GTX or not GTX, that is the question?

[Schwert]

I have only ever had one boot with goretex liner....and it convinced me to never never never ever buy another pair. I alsolutely completely hated those boots. Hot as hell, sweaty...like wearing a marsh on my feet which really do not sweat excessively. I despise goretex boots to the very depth of my soul....hate is too loving a word for those boots.

My wet feet in standard leather boots have always come from either wading too deep or from snow or grass dew. I wear a decent pair of tall gaiters (goretex ones but who's telling) in snow and short fabric ones in dust and leather boots...no issues.

Finding a decent boot without goretex is getting harder and harder. I currently wear off-the-shelf Limmer standards (made by Meindl I believe). Great boot with no "miracle" fabrics or other such BS.

http://********.free.fr/guest/LimmerWalk.jpg

These Limmers are my standard 4-season boots, except for pure snow and ice work where I wear double plastic mountaineering boots that take a rigid crampon. I cannot remember who made mine but they are great boots as long as I am on snow or ice...on dirt they are killers.

 

[steven andrews]

I have just bought Meindl Borneo Pro's too. I really like them so far.

I had a bad experience with goretex lined boots, on a two month rural tour in Northern Ireland wearing Matterhorn boots. I got water in the top of the boots when crossing a deep stream. I had a nightmare trying to dry them out as I had to wear them everyday. I'd just about get them dry - then I'd have to cross another stream. I had wet feet for seven weeks.
The guys with issue BCH were better off as they could dry their boots overnight when back at camp.

Also, every pair of goretex lined leather fireboots that I have been issued have ended up leaking within a year.
No goretex footwear for me, thanks!

 

[DavidJT]

Had leather and GTX over the years, and they both have their merits.
BTW Where's the option for leather boots + GTX socks?! Not that I've tried that option.

 

[Beorn]

I only prefer GTX in winterboots. During summer I'm around with normal leather boots or lighter. When I'm up in the mountains (Dolomites, Slovenjia, etc.) I also take GTX-boots, it's safer, because of weather changes, ...
In my memories of my winter in Scotland GTX was also my prefered boot material. I just wasn't used to this amount of rain

 

[woof]

I've got a pair of these, you won't be disapointed with them, al though i have membrane boots(altberg,matterhorn & lowa)for work, i prefer non-membrane. Agood buy, you can wear them straight out of the box, and they bed in straight away.

Rob

 

[Tiley]

I always used to think that a Goretex liner for a boot would be a good idea - keeping out the wet and so on - but then I tried a pair of Lundhags and I realised that I simply didn't need Goretex anymore.

 

[gregorach]

Well, I've been a big fan of goretex-lined boots for years. I've found in the past that no matter how well proofed your unlined boots are, they soak through eventually. I don't have a problem with hot or sweaty feet.

 

[wizard]

The only place I have ever liked a Gore-tex shoe or boot was around town on a rainy day.

If I had to actually walk a great deal with a GT boot, my feet would be like raw beef afterward. I once took a pair of GT boots on a 3 day hike of the Nepali Coast on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It rained everyday and the hike was long, muddy and up and down a lot. My feet were raw, bloody stumps.
It totally amazes me the amount of Gore-Tex boots there are for sale. They are just about the most uncomfortable boots I can think of. My feet were wetter inside the boot than it was in the rain. My feet would have much more comfortable in plain leather or leather/nylon hikers.

When I was in the US Army, I was given some experimental Gore-Tex military boots and had to report my experience with them. I did like them on rainy days around the barracks but for field use they ate up my feet. Too hot, too cold, too uncomfortable and on and on. The US military played with the GT boots with several models and finally gave up on Gore-Tex boots, no one actually had much good to report on them!

NO Gore-Tex boots!!!!

 

[dookie]

i got these http://www.fitnessfootwear.com/c-205-salomon-boots.aspx in november there great feet have been warm and dry in the snow so far i can drive in them there comfy a bit pricey but ya feet can be as important as your hands so worth the investment i felt i got the light grass coz the coulor was quite bushcrafty but only avalible in womens sizes up to 5.5 the mens are black with red decal still the same boot

 

[oetzi]

The only area where I would wear a GTX-lined boot would be in any kind of swamp or the scandinavian Fjell.
Water will still enter enter the boot from the top, but it will dry out very much faster than one with leather lining.

In our shop, more than 90% of the employees wear leather-lined ones and abut the same majority of customers choose a GTX-lined one.
"waterproof" being the conditio sine qua non for them, whether they need it or not.

 

[BorderReiver]

Well, I've been a big fan of goretex-lined boots for years. I've found in the past that no matter how well proofed your unlined boots are, they soak through eventually. I don't have a problem with hot or sweaty feet.

I've found that no matter what I do, GTX boots always leak after not much wear.

I couldn't find a pair of Borneo boots the last time I needed them and got a pair of Meindl GTXs. To be fair, they have kept my feet warm in the current freeze and they haven't leaked yet after three months of daily use. Fingers crossed.

Still prefer the plain non GTX type boots though.

 

[Lordyosch]

I've recently bought my first pair of non-goretex 3 season boots. I've had a few pairs of GTX boots in the past and they were fine until the membrane pierced or water went over the top of the boot.

I spent 27 hours travelling by coach through Spain and Portugal with one dry boot and one very soggy GTX boot. I had to periodically remove my sock and wring it out, replace it in the boot to absorb more water. The result on arrival in Lisbon was pretty horrible!

My current boots are Meindl's (my first pair of Meindls) they're superb. Reversed leather to which I have applied the Nikwax for suede. Been out in the snow every day and I've not over heated or got soaked. Top stuff indeed!

As my winter boots I have Salomon SM9s for crampon use, they're not GTX either but I guess If its cold enough to be wearing them, there isn't going to be too much liquid water about anyway.


Jay

 

[Robbi]

on the subject of boots, what do people think of Danner boots ? any good ?

 

[legin]

what do people think of Danner boots ? any good ?

I had a pair many moons ago. They were really pricey and excellent but a bit on clodhopper side for my taste.

Nigel.

 

[Glosfisher]

I'm really struggling to find a pair of non-Goretex three season boots that will fit my narrow unBritish feet!

Anyone any suggestions?

 

[littlebiglane]

on the subject of boots, what do people think of Danner boots ? any good ?

I think I saw a pair for the first time a month or two back - Kevin Endicott was sent a sample. Seemed really pricey on full RRP - which was up near £200. They were really, really light (mil version) with directly moulded sole and were leather lined - which was a nice touch. They seemed to be well made but I have not tried them. I doubt Kev would be selling them anywhere near their RRP if he was to stock them.

 

[littlebiglane]

I'm really struggling to find a pair of non-Goretex three season boots that will fit my narrow unBritish feet!

Anyone any suggestions?

Lundhag Scout's?

I walked upstream in these, on Dartmoor, for about 10 minutes in water up to low shin and my feet were still dry at the end of the day. It was a day of sloshing across peat bogs and feather beds too.

 

[Mikey P]

If you really want proper, 4-season, consistently and reliably waterproof boots, buy plastics. 1000s of mountaineers with dry feet are not wrong.

 

[MickeS]

For me it's unlined leather boots with rubber bottoms, like Lundhags;

http://www.lundhags.se

I wear them all year around, have several pairs in different sizes so I can alter the number of socks according to ambient temperature. They are quite light, dry very quickly, and forms to your foot like lether boots should. Most I bought second hand, by the way.

Before I wore rubber boots - heavy, sweaty and not so stable, but waterproof. Then I tried Meindl GTX, Tundra & Taiga - heavy, sweaty, took ages to dry and the second pair hurt my feet like h*ll...
And the first pair sprung a leak after only a couple of years...
When the inner lining on my second pair came loose I chucked them in a closet and seldom wore them again
A couple of weeks ago I got them out with a pair of scissors and gave them a good cut!

The inner lining was hardly glued on at all in one boot and not at all in the other. Under the linings I found some perforated rubber and plastics, ca 130 grams per shoe, which I tore out. Once again, in one shoe nothing was really glued in but was just stuck in place!

So, this is what your typical, breathable GTX shoe keeps inside.

This is the contents of one shoe...

No wonder they don't "breathe" very well and take ages to dry if wet.

 

[skoper]

i wouldnt reccomend meindl goretex boots, as meindl are an excellent waterproof boot to begin with ,, with exclent breathable propperties,, adding goretex,, slows the breathable process in summer,, and your feet will sweat more than normal, unless your intending to use them as a winter boot only go for it,, otherwise get the none gtx version,, theyre every bit as waterproof,, without the sweatyness,