SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

Overall this is a fantastic boot. I put in 2 solid 8 hour days of hiking/climbing having never worn the boots and my feet felt great. These feel like 4 pound Italian slippers. I bought them as a 4 season boot for alpline climbing and I am completely satisfied. Caution-front the money to order several pairs to try on, these kind of boots fit and feel totally different than a hiking boot. I ended up buying one whole size larger than my normal hiking boot. I also got a pair of Sabretooth auto crampons and a large pair of Croc gaiters for my size 44 boots, a great setup.

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

My feet S@%(, wide no arch.. Have a pair of Sportiva EVO's resoled 3X's leather now cracked time to replace. These Scarpas were more comfortable on the steeps the 1st time out.

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

These boots are a bit heavy compared to dedicated ice climbing boots but I wanted a set that would perform on everything from vertical ice to alpine to glacier travel. I have pretty wide feet in the toe area (called a 6th toe haha) and most shoes are too narrow, but these fit very well. My only complaint besides the weight is the footbeds could really be a bit more supportive... they are very flimsy and while warm enough, my medium arch feet need a bit more. I think a set of superfeet insoles will fix this... for another $40....

Overall a nice boot, I've only used them for vertical ice so far (WI2-WI4+) and they have done well, some loosening over the course of the day but that's expected with boots that arent fully broken in yet. I use Petzl lynx toe bailed crampons which attach perfectly.

I wear a 43 in virtually every brand, and bought a 43.5 in this boot to fit slightly thicker socks when needed. Even with thin socks these cinch down well and the fit is excellent.

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

This is a great boot. Unfortunately my feet are very hard to fit and I couldn't make the boot work for me. If my feet did fit this boot though I would definitely buy it as the construction is similar to the Nepal Evo GTX and I know it would last me for years.

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

Got these on sale for a great price from EMS, so the fit risk was worth the try. It's always a toss of the dice when you buy boots online, hoping you'll be lucky enough to get a good fit out of the box. These boots fit the bill, for me.

I have a high-volume foot, i.e., a pretty high arch, and a fairly wide forefoot. Keens fit great, that should tell you something. I've had La Sportiva Nepal Evos (too narrow, not enough toe room), the Aku Spyder (beautifully constructed boots, still too narrow for me, or I'd still have them), and tried on several other Scarpas, La Sportivas, etc, and still found them too narrow from the start. It wasn't a matter of breaking them in, either, it was simply a fundamental fit incompatibility, something your foot knows from the git-go. My street shoe size is 10.5-11.0, depending on the maker. I got the 45.5 (11.5-11.66, UK) in these, knowing I'd probably replace the insole and allowing for toe room and a decent wool sock.

Out of the box, the boots are identical to the pictures I've seen, a nice bright, high-vis orange. The stitching and seams are all fine, the materials and leather solid, no stitch misses or poor quality manufacturing observed. The rubber rand is tight and appears fully sealed at the edges all around each boot. The interior is quite comfortable, the heel cup quite pronounced, as well, it really holds your heel in place, depending on how you lace these boots, which is a whole other subject.

I replaced the stock Scarpa insoles with a pair of Viesturs insoles, and the very high arch on them was just a bit too much, so they went in a pair of winter boots (Keen Summits), and got them to fit even better than they already did, so I got lucky, there. Went for the Superfeet greens, that did the trick, I found I can use a thicker wool sock (even a silk liner, if need be) without my feet or the boots feeling compressed. So, the fit seems to be adjusted okay.

It's only gotten down to the low 20s where I live so far this winter, but it's still early. I don't feel the slightest bit of chill at all so far when wearing the boots outside, but I wouldn't expect to, either. Incidentally, I've been hot-natured my whole life, love winter, I don't tend to get too cold no matter the outside temp, my feet and hands tend to stay warm even in sub-zero temps, allowing for selecting the right equipment, that is. That being said, I have worn the Aku Spyder boots in -15 F temps, and did fine. I don't think they were "supposed" to be worn in temps that low, but just to use that as a marker, I'd expect the Mont Blancs to do at least as well for me. They're going to Colorado in February and March, my climbing buddy there who owns a pair says I'll need a pair of 40 Belows as insurance, but that they'll do fine, even though they're not plastics. Sounds ok to me. So I'll submit another post and let you know how that does.

Ok: Once I got moving on a 4.5-mile trail last weekend, the rocker of the sole gives a nice forward boost, I didn't notice any heel lift or hot spots, although I did adjust the laces a bit (snugging the ankle) a half-mile in. You can skip the "ankle-bend" lace points if you want more of a low-rise, approach boot feel, for me I found I preferred the laces done all the way, it wasn't overkill at all.

Sorry about the long-windedness, I've noticed other reviews that were quite lengthy, as well, and I've found most of them to be very helpful when so much detail is included. Speaking as the owner of a high-volume, wide forefoot pair of feet, it was a relief to find a pair of pretty sturdy boots (non-plastics, which is what I was looking for) that fit so well, lots of toe wiggle room without it being too much, have excellent traction, are downright comfortable, and for me, look good. Hope this helps, if you're still awake!

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

One of the most comfortable boots I have owned. Ended up having to special order a size larger because my toes banged against the end but with the new size these boots are perfect. If you are going to spend this kind of money on some boots, be sure they fit perfectly. They feel totally different from a hiking boot, because of their rigidity but it just takes getting used to. They have kept my feet warm so far, and have yet to disappoint me- they're extremely comfortable and the toe box has plenty of room in it.

Comments about SCARPA Mont Blanc GTX Mountaineering Boots:

Boots used for moutaineering