As we all know, the German brand LOWA has a great reputation both domestically and internationally, with countless classic shoe models under its brand. However, when mentioning “LOWA”, the first thing that comes to the mind of most military enthusiasts is often the appearance of the ZEPHYR series. In fact, there are at least three common styles of ZEPHYR: the mid-top GTX version, the mid-top non-GTX version, and the high-top GTX version (I haven’t verified if a high-top non-GTX version exists). Today, I will briefly discuss the mid-top ZEPHYR GTX model.
First, here are some images from the LOWA China official website showing that this shoe is commonly available in three colors:
The ZEPHYR GTX is available in sand, black, and gray (there are actually other colors that are quite similar in appearance for pure outdoor use, and there are also women’s versions, which can be distinguished by whether the full product name suffix contains the “TF” letters).
The one I have is the sand-colored military version, which is currently the most common color in everyone’s impression. Next, here are some photos of the actual product I have, but let’s start with the shoe box.
LOWA’s shoe box is quite simple, with a huge LOWA logo printed in the center of the box lid, and the background pattern is actually the LOWA logo, which appears on many LOWA-related items (such as the official website, manuals, warranty cards, etc.).
On the side of the box, there is a large Chinese label that clearly states the model, name, origin, and other information in simplified Chinese. (Typically, the ZEPHYR series is produced in Slovakia, while different series may have different origins, with Slovakia, Germany, or Italy being the most common). This label, though small, contains many important notices: such as “three guarantees period”, “return period”, “exchange period and conditions”, and “repair period and conditions”, as well as “circumstances under which the three guarantees service is not applicable”.
Don’t underestimate these few words; there was once a superstitious buyer who had a LOWA product fail after the three guarantees period, and couldn’t get free repairs (though repairs for a fee were possible), leading to a tirade online. The clarity of this label is likely to prevent such embarrassing situations from happening again.
Now, I believe many of you are tired of my lengthy preamble, so let’s move on to the images of the shoes.
The shoe’s appearance is very technological, with the classic “exoskeleton” design combined with a gray midsole, forming a major feature of this shoe. This sole is also one of LOWA’s proud black technologies, reportedly using a “one-piece molding technique without glue” known as the Zenith Star process. The biggest advantage of this process is that it permanently solves the problems of “sole separation” and “delamination”, and the tight and compact material also has certain puncture-resistant properties.
By the way, this highly technological “exoskeleton” is not just for looks; the official website describes it as LOWA’s unique external skeleton technology, which can provide a certain degree of support. (Although some reviewers say this exoskeleton does not provide actual support, based on my personal experience, the additional support provided by this exoskeleton is indeed present, albeit not significant. It also provides some lateral abrasion resistance.)
On the other side of the shoe, there is a clear “LOWA” logo and a black label stating “Gore-Tex”, indicating that this shoe features a Gore-Tex lining (abbreviated as GTX). As for what “GTX” is, please refer to the image below:
The external skeleton wraps around the toe, providing protection to prevent scratches from kicking rocks and similar objects during daily activities or outdoor travel.
The heel is also wrapped with LOWA’s signature “exoskeleton”. This design not only looks cool but also helps prevent wear on the heel area.
Unlike most outdoor boots, LOWA does not use Vibram soles but instead has designed its own sole. Compared to Vibram’s rocky soles, this shoe’s sole offers better slip resistance, but slightly lower abrasion resistance. Of course, not every sole is suitable for all environments; each sole has its corresponding usage scenarios. LOWA’s sole is sufficient for daily urban walking and outdoor needs at mid to low altitudes. However, on wet tiles, any sole will slip, so it’s advisable to avoid trying that.
The main materials of the shoe are “cow split leather”, which is also known as “cow second layer leather”, and the sand-colored nylon fabric. The integrated tongue design makes the shoe tongue more cohesive and gives it a three-dimensional feel. Each shoe comes with three pairs of khaki fabric straps as shoelace loops, extending all the way to the bottom of the shoe collar.
The upper part of the shoe collar features sand-colored metal loops for the shoelaces. Although they are not the popular “quick-release” style of shoelace loops nowadays, this traditional design is more stable compared to “quick-release”. (The outdoor version of the ZEPHYR uses more traditional rivet + iron ring-style shoelace loops, while the military version features a one-piece molded metal shoelace loop that looks more “sharp”.) The LOWA lettering on the side of the shoe collar is done using embroidery, which avoids the inconsistency in depth between the left and right shoes that can occur with printed logos from manufacturers like Belleville.
There is a fabric pull tab on the back of the shoe collar, which can be easily pulled with a finger for easy wearing. This position can also be used to hang the shoe for drying when cleaning or spraying waterproof coating.
The front of the shoe tongue also features the LOWA logo, and there are three pairs of slanted ventilation holes above it, allowing air to circulate into the shoe for some degree of heat dissipation.
The inside of the shoe tongue has a simple white acetate label printed with size (corresponding to different country size standards), insole length, shoe model name, model code, and origin.
The inner side of the shoe tongue and the upper edge of the shoe collar are filled with breathable holes. This structure is part of LOWA’s proud CCS climate control system, which keeps the inside of the shoe dry.
The inside of the collar and tongue is filled with memory foam, which will gradually adapt to the shape of the foot over time, combined with the shoe’s external “exoskeleton” to achieve a unique fit. Therefore, it might feel slightly uncomfortable at first, but once the break-in period is over, the comfort level will significantly improve. (Some wealthy testers sawed the shoes without going through the break-in period, which is quite a wasteful act, and I really don’t recommend such behavior.)
Compared to traditional hiking boots, the shoelaces of LOWA are relatively soft, likely for the sake of lightweight design, as each shoe weighs just over 500 grams (the exact weight may vary depending on size), making it a very lightweight boot. I was initially concerned about the strength of the shoelaces, but after using them for a while, I found I was overly worried. LOWA’s shoelaces are still quite sturdy; although they are softer, they are not lacking in strength.
Looking inside from the shoe opening, you can see the silvery Gore-Tex lining (which is even printed with the Gore-Tex logo, as if to ensure everyone knows). Compared to several brands I’ve encountered, LOWA’s Gore-Tex lining is relatively thin, which has the advantage of better breathability, especially when combined with the CCS climate control system, significantly improving the shoe’s dryness. However, this also makes the Gore-Tex lining more prone to tearing, so I recommend using good quality socks to avoid wearing out the Gore-Tex lining over time.
Speaking of the Gore-Tex lining, I should also mention its waterproof performance. To be honest, I wouldn’t foolishly soak the shoes in water, as that would insult the Gore-Tex… Although Gore-Tex has been exaggerated by various hype in recent years, the performance claimed on their official website remains unchanged. My testing of these shoes only requires lightly splashing some water on the shoe surface to feel the “lotus leaf effect” brought by the factory-applied waterproof coating, watching the water beads form beautiful spheres and quickly slide off. Of course, if you are really concerned, there are plenty of silly Gore-Tex water immersion tests online; you can search for one of those to have a laugh.
LOWA’s insoles are probably the least noteworthy part of the entire shoe. They are quite basic and lack any technical features, just a relatively hard insole.
The heel area features the complete LOWA logo, which is indeed everywhere associated with LOWA. This insole is relatively hard compared to several brands I’ve encountered, and I, who have been spoiled, found it somewhat uncomfortable. You can purchase a softer insole to replace it, and they are really inexpensive. (After replacing it with a Salomon insole, the improvement in comfort was beyond words; I can confidently say that a significant portion of the negative reviews of LOWA come from insole issues.)
In summary, the LOWA ZEPHYR GTX is indeed a stylish and high-performance boot. However, any high-performance shoe has its most suitable environment. If you insist on wearing LOWA in the hot summer of 36 degrees Celsius to squeeze into the subway, you will definitely feel stuffy. However, in the rainy winters of southern China or in the temperate spring and autumn seasons, or in mid to low altitude areas where the temperature remains constant, or in colder places like Europe, LOWA is very comfortable. This is why this shoe is favored by the U.S. special forces operating in Afghanistan (in fact, many regular troops also have many LOWA fans, but due to the restrictions of the U.S. military’s AR670-1 boot standards, there aren’t many images of regular troops wearing LOWA, but in the special forces with more relaxed procurement permissions, the use of LOWA is quite common).
Not only the U.S., many European troops also favor LOWA boots, such as those from Germany, Belgium, Austria, and Poland, and even France, and there are even Latvian soldiers. Some compatriots outside the law have a near-superstitious admiration for LOWA (I once spoke with a compatriot who served in the French Foreign Legion, who mentioned that he wore LOWA in Central Africa for four months, through two months of rainy season and two months of dry season, and wore them for a year in Central Europe, marching over 100 kilometers in three days of rain, climbing, parachuting, mountain climbing, heavy load cross-country running, and long-term outdoor operations without any issues). I once had a dispute with a French soldier over LOWA’s performance, and looking back, it was quite naive.
Next, I will share some pictures of soldiers from various countries wearing LOWA boots (some may not be ZEPHYR, but are similar or the same outdoor line products rather than military line products).
U.S. Army Special Forces using LOWA during training
U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, showing that LOWA is very suitable for the mid to low altitude mountainous environment of Afghanistan.
U.S. Special Forces in training
U.S. Special Forces members using LOWA during parachute training; it’s worth noting that another member in the background is also wearing LOWA shoes.
U.S. Army Special Forces jumping out of an aircraft wearing LOWA
U.S. Army Special Forces members using LOWA in the Afghan battlefield.
U.S. Special Forces soldiers participating in disaster relief during Hurricane Harvey (in such extreme wet conditions, ZEPHYR GTX is a fantastic choice).
German soldiers wearing LOWA, looking like they are also in Afghanistan.
German soldiers wearing LOWA (perhaps special forces).
This image is quite interesting; I found it while searching for the German army. I can’t tell if the German soldiers in the background are wearing LOWA, but the American soldier in front is definitely a user of ZEPHYR GTX (you can even clearly see the black GTX label on the shoe).
Polish soldiers wearing LOWA boots.
Although I previously mentioned that due to the restrictions of the U.S. military’s AR670-1 boot standards, there aren’t many images of regular troops wearing LOWA, there are still some examples of regular units purchasing LOWA on their own.
The 302nd Engineer Battalion’s EOD team has acquired several pairs of LOWA to “lighten the load” on their feet (both soldiers in the image are wearing LOWA).
Even the National Guard’s EOD team has gotten themselves a pair of LOWA!
Of course, LOWA is not only favored by military soldiers, but also by some law enforcement agencies. The image above shows FBI’s HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) wearing LOWA.
A group of Belgian SWAT team members wearing LOWA.
A whole squad of Austrian police officers wearing LOWA (all of them, I won’t highlight any particular ones).
A whole squad of German SWAT team members wearing LOWA (as expected from German civil servants, supporting German brands is a must).
The entire German 9th Border Guard Division (GSG9) wearing LOWA during operations.
Polish and French special police wearing LOWA during operations.
Latvian special police using LOWA.
Basically, my review of the LOWA ZEPHYR GTX ends here, interspersed with images of real soldiers and law enforcement agencies. Finally, I want to mention my personal usage experience and some precautions.
ZEPHYR is a boot that has considered lightweight design from the very beginning, so compared to traditional outdoor shoes, it is indeed very lightweight (each shoe weighs around 500 grams), which helps save physical energy during long walks. The cool appearance and unique exoskeleton design, along with the CCS climate control system, make the shoes extremely comfortable after the break-in period. Coupled with the thin GTX lining, it ensures dryness inside the shoe even in damp and cool weather. LOWA’s own sole also provides sufficient slip resistance, especially suitable for the rainy and humid winters in southern China (once shoes get wet in damp and cold conditions, the cold wind can rapidly cool the feet, which is terrifying). Of course, the climate in northern China is also suitable for wearing LOWA; no longer do you have to worry about cold feet while walking on light snow in winter. In the same latitude as Korea, the South Korean Army Special Forces also use ZEPHYR. The only downside of ZEPHYR is that the original insole is quite hard, so remember to replace it with a softer insole to enhance comfort and experience the benefits of a good shoe.
The shoes also come with a manual in multiple languages (including simplified Chinese).
And a maintenance guide, which is especially important, as many shoes have been unnecessarily damaged due to improper “maintenance”, even damaging the GTX lining. If you need to clean or maintain them, it’s best to follow the maintenance guide or take it to a professional shoe store for assistance. After all, a good pair of shoes requires careful maintenance for a longer lifespan!
End of article.
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