The world's top purveyor of waterproof/breathable rain and outdoor wear is edging more and more into the lucrative combat boot market with a new boot it says does better than the competition in hot and temperate climates.
Specifically marketed as a hot weather boot, the Extended Comfort Footwear boot claims to allow more moisture out and less moisture in than any other boot for warm climates.
With a single-wall construction, GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Footwear has been engineered specifically to ensure maximum breathability without compromising durable waterproof performance. Unlike other jungle or hot weather footwear, boots with this new technology have proven to provide waterproof protection and breathable comfort. Lab tests showed that these new boots retained 90 percent less water than comparable boots and that breathability over time was excellent. In field tests, participants perceived that these boots kept feet as cool as both the current desert boot and the temperate weather boot.
Now, I've always been skeptical of Gore-Tex in boots claiming to be for warm weather. I have very hot feet and only the most pourous barriers can keep my wheels cool and dry.
But Gore's been working hard perfecting its material science and it seems to me at least that for average Joe, the Gore-Tex will work -- even in hot climates.
Specifically designed for hot climate conditions, GORE-TEX® Extended Comfort Footwear protects feet from exposure to rain and inclement weather, while allowing moisture vapor to escape from the boot, keeping feet dry and more comfortable. Boots made of this construction also pick up less water and dry out faster, in addition to reducing boot weight.
The problem is that the boot is competing against the new mountain combat boot, which is increasingly popular in Afghanistan. But the MCB is too much boot for places like Kandahar and Helmand, so Gore may find its ECF has a niche there. But it's an awfully crowded field in the boot market these days.
