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Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Lowa Trekker > Owner Review by Russell F. WilsonLowa Trekker BootsReviewer Information Name: Russell F. Wilson Age: 46 Gender: Male Height: 6’4” (1.9 m) Weight: 215 lb (97.5 kg) E-mail: pack6cubmaster (at) yahoo (dot) com Region: Western Illinois Date: 04 October 2004 Backpacking Experience I have been involved in backpacking since my youth. My participation increased throughout college and graduate school to reasonably frequent weeklong or multiple-week trips during any available free periods. Backpacking trips are now our primary family vacations, including extended weekend trips throughout the Midwest and longer trips in the spring and summer to the Sangre de Cristo, Smokey, and Sierra mountains. I am also the advisor for a BSA Venture Crew that normally takes one regional backpacking trip each month in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, or Indiana and at least two extended backpacking trips each year. Traveling with the family precludes ultra-light backpacking, but accommodating the needs of our children’s participation does require saving weight and space whenever possible. Product Information Manufacturer: Lowa Boots, LLC Year of Manufacture (purchase): 2003 Manufacturer URL: http://www.lowaboots.com Listed weight: 3.7 lb (1.7 kg) Weight as delivered: 4.1 lb (1.9 kg) – Men’s size 10 US Product Description: Hiking/Backpacking boots. MSRP: $200 US The boots are constructed of 2.4 mm (.09”) water repellant Nubuck leather, have a full glove leather lining and collar, a full rubber rand for durability, Vibram rubber sole with polyurethane midsole, and Lowa’s “Climate Control System” to keep feet dry and prevent blisters and hot spots. The packaging is basic, but includes a small booklet with suggestions for care and pre-treatment (for water-proofing). They have a slightly higher, well-padded collar design, and an asymmetrically padded tongue (padded heavier toward the outside of the foot) with a flex point at the ankle. Field Information Locations
Performance These boots were purchased to replace an old pair of Lowa Scout IIs that had reached the end of their useful life after several years of reliable service, so my expectations were high. I selected the Trekker boots over the more traditional backpacking styled Banff boots (the successors to the Lowa Scout series) because my backpacking adventures have become limited to more on-trail routes and the increased comfort level promised from the slightly less rigid soles seemed like a good idea. My only regret is that I waited this long to make the switch to the Trekker. The boots provided almost unbelievable out-of-the-box comfort. I gave them a minimal break-in period with some short, local day-hikes and realized immediately that this was almost entirely unnecessary. These boots already felt better than did my old friends the Scout IIs. The only shortcoming I observed was the durable water-repellency: It provided minimal protection at best. However, Lowa clearly recommends applying an aqueous based waterproofing product before first use in all their literature and in a care and use booklet attached to the boots. An application of Nik-wax according to the manufacturer’s directions rendered the boots completely water repellant. Their first real test came in late summer on a 12 day, 69-mile (111 km) trek in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The trek involved mostly trail hiking with a 40 lb (18 kg) backpack at around 8,000 ft (2,438 m) with a couple of climbs to 11,000 ft (3,353 m). The boots remained comfortable throughout and performed flawlessly. The slightly higher collar design provided ample ankle support. The sole (with only Lowa’s stock foot bed) was flexible and comfortable on the trail but offered enough rigidity to accommodate hiking across scree fields. The glove-leather lining throughout the boots cannot be beat for comfort, breathability, and moisture wicking properties. The boot’s outer is heavy 2.4 mm (.09”) Nubuck leather with more flexible inserts on the tongue and at the flex point at the back of the ankle for comfort. It held up quite well to the rigors of the scree with only minor marks in the leather and no damage to the stitching. The full rubber rand surrounding the boot most certainly figures into this durability. The rock marks did not noticeably decrease the water repellency, but I am forced to attribute that property more to the Nik-wax than the boot construction. In the eighteen months since this initial test, the boots have been my faithful companions on numerous weekend trips as well as an extended backpacking trip in the Sequoia National Forest and they are still performing according to my high expectations. The lining shows no sign of wear. The outers are in excellent shape with no notable damage that might affect performance. The rubber rand is in intact and doing its job of protecting the leather. After a few hundred miles of use, they do not quite look new anymore, but certainly appear to have many more miles ahead of them. The Vibram soles are excellent on wet, leaf-covered rocks and trails and provide adequate to good traction on snow and ice. However, the boots offer no thermal protection, making them fine for most environments, but perhaps less than ideal for extended winter outings. The Lowa “Climate Control System” is not just marketing hype—it works. According to Lowa, “A series of perforations, or holes, inside the boot's cuff lining allows air to enter the boot lining while walking movement "pumps" heat and moisture back out through the holes. Moisture is pulled away from the foot and evaporates while walking.” I was somewhat skeptical about this claim, frankly because their explanation seemed almost too simplistic to be effective. However, the results speak for themselves. Even in street-shoes, I normally have a problem with foot perspiration. This is not the case with the Lowa Trekkers. In hot and humid conditions, my feet remained comfortable, with or without sock liners The Lowa stock footbed supplied with the boots has compressed more than I had hoped and had to be replaced with a more durable after-market insole. Because the stock footbeds are stamped “Lowa Climate-Control System” I was somewhat anxious to find out if replacing them would affect the system in any way, but the wicking properties of the soft leather lining led me to believe there would be little if any difference. My limited experience so far with the new insoles has borne out my confidence. One note on maintenance: the glove leather lining should be cleaned regularly with saddle soap or a similar preparation to reduce build up of salts and increase its useful life. Summary The Lowa Trekker is as close to an ideal all-around hiking/trekking/backpacking boot as may be possible. It combines adequate support for mid- to heavy-weight backpacking with the comfort of a more flexible hiking boot. It is durable and dependable in most normally encountered environments, and the quality is irreproachable. (I would recommend a one-piece leather boot for more rigorous mountain or off-trail use because of the abundance of exposed stitching and the flexible sole of the Trekker.) If only I could justify wearing them to the office… Things I like Comfortable (Glove leather lining, Lowa “Climate Control System.”) Durable (relatively heavy Nubuck leather outers, full rubber rand). Good traction. Things I don’t like A great deal of exposed stitching. While I have not encountered any problems or experienced any failures, the potential is there. However, this is a design and use choice and should not be an issue if used for their intended purpose. Read more reviews of Lowa gear Read more gear reviews by Russell F. Wilson Reviews > Footwear > Boots > Lowa Trekker > Owner Review by Russell F. Wilson | |||