Loading…
23
Vent: my 2-year-old "waterproof" hiking boots soaked through on a wet trail in Portland
I bought these boots because the box screamed waterproof and the reviews were glowing, but after a 5 mile loop in the rain last weekend my socks were drenched by mile 3. I dried them out, checked the seams, and did a sink test, yep water seeps right in the toe area. Has anyone actually found a hiking boot that stays dry beyond a season or are they all just a marketing gimmick?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
the_jesse28d ago
Calling it a marketing gimmick seems like a stretch when most people I know get years out of their boots. The catch is that waterproofing is a wear item. It breaks down from dirt, sweat, flexing, and just miles on the trail. The membrane gets clogged or the seams get stressed, and then water finds its way in. Portland rain is also a rough test because that kind of wet soaks the outer fabric and it wicks right to your socks. Five miles in steady rain would beat up a lot of boots that were fine on drier hikes. Did you actually clean and re-treat them with a waterproofing product, or just let them dry out? Because a sink test after the fact mostly shows you the damage that already happened, not proof the boot was never waterproof.
5