? about gortex hiking boots

[ncmtns]

I acquired a pair of LL Bean Gortex hiking boots which I like alot, however I became disappointed when I found out that only the lower third of the boots had gortex lining. Thus water from wet grass seeped through the tongues and my feet got pretty wet. Is this typical of all gortex boots or just the ones I own? Thanx, bill Also, got any other recommendations?

[RoyTruelove]

I learned that same lesson the hardway with my Montrails - a 'gortex' label just means that there's gortex in there, somewhere. You should ask specifically to make sure that a boot has a gortex bootie which means the whole thing is lined.

[blackbishop351]

I got a free pair of North Face boots a few months ago - full GoreTex. A word of advice - if your feet sweat at ALL, give up on waterproof boots. Your feet are gonna get wet anyway, just from perspiration. Get a lightweight, well-ventilated pair of boots/trail shoes. They'll keep your feet drier under dry weather conditions. When you do get rained on, they'll dry out a lot quicker too. Mine come from Walmart - $20/pr. :D

That being said, I do wear my GoreTex boots in the winter, but only for the added insulation.

As always, just my .02 :D

[Kerosene]

I concur with blackbishop...avoid full Gore-Tex boots if your feet sweat. Not only will your feet get hotter, but eventually every boot will get wet if it rains enough. Drying out a Gore-Tex lined boot can take days. Unfortunately, it seems to be increasingly difficult to find well-made boots that don't have Gore-Tex and aren't so ventilated that your feet get soaked as soon as you walk through a bit of wet grass.

[Earl Grey]

My dad gave me a pair of Merrel Helium trail shoes and I realy like them alot. Paired with non-cotton socks your footwear will dry out fast with these.