If you’ve read The Adventure Blog for any length of time, chances are you’ve seen my reviews for boots from Lowa (Lowa Lynnox GTX Lo). The company makes some of the best hiking, backpacking, and mountaineering boots around, which has earned them plenty of praise from this reviewer over the years.
The new Lynnox GTX Lo, however, moves in a new direction, delivering a new style of footwear that falls somewhere between a trail running shoe and a hiker, delivering a level of performance that overlaps both categories.
All-terrain Sport Shoes
Lowa puts the Lynnox squarely into its “all-terrain sport” category, which means that it is designed to be a bit lighter and sportier than the more traditional hiking boots and shoes in the company’s line-up. How light, you ask? The specs for the Lynnox say that a pair of these shoes tips the scales at 1.65 pounds, which translates to about 13.2 ounces per shoe.
That isn’t exactly light by trail running standards, but it isn’t overly heavy either. Compared to other shoes from Lowa, it is pretty lightweight. The company has created some of the most rugged and capable boots on the market.
It has never been overly concerned with keeping their footwear especially lightweight, but with the Lynnox, that changes for the positive. What this shoe is trying to accomplish is pretty much the perfect balance of weight, stability, traction, and comfort.
Design
In addition to cutting some ounces off the shoe, the designers at Lowa got a little wild with the look of the Lynnox too. Well, as wild as the Lowa team gets anyway. This is a shoe company that has been around for nearly 100 years, and the adherence to tradition and a classic, never-go-out-of-style look pervades much of its catalog.
With Lynnox, you get something that looks more like a running shoe than a hiker, with some unique colors and materials integrated throughout. In fact, if I didn’t know that was a Lowa before I started testing them, chances are I wouldn’t have guessed that they were from the brand.
I happen to really like the subtle use of different colors and design elements, however, so hopefully, we’ll get more of that from Lowa in the future.
10mm Heel Drop (Lowa Lynnox GTX Lo)
Also, taking a cue from running shoes, the Lynnox features a 10mm heel drop. That’s the difference in height from the heel of the shoe to the toe. The size of that drop can impact how your foot strikes the ground, with smaller drops promoting a toe strike, while a higher drop –– say 10mm or above –– promoting a heel-strike.
When it comes to the trail, a heel strike approach is often better, helping prevent stubbing toes on rocks, roots, and other outcroppings. With the Lynnox, you should be more prone to avoiding those issues, particularly when moving at faster speeds.
Build Quality
The shoe itself is infused with several proprietary Lowa materials that help it perform at a high level. For instance, it uses the Lowa Trail Trace sole to help protect the foot and provide traction and stability on various surfaces.
It also has a double-injected DynaPU midsole designed for shock absorption and extended foot protection. It does not mention a lightweight and breathable upper that allows the foot to stay dry even in warm conditions. Managing moisture and temperature is key to avoiding blisters and hotspots, which I haven’t had an issue with when wearing Lynnox.
Lowa did use one important piece of technology borrowed from someone else –– Gore Invisible Fit Technology from Gore-Tex. This special liner integrated into the Lynnox GTX makes it both water and wind-proof without adding bulk or weight to the shoe.
Breathable
It also maintains a high level of breathability as well, ensuring your feet to overheat. Gore has made huge strides in that area in recent years, and it shows here. You essentially get all the benefits that Gore-Tex is known for, without any of the traditional compromises.
While these shoes aren’t really designed for trail running, they are versatile enough to be used in various other activities. For instance, the Lynnox makes a great light hiking shoe, but I’ve also worn them while mountain biking, camping, and traveling.
Versitile
They would also make a good approach shoe for climbers, and backpackers will find they have a lot to offer as well, provided you’re not heading into overly rugged terrain. That level of versatility makes them a really nice option to have in your closet, particularly if your budget doesn’t necessarily allow you to buy multiple pairs of shoes for all of your different outdoor activities.
Comfortable and robust, the Lynnox GTX Lo is a shoe that you can wear all day on the trail but not be in a big hurry to necessarily take off when you get to the campsite or back home. Their sneaker-like fit and ability to cradle your foot snugly and securely is a big plus in my book, particularly if you take them with you when you travel.
My Thoughts
Obviously, the comfort of a pair of shoes is highly subjective. Still, for me personally, this is the kind of shoe that I can take with me on a round-the-world adventure and not have to worry about bringing any other footwear along too. There aren’t many shoes that I can truly say that about.
This being the “Lo” version of the Lynnox, there isn’t much in the way of ankle support. Again, think of a traditional trail runner to get a sense of what to expect. For most of us, this isn’t too much of an issue, provided you don’t require a shoe that sits higher up your ankle. But if ankle support is a major concern for you, the Lowa Aerox GTX Mid may be more to your liking.
Pricing
The Lowa Lynnox GTX model is a little pricier than the competition. This model includes the Gore-Tex layer, of course, but the non-Gore-Tex model is available as well.
That’s a little closer in price to similar shoes on the market, but then you give up the wind and waterproofing, so there is a trade-off there. However, at this price point, you also get the Lowa level of quality and construction, which tends to be substantially better than most other brands.
In other words, with this shoe, you’re buying something likely to last a lot longer and perform better than most other models from a competitor, making them a better bargain in the long run.
Conclusion
I’m so happy with these shoes that they are likely to be the only footwear I take with me on an upcoming trip to Africa. I feel confident that they are comfortable enough for all-day wear in various environments while also allowing me to handle different types of terrain.
I won’t be climbing Kilimanjaro on this trip, but I will be in the bush sometimes, so I want something that will handle busy airports just as easily as it does the Serengeti. The Lynnox GTX Lo seems well suited to that and a lot more.
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Yo Kraig, thanks for taking the time to write such an informative article regarding(in my opinion) one of the most critically important decisions one makes while tackling their gear list for whatever adventure they’re about to undertake. Shoes my man. Shoes! Those little foot coverings can, and will, make or break your spirt while away, trying to enjoy the test you’ve laid out for yourself. I recently arrived home from the Portugal loop. Was looking at 70 degree sunny weather every day we were there. This was November mind you. The wettest month of the year in their country. To say we were lucky is an understatement that I’m not going to dive into, however, we were dry, and consider that e pluribus unum reasons, as I don’t want to bore you with some kind of Americanized British version of never ending weather talk. Anyway, out of the 80+ excellent condition shoes( I am a complete sneaker head) I own, I decided on the Ecco Biom GTX. An excellent water proof attractive shoe that will hold up as well on the trails as it does in a ginjinha bar at lunch time in Combria. In most circumstances this statement would prove to be correct 99% of the time. But…..that 1%! That 1% caused me to limp in agony for months to follow. I turned those shoes into something which mimicked a flap flop made by a journeyman shoemaker in the Sentinelese tribe. Duct and electrical tape became a tool I used every four to five hours. That all being said, I simply chose the wrong shoe. I had the Lowa Innox at the top of my gear list to wear and the only reason I didn’t was because of the missing Gore Tex lining. I thought it was going to rain most of the time and went with a shoe that I thought could handle 19 days in wet unstable to flat landscapes. I was wrong!
I just purchased a new pair of the Lynnox shoes from Lowas website this evening. My lucky damn day they were actually in the clearance section! In October I am heading out to Salzburg, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. The Lynnox will be strapped to my feet! Now the so called simple decision of picking out a pair of shoes for a trip, which in my life has become an incredibly time consuming, thought out, second guessing indecisive war within, is over. It’s all down hill from here my brotha as correct layering is as easy as my ABC’s. Thanks again Kraig for your review on this foot wear. I feel so good about the Lynnox my nipples are hard. That’s gotta be a clear sign right? My best!