Gore-tex footwear, yes or no

[adirobdack46r]

I know there have been many threads on footwear, I've read as many as I can pull up on searches but still have not found the perfect answer.
I have issues with burning feet when I hike. Have tried most every suggestion I've heard of. Maybe I'll never find what works for me.
It was recently brought to my attention that it could be a simple matter of wearing Gore-tex boots. We all know Gore-tex is breathable but not as much as we'd like.
The poll is just to get a feel for how many of you wear Gore-tex footwear and how many don't because it does not allow your feet to breathe enough.
If you don't wear Gore-tex how do you balance having protection from outside water and breath ability at the same time.

 

[cbcbd]

Used to wear gore-tex boots...

Now wear non-gore-tex trail runners...

Will try gore-tex trail runners this year...



As for the water issue: I avoid stepping on puddles and water, but when it's too much and inevitable that I'll get when then I don't care and just let my feet get wet (but I always keep one pair of dry socks for camp only).
I've considered wearing water shoes (Salomon Techamphibians, TNF Philter, etc) for hiking just for the incredible water drainage - but don't really want to shell out the $$ just yet to find out if they're good or not.

 

[Danielle]

My feet have a tendency to get pretty hot when I'm out hiking in the summer too. I haven't found the perfect answer, but I definitely vote for going without Gore-tex in the summer months! For that reason, I really love my Merrells. I have the Chameleon Ventilators, which have lots of spots for the air to flow through. I have a Gore-tex version and also the non-Gore-tex version, and now that it's starting to get warm, I'll be switching to the non-Gore-tex version!

Last year while we were out hiking in through VA and PA on the AT in the hot heat of summer, I found that the only thing that really worked to keep my feet from getting hot/heat rash/etc was to take my shoes (and maybe my socks) off when we stopped, even if it was just for 10 minutes while we were eating a snack at the side of the trail. A simple idea, but it really helped me!

Good luck, and happy hiking!

 

[Oldsmores]

About 2 years ago I broke down and bought goretex boots. Wouldn't due it again. I never had a wet foot problem with full leather boots and sno-seal, and the goretex is HOT!

 

[dug]

I chose Gore-Tex with full leather uppers. But, the Gore-Tex is completely a waste of money. It was just hard to find a pair of full leather boots that were comfortable that did not have it.

If you properly treat leather with a wax, this prevents the leather from breathing. Thereby, it negates what the Gore-Tex can do. If you don't treat the leather, eventually it will become brittle and crack.

 

[alpinista]

I have been using a Gore-Tex pair of Asolos and Lowa's. I don't find them particularly hot, especially compared to the full leather Scarpas I used to hike in. I love that in the summer months, I can slosh through the water, and the boots become dry relatively quickly while still giving me a temporary bit of relief from the usual summer heat.

 

[Paradox]

Merrill trail running shoes non-Goretex

I currently wear trail running shoes with low gaiters. I feel that for anything other than the coldest winter weather, the lighter the better. I have never turned an ankle so I do not want a boot. Poles allow me to pick a dry path through wet, muddy areas. Hence, high top boots to prevent deep water ingress just doesn't suit my style. I have even hiked in lightweight running shoes that I've run fast 5K races in (with gaitors.) I can go so much further and faster without the weight.

Thick expensive "high tech" socks always give me blisters. I wear thin polyester socks. My feet are rarely to hot or too cold. I have never given Goretex a thought when it comes to footwear.

 

[skidoc22]

I have always had GTX and leather combination boots and have not had a problem as long as I have had the correct socks for the conditions. Regardless of condition or season I do best with a very thin polypro liner sock and then a wool or polypro "hiking sock " outside. If I hike all day and remove my outer sock it takes only a few seconds for my foot to feel dry once the liner is removed. I tend to run pretty hot in general and probably have better than average foot sweatiness (TMI?).

I recently ordered a pair of GTX trail runner and have been breaking in a non GTX light hiker but I don't know if I'll ever use them in the Dax. The Catskills more likely as they tend to have less mud and standing water in my somewhat limited experience there so far.

 

[jrichard]

I've tried them. Too hot for me, even in fall. I'm also not sold on the protection. On wet days, my feed would get wet with snowsealed leather boots. I think the water came in over the tops, dripped down my legs, and/or permeated from my feet as sweat. Why bother?

Trail runners for three seasons. Switch to plastic ice climbing boots in winter.

As a plus, trail runners cause less trail erosion and grip better on rocks.

 

[Dugan]

Gore-tex in shoes fails for me on two counts:

Whether it is incorporated in boots or in trail runners, I have yet to find a pair of shoes that is truly water proof/resistant.

If Gore-tex is incorporated, I tend to find my feet are too warm, whether in boots or trail runners.

Put me in the flexible about form, yet inflexible about NO gore-tex camp.

 

[stu]

A vote for gortex!

It looks like I'm in the minority but I like my new light-weight gortex hikers during mud season. Yea, my feet sweat a little but who cares? I wanted to be able to slosh thru puddles or mud and not worry about ruining my expensive leather boots and getting my feet soaked. So far, I LIKE EM!
Stu

 

[Artex]

Another vote for trailrunners (for warmer weather), though I've only made the switch recently. Now that I have, I wonder what in the heck I was thinking before when wearing boots.

They're not gore-tex, but the breathable mesh keeps my feet cooler. If I step in a mud puddle, drys out quicker than any boot I've ever wore.

But with all the boots I've worn, I've never noticed a difference in breathability between gore-tex and non-gore-tex boots. Seems like a material best suited for thinner materials, IMO.

 

[DougPaul]

Goretex in boots makes my feet hot and damp.

Goretex also makes the boots slow to dry.

Doug

 

[Halite]

Missing category: All of the above.

I have one of each of these categories, mostly because I've had such problems with boot fit. Last season, I largely used my non-goretex trail runner/approach shoes. My feet have never been happier. When it was really wet, my feet didn't get any wetter than my hiking compatriots' feet in their goretex or full leather footwear. I did wear full leather/non-goretex for a trip up the Neversink in November when a bit of waterproofness helped with all the cold stream crossings. Those boots are so uncomfortable for me, however, that I've recently bought a pair of non-leather goretex boots for the wetter, colder hikes. As for sweaty feet, I just pack an extra pair of socks and swap out.

 

[timmus]

If you don't wear Gore-tex how do you balance having protection from outside water and breath ability at the same time.

My full leather boots (Lowa) will take a longtime before letting the water in, even when the trails are very wet. I don't treat them, nikwax or whatever, because I'm too lazy to do that (I don't clean then either). They are now 2 years old, not cracked, and (now) very comfortable. They breathe good enough that my second layer of socks never get wet from sweat.

As oppose to reg trail runners, it does get hot in summer, but I found out that after few hours of hiking, I forget about it.

That said, I might buy trail runners for short/easy/light pack hikes.

 

[nazdarovye]

I tried GoreTex-lined boots on the Northville-Lake Placid trail and discovered that they don't dry out well, keep my feet wet (either from water coming in over the top, from sweat, from leakage/seeping, or a combination), and end up pretty stinky. I've never had that problem with any other shoes.

I use lightweight hikers/trail runners here in California except for going out in the snow. Just got a pair of Inov-8 Flyrocs to replace some well-worn lightweight Merrell Chameleons and Vasque trail runners - I've had pretty good luck with all of those. For out here in the Sierra Nevada, they're definitely the right choice. Harder to say what is best for wet and muddy east coast trails, but I'm no longer convinced GoreTex is the answer.

 

[DougPaul]

If you don't wear Gore-tex how do you balance having protection from outside water and breath ability at the same time.

Chris Townsend (a British how-to-hike book author who specializes in long distance hikes) contends that how fast one's boots dry is more important than how well they hold off moisture. Maximum breathability (ie no Gore-tex) dries faster.

This topic has been discussed many times. There is no universally accepted answer.

Doug

 

[Woody]

I would agree that there is no right answer. We all have our own wants and needs. But for the sake of arguement, I do generally wear full leather boots with gore-tex lining. Like skidoc22, I also wear a light polypro liner sock with a midweight wool hiking sock (smartwool brand or similar). The only time I have had problems with soaking wet feet is during summer downpours when most of the water dripped in off of my legs or I stepped into water over the top of my boots. I do also have a pair of trail runners that I will use on easier hikes like on Wachusett.

 

[HAMTERO]

goretex footware

My gore-tex boots hold water in way better than out. I vote for non-goretex especially for brookwacking.

 

[rhihn]

My past boots have all been non-GoreTex. I currently have a GoreTex pair. They've all been wet, they've all been dry. Frankly I can't see any difference.