I don’t get impressed that often. I mean so impressed that I almost can’t believe what I’m testing. Well, I can say that was not true when I tested out some Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Hiking Boot.
It’s easy to see why these are LOWA’s number one seller. These boots are outstanding, super comfortable, lightweight, stable, and give you an enormous amount of traction. I mean, they should be; LOWAs are handmade in Europe and they’ve been around for over 90 years!
The features are aplenty – so bear with me while I run through just a few of them. We’ll start at the bottom; the outsoles.
The outsoles are Vibram Evo’s, which ensure stability and non-slip performance, as well as being soft enough rubber to increase cushioning and walking comfort. A special lug pattern is designed specifically for active use. I rucked about 4 miles in these with a 30 lb pack, barely tightened them up, and despite it being a little slick on some slopes, never lost my footing. And I almost tried to lose it. These boots weren’t having it!
The midsoles on the Lowa Renegade GTX Mid Hiking Boot are just as impressive, with a DuraPU® with MONOWRAP® Frame – meaning: the midsole delivers peerless shock absorption, and are more durable, long-lasting, and eco friendly than other midsole materials. In fact, if you are the type of person that cares about the environment and quality – LOWA builds their boots under the EU’s most stringent labor, manufacturing, and environmental regs. They are the ONLY outdoor footwear manufacturer to be granted ISO 9001 status for highest quality and construction standards.
Next we get to the footbed – which are climate controlled. No, they don’t have central air (yet), but they do have a proprietary moisture management system that keeps your feet dry, protecting you against blisters and hot spots (and anybody reading this knows we try and avoid both of those when we ruck – hell, we write entire articles about it!). It does this by having a series of holes inside the boots cuff lining to allow air to enter, while the walking motion pumps heat and moisture back out through those holes. In essence, moisture is pulled away from the foot, evaporating while you walk!
In conjunction with all of that, they have Gore-Tex lining, which keeps your feet dry when crossing streams. Trust me, my piggies were dry when I sludged through a small stream. And to top it off, Nubuck leather on the uppers.
All in, these boots are stylish, technologically advanced, comfortable, dry, and have ridiculous traction. Just look how sharp they looked out of the box.
In short, go grab a pair, I can’t find a single thing wrong with these. If I could give them 6 stars, I would.
Questions from our readers below.
Update 7.2017
These boots are fantastic. Comfortable, stable, and supremely well made. The handcrafted nature of them really shines – they wick away water, clean up easy, breathe while still being waterproof, and are extremely comfy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Castiglione lives in Atlanta, and is an avid outdoorsman and competitive shooter. He loves getting after it in his garage gym, practicing martial arts, hitting the trails, or running CrossFit and Strongman competitions.
His passion is helping animals and raising funds for his non-profit, Barbells for Bullies, which holds fundraiser fitness competitions dedicated to aiding Bully breed rescues, dog rescues, or other non-profits with similar missions.
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