Lowa Renegade GTX first impressions

[Newtosavage]

Before last season's elk hunt, I decided to take advantage of a sale on the Crispi Summits, and they arrived about a month prior to my 2nd rifle hunt in Colorado. I spent that month trying (trying!) to break them in by hiking both paved and unpaved trails with and without a pack. They never felt broken in, even after a month, and I only wore them on one day's hunt - a 9 mile loop through that 15" snow with about 2K feet of elevation change. It was a good test, but at the end of that day my feet were killing me. The boots were just way stiffer than what I'm used to wearing.

When I got back last fall I started searching for another hunting boot. I debated for about 2 months whether I should keep the Crispis or sell them. After all, they were practically brand new. Eventually I sold them and bought a pair of Lowa Renegades. I paid right at $200 for the Lowas with the Moosejaw online discount. The reviews were very favorable for this boot and I had high hopes.

A few days ago they arrived. I pulled out the factory insole and dropped in one of my (now many) pairs of green Superfeet insoles. From the moment I put them on, I knew I'd made the right choice. I won't be missing those Crispis at all. These Renegades are the most comfortable-out-of-the-box boots I've put on since my old Vasque hikers. Maybe even moreso. After a few days of continuous wearing, I feel like I'm wearing those good old broken-in Vasques again, only with more support and better grip and looks. Honestly, I have had running shoes that were nowhere near this comfortable.

So my initial impressions are just outstanding. Of course, time will tell, and the ultimate test will be this fall in the mountains. But even if these don't end up becoming my mountain boot, they are already fantastic "everyday wear" boots. I'll probably order a 2nd pair just to wear at work.

I'll come back with updates periodically. I'm off to the mountains of SE New Mexico next week for a turkey hunt, which will be their first test.

So far, this is the most excited I've been about a pair of boots in a long while.

 

[RCB]

Cool. I've tried the stiff boot thing but I always come back to cheap, flexible boots in the end.

 

[jeffpg]

I have worn out several pairs of these boots. They wear great but do not hold up well at all. This is the achilles heel of this boot and like many others, I am seeking a replacement for them. Even if you didn't wear them out they will literally disintegrate in a relatively short period of time.

It's a shame, because I do like the comfort factor of the Renegade.

 

[wapitibob]

Renegades are a great hiker in dry conditions.

 

[Newtosavage]

I have worn out several pairs of these boots. They wear great but do not hold up well at all. This is the achilles heel of this boot and like many others, I am seeking a replacement for them. Even if you didn't wear them out they will literally disintegrate in a relatively short period of time.

It's a shame, because I do like the comfort factor of the Renegade.

I am starting to wonder if I'm as hard on my boots as some of the rest of you guys. The reason I ask is that I've kept around an old pair of Vasque hikers for years, despite trying new more "rugged" hunting boots, and I find I keep coming back to them during long western hunts. Maybe I just don't venture into really rocky places that put wear and tear on boots? I don't know. But I'm thinking if those old Vasque hikers have held up, I imagine these Lowas will too.

But time will tell.

All I know is that I had lost patience with those Crispis. They were killing me. If a boot lasts you 5 years but takes 2 years to break in, is it really better than 2 pairs of comfortable boots that last 2.5 years each? Not in my mind.

 

[Newtosavage]

Renegades are a great hiker in dry conditions.

have you had trouble with yours in wet conditions?

 

[grfox92]

have you had trouble with yours in wet conditions?

Curious about this as well, I've heard people say they stay waterproof with treatments but I've also heard they leak immediately

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[wapitibob]

Failed the water test after a cpl weekend hunts.
It's not the boot itself, I expect water to get past the stitching. Either the goretex liner is no good or the boot company compromised the liner integrity when they put it all together.

If you have gtx boots at home, fill them with water and come back in 60 minutes and see what you have. Gore fills them and puts them in a centrifuge to test when you send them back. Sitting on your counter is very little water pressure by comparison but you'll know if they leak.

The renegades only took about 15 minutes

 

[Newtosavage]

Leave it to rokslide to crap all over your new toys. LOL

wapitibob, I guess it's a good thing that I don't ever plan to stand in a pool of water for 60 minutes. Or even 15 minutes

Maybe you need a level of waterproofness that I don't. That appears to be the case. Thinking back to all the hunts I've been on where the conditions were wet, I can't ever recall standing in water for more than a few seconds to maybe a minute at the most. These are pretty low boots, so I doubt I'll be crossing any deep or fast water with them. Probably the best test they will get is walking through a damp field of grass on a rainy day. But even then, probably not since I rarely ever hunt in the rain anymore.

Sorry they failed your test. It makes me wonder how many boots would fail that same test to be honest.

Meanwhile I'll just go on being happy with my purchase for now. I'm wearing them again today and my feet love them.

 

[Newtosavage]

Curious about this as well, I've heard people say they stay waterproof with treatments but I've also heard they leak immediately

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

If I plan to hunt in wet snow for any length of time, I always treat my boots - whatever they are. It can only help. The only truly waterproof boots I've ever owned are my LaCrosse knee boots. I certainly don't expect a liner inside a leather boot to be completely waterproof. That said, when I pulled the factory insoles out, I did noticed that these boots have their stitching seams sealed. I can't recall ever seeing that in any other pair of boots.

 

[greaseywater]

Leave it to rokslide to crap all over your new toys. LOL

wapitibob, I guess it's a good thing that I don't ever plan to stand in a pool of water for 60 minutes. Or even 15 minutes

Maybe you need a level of waterproofness that I don't. That appears to be the case. Thinking back to all the hunts I've been on where the conditions were wet, I can't ever recall standing in water for more than a few seconds to maybe a minute at the most. These are pretty low boots, so I doubt I'll be crossing any deep or fast water with them. Probably the best test they will get is walking through a damp field of grass on a rainy day. But even then, probably not since I rarely ever hunt in the rain anymore.

Sorry they failed your test. It makes me wonder how many boots would fail that same test to be honest.

Meanwhile I'll just go on being happy with my purchase for now. I'm wearing them again today and my feet love them.

I'm with you 100% on the Renegades. Super comfortable right out of the box. I'm looking forward to using them on some upcoming hikes and scouting trips. These are replacing my Cabelas's Outfitter boots, which I have loved to death.

I also have a pair of Crispi Brikdals. I hunted with them all last fall. They broke in a bit, but are still stiff for me. I liked having them when I was going up and down hills. The Briksdals were less comfortable on anything close to flat. I'll keep them, but just for steep areas.

I've read other reviews of the Renegades falling apart. The sole literally coming loose and flapping around. Maybe that well happen to mine too. I got a good deal on them, so I suspect it will have been worth it for all the comfortable hiking miles prior to that.

 

[Felix40]

I like the leather lined renegades. Just treat the outside and they are as waterproof as anything.

I prefer these types of softer boots even though they wear out faster. They usually only take a week to break in and are almost half the cost of stiffer options. Plus they are quieter while hunting.

 

[Newtosavage]

I am eventually wanting to find a stiffer boot that my feet like for the steeper country. Guess I'll just have to keep looking. With all the great reviews on the Crispi Summits - I thought those would be the answer. I was not prepared for how stiff they were, and they are considered mid-range stiffness in the Crispi lineup. I can't even imagine what their stiffest boots must be like.

Felix I agree with you on the quietness of the softer boots. My first elk hunt, I wore a pair of low Teva hikers. Basically waterproof shoes with a decent Vibram sole (it was a very dry year). Very flexible and man were they quiet compared to my buddy's clunky Danners. He couldn't feel a thing under his feet.

 

[wapitibob]

Leave it to rokslide to crap all over your new toys. LOL

wapitibob, I guess it's a good thing that I don't ever plan to stand in a pool of water for 60 minutes. Or even 15 minutes

Maybe you need a level of waterproofness that I don't. That appears to be the case. Thinking back to all the hunts I've been on where the conditions were wet, I can't ever recall standing in water for more than a few seconds to maybe a minute at the most. These are pretty low boots, so I doubt I'll be crossing any deep or fast water with them. Probably the best test they will get is walking through a damp field of grass on a rainy day. But even then, probably not since I rarely ever hunt in the rain anymore.

Sorry they failed your test. It makes me wonder how many boots would fail that same test to be honest.

Meanwhile I'll just go on being happy with my purchase for now. I'm wearing them again today and my feet love them.

It's not standing in water that's a problem, it's water saturated leather and the flexing of the boot, which forces water thru the gtx via pressure.
The water test is just to see if the membrane has been compromised. If it leaks from being filled and sitting on the counter, it'll leak in minutes when walking thru wet grass.

 

[Newtosavage]

It's not standing in water that's a problem, it's water saturated leather and the flexing of the boot, which forces water thru the gtx via pressure.
The water test is just to see if the membrane has been compromised. If it leaks from being filled and sitting on the counter, it'll leak in minutes when walking thru wet grass.

I guess I've always been lucky with boots then. Only pair of gore-tex boots I've ever had leak on me were years old and long broken down, and it didn't surprise me at all. It would have surprised me if they didn't leak.

wapitibob, what's your sample size? One pair? Or is this a known, common issue with this boot?

I'll be honest - waterproofness is one of the lowest criteria on my list when it comes to a hunting boot these days.

 

[mlgc20]

I also have the Lowa Renegades. Just with the Superfeet Blue insole. Had them for several years. They are by far the most comfortable hiking or hunting boots I've ever had. Mine have ben through a lot of wet and snow. Haven't had any leaks or issues so far. Will definitely get another pair when these wear out.

 

[wapitibob]

New, I usually take the boots back when they fail the water test and rarely get another pair of the same. The renegade have fewer leak reports compared to the quest 4d, which also failed the water test after about 50 miles. I suspect it's because the renegade is leather with no mesh panels, those panels allow water straight into the boot. On a boot like the quest, the water enters and surrounds the entire gtx "bootie" almost immediately.
Knowing any hiker I get will leak, I've moved to the light side and used Salomon X Ultra's last year. Way less money and lighter than most. I think what would really help would be a gaiter that covers the forefoot/toe box hinge point.

 

[LongWayAround]

The renegades are a very popular and comfortable hiking boot. Lowa used to have a sentence on their website describing them as being best suited for on trail use. In my opinion, they have too many seams and too soft of a sole. The seams are all potential failure points and the sole is ill-suited for heavy packs on rocky terrain. I also, prefer a higher boot to support my ankles. I know some would/will refute those statements.

Lots of people love them. I might use my company boot coupon on a pair in fact. For me, they are not much of a mountain boot.

 

[Brooks]

I have a pair of Lowa Renegades. I like them and just consider them hiking boots. To me they don’t hold a candle to the Lowa Tibet GTX boots the Tibet’s are the best elk hunting, rough terrain boots I’ve ever owned. I waterproof all my hunting boots after I buy them and my Renegades don’t leak .
You can buy the Renegades at ...everestgear.com $189

 

[kloppy]

I run the green superfeet insoles in my renegades too. I have pounded them over the last year including Montana archery elk and south Florida osceolas a few weeks ago. 10/10 and no leaks, although I often use gaiters with them.