After wearing a pair of Lowa Renegade boots for the past few months I have come to the conclusion that these boots aren’t going to work for me. Not only do the Lowas not fit my feet very well (they really started to hurt my feet on longer hikes recently, which I’ve never experienced before with any boots), but they are also falling apart just as quickly as all my other hiking boots have (and they cost a lot more than those others).
On my recent trip through part of Grand Gulch I went with a new pair of Keen Targhee II boots and was very comfortable in them. I have a love/hate relationship with Keen boots because they fit my feet very well and are comfortable to hike in, but they also fall apart pretty quickly for me. At least they are cheaper than the Lowa Renegades I just tried, so it’s not a huge financial hit to replace them every five to six months (but the cost still adds up).
Maybe one day I’ll find a hiking boot that will last me more than six months…