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Mountain Boots

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 LJ2606 21 Jan 2014
I'm after some lightweight mountain boots, for scrambling, mountain walking and uk winter mountains (only grade I/II), ideal have a heel welt so my existing crampons fit. I think I've narrowed it down to two choices, the La Sportiva Trango S Evo or the Scarpa Rebel Lite GTX. Both are very similar and roughly the same price. I can't seem to find much feedback on the Scarpa and whilst the La Sportiva have many positive reviews I have come across a few that suggest poor build quality. Has anyone got any experience of either of these boots or failing that suggest an alternative? I know ideally I should try both boots on but unfortunately there is anywhere near by that stocks them.
Cheers
 butteredfrog 21 Jan 2014
In reply to LJ2606:
Fit wise, La Sportiva tend to suit to a narrower, low volume foot.
Post edited at 07:50
 TobyA 21 Jan 2014
In reply to butteredfrog:

> Fit wise, La Sportiva tend to suit to a narrower, low volume foot.

Not necessarily, see http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=575917&v=1#x7644677

In reply to thejerv:

I've got the original Trango S - they're ok but the stitching failed on one pair quickly and got returned, the second pair has some stitching going too. They're old but I don't use them so much. My main ice boots are Trango Extremes, and some stitching has failed on them too although they've had much more use. I just think boots made of lots of pieces stitched together will always have some weak points.



 PN82 21 Jan 2014
In reply to LJ2606:

I own both pairs of boots so thought I would give you a quick run down on my experience with them both.

I bought the La Sportiva January 2012, i got about 18 months of hard use out of them before I got the Scarpa rebel lites to replace them.

I still have the La Sportiva's however i only use them for walking now as the rand os starting to come away. They are by far the best pair of boots i have ever worn in terms of comfort, they fit my feet perfectly, light and good grip. Build quality on them has been second to none, the rand and sole is quite worn but that is because of the heavy usage (about 100 munros and long walk ins worth). They are not the most waterproof boot but you don't buy them for that, for scrambling, easy winter walks and general mountain shenanigans then they are superb.

I decided to replace them with Scarpa rebel lites as Go Outdoors had them on offer. Apart from a dodgy insole the build quality of these have been great. They are a slimmer fit than other Scarpa's almost as good as la spoetiva but not quite. I would say the standard insole on the la sportiva is fine, the Scarpa standard insole isn't so good and this boot really needs a superfeet type one for the best fit and comfort. The boot has the exact same vibram mulaz sole as the la sportiva so i expect the boots to have a similar life span.

To surmise, if i had to choose one again it would be the la sportiva. The fit is better, the standard insole is better, when traversing a steep slope the outside of my foot can rub slightly in the Scarpa. There is very little between them, generally the la sportiva's are cheaper as they are more widely available and older so I have seen them down to £157 on a uk website. I paid £190 for the la sportiva's in 2012 and £183 for the Scarpa's so in November 2013. Try before you buy, hope this helps!
 AlanLittle 21 Jan 2014
In reply to LJ2606:

I tried both on in the shop, found that neither felt right, and ended up buying Scarpa Triolets instead. The Evo S was too narrow for me in the forefoot, and the Rebel Lite was generally a bit too snug round the arch - see all the review comments about "revolutionary", "rock shoe like" fit etc. which might indeed be great for hard rock or mixed climbing, but I didn't find comfortable considering I have no intention of doing any hard climbing in them.

Triolets are a little bit heavier but not much and felt like they were custom fitted for my - fairy broad - feet. Have been super comfy from the word go, definitely the right choice for me.
OP LJ2606 21 Jan 2014
In reply to PN82:

Do the La Sportivas have a pointy toe? I'm leaning towards those at the moment, but although I have fairly narrow feet, my middle toes are long and tend to rub on more pointy boots.
 PN82 21 Jan 2014
In reply to LJ2606:

out of the 2 boots the la sportiva's are marginally more pointy both internally and also externally so i find they feel a tad more precise when climbing or scrambling, but i have long skinny feet. As both boots are handmade then there can be differences between the same make of boot, again the only way to find out is to try them on, also there could be heel lift in either of them which is another problem you need to address!
 martinph78 21 Jan 2014
In reply to LJ2606:

You spend ££'s in fuel getting to the mountains, it would be worth spending a few £'s going to a store (or two) and trying some on. You must have a Snow and Rock, Go Outdoors, Cotswolds or similar within an hour of you? All will price match and you get to try them on. If not then get yourself up to Keswick for a weekend of shopping AND mountains :p

Also go in with an open mind, neither of the boots may fit you so be prepared to have a look at some other options. Buying on-line is just going to end in tears.

 crayefish 22 Jan 2014
In reply to Martin1978:

Exactly! Boot fit is the most important thing.
OP LJ2606 27 Jan 2014
In reply to LJ2606:
Just to update I went with the Scarpa Rebel Lite gtx in the end. The fit feels great, they feel very light for a B2 and have just a little flex (size 11) which should make them ideal for year round use. The standard insole seems ok, so I'll see how I go for a bit before swapping them. Fingers crossed for some decent weather at the weekend so I can test them out.
Lee

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