gore-tex in boots??

[CaptCO]

Thanks for the feedback. My takeaway is that Goretex is seeming to be OK for most ppl but that it really provides no benefit. I have had pure leather boots for 20 years...snow seal them in the winter (waterproof) and let it wear off for the summer (breathable). Has worked great. But the boots are worn out now. Now everything is Goretex. I suspect somehow Goretex is telling these companies they have to put it in ALL their products or they can't have it at all...any many ppl will move on to another brand when they don't see Goretex, so the boot companies are forced to take the deal. Just guessing, but it seems plausible. Elsewise you would think they would have non-Goretex alternatives. It annoys me...at this point, I'd even pay more for non-Goretex boots leather boots but I can't find any. If anyone has suggestions, pls let me know. Anyways, just ranting and thanks again for the feedback.

Think of leather and water weight... synthetic goretex interior lining > leather in snow

[Doing14ers]

I don't understand what you are saying. If the boots are sealed, they aren't going to be absorbing water. Maybe they synthetic is a little lighter, but I doubt it is a significant difference. And I can get leather boots to span all four seasons with a little use of wax/sealant.

I'm just not a fan of Goretex. My body sweats water, not vapor. It will take forever change that water to vapor and have it go out through those Goretex pores. Longer than most trips. I think there are only two advantages to Goretex:
1) it is windproof, but you can that get way cheaper, and
2) when you get home and want to dry your stuff out..that I can see as a big advantage. The stuff will dry without capturing moisture in some fold somewhere.
So for example drysuits for kayaking..no way to air those things out. So need Goretex for those. Otherwise, I don't get sacrificing breathability.

[CaptCO]

If you’re not a fan it will be hard to convince you to make the switch. Anyways whatever works for you imo should stick with it. I enjoy the lighter boots personally, as cliche as it sounds weight matters

[pvnisher]

Your body is putting out tons of vapor all the time.
Put a bag around your hand and wait a few minutes. Tell me if it's wet.
Now do that while you're exercising but not sweating. You'll be soaked very quickly.

[OBC13]

I have both all leather Merrell and Scarpa Gore-Tex boots. Have a pair of Montrail Gore-Tex boots as well. The Montrails are no longer made and are worn out. The Merrells are no longer made in a wide. The new Merrells are crap anyway. I now use my Gore-Tex Scarpa boots most often. I have had absolutely no problem with Gore-Tex boots. Of course I always wear wool socks. The Montrails were great. Full leather boots are good too but they do take maintenance. You have to be willing to waterproof and condition them regularly. The Gore-Tex boots are low maintenance. I really like the Scarpas but have to see how they will hold up. As for Gore-Tex jackets, i just replaced an old Gore-Tex North Face Summit Series parka with a virtually unused duplicate off of Ebay for a song. The new North Face parkas are way overpriced and seem cheap to me. I had ordered a new one but sent it back. They have a new waterproofing system called FutureLight. It may be fine but I will take Gore-tex based on known performance.