Design defect--fills with sand or water between lining and upper
These boots have a design defect that allows sand to enter and get trapped into the boot between the inner waterproof lining and the outer material. Where the tongue connects to the main upper is not sealed on each side, with a hole about the size of a small finger leading into the space between the lining and the outside of the upper. I hiked in these boots at Great Sand Sunes and ended up with about a cup of sand in my boots and serious bruises on my upper toes where the packed sand in the uppers was pushing against my feet. Eventually, I spent a couple of hours emptying the sand through the small holes and the lace holes so that I could continue my 10 day trip as I had no other boots.I contacted Inov8 and they said that because the boots had a Gore-Tex lining where sand would stick, they weren't designed to wear in sand. I explained that it was not an issue of some sand sticking to the lining and they then said that because I ordered through Amazon I should contact the seller directly for a refund, stating "This should work even if you are outside of the usual 30-day return policy, as all our items come with a 12-month warranty with the responsibility held by each retailer."I contacted Gritr and after a few rounds of interaction (at least one with a “virtual assistant” rather than a real person), they agreed to submit the warranty. Gritr then notified me that Inov8 acknowledged that they had had interactions with me and were aware of the issue but they now denied the warranty, stating that the boots were not designed to wear in sand. I am left with boots still filled with sand and damaged feet. Very disappointed in Inov8 and Gritr.Also worth noting that if you use these boots in wet conditions, it had better be really clean water, because the water will enter the boots just as then sand did. And while the water might drain out, any dirt or algae or bacteria in the water will get permanently trapped in the boot (ick).