Lowa Patrol Boots - Pic Heavy

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Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
Boots are important, everyone who needs them should invest in a quality pair that'll look after you and last years. Lowa, a German boot maker, are widely regarded as being one of these high quality manufacturers. I've worn a pair of Lowa mountain boots for years, covering hundreds of miles in them, resoling them several times, but now they're due replacing.

At the weekend i went shopping for a pair of lowa patrols, which are the non-goretex lined version of their mountain boots. These so far seem very good, so i thought i would do a quick review.

The Boots

The Patrols look from the outside identical to the mountains in every way, the only difference on the outside is a "PTB" marking to show which model they are, the rest of the differences are all inside. Pics;

Patrol%202.jpg


Patrol%201.jpg


Comparison with the Mountain on the right;

Patrol%20amp%20Mountain.jpg


The Fit

This is one of the key differences between these two boots. The Patrol has noticeably more volume to it than the mountain. This is down too the design of the upper compared to the lined boot. The tongue of the boot on the patrol is connected with far more material than the mountain, meaning it can stretch much further to accommodate a higher instep, there is also more padding, presumably to make up for this difference in fit.

20160125_121256_resized.jpg


Above you can see how the grey goretex lining is sewn directly from the side of the mountain boot across the tongue itself, this removes some volume and padding from the boots to ensure waterproofing. Compares to the arrangement in the patrol the difference is very noticeable;

20160125_121317_resized.jpg


These boots would suit anyone with a high instep better than the mountain. I'm assuming the same type of attachment is used in all lined Lowa boots. The heel & toe area, as well as width feel the same. Lowas are sized on EU sizing, so tend to come up slightly smaller than UK sizes, I've went half a size up on this pair to use a thicker insole. As always the boots should be tried on first.

The Lining

The Patrol swaps out the Goretex waterproof liner for a full cambrelle lining. This apparently keeps you feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The boots are definitely warm but don't feel sweaty like the Goretex ones can. It feels sturdy and well made, so should last well. One thing that's certain is that it'll dry quicker when they eventually get soaked through, which is always a bonus.

The Insole

The boots come with Lowas standard climate control insole, designed to move sweat away from the foot and keep the feet dryer. These are okay, not great, but not bad. I would recommend replacing them with something better.

The Sole

The sole unit used on both boots is the same. Made by Vibram and very grippy. The soles on Lowas seem to wear well compared with some of the softer soles found on hiking boots, meaning a longer life. The trade off for this is that they can be slipper on wet surfaces, such as wet rock, and are poor in the snow and ice. Above the Vibram sole is a softer rubber layer for shock absorption. I can't say if this is really any better than other systems from different manufacturers, but i'm sure it works fine. Pic below of the sole on the new boots, and the now worn down sole of the old;

20160125_121229_resized.jpg


Durabillity

I've never had a pair of lowa boots break on me. And i haven't heard any stories of them failing either. The mountains have many hundreds of miles put in them with no problems. These boots can be re-soled so long as the uppers are still wearable, meaning you'll get years of use out of these so long as they're cared for.

The Leather Care

Obviously since these boots don't have a waterproof lining, how water resistant they are is down to how you care for them. Lowa sell a variatry of products that are suppose to be the best for the boots. I've only tried their Active Cream product and can say for definite this does nothing to waterproof the leather. I tried this out last year and when the ground got wet the leather got soaked on the old boots. You could wipe this stuff off with a damp cloth after its dried on the boots. Kiwi polish and the like is probably what most people will be using on these boots, many manufacturers say to stay away from this since it can cause the leather to harden and crack. This DID happen to the mountain boots, at the front where the leather bends. A crack developed in the leather and it felt very dry. After this i went out and bought a tin of G-wax to use on the boots, this helped greatly with the leather feeling much more supple after treatment, but the damage had been done. A new product I've been using a lot of lately on the brown issue boots is Leder Gris by Altberg, this works very well at waterproofing the leather and apparently prevents drying. It comes in several types and colors, including black, and costs about £5 a tin. I bought the standard black and the "Extreme" black, supposedly for restoring dry leather;

20160125_121352_resized.jpg


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The leather on the Patrols when they came did feel slightly dry, in a kind of 'sat in a storeroom for a while' way, so i put a good bit of the extreme leder gris on and this stored it right out. A very good product by the looks of it. Altberg warn this this can over-soften the leather so should only be used when needed, with the standard leder gris used as an everyday treatment.

I'll be heading out to the hills this weekend to thoroughly test the boots, but so far they seem excellent for the cost. I bought the black as they are cheaper than the brown version and since they'll be used for general wear and in the field the color doesn't matter too much. I'll add more to the review when I've given them a better testing but hope this is of help to anyone looking for a good pair of boots.

Tonyuk

Tech Specs;

Sturdy water repellent 2.6mm leather.
Cambrelle® lined for outstanding climate control, breathability and wear resistance.
Vibram® "Tsavo" sole unit (repairable).
Asymmetric Walking Position.
Achilles leather flex panel in heel for extreme comfort.
Climate control system and insole.
Climate controlled insole and boot laces available separately
925gm (One boot size 8)
 
Last edited:
Jan 3, 2016
110
1
Buckinghamshire
Nice viewing, mate. Top boots. Got my first pair of Lowa last November and I'm thrilled to bits with 'em. Lowa Combats they are. I was looking at the Mountain Boots but the AWP put me off, as I use a set of Superfeet green insoles, both in the Lowa and my pair of Leather Rogues. So I wasn't sure whether I'd be causing or experiencing unwanted issues with my Gait, with the AWP in the Mountain, so I went for the Combat.

Nice one.
 

widu13

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Feb 9, 2008
2,334
19
Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
Lowas are great boots but heavy, everyone Lowa owner that I know has tried on the correct spec Alt-Berg has always gone away with the AB boot. A key factor in boot requirements is that the user nearly always over specs their requirement and therefore the boot. Lowas have a low failure rate as do the ABs.

Leder Gris is the holy grail. It is the best kit out there for any leather. You won't go wrong with that stuff.
 

Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
Lowas are great boots but heavy, everyone Lowa owner that I know has tried on the correct spec Alt-Berg has always gone away with the AB boot. A key factor in boot requirements is that the user nearly always over specs their requirement and therefore the boot. Lowas have a low failure rate as do the ABs.

Leder Gris is the holy grail. It is the best kit out there for any leather. You won't go wrong with that stuff.

I agree there they can be a bit heavy and Altbergs are very good, and nearly always lighter than the Lowas. The leder gris is proving to be top stuff as the boots are still 100% dry inside even with the miserable weather we're having up here.

Tonyuk
 
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Apr 8, 2009
1,165
144
Ashdown Forest
I've had those boots for years and they have seen me through some tough conditions. I agree that they are heavy though, and these days I am looking for something a little lighter, but altbergs just don't fit me properly - I tend to find they come up really small, and the toe box is weirdly shaped and even the largest size ones that i can get away with push uncomfortably against the inside of my big toes. So for now at least, my Lowas reign supreme...
 
Jan 26, 2016
2
0
essex
Lowa boots are a great boot! very durable etc, although for stalking animals etc they are just a bit too big and 'clumsy' but for mountain or hill walking they are perfect.
They do a lighter version called the 'recce' boot, very light very durable if weight is a problem. Other than boots by bates they are my favorite boot.
In response to the altbergs coming up to small, you can get altbergs made to fit. They take a mold of your foot and build the boot using that. its well worth the money if altbergs is what you want.
 

Nomad64

Full Member
Nov 21, 2015
1,072
593
UK
Thanks for the heads up on Leder Gris, I'll give it a go.

That's certainly a well worn pair of boots and I'm insanely jealous that you are able to get that much (even) wear out of a pair - I'm a heavy heel striker and the outside of the heels of anything I put on my feet gets worn down (and the instability gives me pain in my knee joints) well before the rest of the sole. :(
 

Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
Thanks for the heads up on Leder Gris, I'll give it a go.

That's certainly a well worn pair of boots and I'm insanely jealous that you are able to get that much (even) wear out of a pair - I'm a heavy heel striker and the outside of the heels of anything I put on my feet gets worn down (and the instability gives me pain in my knee joints) well before the rest of the sole. :(

Take them to a cobbler, and as them to put a hard plastic 'wear point' on the part of the heel that's wearing down too fast. That'll make them last a good bit longer and should cost about £5 a boot. Timpsons do this too i think.

Tonyuk
 
Sep 11, 2014
418
33
Maidstone, KENT
Dec 10, 2015
387
137
South Wales
I have a pair of Lowa super camps and I also rate them highly. They are a thick heavy boot but I have used them from the winters of Norways to the desserts of Afghan and most bogs and wet land inbetween.
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
1,955
319
Northumberland
I've had those boots for years and they have seen me through some tough conditions. I agree that they are heavy though, and these days I am looking for something a little lighter, but altbergs just don't fit me properly - I tend to find they come up really small, and the toe box is weirdly shaped and even the largest size ones that i can get away with push uncomfortably against the inside of my big toes. So for now at least, my Lowas reign supreme...
Pay a visit or a phone call to them to get proper advice on a fit. They are superb for that
 

andywragg

Forager
Jun 9, 2016
110
1
Sheffield UK
My first pair of Lowa's were 2nd hand from a small army surplus shop in Halifax. They were the shorter Lowa boots, still goretex lined, and resoled by the shop. I covered some serious miles with quite heavy loads in those boots. Great for 3 season use. I then bought the Mountain boots new from the same place IIRC. I still have the mountain boots although they need resoling due to mice eating away at the midsole whilst in storage in the cupboard - they sure do like foam rubber.
I find the mountain boots to be very stiff and only really wear them in winter when we have snow. I wish i'd never let my 'short' ones go as they were such a good pair of boots, but I gave them away to the lads in my old TA unit when I left.
I'd recommend Lowa's to anyone wanting a very hard wearing comfortable boot
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
1,955
319
Northumberland
I also find today's military boots a little heavy good but heavy gone back recently to the old assault boot. Found one online that does the assault boot with the dms sole
 

ph5172

Forager
Feb 13, 2010
233
4
Coventry
I've had those boots for years and they have seen me through some tough conditions. I agree that they are heavy though, and these days I am looking for something a little lighter, but altbergs just don't fit me properly - I tend to find they come up really small, and the toe box is weirdly shaped and even the largest size ones that i can get away with push uncomfortably against the inside of my big toes. So for now at least, my Lowas reign supreme...

I too have the same problem with AB, i take an 11 Lowas but 11 in AB pushed on the side of my little toes, i had to go up to a size 12 to relieve this but they came up slightly too big.
I too stick with Lowas and have never had an issue with Gortex lining, but they are heavy. I was thinking about going down the unlined route to trim off some of the weight as i find over hard ground my shins take a pounding
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
I bought a used pair of Lowa desert elite boots last year for dry weather / summer use.

Must say, they are one of the comfiest boots i've ever owned :)
 

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