Lowa R-8S GTX Boot Review: Lightweight Leather Boots for Hiking and Hunting

This review features Lowa’s R-8S GTX Patrol boots. Backcountry hunter and horseman Luke Washington put some miles on these boots this spring and was impressed. These boots are lightweight and durable. The closed eyelet lace system allows for custom zone lacing. Luke found the toe box on these boots to be saddle and stirrup friendly too. Learn more about this the R-8S GTX Patrol boots at www.lowaboots.com.

Luke Washington

Day to day at Eastmans, Luke is the Director of E-Media. Raised in the wide-open country of the West, Luke Washington lives for the chase—elk, sheep, mule deer, and antelope. Whether it’s climbing into thin air after rams, calling bulls in dark timber, or glassing sage flats for pronghorn, Luke’s at home anywhere wild country still rules. For him, hunting isn’t about ego or inches—it’s about grit, adventure, and the stories that come from doing it the hard way on public land. When he’s not on the mountain, you’ll find Luke at the family cabin in Wyoming’s Beartooth Mountains—fishing creeks, exploring trails on horseback, or gathered around the campfire with family. Those moments keep him grounded and remind him what truly matters. Driven by a deep respect for the land and the legacy of the Western lifestyle, Luke is dedicated to keeping that tradition alive for generations to come.