’s too soon for now to assess this aspect.
Advantages:
- comfortable (especially well-fitted for wide feet)
- waterproof and breathable thanks to GORE-TEX
- firm sole which absorbs shocks well but is still flexible
- good traction on rough terrain.
Disadvantages:
- noarch support
- expensive.
Update 23 May 2019: I'm still using Lowa Renegade GTX Mid boots and like them a lot! They're waterproof and comfortable. I'd recommend the boots for all-day hikes both in hilly terrain and high mountains.
If you feel I left out some useful information about the boots, feel free to comment below or contact me directly here .
