LOWA has heard your cries and we present to you the lighter, but still sturdy and responsive, Locarno GTX® Qc midrise. The Locarno GTX® now boasts a new inverted MONOWRAP frame with a midsole constructed of both DuraPU and DynaPU. This new hybrid allows a spring into your step as the support returns to its original shape while providing stability and cushion.
With traditional lacing holes across the lower foot, the mid-rise of the boot is laced up using metal eyelets and a nonslip lace. This allows for the foot to remain stable in the shoe without having your foot fall asleep due to the laces cutting off circulation. The Locarno GTX foot bed is wide enough for your toes to naturally splay and create a stable base of support for your foot while you traverse a mountain.
I wear mine with Farm to Feet socks which are lighter merino wool and never had a problem with the front of the foot feeling too tight. In keeping with their female friendly construction, the padded tongue can adapt to the wearer utilizing a layer of viscoelastic padding. This ensures the tongue will not shift and becomes more comfortable as it is worn.
Padding on the ankle allows for smooth and full movement of the ankle joint without compromising your stabilizer muscles. The lower profile outsole also allows for a close to the ground feel when hiking. Thick cushioned soles on other hikers protect your feet so well from the ground that you greatly reduce the sensory feedback to your brain. Your steps can easily become unsteady leading to injuries. LOWA’s Locarno GTX is great for creating more meaningful movements with more strength while on the trail and traveling.
Dare I even say these boots can make you smarter with all the input it allows your brain to receive? Disclosure: I’m not a doctor.
The leather is beautiful on these shoes. They can easily be worn on the mountain for a great hike then right into town or to the office. Due to the Gore-Tex, they wipe clean and LOWA has a great informational page concerning the proper way to clean your boots. Click HERE for cleaning instructions. The Gore-tex lining keeps your feet dry while allowing for airflow to keep them from becoming too sweaty.
You’ll be happy to know the LOWA rubber sole you’ve come to trust a love is on this Locarno GTX boot and provides the grip of a 1000 men when on slippery and unsteady surfaces. We have an incredible amount of granite mountains in Idaho and just like your counter tops, those babies are slippery!
The Locarno GTX is not intended for ice and snow. However, come early spring when we encounter ice on the trails and need a shoe that can perform on the slushy spring ice as well as it does on the dirt, I will be happy to have them on my feet.
Weighing in at only 760 grams, they are light enough to pack into a backpack or wear through the airport and on a trip as your one stop shop travel shoe. Just make sure you have TSA Precheck so you don’t have to take them off.
Locarno GTX retail for $210 on the LOWA Website and every pair of shoes comes with a 12-month warranty against defects in workmanship and materials. I have always found LOWA shoes run true to size and we recommend you order your standard street shoe size when choosing LOWA.
Additional reviews of other great LOWA Products can be found HERE.
Safe Travels!