Great, if they fit you

By Ian McCalder Ranked #39 - Men's Mountaineering Boots January 28, 2010

I bought these boots on a whim, since I got a deal on them. My inital impressions were very good. They were warm, comfortable, and certainly stiff enough for the indended purpose of ice climbing. Some people have expressed concern over the durability of the suede upper, but I've had no problems. Granted, my boots haven't spent a lot of time on the rocks just yet.

As time went on I began to notice that I got some pretty serious heel lift in the boots. The first couple climbs of the day were painful when my calves would pump out from trying to compensate for the heel lift. This is, of course, concerning as having calf pump on pitch 3 of 6 is pretty darn miserable. I'm going to try and find a spacer that could fit under the tongue of the boot to push my foot deeper into the heel pocket, but barring that I may have to try a different boot.

However this is no fault of the boot. It's not Scarpa's fault my foot is shaped more like a La Sportiva last. Therefore I still give the boot 4 stars since it's warm, comfortable, and climbs very well. The sole is fairly asymmetrical, so be careful when buying crampons. Some will have trouble fitting on the front toe welt if they are not curved enough to match the boot.

I'm more than pleased with the performance of the boot, especially the waterproofing. If I can nail down the fit then I'm sure the Scarpa Summits will be part of my arsenal for years to come. If you've got a wide-ish foot I would highly reccommend them for all your mountain activities.

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

Helpful Votes: 2 Yes