Gortex boot experience

[fecmech]

I am currently returning the second pair of Wolverene Gortex boots for leaking. I walk a couple miles every morning and about 2/3rds of it is in dew covered grass. I've worn rubber boots in the past to keep my feet dry but did not care for the weight. I bought some Gortex hoping to cut the weight and still keep my feet dry. The first pair lasted a month before leaking, the second about 6 months. I returned both pairs to Cabelas and ordered a different brand. While scanning the comments for Gortex boots of all brands both on Cabelas and LLBean they all seem to leak. Have any of you had leak free long term results with Gotex boots in wet conditions or do I need to go back to my rubber Totes?

[Love Life]

Ask the Marines how much they like Gortex...

Works great for 5 minutes.

[NSB]

All Gortex boots aren't created equal. If the tongue isn't gortex and the seams aren't sealed, the boot's going to leak. I've owned gortex boots that seemed like they had no water proofing what so ever. I've owned other pairs that were pretty good. You're going to have to spend more than a pair of Wolverine's cost to get a good pair. Not knocking Wolverines, I've owned a lot of them but got the same results you're getting. Wet grass is a killer in them. I can cover the same ground in my Irish Setters and stay dry. The downside? They cost three times as much, but for a better boot. Rubber is still king for dry feet.

[ksfowler166]

I have a pair of Wolverines for several years and have used them in snow and in water. They have not let me down. The only problem I have had with them is their weight, especially with mud while upland hunting.

[SeabeeMan]

That's the exact opposite experience I've had. NSB nailed it, the seams MUST be sealed and the tongue must be gore-tex as well. I had a pair of Matterhorn's that I wore through 6 months in Guam and P.I. during monsoon season that never leaked a drop unless I stepped in a puddle over the top. I even stood in a puddle 2/3 of the way up the boot just to prove to a guy that they were waterproof. The second pair was a set of Danner Desert Eagles that I had through Iraq. It may not seem like a good proving ground for Gore-Tex but they were cooler than issues Corcorans and it rains a heck of a lot over the "winter" I spent Christmas filling sandbags to keep the vehicle yard from flooding and the next 2 weeks designing drainage and surveying holding ponds. I think I would have rather been running convoys.

[fishhawk]

I have had 2 pair of the rocky gore-tex boots first pair was great never had a leak the second pair had wet feet in snow all the time and if you stood more than 5 seconds in a puddle, haven't got got a replacement yet.

[slide]

I have had two pair of Wolverine Gore-Tex boots and neither have leaked. One thing I always do is treat the boots before they are worn with nikwax waterproofing. When boots get dirty clean them with nikwax cleaning gel and reapply the waterproofer. It has worked for me.

[dakotashooter2]

I get 6-12 months out of most gortex boots before the seams start to leak. I guess I should just break down and buy a good pair but besides the seams leaking I always seem to crack the sole on the right boot within about 12-15 months.

[NSB]

fecmech, it never hurts to put some waterproofing on the boots even if they are gortex. Get a bottle of silicone with the dauber inside at your local boot shop (The Outdoor Store) and give them a light coating every couple of weeks.

[fecmech]

I did some looking around on the web reading reviews and it looks to me like even the Merrils and Danners are leaking for some folks and a couple miles of wet grass everyday may be pushing things a bit. I think I'll go back to my Tingley totes over my shoes. They're fairly light weight and usually last about a year with both winter and summer use. Thank you to all who took the time to respond.