Garmont T8 Extreme GTX Review

The Garmont T8 Extreme GTX boots are designed for comfort and are extremely lightweight. These boots are army compliant (AR670-1 compliant) and what makes them a great choice is that they can be used for many different activities. A great choice for boots to be worn in the winter or in cooler climates

Useful Features In The Garmont T8 Extreme GTX

GORE-TEX technology & Insulation

What is Gore-Tex and why should you care about it? Well for starters, thats what they named the boots after, hence “GTX” is in the name. GORE-TEX technology is essentially a thin layer that sits just under the exterior of the boots. Its purpose is to add a layer of insulation.

When wearing insulated boots, they are generally bulky, not flexible, and uncomfortable to be around let alone wearing them!

This insulated layer make these boots waterproof, so that they can be used in wet terrains and climates such as rain and snow. The insulated layer is also designed to balanced insulation with breathability.

The waterproofing and breathable boots ensures that your feet stay dry. We covered the importance of dry feet when rucking in our common rucking injuries post, but keeping you feet dry prevents those nasty blisters from forming. Blisters are typically formed when the feet are sweaty or produce excessive moisture, which then blocks the pores in the feet (source).

On the other side of the spectrum, when you’re rucking or using these boots in colder climates. Extreme cold always find a way to sneak itself through clothes and boots. This is where the mix of features and design come into play. The upper collar of the boots are designed to be tightened properly thanks to the eyelets which go all the way up. The tightening of the boots, along with the GORE-TEX insulation which will keep your feet warm and safe during extreme cold climates.

Material

Before diving into the material, lets talk about THINSULATE.

THINSULATE is a fabric made from synthetic fibers that are woven together to keep you warm at a range of temperatures (source). Its purpose is to keep you warm and dry to prevent dangerous conditions caused from extreme cold such as frostbites. THINSULATE keeps you warm even if you get wet. This is key for boots that are made for the snow and cold climates.

THINSULATE ranges from 40 to 800 gsm. The Garmont T8 GTX Boots have 200 gsm of THINSULATE. They strategically set it to 200 for good reason. This is because the level of activity will affect the the THINSULATE level you need for the temperature range. If you’re using the Garmont T8 GTX boots for the military, it is expected that you’ll be fairly active. With that said, if you’re doing a lot of exercise, a lower level of THINSULATE is enough in cooler environments to keep your feet warm (source).

The exterior of the Garmont T8 GTX boots are made from a mixture of suede leather, 600D nylon, and nylong webbing. We’ll break down each one and tell you why you should care about them.

Suede Leather

Suede leather is leather that has been split and sanded which creates the velvety material that are common with army boots, military style boots, and rucking boots.

Why should you care if the Garmont T8 GTX is made from Suede leather? The Suede leather ensures that the boots are lightweight, and provide great durability (source).

600D Nylon

The D in 600D stands for Denier. Denier is a unit of measurement used to determine the thickness of the fibre in the material (source). With that said though, how strong is 600D Nylon? Cordura fabric typically ranges from 30 to 2,000 Denier. Most military boots range from 500 – 800 Denier. Making these boots very durable.

Vibram Technology

Garmont uses the same outsole thats used on the Garmont T8 Bifida Boots, Belleville 340 DES Boots, and the Belleville 330 DES ST Boots. They do so for good reason.

Vibram is the leader in outsole boot production. They are made from 100% rubber and are engineered for the military, but have a lot of other useful features for everyday use and for folks that are always on their feet. These features are:

1. Slip resistance
2. Water proofing
3. Great grip.

Weight

When combining all the features discussed so far, a bulky pair of boots become unnecessary. The Garmont T8 GTX boots are lightweight. How lightweight you ask? They weigh 680 grams. To put that in perspective, a Samsung S10+ weighs 157 grams.

These boots only weigh as much as 4 cell phones. Now that’s light.

AR670-1 Compliant

Similar to the Belleville 790 boots and the Belleville One Xero C320 Boots, these boots are AR670-1 compliant. This means that soldiers are permitted to bring this along to the military.

People looking to use these boots for other outdoor activities.

Learn more about AR670-1 regulations and check out other AR670-1 boots.

Who Are The Garmont T8 GTX Boots Made For?

The Garmont T8 GTX Boots are made for people going to the military and are set to serve in a colder climate. Alternatively these boots can be used for people who enjoy rucking or ruck in colder climates. We strongly recommend a good pair of rucking socks to pair with the Garmont T8 GTX boots to keep your feet as warm as possible.