German made, the Lowa Tibet is a nubuck, full-leather hiking boot that uses a nylon shank and replaceable Vibram sole. Its tall ankle support and uniquely inherent stiffness makes this sure footed for off trail use, some mountaineering and heavy load carrying. Based on the "near $300 price tag", this falls in the higher-end boot category; a Mercedes-benz of hiking boots.

In looking for a serious multi-day backpacking boot, I look for waterproof construction, quality uppers, a wrap-around rubber toe rand, and tons of support. Beyond that, comfort is paramount over the long haul. I have had a couple of negative experiences with synthetic boots, and although they are feather light, in my experience, the upper materials simply aren’t built to last.

Lowa markets the Tibet as a year-round off-trail ready boot. The GTX designation accounts for the Gore-Tex liner which doubles their waterproofness and breathability. Although no longer advertised on the site, they are similar to the Tibet Pro GTX model.

I received the Tibet’s back in November, and had a chance to wear them over the remaining autumn, through winter, and into the spring. This review was written in the end of April ’09.

Upon inspecting the boots, I see a ton of detail in the craftsmanship. The leather components are non-symmetrical, which goes to show an understanding of the bio mechanics of supporting the moving parts of the foot. This includes the design of the four-piece gusseted tongue, which includes a lace hook to keep it secure.

The alloy lace eyelets are lightweight and low profile, so that they don’t snag on trail debris, or your own laces. A tension cleat at the instep helps to control lace pressure around your foot. The alloy eyelet design is a thing of beauty in and of itself.

Just like my mountaineering / ice climbing boots, the rubber rand goes all the way around the lower section of the foot, not just the toe box. This really beefs up the protection factor from scuffs, toe bashing and boot drag over rock scrambles. In winter, I felt that the rand protected the nubuck leather from any road salt damage when I wore them in town.

One unique quality that drew some of us to the Lowa brand was the stiffness of the boot. They certainly are stiff, and you can feel it in the rocker when you’re walking in them on a hard surface. This can be attributed to the nylon shank, and the 2.6 mm leather.

As stiff as they are, they are designed to flex exactly where needed. Padding around the collar makes these oh so comfortable! The stiffness and leather thickness does increase break-in time so I wore them to, from, and during work. I felt I could do that because the finish of these boots was so rich that they appeared (under pant cuff) to be dressy enough to fit in. (black with nubuck’s velvety finish) Even in the break in time, I had no hot spots or other fit problems. They work well in a medium volume foot.

The sole unit is a board lasted design. Touching terra-ferma is the Vibram "Tsavo" sole unit. Lugs are not terribly deep, but lots of space allows for self cleaning, while the rubber is suitably sticky on dry terrain. According to their site, a foam mid-sole contains supination / pronation support, while a 5mm nylon full length and width shank gives the stiff flex and under foot protection.

I have never hesitated to plop my boots into a stream to test their waterproofness. They have held up, and judging by the finish of the rubber rand, the leather and sole unit, nothing will be getting in any time soon. With regards to the boot’s water capabilities, however, I do wish that the gusseting in the tongue would have gone higher.

The boot itself stands at eight inches tall, but the tongue only reaches the top of the second last pair of cleats, and thus reduces just how deep you can sink them by more than an inch and a half. That being said, Lowa has created a "climate control system" that helps vent heat out of the foot area using holes near the cuff collar area. The foot pressure inside the boot is suppose to act as bellows to move air in and out of the boot. Sounds great in theory. Not sure how well it works, but so far, my feet never over heated. We’ll see what summer brings.

After bashing through bushes and mud, the surfaces wiped clean, looking as good as new. (at half a year old now.) So far, the only damage is a small gash / scratch on the rubber rand, which I will seal with Seam Grip. I recently treated the leather with a cream hydration product, so they may have lost that velvety finish, but will keep things healthy and supple.

About the only other negative issue I have with the boot is it’s weight. At three pounds 12 oz. per pair, they are heavy, but capable of supporting a 40 + pound pack load, off the beaten path. Because of that, they aren’t going to be your day hiker of choice. Depending on the sock I wore, I did find them a little warm, but never had sweaty feet.

Pros:
Robust support
Waterproof to the gusset
Quality finish
Controllable lace tension
Well thought out design
Replaceable Vibram Tsavo traction
Stiff

Cons:
Gusset doesn’t reach top of collar
Bit heavy
Pricey

If you’re in the market for a Sherman tank style bushwhack-ready boot, suitable for heavy loads on high milage days, the Lowa Tibet will take you where ever you command them, in style!