Looking for a hiking boot a little bit more substantial than your light hiking shoes but don’t need the high cut of traditional hiking boots? Lowa recently introduced a 3/4-cut version of their popular Tempest style hiking shoe for women and we took them for a spin on some recent hikes.
Many of the mid and 3/4-cut styles of boots on the market are just higher-cut versions of low hikers. Usually this means the traction is about the same as a low-hiker, even though they provide more ankle support–not very helpful if you hope to tackle more challenging terrain than the easy 3-mile park loop. Though Lowa’s Tempest QC was expanded from the Lo model in this same fashion, it has features that a full-hiker would have. This may seem like a minor point to make, but one of the best features of the Tempest QC is the heavy lug sole–much more substantial than other mid and 3/4-cut hikers on the market these days. Though it doesn’t provide the same ankle support as a full-cut hiker, for day hikers and short overnights where you won’t be carrying a heavy pack, these fit the bill.
The Tempest QC also manages to stay quite light–a combination leather and nylon upper and PU Monowrap® Frame midsole help to keep weight to a minimum. However, with this reduced weight, you won’t find a Gore-Tex liner or Outdry membrane, but for a day hike on a dry trail, that won’t pose to be a problem. On test hikes, the lug sole provided the same traction as a full-on hiking boot, but without the added weight. I do want to note that the Tempest QC model I tested was on the narrower side, width-wise. Though this didn’t pose a problem to me personally, if you have have wider feet, give these shoes a test walk in store first to make sure they’ll work for you. (And for those with narrower feet–finally a boot that you won’t be swimming in!)
Overall, these are a well-made hiking boot, living up to Lowa’s brand reputation. They retail for $140.
Product sample provided by the manufacturer for review purposes.
[...] the Tempest Los look familiar, it’s because they were the base for the Tempest QC (reviewed last year). Described as a “perennial favorite” I wanted to see what the buzz was [...]