UKC

I'm looking for a new pair of B3 boots, warmer and more technical than the mantas I've been using for the last 10 years.

At the moment I'm thinking of La Sportiva - either the Batura 2.0 or the replacement G5.

Perhaps the biggest difference is the Boa lacing system on the G5.

What risk is there of the system failing, and how easy is it to repair either mid-route or once back at base? Seems a big step from carrying a spare lace.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

Don’t know about climbing boots, but my cycling shoes have them and they’re ace. I think the wires are made from Kevlar. Not aware of any notable failures in bike racing.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:
I’ve both the Batura 2’s and the G5’s. Apart from the boa system I’ve found the differences to be that the 5’s seem to have more forefoot volume than the Batura. Also the 5’s use own membrane instead of goretex on the baturas. As far as the boa system. I’ve not had any issues or worries on them

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

Like Yanis i have them on my road shoes. Boa fastenings are pretty solid and reliable. In the unlikely event of a failure you can fit a new one pretty quickly. So the paranoid amongst us can carry a spare unit.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

I've used them in snowboarding boots for years, never broken one or heard of it happening. I love the system, personally.

In reply to Luke_92:

I think loads of people reported breaking the funny lace system on the Spantiks - is that boa?

In reply to Luke_92:

Ditto on snowboard boots. Never had a problem with them.

Although I appreciate them failing mid-route, as opposed to near a chair lift, are two different kind of risks!

In reply to TobyA:

I think the Spantik has a lace system, albeit a very thin lace, like the Olympus Mons.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

I've used G5's in the Alps throughout last summer. The boa system makes them quick and easy to use. However, the inbuilt gaiters of each boot have sizeable holes, where the gaiter fabric has been trashed between the boa dial and rocks. One gaiter was holed within hours on first use. Now I wouldn't consider myself a candidate for Strictly but I'm not a 'bull in a china shop' either. I can only imagine Sportiva will modify the gaiters in future, with something a little more robust to cover the dial area. Mine are currently 'highly breathable'.

In reply to Ron Rees Davies: the only problem I've seen with a Boa system is when the dog chewed the winder/fastener off

In reply to JamieH:
Wow, that's an incredibly bad bit of design if its just been holed by normal wear, you would think something like that would have turned up very early on in the development of the boot, like first time out !

Did you warranty return them, i have always found Sportiva (or the UK distributors) fairly good with issues when i had a pair of Trango Evo's fall to bits.

There is several other manufacturers of running shoes in particular that insist on having a hard edge fold into a soft edge around the toes resulting in wear at an alarming rate which on paper should be obvious to a shoe designer, but they are £100 shoes not £500 mountaineering boots.....

In reply to Master of Ice:

How do you rate the G5's? I'm trying to decide between those and the Phantom techs.

In reply to GarethSL:
It’s the old adage ...... what fits the best. I can wear both scarpa or sportiva but I prefer sportiva boots. Main reason is the sole is stiffer. The 5’s I rate highly. Definitely warm, light, comfortable. They seem to have similar forefoot volume to the Nepal cubes, where as I found the Batura 2’s to be a more snug fit. The boa system takes some getting used to as there’s not a lot of feedback on lace tension, but the ankle strap works well. Re the phantom techs. I’ve heard quite a few durability issues on the sole of them.

In reply to GarethSL:

I emailed Scarpa re: the phantom techs, see copied text below. So I'm currently looking to find a place to try on the G5s and see how they fit.

Good morning Tim,

Thanks for getting in touch.

The Phantom tech has been designed to be super light and dexterous and offers a much more streamlined performance than that of the original Phantom Guide. It is indeed a more of a successor to the original Phantom Ultra, which was a more specialist and niche product the ''Guide''

The performance enhancements however come with compromise on the long term durability. In truth relating the 0 - gravity sole to the TT unit in tyre terms we are comparing a ''deep off road'' tyre with a ''F1 inter''. Maximum performance come with limitations on lifespan.

The Phantom Tech should not be used as an all-round on the hill, walking and indeed guiding boot in the way a Phantom Guide might have been, as this will lead to accelerated wear and tear limiting the boots lifespan. In this case we would advise customers to using a more workhorse product, such as the Mont Blanc Pro or a Charmoz/Manta etc. and use the Phantom Tech for the key days, where its performance really makes the difference between success and failure.

Hope this helps

Best wishes,
Simon




-----Original Message-----

Sent: 27 June 2017 13:24
To: Info.MB <Info@mountainboot
Subject: Contact - Scarpa

Tue, 27th Jun 2017 13:24
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The following correspondence was sent from the form "Contact", on "Contact" at this address:
http://www.scarpa.co.uk/contact/

Name
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Tim Spooner

Email
-----..

Telephone
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Message
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Phantom Tech.

I'm looking at new boots for the coming winter, the phantom techs fit really well. I have seen some discussions regarding longevity and durability of the sole. Are the boots suitable for Scottish winter and all the usual toil and walking it entails? I don't want to have to keep paying out for resoling or have to try and return the boots quickly due to buying in error.

In reply to Master of Ice:

Yes the sole was my initial concern, especially as I was after something quite 'vuggy' with a deep tread and solid sole. Plus my scarpas are surprisingly bendy for an ice boot so it's nice to know the sportivas are stiffer.

The other incentive for the G5's was the boa, still looks like a good system and I was curious about the adjustment knob being on the side, it seemed an odd design decision and I'm not surprised about the durability issued mentioned earlier...

Now just to find a stockist...

Thanks for your reply

In reply to GarethSL: the sportiva boots are definitely stiffer than the scarpas. I’m a big guy and if I wore scarpa I used to get plantar fasciitis from them when front pointing, which I’ve never had in the stiffer sportiva. Concerning re the tech durability isn’t it. It’s a fine line between fast and light but no durability. Re sizing. If it helps, my 5’s are the same size as my Nepal cubes

In reply to Master of Ice:

I tried on the phantom techs the other day to test the bend following your comments and did a little bounce test on some edges at a wall in the shop (I hadn't done this earlier). My good god are they bendy! Even in a size too small were they far bendier than anything I would have expected for a technical boot.

Is there now a new vogue of having bendy boots for ice and mixed? Cause I would still prefer my boots to be as stiff as Popeye's pubes?

In reply to GarethSL:
Hey Gareth. Scarpa definitely seem to be going down the softer sole option. They’re going to be nicer on the walk ins, but I’d rather have a stiffer sole for when front pointing. And you can’t argue with the sole rocker on La Sportiva as they seem to have it dialled in