The Lowa Toro Evo GTX Lo is a hiking shoe made of a combination of suede and nubuck leather and has a waterproof Gore-Tex lining. Read the review!
- Weight: L 435.4 g R 431.6 g (size UK 8)
- Sizes: UK 6.5-13 men UK 3.5-9 women
- Price: € 159.95
Fit
The fit of the Lowa Toro Evo GTX Lo is suitable for normal to slightly wider and fuller feet while the ladies version is somewhat narrower at the heel.
Construction
The Lowa Toro Evo GTX Lo is made of a combination of suede and nubuck leather. The part around the ankles and parts of the tongue are made of synthetic material. The Lowa Multi Trac II sole runs quite high around the shoe and therefore offers a very decent protection to the leather. This is particularly high at the rear. The toe of the shoe may seem protected with a double layer of leather, but in fact it is a single layer.
Lowa uses the breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex membrane. The construction of the entire shoe is nice and sturdy. The sole has its flex point in the perfect place: mid-under the forefoot. The sole is also quite torsional stiff for a light hiking shoe. The shoe cannot be resoled.
Entry
The entry into the Lowa Toro Evo GTX Lo is spacious. The tongue can be folded wide open, making pulling them on very easy. The laces slide easily through the nylon eyelets. The construction of this is quite funny: it is actually a nylon cord that runs through leather loops (see photo). The top duo eyelets are made of metal. The laces themselves are nice and thick and are easy to lace up. Although it is a low walking shoe with a short tongue, the shoe lacks a fixation eye in the tongue with the result that it sometimes wants to sink to the side when lacing and during hiking.
Practice
The shoe resembles a well-made traditional low walking shoe. The walking comfort is high. The sole has a pleasant ‘touch down’ due to its rounded heel and then the shoe easily rolls over the sole at the fore foot due to the light banana shape. The fact that the bending point is nicely under the middle of the forefoot also helps. The sole has a pleasant cushioning. Stones are barely noticeable through the sole.
The profile under the sole is coarse enough to prevent stones from sticking and mud is also eliminated well from the sole. The heel works like a great brake downhill. The heelcap of the shoe ensures a good fixation of the heel itself, which minimizes the chance of blisters. The synthetic material around the ankles feels very comfortable, as does the thick foam padding of the tongue.
The removable insole has holes in the forefoot allowing some sweat to be absorbed through the bottom of the insole. The Gore-Tex has proven to be waterproof and I never suffered from sweaty feet. The fording height of the Lowa Toro Evo GTX Lo is 6 cm.
Verdict
The Lowa Toro Evo GTX Lo are beautifully made traditional low walking shoes. The fit is for normal to wide feet. Putting them on is easy. The sole is quite sturdy, but because of its banana shape, the round heel and the flex point under the forefoot, it is very pleasant to walk on. The heel fixation is fine. The soft synthetic material around the ankles is pleasant too. The sole offers good grip, stones and mud do not stay in it and the brake at the heel is fine. The shoes are waterproof and breathable preventing sweaty feet. Minuses are the lack of an eye to fix the tongue and the fact that the Lowa Toro Evo GTX cannot be resoled. The price of € 159.95 is fine. I rate the Lowa Toro Evo GTX at 8.1 points out of 10.
Information: www.lowa.com
Full technical details
- Price: € 159.95
- Weight: L 435.4 g R 431.6 g (size UK 8)
- Weight specified: 840 g (pair / size UK 8)
- Category: A
- Upper: Suede / Nubuck
- Membrane: Gore-Tex
- Sole: Lowa Multi Trac II
- Resolable: No
- Fit: Normal to wide full feet
- Sizes: UK 6.5-13 men UK 3.5-9 women
- Ladies model: Toro Evo GTX lo Ws
