To Gore or Not to Gore

I'd appreciate some advice. Looking at Asolo leather boots, either 520 or Powermatic 200 (GoreTex) or 535 (non GoreTex). Worried about the leather + GoreTex being very hot. I've heard the 535's are very water "resistant", and with proper/regular treatment are just about as waterproof as the GoreTex version. But...hesitant to go with them without someone who knows better telling me.

What do you think? I live near the Smoky Mountains of N.C., so I deal with high humidity and high moisture. I've heard that GoreTex doesn't actually breathe well in high humidity anyway, and I might find my foot feeling cold and wet anyway in a GoreTex boot.

Anyone with any experience with this out there? Tell me my feet won't cook in the Gore boot, and I'll probably go with it, or tell me I won't have water leakage issues with the 535 - love the boot, so I'd grab it in a heartbeat.

Thanks
TM

IMO go with the Gore. The best pairs of hiking boots I've owned have all had Gore-Tex liners. I've even used A pair of hunting boots with Gore-Tex and insulated with Thinsulate as my year round hiking boots and never had a sweat issue. As a matter of fact I've had far more sweat problems with non Gore-Tex boots not being able to breath after their 3rd or 4th coating of water proofing than with that pair of Gore-Texed and insulated boots. Plus, unless you re-waterproof before and after,and sometimes during every trip you WILL eventually get a leak in a non Gore-Tex boot. Just my experiences. Good luck!

I have the Asolo non gore tex leather boots and I like them a lot. I've never used gore tex boots and quite frankly don't see the point. Anything that keeps water out of the boot, eihter gore tex or simple waterproofing on leather, will keep sweat inside the boot. I really don't believe a gore tex boot is going to breath well or at least any amount that is noticeable under field conditions. Also, eventually gore tex boots will leak simply from the membrane wearing down with use.

All that said, I don't think your feet will perspire to a point of being uncomfortable in a gore tex boot, nor do I think non gore tex boots will leak terribly if you treat the leather. If you are worried about heat and high humidity I'd skip the gore tex. I do think that gore tex is oversold in boots simply from a marketing hype standpoint. At the end of the day, buy the pair that fits you the best.

I have the PM200's, but have not had them on the trail yet. I just picked them up a few weeks ago and have been using them as work boots in the yard. Last weekend I spent 12 hours in them moving 2000+ lbs of flagstone. I was wearing the same smart wool socks I plan on hiking in and the rock pieces were at least 100 lbs each. My experience was that they seemed to breath well and I did not overheat. At the end of the day my socks did not feel damp and my feet felt great. No hots spots and no blisters.

All in all I would say I made the right decision in getting these boots. As a side note they also did great when I used the toe to prop up a few rock pieces or dropped them a short distance. A wet rag at the end of the day and they look brand new. No scuffs at all.

Gore - then you're not sealing dirt and mung into the leather every couple of days, helping it to break down. I have worn a pair of Danner ML's with the membrane for years and have never been disappointed.

Off topic, but Danner (for a price) will rebuild your ML's -including replacing the membrane - they come back good as new BUT already broken in.

My vote goes for non-Gore. In footwear, breathability is key, because sweat=soft skin=greater chance for blisters over an extended period of time. I'm going to assume anyone can properly waterproof non-Gore boots to be as water-tight as Gore'd boots, if only because I can. I use a nikwax paste wax waterproofer that, after you put it on and work it into the cracks w/your fingers, "cures" after about 24 hours to create a durable barrier against water penetration. I've stood in 5" deep streams with my Lowa Banff's after completing this process, having no problems whatsoever with wetness. I've found that non-Gore'd boots do breathe much better than those with the membrane, and this opinion comes from experience. There's a wealth of information out there in the form of customer reviews that should be able to help sway your decision in choosing between the very excellent Asolo boots you've mentioned.

In my opinion, Gore-tex is really just an excuse for boot manufacturers to use lower-quality leather, less-skilled sewers, and skimp out on glue. They realize that the majority of those that buy Gore-tex boots will likely not use them past the point where the membrane will develop wear spots, and so, build the remainder of the Gore'd boot accordingly. A boot manufacturer using a single piece of 3mm thick nubuck for the upper will need to build the rest of the boot to match, meaning that the seams on this leather will need to be well-placed, and it will need to be bonded well to the sole, as the sole will most likely be of the replacable kind.

I do understand that many Gore'd boots come with replacable soles, and I also understande that many Gore'd boots do not fit the pattern I've described above. I do, however, see the pattern above as something to keep in the back of one's mind when comparing the features of a Gore'd vs. a non-Gore'd boot. I say stick to leather and wax for boots, and leave Gore-tex to storm shells.

pillowthread - I'll be happy to agree to disagree wtih you - but I've got a question -

If you treat the leather your boots are made of to resist water getting in from the outside, how is that vapor can escape from the inside? Not trying to be a pain or anything - but seriously - waterproof is waterproof from either side, is it not?

Most of the 'breathing' in boots probably takes place at the top (your foot moves in the boot, air exchanges at the opening) - of course if you listen to the "experts" you won't leave home without donning gaiters - which negates this exchange ... leaving you with wet, soft, blistered feet ...

I'll agree with you that Gore-Tex has been used in many cases to make sub-standard boots seem acceptable. My only experience with it in a boot is with my Danners, which feature very high quality construction and materials (and which therefore demand a rather premium price) -

I resisted Gore-Tex for a number of years, and still do. However, I bought a pair of REI boots with Gore-Tex, made by Raichle, and am very pleased. I wear them both winter and summer, with wool socks. While I do experience some moisture in the socks, it's much less than I experienced with "non-Gore" waterproof footwear.

I've always wondered about the issue of treating leather to be waterproof, and losing the breathability factor. I've had treated boots that I couldn't keep my feet dry in, and Gore boots that were like little ovens. I'd go with the Gore if I thought it wouldn't cook my feet, cuz I have this strange aversion to having wet feet, especially when cold. But...feet that get wet from sweat, particularly in winter, are just as bad!

That's a great question Fred--I've often wondered that myself as well. I really don't know.

If I had to guess though, I'd assume it works through some kind of system of pores in the leather that, much like Gore-tex, let smaller water vapor droplets out without letting larger liquid water drops back in. Maybe some kind of diffusion happens as well, as the difference in humidity between the outside of the membrane--in this case a piece of leather--and the inside might "pull" the moisture to the dry side as it evaporates.

Also, I completely agree with you regarding the idea that most of the "breathing" within a boot comes from simply walking.

Keegan--If my reasoning serves me correctly, I think waxing a boot actually improves it breathability. Let's say you leave a leather boot untreated, go stomping through some wet underbrush, and come out the other side with dry feet, but wet, waterlogged leather. This leather, having absorbed however much water it has, now cannot allow vapor to escape in those waterlogged areas. By properly waxing a boot, the leather is kept free of any potential sogging, thereby allowing maximum surface area for your sweat to diffuse through the leather, and evaporate.

Again, this is all my best guess, so if anyone knows otherwise, please correct me.

You should also consider the terrain you will mostly be hiking through. In an area where trails are typically dryer there would be little point in a gore tex boot and little point in heavily waxing a non gore tex boot. Gore tex may be more valuable in an area where the trails are very wet all of the time.

I really don't see either boot breathing all that well. Sweat needs to go from your foot, through your sock, through the boot lining and then through the leather and potentially add a gore tex membrane. Just too many barriers between your foot and the outside world for the sweat to pass through.

I'm with Alan - boots don't breathe that well.

One thing I do know is that dry feet are happy feet - which is why when my feet are feeling damp I'll stop and swap socks - at least the outter woolies - the synthetic liners don't retain moisture so generally they'll go back on after a 10 or 15 minute "foot airing" session. If there's a stream present I'll give 'em a soak and a wring (what the heck, the woodland creatures walk in the creeks) and then dangle them from my backpack, drying in the sun, until they are once again pressed into service.

Note - this procedure also gives a nearly 50 year old geezer the chance to take a 10-15 minute break every so often in the bargain!