LOWA Women's Albula GTX Hiking Boot

Heavy-duty boots
November 15, 2011

I probably shouldn't be writing this review yet, but since there were no reviews when I ordered this boot, I thought I'd add my impressions. I tried 10 (yes, 10!) boots of 4 brands before deciding on these. I have bunions and bulges below my little toes (bunionettes). In other words, I have wide, hard-to-fit feet. I bought an 8.5 Wide, although I often wear a 9 in other brands to get the width. The 8.5s are certainly long enough (true to size). The Albula has a stiffer, higher toe box that did not press into my feet as much as the wide-size Lowa Renegades, which I thought for sure was my best choice beforehand because they are so popular. Also, the Renegades creased in a bad area across the top of the foot. I have only worn the Albulas for 2-3 hours several times inside the house. They felt really heavy at first (because they are heavier), but I soon got used to the weight and didn't notice it. I talked to Altrec's and Lowa's customer service reps. They both said they should break in similarly to other hiking boots. The Lowa rep said that, since I would only do day hikes and short backpacking trips, the Albulas would still work and would be like driving a Mercedes to the grocery store, i.e., nice but not overkill! It's a small, small consideration, but I appreciated being able to get a black boot in my size--it makes it easier to spot, since all my family has brown or mesh hiking boots. As a note, for some reason, none of the mesh side boots fit me. I think I need the leather to conform to my feet.