Owned/Used: 18 months
Terrain tested: Trails, Snow/Ice, Steep Ground, Boggy Ground
Temperature range: Summer weather down to Scottish Winter
Overview
Pros:
– Comfortable straight out of the box, minimal breaking in needed.
– Excellent insulation and support.
– Well built, excellent durability.
– Plenty of features.
Cons:
– On the more expensive side of similar boots in this tier
– The yellow colouring can mark easily requiring extra care.
FULL REVIEW
Build/Durability
A personal favourite boot of mine that is first out of the equipment cupboard anytime there is a mention of slightly more aggressive terrain or adverse weather.
I purchased these boots following my Base Camp trip in 2018 due to my old pair finally giving up on the return trip, and they have been one of the most welcome additions to my kit list. As someone who prefers a stiffer sole, the B3 rating was ideal and after 18 months of use there is still no sign of any flex. The whole boot has coped with punishment extremely well, with little in the way of marking or scuffing, the laces are still showing no signs of abrasion or wear, and as always with a Vibram® sole the tread is holding up really well.
Stress test
I have used these boots for all kinds of trips ranging from the Yorkshire 3 peaks in the height of summer (would not recommend as the insulation makes them rather an uncomfortable wear in the heat, however I needed to break them in ready for a climbing trip) right down to double digit negative on Scottish Munros in January. Despite the heat providing some discomfort during my Yorkshire 3 peaks the boots performed spectacularly throughout the whole 42km route and never gave me any pain or blisters despite not being fully broken in yet. In the harshness of the Scottish winter the boots provided fantastic warmth and insulation for a single skin boot, and the rubberised lip of the boot gave a brilliant seal against snow and water. I used Grivel G12 crampons and never had any issues with the fit or the feel.
Technical Specs
A B3 rated technical mountaineering boot, providing excellent insulation whilst maintaining a reasonably low weight for boots in its class. With a Perwanger® leather upper and GORE-TEX® insulation, comfort is provided along with warmth, durability, and performance. The rigidity of the boot is provided by a reinforced carbon honeycomb midsole, with a Vibram® sole giving shock absorption and unrivalled traction.
Full rubber rand giving excellent protection against abrasion sit atop a plastic layer designed for full integrated crampon usage.
B3 rated, coming in at 950g per boot (size 9) and 1.9kg for the pair
Look/Price
In my opinion the books are visually striking with the usual high quality finish I have come to expect from La Sportiva, the yellow Perwanger® leather can be a bit tricky to keep looking its best, but if you take proper care of these boots and clean each time before storage then you shouldn’t come across any issues!
Price wise these are on the high end of the scale, through a quick internet search I was able to find multiple outlets offering prices in the region of £360, however in my opinion the price is well justified by the vast number positives mentioned above. If you’re going to splash out on just one piece of kit, I believe your boots should be right at the top of the list, and you need look no further than the La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX.
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