After ski season ends, outdoor enthusiasts first secure their passes for next year, then sometimes hibernate a bit during “mud season” — those few months in late April and early May when all the snow melts and the ground thaws so every dirt road and path turns to a goopy, muddy pit.  Unless we’re signing up for a mud run, no snowgrrl in her right mind particularly craves being encrusted in mud, or the discomfort of clomping along in soggy socks and boots!  Gratefully, the revolutionary Gore-Tex Surround brand material has now made it possible to hike in comfort in ALL seasons, including mud season!

This snowgrrl had the opportunity to test Gore-Tex’s claim that new footwear made with with SURROUND™ product technology is both durably waterproof, and breathable.  I tried some amazingly comfortable Zamberlan and La Sportiva brand hiking boots in conditions that simulated a tough day on the trails.  The other testers and I literally stood in a pool of water while competing to fill and remove items from a backpack and step up and down on a small stool.  Since I’m competitive, I ran through the challenge twice to see if I could beat the fastest woman’s time (I couldn’t – off by twenty seconds).  During the entire time I stood in the water and stepped in and out of it, my feet stayed cozily dry inside the boots with the Gore-Tex surround material!

The Gore-Tex rep explained that the Gore-Tex material acts like a “breathable raincoat for your feet.”  Through technology I do not really understand, it somehow knows to wick water away from the inner membrane of the shoe, and keep your feet dry.

Marc Peikert, product specialist at Gore, explained that the centerpiece of the new technology is the way the shoes are constructed under the foot.  “Sweat can escape through the GORE-TEX^® laminate positioned in the underside of the shoe into the open structure of the ‘spacer’ – and from there out of the shoe via side ventilation outlets. This unique construction keeps feet drier because the sweat produced by your feet – about one third of our sweat glands are on the soles of our feet – is transported away from feet faster.”  He comments that “dry feet enhance a sense of well-being and prevent rubbing and painful foot blisters from occurring.”

We could not agree more, Marc!  Thank you for providing outdoor loving ladies a solution that will get us one step closer to conquering those slippery, muddy trails this spring!  You have provided us with an awesome piece of “mountain armor!”

In compliance with FTC Endorsement Guidelines 16 C.F.R. Part 255, we make this disclosure of material connection: Snowgrrl.com received La Sportiva hiking boots at no charge from W.L. Gore & Associates in consideration for review publication.