Boots Done Casual: the LOWA Palermo

Were you aware that LOWA makes casual sneaker style shoes?

Yeah, we weren't either. Not until we read about 'em in OFFGRID. That's why we're happy a pair of the PALERMO shoes recently arrived.

The Palermo shoe has split leather uppers with the LOWA PU midsole for comfort; it actually kind of looks like a pair of Toms or something college kids would be wearing, only designed and built for grown-ups. The upper is suede leather with a fabric lining; the midsole is an injected PU midsole for “…long lasting, excellent shock absorption and support,” while the outsole is described as a “lightweight, flexible, ‘sneaker' sole…” intended to “…provide great traction and support.”

A note on the PU (polyurethane) midsole — LOWA uses it because , as they describe it, it's a “…terrific shock absorber [and  is ]longer lasting than the more common EVA midsole.” They take their PU midsoles pretty seriously, currently offering around 20 different versions.

It will be interesting to see how LOWA shoes measure up to their boots, and if they'll be worth the price tag ($150 on their website EDIT: now available on Amazon for as low as $85).

LOWA Palermo

The Palermo comes in a standard and GTX (waterproof) variety, in both men's and women's sizes. Colors include Anthracite (gesundheit), Olive/Rust, Black/Blue, Tobacco and Moss Green. Sizes run from 7.5 up to 14, half sizes available (for men); Colors for women are Jade, Blackberry, Turquoise and Stone. Sizes there go from 6 to 11 with half sizes available.

For the Palermo GTX, men's color options are Anthracite, Beige/Navy, Espresso, and Brown; women's include Petrol, Rust, Light Grey/Bordeaux, Blackberry, Anthracite, and Brown. We're not sure what happened to their naming convention when they got to “brown.”

Stand by for further after we wear 'em a while.

About LOWA Boots in their Own Words:

For 90+ years, LOWA BOOTS have been acclaimed as the finest outdoor boots in the world by climbers, mountaineers, hikers, the media and certified quality testers. Our attention to every detail in design and European manufacturing has earned our reputation for building the world's most comfortable and durable boots since 1923.

100% Handcrafted in Europe

We build our boots under the European Union's most stringent manufacturing, environmental and labor regulations. We put into practice what many other companies only pay lip service to: Clean manufacturing, minimal waste and fair labor practices. From start to finish, LOWA footwear is 100% designed, sourced, and handcrafted in Europe.

LOWA is also the only outdoor footwear manufacturer in the world to be granted ISO 9001 status for the highest quality construction and process standards.