Who wears Scarpas?

[model88]

Love my Scarpas, my only gripe was how long they took to break in

88

[GoatGuy]

Favorite kind of boots although I'm with Kut the latest don't seem to be as tough as the used to. Only boot I ever got a full year out of up North. Had my current pair for the past 2 hunting seasons are starting to fall apart but they still work (didn't hunt much last year).

[springpin]

In my experience, scarpa leather boots pack out pretty bad, the double plastics I found are not that comfy. but just my experience. I have been a solid Garmont boot guy, they last, they're tough, and comfy..

[kutenay]

Stonechaser is right about the old Scarpa Mantas, one of the finest SERIOUS mountain boots I have ever fitted and sold. But, like most boots now, including these and other Scarpas, they now are made of pieced leather rather than a single piece and this means more seams to leak, stitching to rip (and it WILL) and a less stiff boot that is less stable after "breakin"

WHY would they do this, well, people won't PAY for really top boots now and the makers are largely foreign-owned and most of the boots are made in China to a "price point", NOT to the old European standards. The maker has jacksquat to do with your fit, that is determined by the specific last used to build a certain boot and it is why custom boots cost so much as a new last is made for each customer.

I have Meindls and have worn out several pairs, some of them are still pretty decent, but, they are now building them from lighter leather and using fabric and GT linings which DO NOT last as long or resist H20 as well as PROPERLY TREATED and maintained fullgrain leather. There is no such thing as "waterproof leather" and Gore-Tex in boots is a sales gimmick.

Hanwags are the boots that now have the best rep. and they are what I would choose first of what's on the current market. There is a dealer in Illinois that CAN fit boots properly by mail and they KNOW their stuff, they are not some "know-it-all" from the Maritimes like some boot sales persons here in Vancouver. This is Lathrops and Sons, actually, Steve offered me a job fitting boots if I would move to Illinois.....after living in B.C.?????? Not likely.

But, I do recommend these folks and the cost of their services is worth it, IMHO. No offence intended to anyone, but, $300.00 for a GOOD pair of mountain boots is NOT a lot of money these days and buying top notch, properly fitting boots IS crucial, if you are going to really hunt the B.C. mountains.

Koot, if Vic DeVito, Buddy's son still has his boot repair shop in Nelson, HE is THE MAN for getting good mountain boots and repairs, re-builds. Would be worth a checkin, anyway, as Buddy used to do all my work when I still lived at " home" in the Kootenays.

On the websites for "Track'n'Trail" in Edmonton and Monod Sports in Banff are simple instructions for measuring your feet if you are interested in Hanwags, their prices are pretty decent, too.

[Timberjack]

Won't talk about fit cause everyone's feet are different...

IMO - Meindels are the best boots around if you have the money. I have 3 pairs, one of which is 10 years old, very abused, used almost daily for work and play, and have never let me down... Plus my feet have never gotten wet which makes me doubt that Gore-tex in boots is just a sales gimmick..

TJ

[kutenay]

I have had three pairs of boots with GT liners and every one of them leaked badly within a year or slightly more and these were top end boots. Doubt what you want, but, if you worked in the outdoor gear/boot industry after decades working all over BC in the bush, as I have, the number of GT boots that come back on warrantee for leaks would surprise you.

I have boots that are over 30 years old, Meindl Geologists and they have been re-built 3 times, but, I nver saw a boot that would last much more than 2-3 years in bush work, being used every day. This means fighting fires, planting trees, cutting shake blocks and brushing out right of ways and stuff like that. My fire boots would last about 1.5 seasons no matter who made them, Paris, Dayton's, Meindls or anybody else.

I bought my first Paris boots 46 years ago, with paper route money and used them to fight brush fires in my teens, this was when I learned that steel toes and hiking really don't mix! Since then, I have used a lot of boots and there is really NO big name maker that is consistently the "best" as production lots tend to differ slightly in quality and some pairs are just better than others, you seem to have lucked out.

[Kody94]

I used up a pair of Scarpa Fitzroys in 98/99. They lasted alright compared to other boots I'd used to that point. Bought a pair of Meindle Super Crack's after that though...and they were 5 times the boot those Scarpa's were...so have stuck with Meindles since.

Looking at replacing my current boots though...am interested in trying something new. Will look into the Hanwags which seem to be getting lots of good press here and elsewhere.

Cheers,
4Ster

[alpinehunter]

Has anyone thought of going to a Viberg boat made in victoria??

I use a caulked pair of vibergs for forestry work and once broken in they are amazing. After a 8-10 hour day hiking around on very steep slopes (40-90%) I am in no hurry to take them off, I usually drive back to the office before removing boots.

Only drawback is they take me about 20-30 working days to break in, but I do get about 250-300 days in the field out of them (which is many years for the average hunter). As with any all leather boot they need good care, treated every 10 days.

You can order them in any type of leather and many models and sole options.

Food for thought!

[pupper]

there are lots of great boots out there,
Lowa GTX Sheep hunters,
Meindle
Kenetrek
and a few of my hunting buddies have scarpas and love them.
as for gore tex, I have a goretex lining in my Danners and I walk ankle deep in swamps and marsh staying dry thanks to the lining.

[bigwhiteys]

Hanwags are the boots that now have the best rep. and they are what I would choose first of what's on the current market. There is a dealer in Illinois that CAN fit boots properly by mail and they KNOW their stuff, they are not some "know-it-all" from the Maritimes like some boot sales persons here in Vancouver. This is Lathrops and Sons, actually, Steve offered me a job fitting boots if I would move to Illinois.....after living in B.C.?????? Not likely.

I'll throw one out there for Lathrops. I delt with them for my Hanwags, very reputable and they know their boots.

Carl