Is gortex lined boots as good as the manufacturers and their peddlers say they are?

[bushman]

I must just be unlucky. Every single boot that is gor tex lined have failed me. I've owned a bunch over the years. The last 2 years though have really bothered me, as I relied on boots to keep me dry for extended periods of time. Last year I bought a pair of Danner pronghorns gortex lined. I know, not a high end boot, but still I went off the premise that the boot manufacturer said 100 % water proof because of the gortex lining. I wore first lite bramble gaiters over the tops, silk liners and merino wool light hiking socks. In just 2 days time my feet got wet and stayed wet in wet vegetation. I chalked it off to cheap boots. so this year I thought gee if I pay 330 bucks for a pair of good boots my feet will stay dry. So I bought the Crispi Wyomings, again just 2 days of being in wet vegetation my feet got wet and stayed wet, even though I put on good gaiters to keep the tops from wicking in moisture. Several years ago I bought a pair of vasque hiking boots, gortex lined for a backpacking trip in the brooks range. same results, wet feet. All my work boots in the past to include rockys, lacross wolverines, etc leak leak leak. WTF, is it just me. Now some people will say you have to put a coating over the boot. Ok , what the hell good is gortex lining then if you have to coat the outside of the boot? I have come to the conclusion that gortex lined boots are nothing more than a price point that boot manufacturers add to the boot to make us believe that this crap actually works. Again I am not talking staying dry when you a cross a stream, I mean when boots get saturated with wet vegetation day after day, like in normal hunting conditions gortex lined boots can not be depended on. at least not by me.

 

[archer wapiti]

I have a pair of Asolo (forget model) that so far don't leak, but then I'm in New Mexico where they've not been tested that rigorously since I got them 18 months ago. Verifying the direction from which the water is entering the boot is going to be helpful for you in figuring out if it's the boot itself or water is entering from above. are your legs wet beneath the gaiters above the boots?
Randy Newberg had a short video on boot care not too long ago. You need to keep the leather conditioned to keep it durable.

 

[5MilesBack]

Ya, I don't know what the saturation point is for gore-tex, but I would assume that constant wet vegetation like you might see in the NW is past that point. I have a pair of Rocky Lynx boots that I bought in 2003 with gore-tex and I can cross small streams and still stay dry so I assume the gore-tex is fine in those. These boots have over 1000 miles on them and have never seen any leather treatments. Unbelievably.....the soles still look new. The uppers are toast, but the soles are good.

 

[ChrisS]

The only problem I've had with gore-tex (or imitators) leaking is when the lining wears out after a few years. If you're having consistent leaks figure out where and how. If I have new boots, one of the first things I do is stand in a stream for a few minutes. Trust me, 40F water sneaking in lets me pinpoint exactly where any leaks are. You may also have sweaty feet.

Additionally, I wouldn't trust any boot, other than Mucks or rubber ones, to keep my feet completely dry while stomping through sopping wet vegetation for 48-72 hours.

 

[AXEL]

NO-GT in boots is a con game intended to suck more people into buying boots of far lower quality than those we had in the '60s and '70s.

I tried a couple of pairs and went back to leather boots with leather liners, carefully treated with Obenauf's LP. I have several pairs of highend boots and wear them constantly due to major leg issues, the leather/leather ones work best and last longest.

I currently own Scarpas, Hanwags, Zamberlans, Kastingers, Meindls and Galibiers, with older Schnees pacs and Cabelas "bunny boots". I prefer stitchdown or inside lasting which works better than the molded types and will mold to your feet much better.

 

[cuerro viejo]

No, a bootie as a solution is fundamentally flawed.
Outdry is better long term solution in boots and gloves.

 

[bushman]

Has anyone ever tried water proof socks like seal skinz?

 

[bushman]

both pairs of pairs last year and this year I water tested by standing in a stream for a few minutes and my feet stayed dry. walking in wet snow and wet vegetation though proved different results.Sometimes you have no choice but to be stuck with the boots you have on. All you can do is hope it doesn't rain or snow for a week.

 

[5MilesBack]

Has anyone ever tried water proof socks like seal skinz?

I would think your feet would be a giant science experiment after a couple days of that. My feet need to BREATHE with lots of hiking.

 

[bushman]

I would think your feet would be a giant science experiment after a couple days of that. My feet need to BREATHE with lots of hiking.

Yeah I don't know if these would be any better than the gortex lined boots SealSkinz Thick Mid-Length Trekking Socks - Grey/Purple

 

[wildcat33]

My experience with goretex has been "luck of the draw". In past few years more pairs than not have had the waterproofness blow out in less than a season including: zamberlan, meindl, salomon, and la sportiva.

I'd say that the higher quality boots will be better made (which implies the goretex lining is properly fabricated), but the Zamberlans proved me wrong. Anymore, Id just prefer the old fashioned leather lined boot that breathes and is waterproof as long as you keep the leather clean and treated.

 

[Michiganhunter]

I wear a waterproof sock on my dirtbike in the spring and fall when it's colder out. I put a thin wool sock on then the waterproof one. My feet sweat a bit but they stay realativly dry. I don't know if it would be benificial while hiking that sounds like a sure way to soak your feet from sweat.

 

[dangerousD]

I don't think many boots are going to be dry inside after days of continuous rain and wet vegetation. In my case, most of that comes from sweat and the inability to evaporate due to the outside of the boots being constantly wet. In addition, the GORE-TEX liners quickly wear out. Plus it all depends on how well the liner is built into the boot.

My Kenetrek's that I'm wearing now have Wind-Tex liners. The liners are only warranted for a year for water proofness. But the design of the boot leaves has very few seams and points for water entry. I can do many stream crossings in a day and never have trouble but rain and wet vegetation for days on end and the liners will be damp from sweat that cannot evaporate and likely some external moisture penetration. But it's never enough to cause a problem. I may switch out my wool socks a couple times a day but I don't quit hunting. Once the sun is out for a day everything is fine again and will wick moisture as I wear them.

 

[bcimport]

Gave up on waterproof breathable boots. Biggest scam going. All leather boots for ugly mountaineering type work, trail runners for most woods hunts and knee high rubber boots or pack boots if it's soggy and miserable. Even if the gore Tex boots worked at keeping water out (which they don't) the sweat you pore into them due to the terrible breath ability leaves you're feet steamy and wet anyway. Took me a lot of wasted money to figure it out.

 

[Beendare]

The GT lined mesh boots will eventually fail....for me its always between one and two years....assuming they didn't fail right out of the gate. Constant flexing of the GT liner breaks it down. Plus GT liner is susceptible to wetting out when in contact with constant wet.

I've got a system now where I seam seal the outside [did a thread on it on the DIY forum] and it gives old GT lined boots new life- works great.
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/diy-gear-modifications/77548-leaky-boots.html#post782790

 

[Bubblehide]

Over the years I've gone through a lot of pairs of Gortex boots, or boots with similar waterproofing. I put a whole lot of miles on my boots in a short amount of time. I have one pair of boots that have lasted the test of time, the Cabelas all leather Alaska Guide boot. I purchased them at least 10 years ago (not my first pair). They look like hell, but continue to perform. I also have an all leather pair of Solomon going on their 4th year. Most Gortex or Gortex type boots last me maybe 2 seasons (I hunt pigs year round here in Ca, so the season never ends), as far as their waterproof-nes. However the boots remains to be serviceable in dry conditions.

So in short, those mesh like boots, I generally refer to the them as tennis shoe boots (same type of similar materials) are the first to lose their waterproofness. for a few reasons. Here is a summary of my research. Gortex, or similar products can be looked at like thin perforated (microscopic) plastic material (it is not plastic), in that heat can melt it, and it is subject to puncture. Continued bending/folding can cause wear and eventual breakdown of the material... So those tennis shoe type boots, although they are very comfortable and really don't need any break-in, they are subject to early failure, here is why:

The material of those tennis-shoe boots does not insulate out heat, so if you warm your feet, (with boots on) next to a camp fire, or other heat source, you can melt and or thin the Gortex-type material, thus causing failure. The nature of the tennis-shoe type material allows the inner Gortex-type material to flex, bend, fold.... vastly more than a stiff all leather boot. As such, this allows for early breakdown of the Gortex-type material, thus early failure, you don't get this in a heavy all leather boot. Lastly, the tennis-shoe type material allows stickers, thorns... to penetrate the outer fabric, potentially puncturing the Gortex-type material, eliminating it waterproofness. I get these wheat type grass stickers here in Ca, in some of the places I hunt, they will ruin the Gortex layer in a matter of minutes.

I love those tennis-shoe type boots for some hunting conditions. They are generally, instant wear, as in no break-in needed. But not a good choice for some terrain. Leather boots are heavy, compared to those ultra-light tennis-shoe boots, They reflect heat much longer than tennis-shoe bots, but eventually will absorb it, generally at higher temperatures by the time you notice the warmth. But nothing beats a heavy all leather boot when you need to kick foot holds to ascend or descend steep terrain. They also deflect stickers, thorns, sharp sticks, sharp rocks and the like. One look at my leather boots is proof positive, as I have several fairly deep cuts in the leather, from nothing short of an abusive user.

If I have Gortex failure from a pair of boots, I simply rotate it into dry weather use until I have worn them out. But IMNSHO, if your budget limits you to only one pair of hunting boots, I'd go with an all leather boot, and last significantly longer. If you have the budget, you may want more than one pair, so you can take advantage of the best boot for the given situation.