La Sportiva Men's Boulder X Mid Mountain Shoes

Product Information

These mid-cut hiking boots from La Sportiva offer reliable protection for days in the mountains where the weather and terrain can be unpredictable. Mid-height adds stiffness for walking in crampons. We walked miles in these with strap-on crampons, ascending neve up to 60° without ankle discomfort. One major downside is construction quality. We noticed alarming construction defects early in our test period, and confirmed these fears with other users. However, we still think these shoes are worth the DIY shoe care that might be required, because of their jaw-dropping climbing performance that can eliminate the need to bring climbing shoes on many objectives. Also, the shoe is narrow, and wide-footed users report discomfort in the toe box. The Salewa Wildfire 2 is a good choice for an all-around approach shoe for those with wide feet. Lining: The lining uses Gore-Tex® Extended Comfort. Gore-Tex® Extended Comfort is specialised technology that provides waterproof breathability, performing best in moderate to warm conditions or high-intensity activity. Extended Comfort prevents water from seeping inside the shoe yet is permeable enough to let sweat vapour escape, helping regulate temperature and improve comfort levels. This test will tell you if the shape of the internal heel cup matches your heel to ensure it holds you securely, especially when ascending steep ground. We are trying to eliminate the dreaded heel blister.

Inspired by the Mythos project, these boots have a patented lacing system that runs all the way down to the toe to get a much more enhanced fit to suit various foot shapes and fit preferences. However, even after the most rigorous assessment and testing, there is no better way to be absolutely sure than to have the boots on your feet for an extended period of time. We therefore offer our Home Trial Period which gives you the opportunity to wear the boots around your house to give you an indication of how they feel before you venture outside. We recommend that during the Home Trial Period that you wear the boots for as long as possible and at different times of the day, wear them up and down stairs, when moving around and when resting, you can even sleep in them if you want. This brilliant approach and everyday shoe has a technical, almost climbing shoe fit and feel making the Boulder X a good choice for outdoor professionals and instructors wanting a shoe for lower level climbs as well as walk-ins. The patented Asymmetric lacing system derives from the Mythos climbing shoe project, which gives the shoe a very precise and controlled feel on steeper ground. Now that your boots are done up properly stand up on your tiptoes and walk on the spot on the balls of your feet as if you are walking up a steep hill. If your heels lift more than approximately 5mm from the footbed you may need to pull the laces tighter, or the boots may just be the wrong shape for you.

Analysis and Test Results

The scarpa shoes are really similar to the LaSport shoes. I’d go with whatever feels better; Scarpa tends to fit a bit wider. But let’s not dwell on what you don’t have, instead we shall teach you how to ascertain your size using some common household objects. NOTE: The above table is only a guide. Manufactures don’t like tomake it easy as every single oneof them strays from the measurements above.

If you can see this amount of space then you are pretty much on the way to making sure that your boots are the correct size. This space between your toes and the end of the footbed ensures that you will not stub your toes on the inside of the boot when you descend. This can be excruciatingly painful. If you can’t see this amount of space then it’s a good bet that the boots will be too small. This shoe can do it all, from precise climbing on mid-5th class terrain to rugged hikes to long aid climbs Plenty of technology, a very lightweight feel and an overall great performance. We like this boot. Tester’s Verdict Bottom line: these are a very well-built shoe that excel in a specific environment, and are probably not appropriate for other uses:There are no additional costs or duties on products marketed in countries within the European Union. Customers will not have to pay anything on delivery. Comfortable for hiking, good climbing performance, high quality construction, multiple insole width options