Hello,

I'm planning a trip on the west coast trail (muddy, excess rain, rough terrain) for 5 to 6 nights and need a new boot. I recently picked up Lowa Baffin pro because I couldn't pass on the price. I've tried other boots like Salomon QUEST 4D gtx, Lowa Renegade, Asolo 535 but just didn't care for the support they offered (the Asolo was more of the fit). For other suggestions my pricing is in the 240 plus range.

I guess my question is:

Is gore tex better then leather lined boots treated with something like sno seal or paste wax?
How important is light weight foot wear? The Baffins are heavy mofos.

Thanks for your help

Good question kida. I am considering the west coast trail this summer actually. My dad has pure leather hiking boots (Alico Guides), and his feet never seem to get wet even though we do our hiking in the pacific northWET. If you are diligent about reapplying wax, I think you can get away without the goretex, but the constant exposure to mud and rain will test that theory. Nikwax is easier to apply than snoseal and seems to be the more recommended product. I would make sure to bring a tube and reapply as needed, as well as doing your best to let the boots dry at camp. Once they get soaked, leather boots are uncomfortable and so hard to dry in this climate; prevention is key.

Interesting note: members of the Lewis and Clark expedition had their leather clothes rot off their bodies during the rainy Northwest winter at Fort Clatsop. They of course didn't have Nikwax.

I prefer GoreTex with Synthetic uppers. Leather is too much maintenance for me and my feet turn into a sweaty mess. I like the breathability of the syn upper GoreTex and syn materials tend to be lighter.

As far as weight, I've never been bothered by heavy footwear. Old school backpackers of the Harvey Manning "One Step at a Time" generation used them just fine (though they weren't breaking any speed records). I normally use fairly heavy duty gore-tex lined leather backpacking boots in situations when they are overkill, simply because I don't want to buy another set of boots for day hiking or lighter loads. They are not as heavy as the Baffins, but almost. And if they fit, you made a good choice with Lowa, they are very well made boots.

WyomingSummits brings up and interesting point. My feet sweat a lot and I normally end up with damp socks at the end of the day. I've always thought it was the goretex and not the leather that made them sweaty though, but because my boots have leather AND gortex I can't tell who is the culprit. In the end it's nothing that a fresh change of socks can't fix, and I like the durability of leather.

Gore-Tex in foot wear is basically just marketing hype. Having used leather mountaineering boots for 35 years, I can say that the Gore-Tex lined leather boots I have owned keep my feet no drier than non Gore-Tex models. The only way to keep leather boots dry is to wax them often (I like NikWax).

My preference is for as light weight foot wear as possible.

mountainsandsound wrote:WyomingSummits brings up and interesting point. My feet sweat a lot and I normally end up with damp socks at the end of the day. I've always thought it was the goretex and not the leather that made them sweaty though, but because my boots have leather AND gortex I can't tell who is the culprit. In the end it's nothing that a fresh change of socks can't fix, and I like the durability of leather.

I too have super sweaty feet, and because of that, I have had a bad time with blisters because my feet are usually damp (and that softens the skin).

I switched last year to leather lined Lowas, and my feet are MUCH happier now. I feel they breathe much better than a Goretex lined boot.

Could just be me, but I thought I'd throw that out there.

TI