Utah is a big place, and it’s chock full of fun stuff to do. If you want to adventure on every square foot of Beehive soil, you’ll need a good pair of boots to do it in. Grippy, supportive, waterproof, and comfortable are all key words when it comes to finding the perfect pair. As it happens, those are all words that describe the Hi-Tec Sierra Lite hiking boots. I tested these flashy trail stompers in the mountains and desert to find out if they are worthy of protecting your feet during your next outing.
Hi-Tec crafts their boots with some impressive tech. Custom Vibram outsoles and an aggressive lug pattern provide traction and durability, while the OrthoLite insoles give your feet a cushy ride. The uppers are constructed with a combination of waterproof Nubuck leather and high performance mesh. Perhaps the coolest part of Hi-Tec’s boot lineup is their ion-mask water management technology. Ion-masking is a process where the boots are treated with an ultra-thin layer of polymers (1,000 times thinner than a human hair!). These polymers bond to the surface of the boots, and work to repel water and dirt while also making the boots much easier to clean. Basically, the Sierra-Lites are waterproofed via space age technology and old school cowhide.
The Hi-Tec Sierra Lite boots arrived at my door back in September, so it was straight to the Wasatch Mountains for some peak bagging. I found them to be very stable while scrambling up the talus slopes of Mount Millicent. The tread on these boots is first class; I never slipped or lost traction while transitioning from rock to dirt packed sections of trail. The ion-mask waterproofing worked like a charm: I submerged the boots in a chilly stream, and when I pulled them out I watched as the water beaded up and ran harmlessly off the sides. The uppers seemed to take much longer than other boots to become soaked, in fact, save for a couple of spots near the toes, the Sierra Lites stayed bone dry. My feet stayed at a comfortable temperature during my mountain hikes, a testament to the breathability that comes along with ion-mask coating. They passed the mountain tests, so it was time for the harshest of all boot judgers: the canyons of Escalante.
You can usually count on the desert to be a harsh, dry place. However, during a fall trip to the Escalante area, I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of monsoon season. I wore the Hi-Tec Sierra Lite boots on the Lower Calf Creek falls hike. During the three hour hike conditions changed from steady rain, misty, and then sunny. The boots ate up all the terrain the trail could throw at them. Wet slickrock was scaled with ease, and my feet felt good even after slogging through wet sand. The next day I put them to an even bigger test: muddy washes and tight slot canyons. Again, the slickrock was no trouble for the Hi-Tecs, and they helped me push through mile after mile of deep, fine desert sand. Uneven terrain was offset by the 3D counter balance design that Hi-Tec uses to provide support and stability. I was never afraid of losing my footing, even when jammed precariously between the walls of Escalante’s tiny slot canyons. There was a bit of an issue when it came to the muddy washes of Dry Fork: the Sierra Lites’ lug pattern is a magnet for sludge. Several times my feet looked like they were giant mud balls, and I had to stop and give the boots a full scrape. Beating that kind of slop may be a tall order for any boot, so I didn’t judge them too harshly for their troubles.
After four months of testing in almost every condition Utah has to offer, it’s clear that the Hi-Tec Sierra Lite hiking boots are a worthy companion for your feet. I was very impressed that a light hiking boot could provide so much stability and traction. I did not get a chance to backpack with these boots, but I have little doubt that they could handle a light overnight load with ease. With loads of impressive technology that actually works, Hi-Tec has delivered a boot that’s versatile enough to handle any adventure you can throw at it. Lace these bad boys up and start exploring…you’ve got a lot of square footage to discover out there!
Good Sierra Lite: Comfortable, stable, fully waterproof/breathable and easy to care for
Bad Sierra Lite: Lug pattern is a mud-magnet, lacing the uppers is a bit tricky
The Verdict: A versatile boot that’s lightweight and tough; good from the desert to the peak and will keep your feet dry