Review: Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid Hiking Boots

A lightweight, waterproof and robust hiking boot for trails and hills.

The Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid hiking boots are designed to enjoy long days on the trails in a variety of conditions and terrain. Well designed and manufactured, they are lightweight and comfortable straight from the box. Packed full of technological innovations to support your feet including excellent grip, these boots will ensure confident hiking and the 9 different colourways ensure your feet look super stylish out on the trails.

Lowa Trek Evo Mid GTX: The stats

Features of the Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid

Uppers

The construction of the upper is nubuck with some textile areas, making the boot lightweight and supple, but also fairly breathable. Lowa have created these boots using double injection moulding pouring several layers of PU-foam padding into the moulds to create epic cushioning and bonding the sole and upper together. This ensures added comfort for your feet but also makes the boot construction stronger. The Gore-Tex lining provides excellent waterproofness and breathability.

Outsole and midsole

The sole benefits from Vibram Rene TracⓇ giving the boot superb traction and grip, and with a moderate stiffness has a good balance between support and being able to roll off the ground and over a variety of terrain. The lugs are medium depth and widely spaced. Plus, the sole has a heel and toe brake for extra grip going up and down slopes.

These boots come in a women specific option designed differently around the instep and ball of the foot, to accommodate a better fit for most women’s feet. There are wide and narrow fits too.

Lacing

With 2-zone lacing at the forefoot and upper, this helps to put different tensions in specific areas of the boot and allows adjustments for different foot anatomies and ultimately a better fit. I like the positioning of the bottom hook; it’s quite far back so really provides secure support for the ankle.

Toe box

The toe box boasts extra protection on the outside to avoid scuffs and toe stubs. Inside, there is enough room to wiggle the toes and allow afternoon foot swelling.

Cushioning

The Lowa Monowrap support frame is made of PU creating a wrap-around three-dimensional cradle. This provides lightweight support for feet and ankles with cushioning over uneven surfaces. Alongside the soft tongue and flexible uppers, you can walk in this boot all day long.

Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid review

In need of a new pair of walking boots after previous pairs were on their last legs, I was given the opportunity to try the Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid boots. Firstly, it took me a long time to choose a colour, with 9 different options, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to go stealth or bold! I chose the asphalt/turquoise as blue is my favourite colour, but I really like the options for every taste or environment – stand out or blend in, the choice is yours.

My second impression, after mulling over colourways, was that the boot looked solid, stylish and well made. I could see the Lowa quality when I picked them out of the box, and I was astounded by how light they were when I first put them on. For their look I was expecting a much heavier boot, and at 930g they are on the lighter end of the scale for a boot of this construction. Knowing I had a hiking holiday coming up, alongside some local coastal walks and a trip to the Lake District, I was eager to put these to the test!

For reference, my feet sit somewhere between a UK 7-7.5, I reviewed a size 7 and wore mid-weight hiking socks. For specific measurements the length of my foot is 10 inches (26cm), and measure 4” (10cm) at the widest part and I have fairly high arches, classing myself as having quite a wide foot.

Type and location of use

The first outing with these boots was a hiking holiday in Madeira where we did 11 days on a variety of terrain from high, dry, steep mountain trails, to rocky paths, and a lot of water and mud. This tested out the waterproofing, support and grip, all of which passed with flying colours. There were also some long days on flatter routes in the heat so the comfort and breathability was put through its paces. Additionally I had time to test some day hikes on the rugged and uneven southwest coast path, and in the Lake District scrambling on Sharp Edge (luckily in the dry) and up the fells both in the heat and rain.

Comfort and fit

The boots fit well and are super comfortable, things I was never in doubt of having worn Lowa boots before. After getting them out of the box, just to double check they fit, they went straight in the duffel bag and came out on the levada trails of Madeira. Stupidly, in my excitement to get walking, I left a small ruck in my sock around the outside of my baby toe, and lo and behold, a blister formed. I could actually feel it forming but I did nothing to rectify the situation – user error, not the fit of the boot. Blister gone (and socks put on properly) the boots were super comfortable for the remaining 10 days on our feet.

There is no rubbing, the toe box is quite roomy (no pinching) and whenever I wear the boots I feel like I can walk all day as they are well cushioned. Even in the heat they cope well, obviously my feet get hot, but I never feel like they are overheating. The laces cinch in well around the midfoot and ankle giving good support and eliminating front-back movement.

Materials and durability

I have been using these boots for 3 months so can’t comment too authoritatively on durability, but from what I’ve experienced so far, the construction is solid, with high quality materials, and I feel that with good maintenance they should last a long time. I’ve added a few scuffs and scrapes to the nubuck which is to be expected after some decent testing. I personally prefer leather boots for durability, but the nubuck allows for a lighter weight boot and still should last well.

Waterproofing

The first day I wore the boots was a fairly flat 8-miler with a lot of water and mud. I’ve always had something about new footwear where I want to keep them as fresh as possible for as long as possible. This lasted for about an hour before I felt it was silly to tip toe around yet another muddy puddle so ended up boshing straight through when I remembered I had to test the waterproofing qualities! The water beads off like duck feathers, and not once throughout the time I’ve been wearing these has any water seeped into the boots. This is to be expected with Gore-Tex lining though, and experimenting during some river crossings submerging the boot up to the secondary lacing areas they held out. I can confidently tramp through bogs, puddles and spend a day in the rain knowing my feet will stay dry. I am looking forward to the winter as I know they will keep my feet warm and dry through the endless wet of a Cornish winter.

Versatility

These boots will take your feet anywhere, whether it’s for a dog walk or long hikes in more extreme environments, they are versatile in that respect. I wouldn’t want to run or cycle in them as the sole is quite stiff, but if you only invested in one pair of boots for all types of walks these would be a great choice.

What I love the most about the Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid

I love how light they are for a really decent, tough boot. It genuinely surprised me how light they were when I first picked them up. I also am impressed with the grip. The variety of terrain I’ve tested them in, on different slopes, rocks, scree, and a lot of mud, I feel confident I won’t slip.

What I don’t love so much about the Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid

I’m trying really hard to pick out a flaw, but I can’t. There isn’t much to dislike about these boots, they look and feel great, do what I need them to do, and I’m really hoping they last a long time as I like them a lot.

Verdict

So, what is the verdict of the Lowa Renegade EVO GTX Mid boots? I absolutely love them! I would give them 4.8 out of 5 (0.2 points deducted only because I haven’t used them in the depths of winter). They are a similar price point to other top quality Gore-Tex boots, so I don’t think price can lower the rating. If you’re looking for a lightweight, well cushioned, comfortable, waterproof and well made boot you can walk in all day long, for several days, then I highly recommend them. And with several different colours to choose from, what’s not to like?

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Disclaimer: Cool of the Wild received this product free in return for an honest review. We only recommend gear that we love from companies we trust and we are under no obligation to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are that of the reviewer and we are in no way influenced by the brand or company.

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