LOWA Vantage GTX

Playing in all types of weather conditions year round here in Colorado brings lots of challenges and tells all when it comes to the quality of footwear. One company that has continued to impress me over the years is Lowa. I’ve flat out abused their boots pushing them through conditions they have no business being in. Wet and cold feet are a quick killer of good vibes for any outdoor excursion, yet I find myself intentionally submerging my feet walking through water, or post holing through snow time and time again while testing these boots. Aiming for puddles instead of stepping around them, skipping the snowshoes, as well as sloshing through the mud helped me to feel like a little kid again. As for the summer and the warmer days on the trail, the foot never seemed to over heat. The overall temperature of my feet were always at comfortable level.

This by far has been the wettest summer I can remember, but it made for fun adventures. No matter the terrain the boots performed outstandingly, they continuously kept my feet dry, and provided great support. The LOWA Trac® Lite II outer soles seemed to hold up and securely grip on wet wood log crossings as well as slick rock after rain storms. Nothing beats obstacles and not so ideal weather for testing footwear, and I was more than happy with the sure footing of these boots and the outer sole. Continuously this Spring and Summer I’ve managed to turn these boots into somewhat of an amphibious state, but unless completely submerged the boots did an outstanding job at keeping my feet dry. I had to change my wet socks a few times, and for anyone who has been there you know how much fun that really is. Thankfully even with wet boots and dry socks the boots seemed to dry pretty fast and breathe well overall.

On top of wet conditions I also used these boots under very heavy carry loads. This Spring I attended a NOLS Wilderness First Responder Course, where I ended up carrying moulage victims a number of times as well. I was happy to have the support of a good boot while doing so. The last thing I wanted to worry about while carrying someone else was the though of rolling an ankle or a weak boot giving out and not providing stability. Equipped with the C4 Tongue and X-Lacing system really help keep the foot in place and secure no matter the conditions. The fit is extremely comfortable from the footbed through the heel cup. The overall design creates more of a sleek and athletic feel to the boot, eliminating the bulky clumsiness familiar to some wider built boots.

The Lowa Vantage GTX boots are a great all around boot that are capable of performing well in any weather or season. I hope these boots hold up for a very long time because I have a lot of adventure still planned for them.

Menikmati,

Bunny