The Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid is a lightweight and highly comfortable hiking boot, ideal for day hikes with a small backpack but also for multiple day trekkings like the Santiago de Compostela or even just for walking the dog. Enjoy the review!
- Price: € 230,- / £ 220,- / $ 265,-
- Weight: Men 1151,4 grams (UK 7.5)
- Weight claimed: Women’s 930 g (UK 5), Men’s 1170 g (UK 8)
- Sizes: Women’s 2.5-9+10, Men’s 6.5-12,+13, 14, 15
Fit
The Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid has a standard last, making it suitable for feet with a normal to slightly higher instep. The women’s version features a last specifically designed for the female foot anatomy, offering slightly less volume, a lower instep, and a narrower heel. Also available in a small and wide last.
Construction
The upper of the Lowa Renegade GTX Mid consists of a combination of mainly nubuck leather textile and synthetic materials. The tongue is partly leather and is connected to the shoe with synthetic materials keeping material layers on top of each other to a minimum and that results in more comfort. Comfortable is also the soft synthetic material that surrounds the top of the shaft. Protective material surrounds the shoe but the protection at the toe box is more like a bumper and could be better.
Gore-Tex: waterproof and breathable
Lowa has integrated a Gore-Tex membrane to ensure waterproofing while maintaining breathability. While part of the Lowa collection is still made with the ‘old’ Gore-Tex ePTFE membrane, Lowa is – at the moment of writing this review – Lowa switching to the new environmentally more friendly ePE membrane for the complete collection. The Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid is from the start made with the ePE membrane.
The construction of the Gore-Tex liner sits like a sock inside the shoe. When walking through puddles, walking a long time through wet grass or passing a stream, the shoe (not your feet) can get wet and kind of heavy when not well maintained. It is of key importance that the leather is treated regularly with a water repellent material. More on this in the How to video I made in Shoe Care.
Sole construction
The Lowa outsole is from the Italian Vibram. It features large, moderately deep lugs in a V-profile. The outsole features an articulated heel giving the Renegade GTX Evo Mid good braking capabilities when walking downwards. In the front and at the rear washing board like ribbels provide excellent grip during propulsion and landing. Cushioning is provided by a Lowa DynaPU Polyurethane midsole.On the outside the shoe features a cradle design support frame. The insole is made of Polyurethane with a textile layer on top for added comfort. Overall, the sole construction aligns with a lightweight, easy-going hiking boot. While torsionally quite rigid, the forefoot flexes comfortably to enhance walking comfort.
Nice to know
The Lowa Renegade was the first hiking boot where the sole was not glued but directly molded onto the upper.
Repairs
The outsole on the Lowa is injected to the shoe’s upper and thus is an integral part of the shoe design. Although a lot of shoes can not be resoled because of this injected-method, the Renegade is designed in a manner that this is partly possible: the heel can be replaced. Lowa also offers repairs on seams, hooks, liner, cuff and even heel replacement in case something gets damaged before the outsole is end-of-life.
Putting on
The Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid is easy to put on, thanks to its wide-opening tongue and a large pull loop at the back of the shaft. The forefoot eyelets are ‘square’ eyelets whereas the shaft features metal lacing hooks with that same modern square design; these can be slightly uncomfortable to grip while lacing. The tongue does have a central securing loop to keep it in place. In contrast to some other shoes I reviewed from Lowa, the laces are nice round and grippy and were never slipping.
Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid in Practice
I have been using the Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid almost weekly for the last year and they have proven to be extremely comfortable. It is one of those shoes that is comfortable for almost every occasion; something the Renegade series has always been renowned of.
The first Renegades – the series dates back to 1997 – were designed as a super comfortable lightweight hiking boot. I always felt that the Renegade was a ‘walk-the-dog’ type of shoe, but that has changed. Yes, you can still walk the dog but I have taken the boots on multi-day trekkings with a quite solid backpack and that works fine too. Use them with a 30-liter backpack with a weight of around 12 kg on a hut-to-hut hike or a 50-70 liter with a bit more weight and you’ll be fine. One remark: provided your legs are well-trained and the terrain is non-technical.
Do the mid-height Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid provide substantial ankle support? Not really. That’s why I emphasize the importance of well-trained legs for more challenging terrain. The flexible upper and shaft provide some ankle support, though they effectively protect feet from sharp stones and rocks.
Grip outsole
The outsole generally provides good grip in both wet and dry conditions. Thanks to the articulated heel descending trails with loose pebbles feels very secure. The sole is relatively soft, meaning that sharp stones and pointy rocks can be felt through it. The damping of the midsole is fine and I never had feet that felt fatigued. The cushioning is comfortable. The toe cap could do with a bit more protection; the leather is a little bit worn because of rocks. The Gore-Tex liner offers a wading height of about 11 cm /4.3 inch, and the boots have proven to be waterproof, effectively repelling water when walking through wet grass or shallow streams when maintained regularly.
Sweaty Feet?
At moderate temperatures (around 15°C), I experienced no significant issues with sweaty feet. In hot summer weather, however, the boots do become warm—but that’s expected from any Gore-Tex footwear. With colder temperatures it is best to use thick socks especially when it is wet.
Verdict
The Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid is a lightweight hiking boot that is a sort of Jack of all Trades. Use them on a daily basis or with a 30-liter 12 kg backpack on a hut-to-hut hike or a 50-70 liter with a bit more weight and you’ll be fine. One remark: provided your legs are well-trained and the terrain is non-technical. The shaft does not provide a lot of support, but the boots are easy to put on, comfortable, and well-constructed. The outsole offers reliable grip. The Gore-Tex lining ensures waterproof performance. If you are able to spend € 230, -/ £ 220,- / $ 265,- – which is a fair amount – on a pair of shoes the Lowa Renegade Evo GTX Mid will be a great friend for years of hiking adventures.
Information
Link to the manufacturer for your convenience: www.lowa.com
