Lowa Men's Renegade GTX Mid Hiking Boot Review

I had a pair of Merrel hiking boots. Which I liked. But they began to fall apart after daily 7 mile hikes over 6 months. While I was searching for a replacement pair, I read a review where someone said well, what do you expect, they aren't lowa. I've only had this pair for a few weeks. But so far I love them. I love the high ankle support. I will have to wait and see how they hold up after a year of hard hiking. But so far so good. They also fit very well on me. I know everyone is different. But many times when I buy shoes they have a high in-step which causes a blister until I get them broken in. That was not the case with these. I'm a size 11. The boots are size 11. They fit perfectly straight out of the box.

Yes these boots are expensive, but you get what you pay for certainly shows its truth here. These are exactly what I've been looking for, and have lived up to all of my expectations without fail. I've spilled gasoline, diesel, acetone, Weld spatter, and grinder sparks all over these boots. No discoloration, no fraying, no signs of delamination, and I'm still on the original laces after almost a full year in these boots.Now to be fair, comfort and fitment are going to vary from person to person, but man these are like a tailored fit for me haha! The shoe soles are very comfortable. Not way too soft, and not hard like a rock. Just right like good ol' Goldie Locks used to say.Can't find enough good things to say about lowa. They included a very detailed break in guide and have great information on cleaning and conditioning. Regular care even after some of the toughest days I've put these boots through and they still look just as good as they day they came outta the box5 big fat golden stars for the people at LOWA. Outstanding.

This is my 2nd pair of Lowa Renegade hikers. I bought my first pair in 2017 prior to a trip to Scotland. They required no “break-in” - they were comfortable right out of the box. I have since worn them as my “go to” footwear and have hiked in Canada, Alaska, Colorado, Arizona, Texas and other parts of the U.S. My last hike with them was Machu Picchu in Peru - a fitting finale for them, but the heels have begun to wear through so time for a new pair! Lowa is the only brand of hiking boot purchased by the YMCA of the Rockies for use as rentals - that says a lot for the brand! P.S. They are made in Romania not China.

I've had 2 pair of Lowas (both purchased at outfitters) so far; the first pair lasted about 10 years; the second I'm replacing after 5+; for the last 10 years I've pretty much lived in them for 3 months every year. I think the tread on the newer ones wears out faster than the older ones, but then what else is new. I also think the uppers on the newer ones are more susceptible to stitching tears.I like them because they fit me well, and seem to have a nice balance between rugged-ness and lightness. Another reason is that I am a bit clumsy and they protect my feet when I slam into a stone or root. However, I do seem to be between a narrow and a mid, which causes problems for my baby toes on a long tramp; I may just switch to a mid for pair #3 and see how that goes.I wear them in a variety of terrains: extreme wet/muck; rooty forest tracks; foreshore low-tide scrambling; dry stony tracks, etc. The footing is good, although no replacement for common sense in very wet conditions. Its possible to walk through water in them, up to the top lace, as long as they are waterproofed properly, something which I've found should be done every year. In a pinch they can be worn under dress pants and not look too out of place (tho that probably depends on where you are).In general, I do not like the lacing system; I think it is a bit out-dated. It takes a long time to get them off and on, for instance, if you pick up a stone. But it does have a bit of flexibility in how you configure it (you may find that different lacing setups are better for different terrains; but that is a characteristic of any decent boot, I think)Despite the decreased durability, and the lacing system, I think I am going to stick with them for pair #3. Although I have tried other boots, its only been in stores; and nothing I've tried has fit me well enough that I would think of taking it any further. With a boot, where its just me and the track and no help nearby, the devil I know is better than the one I don't.This is an update.For my third pair I ordered .5 size larger than I have in the past (I read something about this on a site that specializes in hiking footwear). This has solved all of my problems with blisters/pinching on smaller toes. Leaving behind the snug fit I was accustomed to took a bit of getting used to but has turned out to be a very good move.

I tried this boot on at a highly respected Seattle based camping store outlet. They fit incredible in the store. When I was ready to purchase, the store was out of stock so I ordered from Amazon. This is a great boot. I wore them two days later on an 11 mile hike. One of my feet was a little sore. As it turns out, I had the laces a little too tight in the toe box. If I had purchased them in the store the salesman would probably have helped me discover this before the hike. I also added a boot sole liner which took the fit and feel to exceptional. I have now hiked with these boots for about 30 miles above tree line in the mountains, over rocks and roots and through streams. I enjoy them more than my previous boots which were Vasque Sundowners.

This is a very comfortable, durable boot--except the heels wore through on the outside edge in nine months. Granted I do walk on the outsides of my feet and the backs, but . . . I've never had the soles of boots wear out so fast, even though I hike a lot. I spoke with Lowa and apparently the soles cannot be replaced as is possible with some of their other models: Trekker, Camino, Ranger, etc. Also, those other models have a harder sole with deeper lugs. (By the way, Lowa was very helpful, just couldn't correct this problem.) So, if your gait is at all out of the ordinary and likely to add wear to the soles, I'd definitely avoid this boot. A shame because everything else about it seems to solid.

Footbed could be better…..shoe size order next size up runs alittle small