The Loadout Room
Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • 1A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686
        • The Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventuresThe Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventures
        • maxim defense cqb stock (8)The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet
        • Perfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG wayPerfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG way
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • RIP-MVehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M
        • Midland radioOverland Essential | Midland Radio MXT275 | GXT1000
        • ppGrab your gear and go | Here’s everything you’d need to build an adventure go bag
        • Scrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the fieldScrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the field
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stingerThe Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
        • How to determine how long you have before the sun setsHow to determine how long you have before the sun sets
        • fireWilderness survival expert breaks down how to build a fire
        • 5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, SWAT Tested and Approved
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Shop

What Makes Waterproof Hiking Boots Waterproof?

What Makes Waterproof Hiking Boots Waterproof?

July 22, 2016 by The Loadout Room Leave a Comment

After doing a quick Google search for the definition of a waterproof hiking boot, we found things like “impervious to water,” “a garment, especially a coat, that keeps out water,” and “rendered impervious to water by some special process, as coating or treating with rubber.” We also saw what others call pseudo synonyms like water-repellent and water-resistant.

You’ll see those terms (waterproof, water-repellent, and water resistant) thrown around a lot if you browse a hiking boot catalog or walk through a store aisle, but what’s really the difference? We asked our Technical Consultant – aka GORE-TEX® hiking boot expert – Jonathan Swegle, and this was his answer:

“There are no agreed upon footwear industry standards for water-repellent, water-resistant, or waterproof footwear. What I can say is that the GORE-TEX® Brand logo is only placed on a garment or footwear after meeting a firm product specification for waterproofness and breathability, which varies depending on the product end use and category.”

So, the terms are thrown around interchangeably, but not with the GORE-TEX® Brand. If you see our tag on anything, it means one thing: that product is backed by our GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY® promise.

With a little bit of help from Jonathan we’ll walk through how the GORE-TEX® membrane and footwear came to be, how it’s been used so far, and what’s in store for the future.

The GORE-TEX® Membrane: Where did it come from?

Back in 1969, Bob Gore found himself in the lab trying to heat polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), traditionally used in hookup wires and coaxial cables. Instead of slowly stretching the heated material, Gore, out of frustration, applied a sudden, accelerated yank to the material. Cue the birth of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) soon to be known as the GORE-TEX® membrane.

The rest is history, as ePTFE was found to have low water absorption and good weathering properties. 1976 marked GORE-TEX® fabric receiving its first commercial order, but it wasn’t until 1982 that the GORE-TEX® membrane was used in a hiking boot. There’s some debate within Gore on who used the GORE-TEX® membrane in hiking boots first, but it was either Kastinger or Hartjes. Since then, we’ve been working to keep explorers dry from head to toe.

Read more – Gore-Tex

(featured image courtesy of gore-tex.com)

Share This

Filed Under: Op-Ed Tagged With: Gore-tex, hiking boots, Waterproof

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

What’s Hot

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review
Featured

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review

Ammo Review: CCI COPPER-22, the Fastest .22 LR Ever
Ammunition

Ammo Review: CCI COPPER-22, the Fastest .22 LR Ever

Ammunition

The Reasons Why FBI Went to Back to 9mm

Why .45ACP is an outdated caliber
Ammunition

Why 45 ACP is an outdated caliber

Dogs

Tactipup Extreme Collar and Leash: Tactical dog gear, Perfected

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

In Case You Missed It

Gear Reviews

A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686

October 9, 2019 Leave a Comment

Camping Gear

The MSR Pocket Rocket | Your little camp dragon

October 8, 2019 Leave a Comment

The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
EDC

The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger

October 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Gear Reviews

A plate carrier for the big boys: AR500’s Testudo Gen 2 is a good pick for large frames

October 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Get it on Google Play

© Copyright 2021 Crate Club Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers