Women's Lowa Renegade GTX Mid

I've had these for probably 6-7 years, and they were perfect from Day 1. Now the soles are coming unglued and the sole filler is disintegrating. Okay, so they have been quite a few miles in mud, rain, bogs, [...] grocery aisles, pastures, boats, and just around and about. I have various foot problems (bunions, mild arthritis) and these are by far my most comfortable walking/hiking/outdoor shoes of any I ever wear. I considered shopping around just because that's what women do, then decided "why bother?" -- these were perfect for more than 6 years, so I'll just click and replace.

I hiked in these boots on a 4 day trip in the Grand Canyon and I wore them with sock liners and hiking socks. Everyone else on my trip got blisters but I did not. These boots kept my feet dry when splashing through streams, provided good ankle support when my ankles were tired, and laced well to give specific parts of my foot and ankle more or less support as I needed them to. [...]the most "forgiving" boots [...]. They moved with my feet and as I was hiking downhill, there was enough room and I was able to lace the ankles tight enough that my toes did to slam into the boot. I will wear these boots for years!

I just took these from Oregon mountains to SoCal deserts. Three weeks ago, I was exploring Mount Hood (just beneath the snow line) on a few day-hikes with friends. It was chilly, wet, slippery, etc but these boots held up. I never needed to worry about where I was stepping, I simply moved on through without concern. Needing to traverse creek beds by jumping on wet rock, AMAZING traction. No break in time, feet never wet (foot went under water several times, though not above the ankle). Coming from a background in the Navy, break in time, waterproofing, and breathability are hard to balance and sooo important to a good, long adventure. This design does it all, though. This past weekend, I then took the boots with me to Joshua Tree Natl Park, a high desert region with incredible bouldering and rock face climbing. I left my rock climbing shoes at home since they need resoling, and I managed to keep up with the crew on every surface while bouldering and top roping. The straight edges of the boot allow you to actually rock climb with them, so I could go from scaling boulders to hiking spiky trails without any time lost. It was about 95*F and my feet never sweat. Also, the rocks out there did not wear out the shoe at all- not a scratch on them. THE ONLY DOWNSIDE: The bottom of this shoe is very well cushioned, and sturdy. This cuts down on your ability to "feel the natural terrain" underneath you, so it takes some getting used to. I can't drive with them because I can never feel the pressure I'm exerting on the pedals. I'm sure this will become easier eventually, but for those of you who like that moccasin feel to hiking (I used to absolutely need it in a shoe, no matter the pain it brought, as it may me much more secure in my movements), this shoe may not be for you. Otherwise, I give it an A++!!!

My Lowa GTX boots have lasted longer that some of the people, places, and hiking trails I've traveled. For over 6 years, these boots were perfect out of the gate. From casual wearing to mild running, indoors or outdoors, working alongside of or simply teaching the public about wildlife these are the best boots I've used at my job. While on a business trip, I used another pair of work-boots so I wouldn't wear out my Lowas. But, I quickly re-booted after a days hiking about in the other boots. That's because of the great ankle support and high-arch support my Lowas provide. My foot is small, size 5, with a AA-narrow in-step. My only complaint is that they fit a little too tight, which can be resolved by loosening the laces. I can't comment on backcountry or wet weather because I hike below the tree line and on sunny-to-cloudy days. I have used them in areas where there has been light snow from 2-feet or less. My feet were nice and cozy!

I have had these boots for close to 10 years. I bought them before a 4 mo trip to Kenya. I hurt my foot badly in Kenya while wearing sandals, and these boots saved me because they were stiff and supportive. I hiked up Mt Kenya in them, and I never had any issues with blisters. Since then, I have used these boots for everything from snowshoeing, outdoor work, causal hikes, and backpacking trips. About 2 years ago, the seems started to fail where the boot connects to the sole. We used some shoe goo to seal up the seams, but now they have gotten to the point where they look like frankenstein! I would consider buying these boots again, but given all of the issues that others have reported on similar seam splitting, I think that I will try a different brand.