Question:
In reply to several posts about Goretex good or bad....
I have owned 4 pr of boots with Goretex liners. The first pair, from
Cabelas, only lasted about a year of wear before one of them started to
leak. I say "only" with tongue in cheek since I wore the boots nearly
every day at work and on my small farm. I currently have two other pair of
Cabelas hiking boots similar to the first pair. One pair I keep at home,
and other at work. Both are holding up fine, going on three years for one
pair and 1.5 years for the newest. I also have an insulated pair of
Goretex lined winter boots, also still providing good service after two
winters of farm work.
These boots keep me warm and dry in winter and comfortable and dry in
summer. I think Gortex is the best thing since sliced bread!
mikerichardson
Answer:
They have their place, but they're not The Answer. In wet snow, or
acidic boggy terrain (I guess there are plenty of places outside
Scotland that fit this description) the fact that the membrane is inside
the boot means that the outer leather gets fairly badly trashed quite
quickly. Fabric in these conditions is no use, as it soaks everything
up and the goretex can't breathe properly any more, and for kicking
steps in snow fabric boots == sore toes and calves. Thus, an overgaiter
(goretex or other) can be a better solution, as it protects the boot
from the outside. When they get trashed, they can easily be replaced
for less than the cost of the boot, and you don't need to break in a new
pair of boots either. My Scarpa 4 season leathers are now over 10 years
old, and the uppers are still in excellent condition thanks to
overgaiters used when it's really murky underfoot.
Another problem with goretex liners is you can't take them out when you
don't want them. Hiking in the Grand Canyon is not something that
usually requires waterproof boots, so you have an exepensive membrane
that's making your feet sweatier and less comfortable, and makes the
boots smell quite terrible after a few days. Real problem is it's
increasingly difficult to find a well made lightweight *without* a
waterproof liner.
