Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

I bought this boot to wear while deployed to Iraq and couldn't be happier with the performance of this boot. THese boots felt broken in right out of the box, and only get better with more wear. The boot is lightweight and comfortable even on the longest missions. Lowa makes a good product, and I believe that these boots will last longer than my previously owned 6" high desert boots. I had to replace them about every 5 months while deployed. The only con is that the Lowa's are low, real low, and that could draw the attention of some 1SG or CSM if your not careful.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

Best combat boots I've ever worn. Period. And if the boots are good in combat, recreational hiking/backpacking uses are not a challenge to these boots. I took the thin soles out trying them on and put a pair of Sorbothane Hiker full sole inserts inside and went up a half size when I bought them. Fit perfect and completely broken in out of the box. I knew the laces would never hold up so I did what I always do and replaced them. I measured out two very generous lengths of sand colored 550 cord, gutted the cord (to make it thinner and lay flat) and melted the ends and replaced the laces before I wore them. Ran 14 miles in them to check them out. No problems at all. Stepped out in them with full combat load of about 90+ lbs of equipment and had no problems. Liked them so much I ordered another pair next day. Bought two more pair when I got back to the states. I hope LOWA never stops making these boots. Other than putting Sorbothane inserts inside and 550 cord laces, these boots can't be improved upon. I have always had hard to fit and hard to make comfortable feet. These boots are the best in my over 50 years of wearing boots almost every day of my life. My boots have always been my most important item of my personal gear. These are the best. I've been an REI member since 1973 and have always bought REI when I can.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

I ordered these boots online while deployed. The size came in perfect to my usual tennis shoe size. They are extremely comfortable, breathe well, and dry out quickly. A good amount of padding too. These boots are perfect for all the types of terrain in Afghanistan. The only bad thing I have to say about them is the original shoe laces aren't durable at all. Definitely worth every penny.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

I originally bought these boots for summer hikes in and around Northern California. I've used these boots a full season and now feel I can more accurately comment on initial and long term wear.The boot is true to size (definitely does not run large). A few things to consider: 1.) If you have a wide forefoot like I do, go up a half size, as these boots only come in a medium width. 2.) If you plan on using thicker socks, go up another half size. I use these boots in mild to hot temperatures so I only use thinner hiking socks. But if I planned to use thick socks, I would need a half size more. 3.) If you plan on longer hikes, I would recommend another half size up due to your feet naturally swelling. I didn't do this, and as a result have foot pain in the forefoot when I hike for long periods. For me, these boots are fine for daily wear and for hikes of less than 12 miles. Anything more than that causes some foot pain, although nothing too serious. It's just that I know I would not have this pain on long hikes if I had gotten a larger size.For reference, I typically wear a size 9 street shoe, and purchased this boot in 9.5. I should have gotten at least a size 10; maybe even a 10.5.Other than the sizing issue, which was my fault, this boot is very light and comfortable. On trail these boots are great. For off-trail hiking on steep inclines and declines, I prefer a little more ankle support than this boot offers, however the support is adequate if not carrying a lot of extra weight. In general, on flat terrain, I feel the boot support is adequate for pack weight around ~50-60 lbs. or less, but for anything heavier I would prefer a stiffer boot or at least a taller boot to provide a bit more ankle support.I've found the traction on the sole of the Lowa to be fine in dry environments, which was my intended use when I bought them. However I have found myself using these in mud and on wet rocks in the winter months. In this type of environment I prefer more aggressive lugs that can be found on heavier, backpacking oriented boots made by Lowa and other manufacturers.I bought the non-Goretex version of this boot and prefer it to the Goretex version. In warmer climates I find Goretex adds weight, makes the boot hotter and won't let the boot dry out quickly when it does get wet. This boot is one of the fastest drying boots I own.Stitching on the boot has held up without any problems. As others have said, the laces do break easily, but it is not hard to replace them with stronger paracord.Overall, this is a great boot that is light and comfortable, has good traction when dry and enough support for light to moderate loads.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

I reviewed the Zephyr about 9 mos ago, shortly after I bought the boot. I loved it. But had some complaints about the range of sizes at the store because I ended up buying size 13 and doubling up on thick socks instead of getting 11.5-12. Now, it's 9 mos later, 9 mos of wearing it daily in harsh desert terrain and all I can say is that I have never worn a better boot. I am hard to fit and if a boot doesn't fit right, then my left foot will start feeling like a hot knife is being shoved in the back of my heel down through my arch and I have to ice my arch by rolling it over a frozen 20oz plastic coke bottle to make the pain go away. That never happened with the Zephyr. Not once. I need the GTX version for use in wetter/colder terrain which is the only reason I am getting another pair of boots. I really can't say enough about this boot.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

Just purchased this boot. Good comfort right of the box. No break in. Initial hike was light load (30lbs) with moderate elvation gain (2k ft), but several stair steps and boulder scrambles. Second hike, heavy load (60+lbs) in and out of the water, large rocks, beyond the end of the trail. Boot was very comfortable. No hot spots, or blisters, with liner socks and mid-weight wool combo socks. Boot dried well. Boot would be perfect if it had speed laces. Lack of speed laces made lace adjustments more tedious than they should be. Overall, one of the best boots I have worn.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

After looking at the Keen Targhee II and some Vasques in the store I ended up spending a bit more for these Lowa's.

Glad I did. The reivews of the Keen and Vasque shoes here online all talked about the soles separating from the uppers so I knew what to look for when I went into the store. I'm glad I did my research. The Keens had obvious gaps between the sole and uppers even though they'd never been worn before. A quick look at the tongue tag revealed why. "Made in China." Same for the Vasque although from the outside looks of it their quality control is a bit better than Keen's at the moment.

Then I picked up the Lowas. "Made in Slovakia." It' ain't Switzerland, Germany, or Austria, but their production control has to be better than China and a quick look at the quality of the construction seems to have proven this point. No obvious gaps, no visible glue very neat and tidy construction. Leave it to the Germans to get the quality control right...

So Lowas it was. I'm a size 13 US and my foot is pretty wide. I had to move up to a 14 US in the Lowas, but that's pretty common for European made shoes. (I have the same problem with Puma's for example.) But if you're ordering these online, know that you might need to go up a size if your feet are anything wider than "narrow" by US standards.

I haven't had the shoes for long, and I haven't had an occasion to try out the waterproofing yet, but here's what I do know...

1) The toe box isn't wide even though I went up a size. A little more room would be good, but it's not bad and I can comfortably wear hiking socks.

2) There's a spot that's rubbing on my right foot on the inside where my large toe meets the rest of the foot. I don't have the same rub spot on my left foot, so I'm assuming that it's just my anatomy at work here. I'll be getting some insoles with better arch support and that might take care of the problem. I'll keep tabs on it as they get broken in and will report back if the fit changes over time.

3) I don't know if it's the waterproof Gore-tex liner or mostly leather upper, but these things are HOT. My feet haven't sweat this much since I was going through Puberty. Definitely going to have to invest in some sneaker balls or something if I'm going to wear these with any sort of regularity and some sort of water wicking socks are on the docket as well.

Other than that, they're doing well. Thank goodness my local REI store had 14's and they were the "normal" darker colors rather than the sand on kakhi that they seem to have online here. The normal brown version is fairly attractive. Not so taken by the sandy colored version they have online here. Not sure why they don't offer the "normal" brown version if they have it in the stores...

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

The market for desert boots is tiny compared to conventional woods and alpine boots, but recently the American military has been active in desert regions. Now the market is larger. That is where the Lowa Zephyr boot comes in. In desert areas mud and wet conditions are not usually big problems, so unlike the common hiking boot, they do not have to be designed to deal with these conditions. The boot does have to deal with ventilation and heat; it has to support and protect the foot from broken terrain.

This boot does offer good ventilation and heat protection. There are few trails where I go, so I have walked for miles and miles cross-country, across broken rock and gravel without stone bruises or any feeling from the ground, no matter how sharp the rocks. Through all broken country these boots have supported and protected my feet.

They did not require break-in, and the size was normal. I have been using them for seven months, and there is no sign of extraordinary wear or construction failure of any kind. However as mentioned by other reviewers, the laces are weak and should be replaced.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

Great pair of non-GTX boots for all-round use, though originally bought for duty in Afghanistan. Short break-in time and works well on a variety of surfaces with light day-pack weight loads up to 20 lbs, though bigger pieces of sharp rocks will be felt - stick to trails, animal paths, and the like. Great for transistional environments like dayhiking from desert to mountain or expecting a brief shower. Excels in warmer temps when worn with thin merino wool socks (caveat: I had to use an aftermarket insole for perfect fit). Lacing system very comfortable. Can't think of a bad thing to say about these boots. With the construction, I expect these to last a very long time.

Comments about Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid Hiking Boots - Men's:

I bought these for hiking in the Phoenix area. The boots feel great out of the box. I usually wear 10.5-11 US, but with these, 11.5 fit perfectly. I have 50+ miles on them so far without hot spots or signs of wear on teh uppers. Even though they are designed for desert, they grip quite well on wet rock. Cons: The eyelets are not speed laces, so a bit of force is needed to sinch them down for a snug fit. This also causes the cheap (cotton?) laces to snap after a couple of hikes. [...] Overall, nice comfortable boots. Lowa needs to get their laces and lacing system dialed in.