How long are your boots lasting?

[Okie-hunter]

How many months are yall getting out of your boots?
I really like the feel of my Lowa Renegades. However, my first pair lasted less than 12 months before stitching in the toe started ripping out. REI warrantied them on 2/5/25 and I ended up with the newer model “evo” version. I just got home from a turkey hunt and the leather behind the toe box has a 1/2” rip all the way through the leather. I’m not the easiest on boots but I’m also not wearing them every day or climbing the Rockies every weekend. I treat the leather when it starts looking like it needs it (3-4 times on this particular pair). I guess I’m just wondering if my expectations are too high for these boots?

 

[BAKPAKR]

This photo was from this morning. I got this pair of Raichle Montagnas in late 1993 or early 1994 and used them on a hike across the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in March 1994. I only hiked in them part of the trip as we skied about a quarter of the way. They had a lot of use the first few years. I usually use lighter boots now.

 

[Okie-hunter]

I got this pair of Raichle Montagnas in late 1993 or early 1994 and used them on a hike across the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness in March 1994. I only hiked in them part of the trip as we skied about a quarter of the way. They had a lot of use the first few years. I usually use lighter boots now.

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I guess this is a classic example of “they don’t make em like they used to!”

 

[justinspicher]

I have a pair of Scarpa Fuegos I’ve had since 2015, with a few thousand miles on them. They started their journey as my wildland firefighting boots and have been used on almost every outing I’ve been on since.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I guess this is a classic example of “they don’t make em like they used to!”

All leather boots with few seams have held up best for me.

 

[Okie-hunter]

For reference, here’s the rip in the leather on my 14 month old Lowas. It was a muddy one this weekend and these boots stayed damp most of the time but I don’t feel like they should be ripping at only 14 months

 

[LongWayAround]

Lowa renegades fail at the toe seams consistently. Lots of guys like them because they are comfortable out of the box, but it comes at the cost of durability. It looks to me like your boot has likely gone through several wet/dry cycles without good care so they start to crack and dry rot.

I have gotten up to a few years out of their more robust boots with near daily wear.