Lowa Desert Elite - possibly the best boot I've ever used

[@combatboots101]

Some things I forgot/didn’t convey very clearly in the video. 1. Polyurethane (PU) is durable and is not affected by water in the first few years after manufacture. 2. PU can survive past its use by date provided it’s kept totally dry. 3. After this point the decay of PU is significantly accelerated by water & humidity as was the case here.

[@XbenXdoverX1337]

Damn, I didn't know these were discontinued. I was issued these in 2020 and they are still going strong, it'll be a sad day when they finally fall apart.

[@bartjeej]

Excellent review, thanks! I never served but mine have survived prolonged backpacking trips in West Africa and the republic of Georgia, along with general mistreatment. I concur with pretty much everything you said, although I found grip on soft surfaces (deep loose sand and mud) to be suboptimal. On rock with a thin layer of sand - a much more common surface in desert environments - it's perfect though. I know the Elite Evo is also used in some militaries but indeed, it's hard to come by useful reviews of it. Curious about the new Breacher too, it seems to be something in the same vein.

[@combatboots101]

Cheers, you’re welcome. It’s proven difficult to find a boot that gives me the confidence to jump around uneven terrain with 25+ kg on my back and yet not feel like a ski boot as this one does. The Breacher looks very promising but I can’t find any info on whether it uses the same last as the Desert Elite.

[@rodo9566]

Very nice review, expecially because sharing your personal experience with a product, adds quite more depth to the review. I have a new pair of Elite Deserts , recently re-soled beacuse of hydrolisis, same PU problem as yours. I am curious about your time while breaking in the boots. My boot fit perfecly, but my heel slightly moves up and down while walking. And with extreme movements, I can feel a little gab when placing down the heel on the ground. Did you had any similar probelms?

[@combatboots101]

@@rodo9566 the stiffness of the sole does cause some heel slippage early on. Once broken in I found the issue less noticeable. It’s a feature of most general issue boots: very wide heel to accommodate all sorts of wearers.

[@rodo9566]

@@combatboots101 thanks a lot. I fit a size 14.5 US and finding a good size isn't easy. You are helping a lot