Boots, bunnions, and fruits

[Dane]

I would like to make a comparison of the older “gold” standard of plastic mountaineering boots and three of the current generation of Sportiva boots. If you don’t get a decent fit in a Sportiva last the comparisons might not be a big help to you. I use a custom insole and professional boot fitting locally to dial in my own boots. No matter what brand fits you I highly recommend this service if you climb hard or put lots of miles on your boots.

 

When the white Kolflachs showed up in Europe the summer of ‘79 and in the US at REI in 1980 snow/ice and winter climbing changed forever. We no longer had to suffer wet feet let alone the weight of a good pair of heavy leather dbl. boots. They weren’t the first plastic boots, just the most successful.

 

Although San Marco offered leather topped plastic bottom boot that was really closer to the high tech offering we see today.

 

For me at least with big feet (size 12) finally a rigid boot.

 

I am not sure plastics actually got better form that boot. I still have a pair (after cracking several shells) and with a foam liner they are as light and as warm as anything out there with comparable volume. Sure Koflachs didn’t fit everyone’s feet and other manufactures were able to make distinct inroads in the market. Ankle flexibility was also an issue in all the plastic boots. Several manufacturing techniques were used to address this problem with different levels of success.

 

The first Koflachs I saw were on the feet of my climbing partner Gary Silver. It was mid Jan '81 and we were on the second ascent of Slipstream. Gary had been in Europe during the fall of ’79 and soloed the Swiss Route on the Courtes and the Chere Coulior after buying the boots in Chamonix.

 

Gary broke trail on the steep snow of Slipstream. I did the ice pitches. It was obvious as Gary steam rolled his was to the top that I was over weighted and under powered. I was wearing a dbl. layered pair of Chouinard Supergaters and custom Haderer single boots. The Haderers were dead rigid but heavy.

In comparison my combination to the Koflachs, really heavy.

 

A week later I had a pair of Koflachs myself….and regrettably now, sold the Haderers for pennies on the dollar.

 

The first thing I noticed and enjoyed (with a liberal amount of moleskin) about the Kolflachs was the stiffer ankle in forward flex which I thought helped my ice climbing. The same added stiffness on the side flex wouldn’t help my ice climbing because it made resting in French technique much harder to accomplish.

But much of that you just worked around.

 

The Kolflach’s excellent fit, rigid sole and most importantly the lightweight waterproof shell couldn’t be ignored. The Kolflach was a big advancement in foot-ware. I was able to climb up to 5.9 and easy 5.10 in mine. Obviously thin cracks were a problem but they would excel on steep face climbing. The Kolflach was a much warmer and higher volume boot than the leather Haderer but for me at least the plastic climbed just as well.

 

Sportive (and others) all the while were developing light weight, leather climbing boots. The best known today are likely the rigid soled Nepal and Trango Series. While I think they are important and more likely the bigger sellers I am going to ignore the more flexible Trango and non clip/on compatible boots in this discussion.

 

The Nepal series was one of the first really successful rigid soled leather boots. The current version, the Nepal Evo is rigid slightly insulated and very warm. I have used mine at –30C with lightweight sox and only began to feel the cold at long belays. (the other 2 boots mentioned below are even warmer than the Nepal Evo) It is an all leather boot that is lightly insulated. As I mentioned I use a light sox combo which is a liner and a medium weight hiker. I have exceptional feel in this boot and it climbs ice and rock well.

It is warm enough for anywhere in the CON/US and will do just fine for most day routes in Canada’s chilly winters. It has a high ankle cuff and is very supportive. It is all leather and very durable. It seems to breath well in comparison, to the Batura, so it stays drier inside (which means warmer) over a few days of climbing. The Evo is my pick for Sportiva’s best all around boot. Although I have recently become partial to the added comfort and flexibility a soft ankle boot.

 

That new preference comes as a surprise after so many years in a pair of Kolflachs and their really stiff ankles and the added support.

 

The Batura is a fairly new boot from Sportiva. I have been climbing in mine all winter. In essence it is a single boot with a fixed supergater. Pretty much the same system I was climbing in 30 years ago except this one is a lot lighter and a bit warmer. Sportiva ads say 6 layers of insulation. Not the bigger volume of a pair of Koflachs but getting close. Volume means warm feet in the cold and clunky boots on hard technical terrain. But this boot is warm, very warm actually from my experience but they lack the ability to breathe and you end up with wet boots internally after as couple of days out. A good deodorant rubbed on your feet and if used on anything long term a VBL sock would be a good supplement to this boot. I waded through hours of knee deep cascade cement and rain with this boot. Never got wet from the outside. This while using the tiny gaiter with my shoeller pants tucked in. The lacing system could use hooks on the ankle but other than that is it a great boot with only one limitation. Too bad though because getting wet on the inside will keep this boot from seeing some amazing climbs I suspect.

 

This boot has the same sole lamination/ configuration as the Nepal Evo. The big difference in how they climb (and walk) is in the ankle support. Recently a climber pointed at me on Weeping Wall and exclaimed “fruit boots” in reference to the newest high-tech rock shoes with a gaiter and crampons bolted on. The Batura isn’t a fruit boot but it is getting close. Really it is a hybrid between a super light flexible Mt. boot and a stiff-soled rigid Mt. boot with the addition of an insulated supergaiter and breathable cuff for warmth. I think it is a good combo. My bet is we'll see more of this style of boot. Scarpa has been doing it longer than Sportive in this venue. Look for others to tag along.

 

I can easily see a super warm “fruit boot” with a tiny volume in the future and still the boot of choice for M10 or a fast sprint up the Cassin. The newest boots are going to be even more fun.

 

Till then we have the Spantik. If you have looked around at the most recent high and hard routes the Spantik is getting its fair share of exposure. Like all the new, most difficult climbs! Multiple layers of foam and plastic give you a boot that can’t get wet from inside or outside. Inside the tent just wipe out the condensation in the booty and it is good to go into the bag. The outer won’t freeze but they will get cold. Best to keep them stashed away someplace warm till it's time to put them on again. "These are the warmest dbl. I have ever used", is the general consensus. They have a big volume but no where close to the Asolo 9000. They climb well, very well for such a big boot if you get a good fit. (again get them fit by a professional if you want to climb hard or walk a long ways in them) I had three pair of Spantiks break the innner boot eyelets before the 4th pair fianlly showed up with a new style eyelet. Seems to have been a common problem with ’07 boots. If you break one it is easy to get all the eylets relaced with metal by your local shoe guy. But…you’d thank that was solved for a $650 boot. The futuristic outer lacing system hasn’t been a problem from any one I have quizzed. It is the first boot I would comfortably take to Denali with no overboot or supergaiter. Cold feet might stop you but I suspect if that happened in the Spantik you’d have other concerns as well. These guys are state of the art for high Mt. boots while they climb, fit and support much like the original Koflachs. Everyone else is playing catch up.

 

All the boots discussed here, Koflach though Spantik will get you up most any mtn in the world. Some will do it more comfortably than others. Some models might last a good deal longer than another model. All are generally too much boot for the Cascades. Although I always error on the side of warm feet. $50 a toe is cheap compared to a nasty case of frost bite, so error on the side of safety and comfort The next generation of the Batura my yet be the best mtn boot produced for anything up to 7000 meters. There will soon be a new Sportive in the pipeline in the Trango series. By all reports is seems another small step closer to the “future boot”.

 

Bottom line? Plastic boots aren't obsolete. Hopefully the Koflach brand isn't gone forever. Asolo still makes their boot. Either, while not the lightest thing out there can still climb well and is warm enough for any mtn. Better yet they stay dry on longer trips. Something that can be a serious problem on any of the leather/synthetic boots. Surprizingly so on an all synthetic boot like the Bataura. The slight advantage now goes to the light weight and the flexable ankles of the newest generation boots on technical terrain. Unless of course all you are doing is never ending steep ice with any weight in your pack.

 

There are lots of good mtn boots available today. With a little work Sportivas fit me well which is why I own them. Scarpa, Kayland and Asolo come to mind as other quality boots. I own a pair of the first two and like them a lot. Kayland deserves more exposure imo because of the excellent fit. Decide what you want your boots for and then try everything on. It is easy to get a good fit by dealing with soem of the online shops like Zappo's. Fit is as important or more important than some features. Shop wisely and take your time. Good luck!

 

Edited February 24, 2008 by Dane