Mammut Monolith GTX Boot - Men's - 2009 BCS

I have narrow feet with high arches, plus slightly arched toes. Mammut Monolith boots fit my feet in a way that La Sportiva and Scarpa offerings never did. Try on as many brands as you can before committing to a purchase, obviously.

The monoliths have a little more ankle flex than some, and this combines well with the stiff midsole to make for a boot which excels at tricky scrambling where good dexterity is required. The ankle flex and stiff midsole also make hopping from rock to rock quick and fun.
The walk in and out is easy due to the excellent rolling action, low weight and low external bulk. The stiff midsole was a great benefit at all times, and the deep-lugged Vibram Teton outsole gives excellent traction

One downside to the comparatively flexible ankle is that you cannot be as carefree when descending steep stuff quickly. But good scrambling ability is my main priority, so I can live with the compromise. This is the only downside, but it`s also the upside!

Overall, I`d say these are great allround 4 season boots which excel at scrambling.

The raichle boots I owned before this pair is the best footwear I've ever worn. This boot by Mammut/Raichle is just as fantastic. I'm very pleased with the craftsmanship and quality, the durability and comfort of the Monolith GTX boot. These have been great for 4-season hiking on any terrain you may find in Colorado, and specifically the boots have served me for showshoing this winter.

Great boot especially for the sale price. Just used them goat hunting in Kodiak, Alaska. Great for sidehilling and steep uphill climb. i do agree though they should come with better foot soles for the price, but no big deal. also no hot spots or pain spots, break in friendly. as for fit i found ordering regular shoe size to work fine. overall would definetely reccomend and hope to purhcase mammut again in the future.

At first loved them and they are good but---not my foot. I have a very high arches, stiff ankle, little dorsal movement. Coming down steep slopes I could not lock the heels down, hence toes hit the front. I think that the material used to make the boot is too soft and moved with my foot vs locking it down. Never had this problem with the Makalu. Boot is stiff yet enough rocker that they were comfortable carrying 50+ Lbs for the 38 mile trip. Great 3-4 class climbing as they are nice and light weight. Too as someone else noted a little of the toe cap rubber came unglued. Not good as more may follow? Would I recommend these boots? Yes for some one with a flexible medium foot width and normal arch.

At first I loved the boot, seemed to be just what I was looking for. Then I took them on a hike in Alaska's Brooks Range for about a week. The boot performed well, no complaints there but the rubber piece that wrapps the toe began to come unglued. It is streched tight enough that it did not peal back but began to collect dirt and debris. Just a matter of time before a sharp rock splits the rubber and the toe comes appart.

Recommended for moderate to light use, not hardcore sheep hunting.

This is my first mountaineering boot so I have nothing to compare it to except trail hiking boots that I have previously own. When I put on this boot for the first time, I felt like if I stomped too hard on the ground that I would put a hole in my floor. The soles are nice a stiff, perfect for kicking steps in the snow and walking through a rock fall. These boots are really nice off trail and when climbing. I would recommend this boot to anyone looking for a good deal on mountaineering boot. It has solid construction and rigid soles.

These boots are a bit of an enigma. Where to start....

First, Sizing. I wear an 11.5 or 12 US, depending on the maker. I ordered both sizes, and had real trouble deciding which boots fit better. My immediate reaction was that BOTH were terribly uncomfortable, but after varying the tension in by lacing the zones differently, and after spening a couple days walking around the house switching between the two, I decided on the 11.5.

My first trip out I went up Mount Baldy late March to test them out. They were almost flawless; great ankles support, no blisters, no hotspots...but once again, damn are these boots uncomfortable. The soles of my feet felt just beat. I don't know where Mammut gets off talking about a memory foot bed. I immediately got some Dr. Scholls inserts, which for the price of the boots, I think Mammut owes me for. Still, I thought I had a winner.

I did another test up San Gorgonio early April on the South Fork trail preparring for Mount Whitney, and this time got some nasty blisters on both heels/achilles tendons. This perplexed me after having no problems the first trip, but I attributed it to the thicker Dr. Scholls inserts being broken in.

Did the Mountaineer's Route on Whitney in late April, I had my heels taped up(taking all precautions), and everything went pretty well. And the Dr. Scholls were well worked in and my feet felt great. Course, I also think that's because it was almost all snow climbing.

Getting to my last logged experience. Took them up the San G via Vivian Creek to watch the July 4th fireworks over LA. Got caught it bad weather, and ended up logging all 16 miles and 10,000 vertical feet in one day(too much?), which resulted in disaster for my feet. Tragically painful and ripped open blisters on both heels (forgot my tape), PLUS both big toes were solid purple under my toe nails, one of which I ended up loosing. I'm guessing this was because of all the hiking on dirt/exposed rocks rather than the snow climbing my feet were used to.

In conclusion, I thought I had a winner at first, but the boots continue to frustrate. They are certainly not the all-around, all season mountain boot. They cannot handle a long approach. Short climbs in the snow only for me. Great looks, support and protection, but killer on the feet in a number of ways. And even though I put in the thicker inserts, I still think I got the right size. My feet always had plenty of room to move around.

I'm still thinking about sending the photos of my feet to Mammut and asking for my money back. The boots shouldn't perform anywhere near this poorly for the money...not to mention their blister free guarantees.

Anyway, hope this helps someone....

Love the Monolith GTX. Made by Mammut but used to be Raichle. Super high quality and great fitting. Fits medium width and locker heel fit. LIke the lacing, supportive and you can easily isolate the upper part from the lower partfor a perfect feel hiking in these and allowing the ankle to flex without having your foot slip around in the lower boot. Pretty darn light also.