Gore Tex boots are ALL a joke.....c'mon

[Tim in Wa.]

We were talking about this last year. I bought some leather lined non goretex Hanwags and haven't looked back. Quality leather with minimal seams treated work well and breath so much better. Mine did soak through once last year after 6 hours of steady rain and high grass but that was it. Feet were much happier than with sweat-tex cooking them. Goretex has its uses but it's not in every boot made and it always leaks sooner or later. Mostly sooner in my experience. I've got to try the seam grip on the stitching as that's where it gets in on my hanwags.

Which model non goretex Hanwags are you using?
Tim

 

[Shrek]

Hanwag Yukons I got on clearance from STP . I bought two pair and it's a good thing I did as I cooked my first pair drying them. Melted the glue and they separated around the sole. The water came in at the base of the tongue and within and hour they were totally saoked. When the water got to the untreated backside of the leather it soaked it up.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

So in response to my question.....40% are right there with me and fully expect boots to leak with just a matter of How Bad and When, while the other 60% seem to feel we are making this story up? Can't believe it.

 

[wapitibob]

This is where I'm hunting this year. The other vegetation is shin high huckleberry; very good at holding water in its cupped leaves.
Nothing short of rubber is going to work. The simple fact is, leather is going to be saturated over a distance measured in yards, not miles. At that point the membrane needs to do it's job. The job we expect it do and paid for. If the membrane actually did it's job, we could wear the bootie by itself.

 

[Matt W.]

I hunt in Alaska and wet conditions are the norm. I've been running 3 different GoreTex boots / shoes with no issues.
Cabela's Alaska Hunter Meindl: purchased in 2008, put many miles on these bad boys. First 3 years these boots were blister free. Recent hunts have resulted in massive blistering. Working to resolve this issue.

La Sportiva Trango Trek GTX: This is a discontinued boot, but its seen its fair share of summer and spring hiking. No leaks.
http://www.trailspace.com/gear/la-sportiva/trango-trek-gtx/

SALOMON XA PRO 3D ULTRA 2 GTX. Ended up wearing these on my sheep hunt this year as I had some issues with some new boots I was trying out (dumb mistake on my part). I wear this almost daily and no leaks. Last night I was washing my wife's rig and even used the pressure waster (my cheapo electric one) to clean the shoes while wearing them. No leaks.

The only time I have had wet feet is when my pants got wet and water ran down into my boots. Gaiters and using rain pants for busting through wet vegetation has solved that problem for me. There has also been a few river / stream crossings that were deeper than anticipated, but can't blame the boot for that.

A GTX lining is the first thing I look for in a boot so tagging this thread to see what I can learn. Interesting how it works well for some and not so well for others. Wonder why?

 

[wapitibob]

I can't speak for others but knee high gators are a no brainer for this wet grass. I would also think a hard shell boot would be much better than a flexible leather/cordura mesh outer.

 

[HellsCanyon]

I'm not surprised a pressure washer didn't result in boots leaking, just as soaking them in a bucket for days doesn't result in leaks.
I've tanned deer and elk hides and you can't just soak them in your tanning solution. You agitate and flex and pull and push the skin to permeate it and force the solution into the pores. Same theory applies to waterproof membranes and testing. You gotta work that boot leather to see how it's really going to hold up.

Mike

 

[Matt W.]

I'm not surprised a pressure washer didn't result in boots leaking, just as soaking them in a bucket for days doesn't result in leaks.
I've tanned deer and elk hides and you can't just soak them in your tanning solution. You agitate and flex and pull and push the skin to permeate it and force the solution into the pores. Same theory applies to waterproof membranes and testing. You gotta work that boot leather to see how it's really going to hold up.

Mike

I'm with you, just saying those Salomons continue to impress both through real world field use and even something as simple as washing the car. For me Gore-Tex has worked, for others it has not. Curious as to what others are doing to make it not work so I can prolong the liners in my footwear. I'm not sure I am doing anything special to help preserve it. ??

 

[colonel00]

So in response to my question.....40% are right there with me and fully expect boots to leak with just a matter of How Bad and When, while the other 60% seem to feel we are making this story up? Can't believe it.

This seems like a pretty extreme assertion. I think everyone can agree that some Gore Tex boots leak. Your statement that "ALL" Gore Tex boots are a joke seems to be dis-proven by anecdotal evidence presented here. As with any other gear or most things in life, individual results will vary. I have had GTX boots that didn't hold up well at all and I have others that have done quite well. Overall, my belief is if it isn't rubber, it will leak eventually. Then again, if it is rubber, I will be sweating so much that the point is pretty much moot.

 

[cuerro viejo]

You really only have 4 options in shoes
Gortex
eVent(GE licenses it out under other names)
Gortex expired patent type product
Outdry

3 out of the 4 are booties/liners with seams. Some times seams hold, some times they fail. Some times you feet cause a hole or crinkles

Even as great as my opinion is on outdry one cactus and your screwed. No fail safe in Waterproof breathables

 

[5MilesBack]

This seems like a pretty extreme assertion. I think everyone can agree that some Gore Tex boots leak. Your statement that "ALL" Gore Tex boots are a joke seems to be dis-proven by anecdotal evidence presented here.

Agreed. I've had my Zamberlan Dakota's w/gore-tex for the past year and a half. Have no idea how many miles I have on them, but I covered about 12 this past Saturday with them. At one point I went out in a marsh to check out a wallow in the middle of a meadow. Was 4-6" deep in water and muck for probably 100 yards or so, and came out of it as dry as before I went in. No issues. I have a pair of Rocky Lynx's that are 11 years old that have 100's of miles on them and I can still cross small creeks up to 4" or so without getting wet inside. Yet a pair of Danner Pronghorns leaked the first time I used them.

 

[kodiakfly]

I must be lucky. I've only had one pair of boots get wet and those were some Cabela's Meindls on a moose hunt years ago, and it was just one boot of the pair. I've worn Lhotses since about 2002 or so and they've never gotten me soggy...even in soggy conditions. I do most always wear gaiters, but even with river crossings and plenty of rain I've been dry.

 

[greyghostnw]

its man made..... quality control is more of the issue imop. constructing the item or product that leads to leakage. i have had to buy 3 pairs of the same boot to finally get 1 to be leak free (goretex). that pair years later is still leak free, the first couple leaked immediately of the boot and were returned . since i can remember it is a hit or miss. my boots with event leak after 4 hours of continual external moisture, wet grass etc...... its always a bummer to have a great pair, run them hard and have to go through it all again after a couple years of use when the boot wears out.

 

[Colbyqueso]

You have the worst luck ever. My danner pronghorns went three years of walking thru fields of water, and not a drop. My new Lowas, just as good. Get some gators
and water proof your boots.

 

[Biggs300]

I have inexpensive Irish Setters, a pair Asolo Sasslongs and Kenetrek Mountain Extremes. I hunt 6 or 7 times a year for multiple days on each hunt and all three of my boots get used regularly, based on when, where, and how I hunt. I treat my leather boots with Kenetrek boot wax and I use Atsko Silicone Water-guard on the Irish Setters. I usually treat my boots 2 or 3 times each year. My boots are 2 to 5 years old and none of them have ever leaked from the outside in, and I've hunted in rain, sleet, and snow.

Last year we hunted in 12-15 inches of snow on an elk hunt in CO without a problem. Anyone who has hunted CO or in cold weather elsewhere knows that active hiking and climbing while hunting can cause you to sweat and, your boots can become wet on the inside. When it is really cold, I sometimes use Reynolds oven roasting bags between my liner socks and merino wool socks which eliminates this problem. You have to keep your boots conditioned and treated if you want to keep them water-tight. I also use gaiters which also helps to eliminate moisture from wicking into your boots.

 

[carlc]

I have inexpensive Irish Setters, a pair Asolo Sasslongs and Kenetrek Mountain Extremes. I hunt 6 or 7 times a year for multiple days on each hunt and all three of my boots get used regularly, based on when, where, and how I hunt. I treat my leather boots with Kenetrek boot wax and I use Atsko Silicone Water-guard on the Irish Setters. I usually treat my boots 2 or 3 times each year. My boots are 2 to 5 years old and none of them have ever leaked from the outside in, and I've hunted in rain, sleet, and snow.

Last year we hunted in 12-15 inches of snow on an elk hunt in CO without a problem. Anyone who has hunted CO or in cold weather elsewhere knows that active hiking and climbing while hunting can cause you to sweat and, your boots can become wet on the inside. When it is really cold, I sometimes use Reynolds oven roasting bags between my liner socks and merino wool socks which eliminates this problem. You have to keep your boots conditioned and treated if you want to keep them water-tight. I also use gaiters which also helps to eliminate moisture from wicking into your boots.

Why should we have to oil the leather to keep the water from penetrating the leather because the waterproof liner isn't going to stop it like it's supposed to? Isn't that the point the op is trying to get across? We buy a pair of boots with x brand waterproof liner in them, then have to make sure we grease the heck out of them or wear a plastic Baggie between our socks to keep our feet dry? That is what the gore tex bootie is supposed to do.

 

[Biggs300]

Because it makes your boots last longer and helps to keep them waterproof. If you choose not to treat your boots that fine. I will continue to do so, because I know it works.

 

[miller1]

(Why should we have to oil the leather to keep the water from penetrating the leather because the waterproof liner isn't going to stop it like it's supposed to? Isn't that the point the op is trying to get across? We buy a pair of boots with x brand waterproof liner in them, then have to make sure we grease the heck out of them or wear a plastic Baggie between our socks to keep our feet dry? That is what the gore tex bootie is supposed to do.)

It doesn't matter if your boots have a waterproof liner or not if leather is continually exposed to the weather it will dry out, any leather boot needs a good sealant or conditioner on them.

 

[gelton]

Why should we have to oil the leather to keep the water from penetrating the leather because the waterproof liner isn't going to stop it like it's supposed to? Isn't that the point the op is trying to get across? We buy a pair of boots with x brand waterproof liner in them, then have to make sure we grease the heck out of them or wear a plastic Baggie between our socks to keep our feet dry? That is what the gore tex bootie is supposed to do.

Because if you don't oil your boots the leather will saturate and even though your feet are dry they will feel wet because the leather has been permeated and the water will sit between the leather and goretex bootie.

 

[7stw]

I guess I've had different experiences than most on here. I've had some chitty "waterproof" boots and some great ones as well. I wear goretex or similar most every day. Since I quit buying the foreign made danners and went with the quarry wedge and the meindel (cabelas) work boot and Denali I've had zero problems with leaking however after three years and two resoles the danners did start to leak however danner redrafted them and I paid for new goretex. I have learned that smooth round toe boots with no seams offer the best protection. And you have to keep them oiled. If you don't take care of the leather it will absorb water and your feet will get wet. I hate wet feet and work around water all the time so I've learned the hard way to take care of my boots or they don't last.