Customer Reviews Lowa Zephyr Desert Mid TF

Just to qualify my statements; I have spent the last 20+ years in the military (infantry based), law enforcement and private security (currently in Afghanistan). That being said, I have also hiked the Rockies (both the Canadian and US), Appalachians and mountains in Asia. I have owned Lowas, Meindls, Asolos, Salomons, Keens, Merrills, and several other boot and shoe makes. Pros: extremely light weight, stiff ankle support for such a light weighted boot; nice non-marking sole with good traction; nice bump-kick toe lip,fully gusseted tongue; good looks Cons: foot bed is a bit stiff/flat and feels abit like wearing flat dress shoes with leather soles. the eyelets and lace material don't afford easy lacing or tightening/cinching of the boot. Comments: the boot is exactly 1/2 size smaller in size than what the tag reads. Size 10 US in these boots fit exactly like a 9.5 US in Salomon, Merrill, Keen, New Balance etc... I will most likely replace the insole with a more supportive one as I can tell from my short time wearing these that any walks over 1-2 kms would begin to become a bit uncomfortable (especially wearing any amount of kit). For standing about for short periods or for short jaunts they are adequate. I love Lowas, but sense they spent a bit more on the outside of this boot than they did the inside and the result somewhat impairs the feel of the fit. For how much they look and feel in hand like a pair of high-top sneakers, they are surprisingly lacking the corresponding comfort. I still love the boot and will work on making it more comfortable -hopefully replacement soles will do just that.

Great boots. Purchased them for use in South Africa and they are fantastic. Get a half size up.

Excellent boot. Wore them out of the box for a 25 mile rim to rim hike in the Grand Canyon. Couple of minor blisters (to be expected for a new shoe). Very light and very comfortable.

In one word...ugly! They run way small and would only look good on somebody walking in a desert. Buy at least a full size larger.

Unwearable. I really wanted to love these boots. I hike often in the desert mountains around Phoenix, and thought these boots would be perfect. I have been a consistent 14M for decades. Many brands of cheaper boots have always felt great right out of the box. I have now worn these for about 30 miles and they have not gotten more comfortable, but less so, even giving me blisters. The length is fine, but the toe box is both too narrow and too shallow. A huge $200 mistake.

Very cool boot. Fits snugly and comfortably. Whatever size you wear in a dress shoe, order a full size up these boots. They run a half size larger than Ecco shoes.

I followed the advice of earlier reviewers and ordered a size larger (normally 11, ordered 12). It fit well. I wear a medium weight sock and it fit comfortably in both length and D width. Given the type of boot (semi-rigid, molded foot) and the batch at hand, the advice was sound. A very high quality boot. Perhaps one of the most comfortable I have owned in this class. Tread not too aggressive. Very tasteful, muted colors prevent you from looking like a carnival on the move. No regrets.

A desert dweller's dream come true. They are light and don't have Gore-tex lining. In the desert heat, Gore-tex lined boots make your feet sweat like a pig. As an added bonus, the upper lacing doesn't have speed hooks. As an air sports participant, HG pilot, hooks are bogus and can snarl a parachute. I first ordered a pair in my normal size and they were too small. I exchanged them for a 1/2 size larger. I have narrow/medium feet and these fit great.

Excellent boot, very light. They run a little small; I wear a 10 in all other shoes and boots and I wish I would have got a 10.5 in the Zephyr.

Lightest and most comfortable boot I have ever worn. Easy to take on and off always is a plus after a been on your feet all day. Excellent boot.

I had to order one size larger then what I normally wear to get a proper fit. Putting these boots on is like slipping your feet into a pair of soft high top sneakers. They are lightweight, comfortable. Now to put them through their paces and see how they last.

These boots are extremely comfortable and breath very well. There is no break in time required as they feel great right out of the box. However as good as these boots feel I have had problems with the soles delaminating from the midsole. I do not know if it was just this pair but its too bad since they are so comfortable and handle rocky terrain so well.

Surprisingly light for a 6 inch boot but stiff, tight in toe area, like it's too small. Would I try the Zephyr again in a size 14? I don't know, I'm pretty sure that would be too big for me. They are very well made and strong (my feet felt very safe) and you need to try them!

I bought them in order to compare to its GTX brother as I was torn between waterproof vs. breathable dilemma. Initially I was going to buy the GTX version but after googling it started having some doubts. Finally, after trying both indoors (I know it's not a triple-blind test but it was good enough for me), I chose waterproof over breathable, the main reason: GTX didn't feel any "hotter". Only after that I tried the GTX outdoors - stand by my choice so far. I give overall 5 starts to these boots anyway. This particular Lowa's model - Zephyr - for some reason stands out of the other (hiking) models I tried: it's considerably more comfortable.

This boot seems to be the real deal! Been looking for a good pair of summer/warm weather boots and in the past options were either too big and heavy or too flimsy. The zephyr is the best I've seen so far and I've wasted a lot of cash on numerous pairs of inadequate boots took the zephyrs to St. Martin and hiked everything from jeep trails, to volcanic boulders, beaches, sketchy skree fields and the boots rocked! Great ankle support, terrific grip, lightweight and my feet never felt hot in the arid, 85 degree weather. The only improvement I could think of would be a bit more of a stiffer sole (Plate) and would be willing to sacrifice the weight...other than that I am extremely pleased with this pair of boots...so far.

Had to spend time breaking in before wearing for a long day at work. Wasn't comfortable at first. After a month they are pretty good.

First, I should mention that I bought these as an auto technician who stands on cement all day long. I switched from work boots to hiking boots because of weight. At 52 years old and with a very (VERY) high arch, I have been through a bunch. These have thus far been my absolute favorite. They are true to size and accept a high arch insole very well. They truly fit like a glove so if you are looking for that big toe box or roomy feel, these aren't it. May I suggest Keen or similar for that feel. However, if you are looking for something that wraps your foot like a glove and feels very nimble under foot, this is a great buy. Oboz have a similar feel in that they are nimble, light, and wrap your foot. Salomon feel bulky on your feet but are generally comfortable in my opinion. My only issue with these Lowa's is the lack of any speed lace system that most other boots always have. I typically have to double knot these to keep the laces from slipping loose over the day and untying them every night is tedious at best as the knots tighten over the course of the day. But, I'll take the comfort and feel of these any day over some minor inconvenience such as this.

I have been a loyal LOWA boot client for over 15yrs - That should it all!!!

Amazingly comfortable boots! I should have pulled the trigger on these a long time ago.

Comfortable from day one. Wore them out in the desert and they performed as they should. Great boots

My shoes would only last 6 months or so then I would start experiencing knee and hip pain. 2 weeks after wearing these shoes, all joint pain is completely gone! 8 months now and still going strong! I'm a weight lifter weighing in at 250 lbs, so I need lots of support for my feet. Definitely recommend these.

This is the 6th pair I've gone through. Now, the boots usually last me through a pair a year. I do a lot of hiking in the Colorado Mountains, ranch work on my property. Despite the snow and granite gravel I tread on most of the day, these boots never hurt my feet, have great traction, and the soles wear tough. Comfortable and sturdy. In the winter, I wear some carhart heavy socks with them, and stay toasty warm through the snow. I'm going to keep buying them. I hope they stay in business.

So, I'm a Corporate/Contract Pilot and I'm "global" when it comes to flying gigs. My next trip is to Niamey Africa. I needed something that will go the distance but don't need GTX or the hydrophobic version. This is my 5th pair of Lowa Boots in as many years. Why...because they're damned AWESOME! I'll write more in April afyer this next trip to Africa! Great product!

Best work shoes!