Produced in collaboration with SoleLabz.com, where James and colleagues review trail and tactical footwear.
A few words about LOWA (the company)
Being founded in the 1920s, Lowa Company is one of the oldest in the field. It all started in a village of Jetzendorf in Germany when Lorenz Wagner started producing its Brogue Oxford Shoes.
The manufacturing process stemming from Bavarian mountains paired with the quality offered in well-stitched Norwegian shoes turned out to be a winner. The expansion of its facilities was merited as soon as the late 20s and the company just built steam from that moment on.
Lowa is known for its high-quality man-made materials and its many innovations.
Just to name a few:
· They first introduced polyurethane into the business
· The first sole made of vulcanized rubber
· The first sole injected with air…
The company is still located in the village it was founded in, and they’ve celebrated both their 90th anniversary and being the largest rural employer in 2013.
I could go on for pages about Lowa alone, but let’s cut to the chase and see what makes these hiking boots tick.
Here are a few Renegade hiking boot specifications directly from the manufacturer – its fact sheet
The materials used are leather/synthetic combo. The uppers are made out of nubuck leather, which means you’ll pretty much get all the benefits of the full-grain leather with a shortened break-in period.
The shaft from the arch measures 5 inches, heel 1.75 inches and platform approximately 1 inch.
Lowa goes out of its way to stress the footbed that features a “climate control” function, and I’m really eager to see its performance during the testing. The midsole is PU (polyurethane foam) Monowrap Framed, making Lowa one of the rare manufacturers featuring products without EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate).
The shank is full nylon which adds (so they say) to the overall stability of the boot.
Vibram Evo outsole – which is just fancy expression for a patented pattern of the lugs aimed at optimal stability and grip.
Let’s put these on, start testing and see if climate control really works.
Lowa Renegade GTX – my review of the hiking boot
Read the rest here
No comments:
Post a Comment