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Goretex lined footwear

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unsure 19 Sep 2003
I am looking for a pair of approach shoes and maybe a pair of lighteight walking boots and most of the ones I have seen so far seem to be goretex lined. As I have never had gtex lined shoes before I am wondering what they are like for breathability and temperature.

The approach shoes I want to replace running shoes for general everyday use but most seem to be made either from mesh which offers no water resistance at all or to be gtex. I don't really want to get soaking wet feet every time it rains but I also don't want hot sweaty feet all the time either.

So what are peoples thoughts/experiences of gtex linings?

thanks
OP Al Urker 19 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure:

You could always get goretex socks.
keef 19 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure:

Don't expect Goretex lining to stay waterpoof for very long. It obviously has more wear & tear & quickly develops tiny leaks. I tried a pair of Goretex boots, fortunately they were in a sale so I didn't pay extra for them, because they were soon letting in water. (I solved it by using heavy-duty groundsheet waterproofing spray on them!)
OP Anonymous 19 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure: Goretex kicks ass! It is very breathable or if ur worried try get a pair with Goretex XCR (25% more breathable) or so the nice ppl @ berghaus told me.....
 Dave Stelmach 19 Sep 2003
In reply to Anonymous: Makes a change from your usual postings
 Ian Hughes 19 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure:

Ive had my goretex lined boots for 4 years, they get used every weekend and are still as breathable and waterproof as the day i bought them!

They are leather though, not so lightweight!
OP unsure 19 Sep 2003
In reply to Ian Hughes: thanks for the replies.

As to the longevity it is another concern. I could forsee ending up with a boot/shoe that leaks and doesn't breath very well. But I assume for walking boots it can't be that bad as it is almost impossible to find even a leather boot that isn't gtex lined these days. Its more the comfort of gtex for everyday use that I am concerned with at the moment. After all gtex is just a plastic bag with holes in it. Combined with the thick padding it is always bonded to it must make the shoes pretty hot. And I assume that the normal solution to smelly trainers of putting them in the washing machine is probably not a good idea with gtex linings?
OP Anonymous 19 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure: There shouldnt be a problem with putting goretex lined foot wear in the washing machine as long as you set it to a low temp and be sure to clean any washing powder from the tray and set the washer to a rinse wash first to try and clean any detergents out of the system but a better alternative would be to flush the boot every once in a while (fill boot/shoe with water and add some tech wash and leave for a couple of hours), something like that.
Any way, to be sure if you do buy any gore lined boots or shoes try and buy them from someone whos knows what there talking about so that you get the correct maintenance advice so that you can make them last longer ie not cotswolds.
 Simon Caldwell 22 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure:
Goretex is completely useless for boot/shoe linings, but unfortunately it's now hard to find any without.
The waterproofing works fine in fairly light rain, but the same is true with leather boots.
In heavy rain, the water gets through the outer, meets the goretex, wicks up the boot to the top of the lining, and then down again inside. Leather also lets in water in these conditions, but takes longer.
And in any case the goretex lining will have worm out within a year. The boots may still be waterproof in light rain, but that's now due to the outer.
Dave Hunter, Rock + Run 22 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure:

Scarpa make quality walking boots which do not use Goretex. Goretex is unnecessary if you are buying a quality leather boot and will inhibit the breathability of the leather.
OP Martin W at work 22 Sep 2003
In reply to unsure: Try these threads for more info:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=57442
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=57455
The general feeling seems to be that a gore-tex lining isn't worth paying extra for, and if unavoidable may possibly turn out not to be as breathable as you'd like. I've not tried gore-tex lined footwear so I cannot comment directly.

I'd disagree that it's not possible to find shoes or boots without a gore-tex lining. For example, as far as I can tell none of the boots listed on Needlesport' web site have gore-tex linings. Maybe you just need to go to a shop which sells proper outdoor gear rather than pandering to street fashion?

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