Breathable or Waterproof Boots?

[gmu]

I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I was hoping I could get some feedback on people's prefrences for boots while thru-hiking.

Do you prefer a boot that is breathable or one that will keep rain and standing water out? And why?

Thanks for your help.

[azchipka]

I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I was hoping I could get some feedback on people's prefrences for boots while thru-hiking.

Do you prefer a boot that is breathable or one that will keep rain and standing water out? And why?

Thanks for your help.

Personal I will be using a combination of the two. I am going to be using a pair of boots that go up about 4 inchs past the ankle portion to ankle is waterproof, upper portion is breathable. I also keep a pair of sandles in my pack for warmer days.

[Happy]

Vitesse Montrail trailrunners with no water protection but FAST drying and totally breatherable...lightweight and no break in period...depends upon the foot...this is a VERY personal area!!!

[rumbler]

I was reluctant to get GorTex boots, but did about halfway through my hike and was VERY glad I did. My feet don't sweat all that much, so breathability was not a huge issue for me as it turns out. And if it was really raining I was going to be wet through and through anyway. Where it really helped keep my socks dry was when I would walk through puddles - a frequent occurence last year. With the GorTex a brief splash through standing water would not get my socks wet. Without waterproof boots I would either be finding ways around large pools of water or I would have damp socks all day.

This time last year I would have suggested that you avoid GorTex lined boots. Now I won't buy a pair without it. But as Happy said, you will see varied preferences on this issue.

[Jaybird]

[QUOTE=gmu]I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I was hoping I could get some feedback on people's prefrences for boots while thru-hiking.

Do you prefer a boot that is breathable or one that will keep rain and standing water out? And why?.................QUOTE]



i, after much homework & a recommendation from a Merrill boot user, a bought Vasque Sundowner MX-2 boots.

From a Vasque retailer:

Vasque's Sundowner MX2 is the classic light backpacking boot. Fine craftmanship and the latest technology.....perfect with a medium (35-40 lbs.) pack. Burgundy waterproof full-grain 2.4 mm Crocetta leather. Gore-Tex Stormsock® guaranteed waterproof. Tr-wick contoured footbed.



Price: $210.00


give me a good water-proof boot anyday!


you wont regret the decision on days you're hiking in the rain when the trail seems more like a raging stream! :p



seeya UP the trail

[Footslogger]

One thing to always remember about Gortex ...the same thing that keeps water out, keeps water in. Once you get water inside of a boot that is GorTex lined it's going to stay there for a while. While I'm thinking of it ...once a GorTex lined boot gets wet (inside or outside) it takes longer to dry than a comparably wet set of non-GorTex boots. That's a fact !!

That said ...I started off my hike in 2003 wearing a GorTex boot made by Asolo. Worked like a champ until the puddles on the trail turned into rivers ...a fairly common happening in 2003. I switched over to a GorTex lined low-cut by Montrail and really liked the lighter weight and lack of ankle restriction. Of course, the rocks in PA pretty much consumed those low-cuts which, to my surprise, Montrail replaced at no cost. In NH, just before the Whites, I switched back to boots (GorTex lined) and wore them all the way to Katahdin.

If I had it to do all over again I'm pretty certain I would hike the trail with GorTex lined low-cuts and wear low or high gaiters to keep as much water as possible outside the shoes. No matter what you wear ...you're feet are gonna get wet sooner or later. From my experience, the lightest weight, fastest drying footwear that provides adequate support and underside protection is the way to go.

[Shadowman]

I use the Vasque Sundowner and have one pair with about 2500 miles on them. Terms like "breathable" and "waterproof" are misused and overused. Things can be made breathable and waterproof ownly to a degree. When the Housatonic River Flooded and I was walking in water up to my waist, the boots failed to be water proof. They did keep the minnows out as I herded them down the "trail". Coating the boots with snowseal or other waterproofing helps for a couple of days. Forget about the warning that this will destroy their breathable nature, they don't have one. Just an anecdotal account. Every conceivable type of footwear has made it down the trail.

[Pencil Pusher]

It's hard to justify after Shadowman's last sentence, but those Vasque Sundowners were excellent boots for me. Not taking care of them is what led to their demise, but I didn't get a single blister in those things. I remember how good they felt, slipping my feet in them for the first time. Almost like silk. Those boots held up to a lot of punishment. I could probably still be using them now, had I taken care of them. Where's the teardrop smiley?

[woodhippie]

hello

For me this is a contemporary question I've been working on. The fact that my feet sweat a lot is what moved me toward breathable over water proof. The breathable keep my feet drier even in winter and wet weather which with feet like mine the waterproof boots actually hold in moisture to the point they actually wrinkle on the bottoms. This is of course just a personal preference of someone with some real funky dogs.

see ya in the woods