Backpacker Magazine – Fall/Winter Gear Guide 2010

Gear Review: Garmont momentum Snow GTX

The most versatile cold-weather boot for backpacking and snowshoeing.

by: Berne Broudy

Tags:
• Snowshoeing
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• Hiking boots
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This boot is lighter and more agile than many winter models, but make no mistake: The Momentum is fortified for serious cold-weather backpacking and snowshoeing. Thinsulate insulation in the synthetic leather and fabric upper kept testers’ toes warm down to 0°F. And that warmth is packaged with reliable weather protection and stability. “The high cuff kept snow out and gave my ankles plenty of support, even in treacherous rock gardens in the White Mountains,” says one New Hampshire tester. A Gore-Tex liner repelled slop, and the outsole’s X-shaped lugs—which are interspersed with hard rubber ones shaped like diamonds, increasing durability—bit into slick trails.

A nearly full-length plastic shank protects the forefoot with a rock-proof grid that flexes naturally with your stride, and it wraps about an inch up the sides of the midfoot, increasing stability. Low-profile webbing lace guides (as opposed to metal hooks) never interfere with snowshoe bindings. Width is medium, and volume is on the generous side. $140; 2 lbs. 6 oz.; m’s 8-13, 14, w’s 5-11; garmontusa.com




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