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Description

When cruising toward triple-digit mileage is your goal, the light and fast Xplorer is your boot.

Once you get your body tuned to life on the trail, you can bust out 20-mile days with the lightweight, breathable La Sportiva Xplorer Mid GTX keeping your feet dry and comfortable. This mid-height boot was designed to fit the demands of trekkers and fast-packers who need a lightweight boot that won't break down after the first 60 miles.

  • Gore-Tex Extended Comfort Footwear insert seals out rain, puddles, and creek crossings while also expelling interior moisture to prevent blisters
  • Air mesh on the upper provides incredible breathability, while synthetic leather reinforcement and a Vibram rubber toe rand provides durability and protection from the roughest trails
  • Dual-density MEMIex midsole cushions heavy steps for many miles in rocky terrain
  • TPU torsion plate reduces boot twisting and buckling while providing a decent amount of flex
  • A cushioned toe guard provides increased protection from rocky trails
  • The Vibram Idro Grip X-Traction rubber outsole features the Impact brake system, which is a slanted lug pattern designed to enhance stopping power and control when carrying a heavy pack
  • Mid-height boot helps to prevent ankle twists and injury, and an articulated heel cuff ensures easy, blister-free strides in varied terrain

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La Sportiva Xplorer Mid GTX - Men's

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Here's what others have to say...

How is the fit with these boots? Do they...

bud5521395

Member since 
Posted on

How is the fit with these boots? Do they run big, small, or just right?

Arthur Debowski

Member since 
Groups:
Best Answer Responded on

I would say they are spot on for length and a touch narrow/lower volume.

3 5

tri5718377

Member since 

A well designed boot--blending hiking, approaching and climbing into one very versatile shoe. My intent is using a single boot for hiking, approaching and summiting California 14ers, light and fast...

After some preliminary mall-crawling I decided to test them on a traverse of Castle peak which would include some steep loose trail, 3rd & 4th class scrambling and lower 5th class climbing with about 10 miles of hiking.

First I realized the top speed lace eyelet was placed too high on the boot, annoyingly allowing the laces to slip up off the tongue and dig into the front of my leg. I was able to solve this by re lacing the upper going from the third eyelet to the top speed eyelet then crossing back down to the second eyelet loop for the knot. This allowed the upper to stay snug but moved the bow down the tongue so it wouldn't slip off. Hiking was comfortable with nice support--even if laced loosely, the last fits a foot really well (I have a medium to wide foot with a lower volume instep and wear a 43.5). When the trail turned steep (35-40°) and loose with small rocks and sand, after snugging up the laces, I was impressed with the traction of the Vibram Idro grip sole--no slipping whatsoever! What soon became apparent however, was the very hard and ill formed heel cup, (my right boot heel cup had an especially hard top edge inside the shoe). After inspection it seems the 'stack' between the grey mesh, the black band and the heel cup creates a hard edge which when laced and flexed forward pulls that hard edge (with every step) into the back of the heel - poor craft with NO padding! After the steeps and climbing traverses, for the hike out, I relieved the pressure and now pain on my heels by re lacing the boot into a low top, not using the top three eyelets, (now with every flex forward it didn't bring the heel cup with it) but, left the top of the boot open easily catching debris :( . For the more technical 4th and 5th class sections I was again impressed with the boot, confidently edging on pebbles and 1/2" edges, smearing on just about anything and along with toe down cracks and heel toe cams they felt very secure with just the right amount of stability and feeling. Unfortunately another example of poor craft became apparent, this time involving the lowest eyelets over the big toe. Again a sloppy seaming of the toe rand with the grey mesh and the tongue created a proud hard seam RIGHT under the lowest eyelet so when you snug the laces for climbing it pulls that seam right into the big toenail. The other lowest eyelet has the same combo of seams but is totally smooth creating no problem... Ok so I got around this as well by again re lacing this time starting one eyelet up, leaving the lowest free therefore not pulling the offending seam into my toes, by the time I hiked out I barely had them tied to my feet...

To summarize, it was a love/hate relationship. The design, fit and Vibram sole really give this boot a winning multi use ability, but the poor craft in executing the design sharply diminished its potential (surprising from La Sportiva).

Great Design - poor craft
5 5

Member since 

Took'em out of the box and headed for Zion. After Das Boot/Subway,Birch/Orderville/Narrows,Keyhole and Pine creek no blisters. I ware a size 10 or 43 but purchased a half size larger 43.5 bit tight with the neoprene socks but feel great with md. wt. hiking socks. The shoe did as advertised and look as if it might last for several more adventures. The red La Sportiva label is gone but the rest of the shoe looks fine.