Gortex boots - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

in the market for a new pair of hiking boots, considering gortex for waterproofing, is there any proponents or positive things about boots that are gortexed?

cutty

#2

Personally, I like the L.L.Bean Dayhikers, which have Goretex. They are relatively light, water resistant, and not very expensive. I have owned three pairs thus far.
Great hiking, PaPa Larry PS Their return goods policy is second to none if they do not work out for you.

PaPa Larry

#3

i own a pair of EMS summit gtx boots. leather gore , fairly rigid fall/spring boot 160$ and i also have the EMS tempo gtx light hiking boot for summer 120$. you can get them cheaper when the sale comes around, i had 30% off each of these purchases…whatever you end up geting make sure you absolutly like the fit before you purchase…the boots i selected may not be the best out there but they really work for me. i hike the whites of new hampshire and no problems what so ever on day or week long treks…also using poles helps to make the boot more comfortable or at least i tend to belive this…:cheers nitewalker

nitewalker

#4

On my thru hike in '02 I went through 3 pair of boots and finished on the 4th pair. They all had gortex linings. The only time my feet got wet was when I stepped into a creek that went over the top of my boot. I wore over the calf gaiters that kept the dirt and rain out of my boots. I would say my feet only got wet only 7 or 8 times. I never had the first blister. Make sure your boots fit.

Papa Smurf

#5

I love merrells, period.

But everything gets VERY wet after awhile. The more a boot is waterproofed, the longer it will take to dry.

I had a pair of merrells that were gore-texed, and while I stayed dryer longer than others, when I got wet, I stayed wet.

Kineo Kid

#6

How much do your feet sweat? I do not like Gortex boots because they do not let enough sweat out. I had to go with very breathable socks in order to avoid blisters. I plan to not buy Gortex next time.

Turtle Walking

#7

I wear LL Bean Cresta Hikers I hike in them, Backpack in them, go out to dinner, work as a counselor, and everything else i do except shower and sleep. I do not find them hot at all. They are very comfortable and feel great. They were just rated as a best buy(or deal) by Backpacker magazine in their gear issue.

brown bear

#8

For me, gortex boots are a must in winter but not in summer: too hot.

maggie

#9

Im not sure its worth the price for summer hiking.Due to sweat,rain or over the top water,the gortex wont be 100%.Plus hotter. Ive had a pair of gortex boots that eat socks. They ride down and you have to keep pulling them up.Like Maggie says “for winter”.

Virginian

#10

for snow hiking i would get koflacs, plastic boot with removable bootie, summer hiking boot maybe Eastern Mountain Sports tempo gtx non gore light hiker. the boot vents realy well and dries really quick when wet…as for the i call it the fall/spring type boot this is where the leather gore boot comes into play. there are lots of good boots in this class. im partial to the EMS line of gear. summit gtx boot with gore…good luck:cheers

nitewalker

#11

If you’re just going to hike a few days here and there with them I don’t think it matters. If you’re planning on thru hiking, gortex may save you in a deep wet slushy snowstorm, but aside from that one situation, they’re too sweaty and don’t dry as fast on your feet as non-gortex shoes do.

Dharma