Who wears Scarpas?

[Krico]

I'm in need of new boots, tried on some Scarpa Mantas today. Look and feel pretty good. Anyone have experience with them??? My only concern was they felt a touch narrow, not sure how much they would stretch out with some use. Thanks in advance for any input:smile:

[alremkin]

I've got two pairs of Raichle double leather lined light mountaineering/hiking boots I bought 20 years ago and they're still in great shape I only use them when hunting/packingout in rugged conditions. I've got lighter hiking boots for stalking $200-250 price range four pairs of these, and then some lighter yet weight boots just for working/walking around. The heavy Raichles if you could buy some like that now would be in the $350-$400 range/pair what I like about these is that they can be resoled. All the new ones I've seen lately when the soles wear out you have to chuck them.:-(

[kutenay]

I have one pair of Scarpas that I got as a "pro deal" when working as a bootfitter/seller just before I retired; my opinion is that Scarpas made in the past 3-4 years are not as good as the older versions.

I also hoard my best boots for the most serious trekking/hunting and have a pair of Kastingers from 1981, Scarpas from 2001, Schnees from 1991 and my Van Gorkum custom boots, mad before Charlie's prices went gonzo. I use light hikers for daily wear and other things and have a few other pairs of specialty boots, as well.

Look at Hanwags for the highend Euro boots today, Monod Sports in Banff stocks these.

[StoneChaser]

Best boots I've ever used were the Scarpa Super Mantas...had 3 pair of 'em, and still have 2 pair.

One pair I have heen wearing pretty much every day since spring 2002 and has been rebuilt by a boot maker (new leather inside the boot at the heel, and restiched around the cuff) and is 2/3 through it's second pair of soles, and I'll send them back in a year or so for another face lift.

My other pair I found on a dealers shelf (old stock) in 2004 and wore for 6 months to get them good and broke in, and now use strictly for hunting now, and will get a few more years out of them.

Bombproof boots w/incredible leather (Nixwax them and they're amazing).

I've yet to find a tougher, more comfortable boot.

These are the "old" Scarpa Super Mantas...haven't used the new ones, but the leather ankle patches that Scarpa uses now don't feel right on my feet (had a pair with them, and had to sell them after a few weeks).

They will break in width wise for you...my preferred way is to soak'em in tub (fill the boot right full of water and let'em float) for a few hours and them hike the piss out of 'em.

Do that a few times, and they'll get a good start breaking in.

[.308win]

I went with Sportivas for my hiking boots, really love them! And they can be resoled. Have a friend who uses Scarpas, he's really happy with the Scarpas also!

Perry

[longwalk]

My Asolos are three years old and have had lots of hard use. still the best pair my feet have ever felt.

[Koot]

I should have bought a few pairs of my first scarpas.I have yet to find anything as good for my feet since.I had them resoled three times and in the end they were pouched.I have a different Scarpa now that is a older model but not working out to good.Maybe this year i will try something different.My wife likes hers as well.
Koot

[Kechika]

Im on my second pair in 5 years.Awsome boot and your not hanging with the Meindel crowd.

[Krico]

my opinion is that Scarpas made in the past 3-4 years are not as good as the older versions.

Why so???-just curious



Look at Hanwags for the highend Euro boots today, Monod Sports in Banff stocks these.

They are one of the other boots I'm interested in, but Banff is not exactly part of my regular travels. What makes them better than the Scarpas? Banff is a little out of the way for me, even with the travel I do for work...I'm not keen on spending $300+ on boots I've never tried on.

[ryanb]

I would try on some Meindl's. I see you live in "The gorge", wherever that is, so I can't say if there is any local supplier close to you. There are many very high quality brands, Scarpa being one of them. The nice thing about Meindl's though, is they make dozens of different models, and each fits differently. Chances are, you will find one of them that does fit you "just right". Plus Scarpas do not have gore-tex lining which makes your feet vulnerable to getting wet if you don't keep a healthy coating of wax/oil on the leather. I know some people think the gore-tex lining is a gimmick, but having lived with non-gore tex boots for years, then switching to gore-tex lined boots, I can say I will never go back.

[model88]

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

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 (http://www.huntingtipsandtricks.com/a/Danner_Frontier_Boots) 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

[troutseeker]

I will wear Scarpa's soon, just bought the ones off the exchange... They will be my spares/bum around/training boot (I already have a good pair of Lowa's).

Troutseeker

[troutseeker]

Well, I'm wearing them as I type. Not even broken in yet and petty comfy, I just need a new insole for them (right now I've got my duty boot inserts in them...). A solid boot, this one is more a heavy backpacking hiker than a true mountaineering boot, but it would do fine for a summer/fall sheep hunt. Good support, nice stiff sole.

Best deal I've ever had to boot!

Troutseeker

[Spokerider]

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!



Yes, I bought a pair of their insulated hunter boots in the heavy water buffalo leather and air-bob soles. Very nice boots, but heavy as all heck.
The reason I bought at Viberg, is that I have a wide foot, as in 4E....not many off-the-shelf boots will fit my feet, and they customized a last for my fit.
The problem with these vibergs is the blisters I'm geting whilst trying to break them in. It's brutal. An easy 3 hr hike gives me blisters on the backs of my heels at the achillies insertion that take 2 weeks to heal. That's with a sock liner and moleskin. I do dread lacing them up to continue with the break-in, as it's my feet that are getting broken.

Anybody got tips for breaking in these boots??

I ended up buying some Rachile's from MEC. They fit a wide foot. First time out with them and they're perfect! No blisters or even hot spots.

[KodiakHntr]

Sounds about right for Vibergs...Worn out about 4 pairs working, and am currently working on a 5th pair.

A little athletic tape on your achilles will do wonders.

[Deaddog]

I have tried meindl's , van gorkum's and Scarpa's, really had no complaint about the scarpa's, just didn't seem to fit me as well as meindl's, the Van Gorkums were garbage, didn't last one season and were not even water resistant, regardless of treatment, 800 bucks for boots that last two months didn't cut it, I am back to meindl's they last me two seasons. So far I have found nothing that will last longer. I would say go with what "fits" you the best.