Exceptional military boot.
Thirty year career Army Warrant Officer; U.S. Special Forces Commmander; this is the best boot I've ever worn; period. At 48 years of hard living, plantar fasciitis/fasciosis are an issue for me; the cascading effects of what that can do to your gait, knees, and quality of life are imminent unless you do something to treat it. After a week+ in these boots, my feet are healing and I am almost completely pain free. Previous reviews suggested potential problems with the webbing failing at the laces; I can sort of see that, as those loops are webbing and not otherwise part of the boot; we'll see. Some suggested that the arch support was less than expected; I agree, but only mildly. If these compress, I keep Sorbothane UltraGraphite arch supports in my kit; Amazon and Zappo's sell them and will get them to you nearly anywhere on Earth. !!!IMPORTANT!!! Order 1/2 size LARGER than you normally wear. I normally wear 8.5; I ordered a 9; if I hit a step really hard, I can barely feel my toes hit the end of the toe box; but I really feel like 1/2 size larger is about right; if you go up a full size, you'll likely still be fine as this boot is a snug, but not binding, fit; but I'd err to the larger vs. smaller size. In closing, this is the lightest and most comfortable military-style boot that I've ever worn. I am currently on the ground in a combat zone. As to the durability, we'll see, but there are many of these boots being worn around me and nary one bad or ambivalent comment.
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Best shoes money can by
Okay this is by far the best pair of shoes I've ever wore. And I've wore many many different types of tactical shoes. A few reviews have mentioned that these shoes have fell apart. Well I've had theses 1 year so far and from day 1, and i've pressed these shoes to the limit. I've wore these through water knee deep u and down creeks, rappelling, caving, fast roping, I've ran in them training for Navall special operations. Never been washed, just sprayed off with a water hose. You name it they have been in it, snow, mud, sand, rock, water, and NO tearing apart anywhere on it. Only a small hole wore on the back of the ankle on the left shoe. I have wore them EVERY DAY for a year and I will swear by them. They are very resistant to oder as well. Sounds too good to be true and I thought the same as well until now. Definitely worth the money no shoes should have lasted through what these have but I'm still wearing them today. Tread is getting low due to the miles of running and hiking over the last year but still very comfortable. If I can figure out how to upload pictures I will. Two thumbs up for lowa!!!
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S
Standard Deviation
June 30, 2013
Lightweight Street/Lite Hiking/Walking Boot
Very comfortable out of the box. Nice and light. Fits a tiny bit narrow which helps with support. Would prefer open, hook style laces at the top of the boot. All eyelets for laces are closed. Worn about 30 miles in the last 25 days. So far no hot spots or rubbing.Update 5 Jan 2014: Worn for 6 months, almost daily (really comfortable). Boots have broken in well and still fit nice and snug. Slight lightening of the leather color is noticeable. I have not worn these boots for any real hiking. Just walking and street use. Ankle support is good due to snug fit. I can see that the sole is soft and wears quickly. Not sure how much long-term use I will see. Will update again after 1 year of use. Still very satisfied. May buy another pair as reserve for the day when these wear out.
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Best on the Market
As always, Lowa makes amazing boots--- durable, good-looking, tough but light, the best on the market.
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Restocking fee if you return is outrageous
Ordered them and they didn’t quite fit right (small) but ended up not needing them. Returned them and was charged $95.00 restocking fee. As a Retired veteran had I known the restocking fee would be such I would have gifted them to a young airman in need instead. This is a ridiculous amount for restocking. Be aware. The boots were nice but the return and restocking fee is outrageous.
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K
Kelly Crawford
July 07, 2014
Best Boots so far!
Ok I bought these as a upgrade replacement for the military style Danners I had become accustomed to after 23 yrs of military service. I was looking for a ankle height, all terrain, lightweight boot that would be good for a multitude of environments. Primarily the desert as I spend a lot of time In Joshua Tree National Park. Rocky trails and scrambling is par for the course Was not concerned with waterproofing as I have never owned a pair of water proof boots in my life.After reading the reviews and trying a pair of these at Nomad Adventures in JT. I would have worn them out of the store but, I wanted to check pricing online. Retail and online pricing is fairly close once you take into account any taxes you might pay in a store. average price was between $180- $190 depending on merchant. So I decided to order them via Amazon to get the sooner. I will say that anyone interested in these boots should definitely pay attention to the reviews. They are made in Europe so ABSOLUTELY order them a half size larger if you are used to North American sizing. I wear a 9.5R and I ordered the 10. The fit was perfect!!Took them for a test hike up Ryan's peak in the park (3.5 mile roundtrip) All up hill one way :) No hotspots, rubs, chafing or blisters. They felt like an extension of my feet from the second I put them on. Of course I go with the higher end Smart Wool socks so this may have contributed. I have now put about 20 hard miles on them in the last 10 days and have no complaints with the fit or the performance.I am not a huge fan of the upper eyelets but, I can live with it. I will be wearing these on the Cactus to Clouds trail at the end of the month and plan on wearing them for the 76 mile C section of the Oregon PCT. So I will follow up with any new information related to performance or comfort. So far so good and I am happy with the purchase so far.Highly recommend these boots for for anyone looking for a good all around multi terrain hiking boot.
✔ Verified Purchase
