5 Reasons Why You Should STOP Wearing GORE-TEX Hiking Boots

GORE-TEX footwear can cause problems and most of the time I leave mine at home. There's a time and a place for GORE-TEX footwear but in my opinion it's an overhyped technology when it comes to what you put on your feet (clothes is a different story).
0:00 - Intro
0:08 - Reasons to not use GORE-TEX footwear
4:50 - Situations when you should wear GORE-TEX footwear
How to Plan a Backpacking Trip - • How to Plan a Backpack...
Backing Adventure in the High Sierra - • Backpacking Rae Lakes ...
The Best Hiking Sandals in the World - • 4 Reasons You NEED Bed...
Top 5 Pieces of Gear Under $50 - • Top 5 Pieces of Gear U...

[@chaseadventures]

Gore-tex footwear is a controversial topic for sure and these are my personal pros & cons and when I would and wouldn't wear Gore-tex. What's your experience been? Do you wear Gore-tex footwear? When do you wear it and when do you leave it at home?

[@addsy6396]

I have never had this issue. Sure, they never get bone dry, but they get dry enough that I have never had any issues. Even on multi-day walks. Goretex is a membrane. Membranes require some type of gradient for them to work. As long as there is a big enough temperature gradient, they will dry. As mine always have. Cant argue with your comments on durability though

[@chaseadventures]

@@addsy6396 that's great to hear it hasn't been an issue for you 🙂 There's a lot of factors at work with some of this stuff so I'm sure experiences vary a bit. My main goal is to make sure people are aware of the potential downsides so they're not surprised when they're out on an adventure somewhere. Getting other perspectives like yours will help folks make a good decision so thanks

[@Totemparadox]

Just my opinions and some generalized facts. 1. Fair. For people who sweat a lot GTX can be too much, but most people I have hiked with are completely fine with GTX boots. 2. GTX does not dry slowly. Maybe a hair slower, but not by much. Water evaporates and vapor is what GTX lets out. Sure if you leave a boot that is full of water then it's not going to dry like a non GTX boot that leaks all that water out, but no one leaves their boot full of water. Those tiny droplets that would stay in regular boots turn into vapor and come out of the boot either from the shaft or through the membrane like it would on a non GTX boot. River crossing is legit issue with GTX, but I simply dump the water out after crossing and the heat from my feet dries the boot. Hooray for merino socks and feet that don't sweat a lot. Most of the time what people take as GTX drying slowly is the cushioning holding water. 3. It's not necesseraly heavier. Most modern boots have cushioning and a liner. Gore-Tex works as the liner so another non GTX boot will require some sort of fabric to line the boot and that lining weighs something just like GTX does. We are talking at most a few gram difference if even that. Flexibility has everything to do with the boot or shoe design and outside materials rather than the lining. And GTX boots are not at all burlier because the GTX bootie is the liner. 4. Good point, but from my experince using high quality GTX boots for 15 years, my boots have all failed before the GTX membrane. For 10 years I solely used Haix P9 Desert GTX boots. My father has used the same boots for around 15 to 20 years. 5 pairs between us and 3 pairs have failed due to the outsole cracking after many Finnish winters and summers. My main problem GTX is boot height. If boots are 6" or under, GTX is wasted and actaully works against the user because water can so eaily get in from the top. 8" is good, but 10" is better and many people think that 8" is too much. In the past few years I have also begun to use barefoot shoes like FiveFingers. If those were GTX they would be absolute trash. With basically no liner they act like thicker grippy socks. Fantastic. Great video and in the end GTX is just a "tool" that needs to be used properly or it can seriously hinder the user. My body plays well with it and to me the positives outweigh the negatives.

[@chaseadventures]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment Martin, I'm glad the GTX boots are working well for you 🙂

[@1malikalik]

Bro., I completely agree with your practical rationale. I own a pair of Timberland Classic boots and they are lined and yet they are equally comfortable as my BATES with Gore Tex Bootie. The GTX bootie is no different than the padding or liners you find in most snickers, boots and shoes in terms of weight and comfort.

[@lullaby5084]

Excellent point!

[@LappDog]

A simple solution for the "bucket problem": (waterproof) gaiters or footbags can be used to keep water and/or snow from going into your boots from above.

[@Y007B]

Hi all :-) ! ...please, I've asked several stores but I can't find stock. Until now I used the Sal0m..n "aero" without goretex, but this year they no longer make them. Merr3ll is out of stock too. I'm looking for something similar, not leather, boots that are made of mesh and very very breathable. Please can you recommend it to me 🙏🏽 (just boots). Thanks!

[@safromnc8616]

I am w/you 100%. I live in the South, so I really don't deal w/Winter conditions unless I go looking for them. When I KNOW I am going to have to be dealing w/water/wet feet (like lots of water crossings) I'll actually layer up my feet like I would my body, w/either wool or alpaca socks w/neoprene socks overtop. It is interesting as I was recently up in AK for about a month. Everyone there wears Muck boots, all the time. Which has to be worse than Gore-tex, but is literally part of the 'Uniform'. Maybe they know something we don't ? LOL

[@chaseadventures]

I live in the south myself (though I've lived in a bunch of different places) and yeah not a lot of wintery conditions here! Super interesting about your experience in Alaska and the muck boots! Somehow I still haven't made it to AK but it's going to happen soon :-)

[@christiangallik4585]

The vivobarefoot tracker esc is my solution to this. Not a great boot for intense hikes but the breathability to waterproof Ed’s is great for daily life

[@chaseadventures]

I've heard good things about these Christian, thanks for sharing! Glad you found something that works well for you

[@justin15157]

I sweat a lot. And my feet get stink quickly. I can’t use goretex from late spring - early fall. But for winter I’d definitely use goretex cause I’m not sweating much and it can keep wet snow out.

[@chaseadventures]

I hear that Justin, makes sense. I always Gore-tex on my feet in the snow or if it's wet out and really cold.

[@bigduphusaj162]

​@@chaseadventuresodd how here in Scotland were the opposite. We use gore tex for nost of the year then in winter when its constantly wet and cold and windy for 4 month we use wellies or hunting/fishing or Marine and Arctic wellies and thermal boots and a massive merino wool socks. All the gore-tex in the world aint keeping out a winter boat fishing trip here, thermal Wellies taped up at the kneea

[@chaseadventures]

@@bigduphusaj162 so interesting! Glad you know what works for you. I could see this varying in different parts of the world for sure. Thanks for sharing and I hope your gore-tex has been treating you well so far this year.

[@maxgraham1284]

I can’t agree with you, although in part you are right, I have been working as a geologist for more than 15 years and of course I have shoes with a membrane, ordinary mountain boots for both winter and summer, in my profession I have to be above 3,000 thousand meters above sea level , where naturally the weather changes 3 times a day and not once have my shoes been wet from the inside, naturally if they pass through the fords above the level of the boots, where water gets on top of the boots, then yes, this will definitely create problems, but when I use where i usually work I repeat I never once felt wet. Of course, there are disadvantages when using a membrane, although I think it depends on the human body, the membrane in the cold, well, I’ll tell you, it’s not very good, if it’s normal even up to -10, then from above, the legs are already freezing without active movements. With my activity, shoes suffer more from sharp stones that cut shoes like a knife, rubber welts save, but not for long, but for my professional activities I can say for sure that shoes with a membrane are necessary, since this is your own health. There is a saying of fried geologists, they do not exist in nature, but there are many frozen ones. Yes, for winter, when there is not much activity, it is better to choose eva boots in them are much nicer and lighter, but still there is nothing better than boots, even in summer, even in winter

[@chaseadventures]

Thanks for sharing Max, it's great to get your perspective with all of your experience. Happy to hear Gore-tex boots have served you well :-)

[@eddgar-ce3md]

What boots do you use ? I have tries several Goretex boots and they were as waterproof as a toilet paper.

[@maxgraham1284]

@@eddgar-ce3md Lowa tibet gtx

[@eddgar-ce3md]

@@maxgraham1284 The first Lowa Tibet review that comes up on youtube, and the guy says the boots leaked during the first time he took them out in wet weather, which is consistent with my experience with 3 pairs of goretex boots. I don't have sweaty feet, I can work all day long in rubber boots and have no problems, but I will never trust anything with goretex on them.

[@hider1488]

My asics gel sonoma 7 have gortex, after first long walk, my feet feel warm and sweaty i didnt know why. Too bad, i love shoes so much, they are most comforable shoes ever.

[@chaseadventures]

Sorry to hear that 😕 Yeah from my experience gore-tex unfortunately don't breathe very well. Maybe you can still use them for shorter hikes?

[@Shakusky444]

Good socks are important as well. Merino wool socks save your feet.

[@bigduphusaj162]

even merino you need 35% + merino to dry them quick. Hiking and expedition branded merino sock are terrible even the 35% merino ones are. Here in the UK we get hunting and North Sea Workwear branded Merino socks that are near 80%. I have few pair of Japanese 80-90% ones from 25yr ago they knotted up first wash but they never knotted up again and i got a box of 50 pairs so still have just under half left and gave a bunch of them away ive maybe used 8 pairs myself in 20yr. These things you could pass out cold witb your feet dipped in a swimming pool and tbey would wick out the entire pool by the next morning when you realised you passed out. They could suck a gore-tex shoe or boot dry in about 5min flat

[@juanesteban8827]

For those that don't believe Gore-Tex fabric is breathable get a pair of Gore-Tex leather boots and apply normal shoe polish to one while leaving the other untreated. I can guarantee you will experience profoundly more sweating In The polished boot.

[@chaseadventures]

Definitely more breathable than a leather boot! 100% agree with that

[@bigduphusaj162]

yeah but some manufacturers buy old stock gore-tex then make a triple layer sock then stitch it into the boot upper before its even epoxied to the sole etc. These manufacturers usualy make the same mistake of putting mismatching materials that hold even the vapor in to whatever membrane they are using and just a generally sweaty and long dryng out phase. I agree on that. However a manufacturer that has a good quality gore-tex and knows where to put it and where to double or triple up the layers in places that wear and water ingress occur & not block the vapour in with mismatching materials.. Are the best footwear about.

[@juanesteban8827]

@@bigduphusaj162 i had no idea manufacturers were doing that. At best it's disgusting business practices...I'd say it's closer to fraud

[@ChiliM4n]

​@@bigduphusaj162but how do you know which shoes and manufacturers do that? Are there any brands for certain? Otherwise it just seems to me like pokering, might as well not buy GTX at all if I can't tell if it's a valid one or not.

[@bigduphusaj162]

You seem like a nice guy so i wont insult you but im not going to beat about the bush either👍 You're at best 25% correct here by scientifically provable fact. You were spot on when you spoke about extra layer weight and if any moisture gets inside the boot you have the added effect of any waterproof+breathable membrane/material that it either needs a long time to evapurate out or evapourate in as it will essentially act near enough the same in both directions for anything that isnt a vapour. However I'd argue thats a bit of a mute point based on the fact any footwear is going to get flooded out if you submerge it beyond its upper seams and be a long labourious drying out phase.. apart from one exemption, Fast drying footwear like the fishing or marine branded trainers etc that is basically a net equivalent of footwear that wil get swampled in about 30secs.. but equally dry out again in about 3 mins flat. True "Quick-dry" and true "waterproof" will never exist as a single material its a myth that any material can ever achieve this. That out the way i think the rest of what you claimed is easily wrong as if weight per layer of membrane is the issue then Gore-tex isnt the worst offender and i honestly think the manufacturers that know where to put it and how many layers on each part of the boot/shoe are using it right. The ones just buying older stock and layering it up as a "sock" inside the upper i think are the ones creating a plastic bag. Also, any decent gore-tex hiking boot you can get it too dry out quick wearing proper Merino wool socks but get the ones with 35+% merino and put up with the knotting after a few washes for the sake of extra merino. The Merino stuff that is less than 30% wont dry out gore-tex as fast as the genuine hunting socks will. I have older merino wool socks i got from Japan with 80% merino and they can dry off a drenched wellie boot in about 2hr mate so i suggest you try out proper merino socks sold outside the "hiking" range as you will be shocked. If you need any advice on what ones to use in even badly made gore-tex boots then im happy to share the ones i know of if i dont get comment removed for naming the exact sock from the exact brands?

[@chaseadventures]

Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you've got a system that's working for you! It sounds like I need to get whatever socks you've got!

[@jonathand3842]

never experienced more sweating than other shoes

[@chaseadventures]

Happy to hear it's not an issue for you 🙂

[@nateclarke1179]

one random guy says wear gore tex... another random guy says don't wear gore tex... seems nobody can agree on anything in the hiking world...

[@chaseadventures]

Yeah I think some of it comes down to personal preference but you're right there are a lot of different opinions out there. There are definitely some situations where I would wear GORE-TEX footwear but most of the time I don't.

[@yltf]

Пусть лучше мои ноги потеют, чем в горах будут защищены только тряпкой. Я ходил в горы в кожаных рабочих ботинках, иак они все были отбиты и поцарапаны