A Solid Preformer

By Drew Ranked #2 - Men's Backpacking Boots February 12, 2012

So, I got this in a size 15(50) Wide. Even in a wide, it was still pretty narrow in the toe box, but I hoped that, being an all leather boot, the leather would stretch to fit my boot. I was wrong. I took them on one 40 mile backpacking trip (after hiking 50 miles in them to break them in) and they wound up tearing my feet up. I blame myself for this tho, and not the boot. The boots themselves are badassed. The Vibram soles are super stiff and great for the jagged granite rocks you'd find in the Sierras. They don't get very hot, and are extremely water proof (see the picture I posted). I hiked with a 50lb pack over some pretty gnarly terrain and the balls of my feet never once felt even the sharpest rock. BUt like I said, the boots didn't fit right. They were much too narrow in the toes and (I don't know if that caused this) my heels pushed into the back of the boots unmercifully on even the slightest incline. I wound up getting blisters all over my feet. Once again tho, that's my own damned fault. I knew the boots didn't fit the best, but I didn't have enough time to break in another pair of boots before the trip, and I didn't want to call off the trip, so I went anyways. (It's hard to find a last minute 15 Wide.)

I've used the Asolo Powermatic 200, the Lowa Banff and Trekker, and the Danner ML2, and out of all of them, this is the heaviest and stiffest. That's great of you plan on using crampons though, and honestly, after they're broken in, you hardly notice the weight. I wind up returning them just because I found the made-in-Germany Lowas fit my wide toes much better, but in terms of quality, I'd say these are on par with Asolos and Lowas, thought they're definitely beefier than the two (The Danner ML2, though, is better used as a paperweight.)

If your looking for a solid pair of boots and your feet are narrower, you def won't go wrong with these bad boys. They're def one of the best and good from anywhere between backpacking and snowshoeing, to things that require crampons. (that's what the little green dot on the sole means- stiff enough to use with crampons).

Hope that helps.

View Details: Scarpa SL M3 Backpacking Boot - Men's

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