Scarpa Triolet vs La Sportiva Trango EVO

By John Ranked #630 - Men's Mountaineering Boots December 12, 2009

Allen gives a good assessment of the Scarpa Triolet with respect to the La Sportiva Trango EVO boots. I own two pairs of the Trango EVOs as well as a pair of the Trango Extremes (slightly warmer and stiffer version of the EVO) and have put hundreds of miles on them hiking and climbing all over the US in all seasons. I also own a pair of Scarpa Cumbre boots (heavier, warmer version of the Triolet). While I love the climbing performance and light weight of the Trangos, they have less padding both in the footbed insert (thinner by 1-2 mm than the insert in the Triolet) and don't have a thick spongy pad underneath the insert like the Triolet has. At the end of a long day of hiking/climbing in the Trangos, the balls of my feet frequently hurt and feel bruised. I recently purchased the Triolets and find them more comfortable over a long day. They definitely have a stiffer sole and are slightly heavier. But that's worth it for the superior comfort. Also, the Triolets protect your feet better when kicking steps on snow. That said, both boots are excellent. If one fits your foot better, that's the boot to get. In my case, the Triolet's fit slightly better because the center point of the toe box is asymmetric with less of a curve on the inside step of the boot. That allows my big toe to point straight forward instead of being forced toward more toward the center of the boot. I wear EU size 48, which is the largest size either boot comes in. The Triolets are identical in length to the Trangos measuring heel to toe on the outside of the boot. But the Triolets "feel" a couple of mm shorter on the inside, most likely because the thicker footbed raises my feet 1-2 mm more than the Trangos. That places my toes slightly higher inside the boot where toe box starts to curve over my feet. That's not really an issue, but it does give them a slighly snugger feel. Another big difference is in how the rear of the boot cups your heel. Both the Cumbres and the Triolets are constructed with a slightly more curved heel box with more padding than the Trangos. That design cups your heel more snugly and prevents the heel from lifting. I once tried a pair of Scarpa Inverno plastic boots and found that design uncomfortable on my heels because those boots are so unbelievably stiff. That design works beautifully on the Triolets and Cumbres though because the leather and synthetic fabric of those boots is much more flexible. The end result is that the Triolets hug your feet and minimize heel lift. The Trangos have a straighter heel box that doesn't cup the heel as well so they lift a little more. Again, both the Triolets and the Trangos are good boots, but with subtle differences. Go with the one that fits the shape of your foot best.

View Details: Scarpa Triolet GTX Mountaineering Boot - Men's

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes