UKC

Scarpa SL Activ boots - bought 2 weeks ago. Boots themselves are excellent. But the 2nd 3rd and 4th eyelets are sort of pulley/runners which are very tight and difficult to thread. I bought replacement distinctive laces to avoid mis-haps in hostel porches etc. The replacements looked no fatter than the original and when I went to fit them after the boots first clean, they were a real struggle to thread - had to get family members with more nimble fingers to do it on some, and the force needed yanked the eyelet in its setting which probably not much good for the leather. On close inspection the tips of the replacement laces are very slightly fatter than the tips on the original Scarpa ones.

I find it surprising that such quality boots should have such ridiculously tight eyelets. Even reverting to the Scarpa ones, the laces and tips are only going to become rougher with wear and tear, wet/dry ... and become harder to thread each time. Will be a disincentive to remove them/clean thoroughly.

Have others experienced similar? Is it poor design; or have I got a rogue batch of unduly tight runners?

In reply to eastfinchley pete:
The more expensive looking laces, which might be Zamberlan or Brasher - I don't know exactly as they are out of the packaging and on other boots of mine - will not fit the pulley-type eyelets on the new Scarpas. Other cheaper looking laces (looser braid etc) will fit. I have a packet unopened that fit and they are called "Penguin Rugged-Ropes Hiker Laces"; I have seen them on ebay. So you will just have to get some like that and perhaps you can stick some bright reflective tape over the ends if you don't want to trip up etc. It is hard to tell with the correct ones until you actually squeeze them and notice how slightly loose the braiding is.

Jon

Edit: Some quality boots do come with thinner laces - Boreal for instance - but you are right, the eyelets are too narrow for a proper mountain boot. I expect Scarpa will upgrade their eyelets soon, as every pair I've ever bought has had some different new design.

In reply to Dorq:

Thanks Jon I'll look out for some of them cheers Pete