Gear Review: La Sportiva Omega GTX Hiking Boot

Gear Review: La Sportiva Omega GTX Hiking Boot

I bought these boots on sale at REI.  The day after they came I saw that the price online had been reduced by $50.  I called REI and they credited my $50 back because they have a 30 day price guarantee on all their stuff.

I've had these boots since last fall, it is now spring and I have put a fair amount miles on these boots, generally hiking twice a week.  This week the right boot started to leak, but it's not the fault of the boot.  It is starting to leak where my ankle brace is rubbing it.  The left boot is still perfectly watertight. 



Boot is starting to leak where my ankle brace rubs.
I did this test by filling the boot with water and
then watching for seeping on the outside of the boot.

I took a 13.5 mile hike on a day when over an inch of rain fell and my left foot stayed bone dry.  I have never had gortex boots stay water proof for this long before.  Normally I can only get about three months out of gortex boots before they leak.



Warming my toes with a teabag.
 I can only do this with truly waterproof boots

These are good sturdy boots over all.  The only weak spot I have found is the stitching on the side of the foot.  Some of the stitches have worn off now.  I should have put some goop over them when they were newer, but it's not too late.

I'm going to keep wearing these boots but with a little goop or silicone over the spot where the right boot is leaking. 

I don't think you will want to wear these boots in a lot of scree due to that seam, but these boots are perfect for soggy valley hikes in the Olympics.

The toe box is a little bit more narrow that I like, but my feet have adjusted.

I maybe should have gotten a larger size.  These are size 42 and my toe sometimes hits the front of the boot when I go down steep hills.

I like how you can tighten the ankle laces separately from the ones over the top of your foot that really cuts down on toe jamming.

I picked these boots because they offered the balance between weight and durability that I wanted.  Come summer time I'll be hiking in running shoes.

REI does not carry them anymore but you can buy them on Amazon.com by clicking this link:
La Sportiva Men's Omega GTX Hiking Boot,Grey/Rust,44.5 EU/11 M US and I might make 50 cents off the transaction.. :)