Lowa - Renegade GTX MID - Walking boots tested

Comfortable but not durable

I've had these boots for 15 months so far. They are quite comfortable and provide good stability in the ankle area. The finish is also nicely done and they can be inconspicuous enough to be used in the office (or so I tell myself).

I have used them mainly for day hikes in all 4 seasons, the longest about 30km. During summer they can get hot after a while but as long as you use a thin enough sock it's ok. During winter I never had any issues with cold or them getting wet, even hiking through some snow, I was only wearing the boots and wool socks, so in that regard I am quite happy.

Besides those day hikes they were my daily wear for let's say half a year, during summer wearing them all day in the office was somewhat uncomfortable so I only used them daily during autumn and winter, when temperatures got lower or when it was raining.

All in all I don't think they have more than 400 hiking km with who knows how many city use km. This is the exact way I used my previous pair of boots (and the previous one before them too)that lasted at least 2 years.

Unfortunately after these 15 months the front, outer edge of the upper became detached from the sole and as a result, they are no longer waterproof. I find this defect odd and I do think the glue they use should be a lot more resistant. I was expecting to get at least 2 years of use out of these boots before having to replace them.

It's a shame because before they failed prematurely I was quite happy with my purchase. Now I'm looking for a way to fix them and they will be used only in the city, I will not be taking them out to the countryside as I cannot risk losing waterproofness again (or the upper separating completely from the sole).

I would only recommend this model if you plan to have a very, very light use or if you plan to rotate them with another pair.