La Sportiva TRango Boots: Prime Vs Extreme

[Blake]

Any thoughts on what the practical differences between these two models might be for use on all-around climbing, with an alpine emphasis?

 

They weigh the same, cost the same, etc...

 

Trango Extreme

 

 

 

 

Trango Prime

[G-spotter]

The Prime looks like it has a steeper ankle position, probably a little bit better for climbing mixed and a bit worse for walking/hiking/approaches.

[jordop]

I predict the Lorica uppers on both boths will fail at about the same moment.

[Dane]

The Prime is suppose to be a bit warmer with more insulation and a higher cuff should offer a bit more support. Although Sportiva writes it up like the Prime will climb hard mixed better. Which makes no sense since Gspotter sees what I see in the cuff. High cuff should offer more support and less flexability.

 

The Prime hasn't been delivered in the US yet so most of this (past the Lorica durability) is just speculation.

 

If the Prime is a warmer boot and a bit lighter than the Extreme and dry fasters than the Batura it will be a big hit.

 

FWIW I have a pair on order and won't own the Extreme.

 

Finally it seems to me that Sportiva has returned to a "traditional" boot design built from modern materials. If so their last and fit might well be improved over some of the funky fitting stuff I have bought from them in the last few years.

 

The "Ice" and "Batura" are classic examples. Cool designs, rigid soles and unless you get a perfect fit no way to really lace in your heel or suppurt your ankle. Makes a rigid boot with a extremely soft ankle and generally some heel lift.

 

The Trango and Trango Extreme avoided the lacing problem but still off little support in the ankle for me. I'm hoping the Prime will solve that problem.

[EastCoastBastard]

Oh man, bummer. I just ordered some Trango Extreme Evos to replace my worn out old trango extreme's. Those Primes look like they'd be a better replacement though. Better insulation and I like yellow. "Hello, REI....?"

[mike1]

I'd put money on the Evos lasting longer.

[ASmith]

I bought three pairs of Alps with the new side and tounge material for a trip around Rainier and the first day of rain everyone had cold, wet feet. My wifes EVO S were dry.

[Vickster]

I would choose neither. Only the standard Trangos goe up to size 48.... La Sportiva and their peewee sizing ticks me off.

[mike1]

You saying I got peewee feet Vickster? Vickster... what kind of name is that anyway?

[jmace]

IMO Both are shitty boots and wont last more than a season here in the Coast Mountains.

 

You need a leather boot and not one with a 2 cm strip of it, there are much better boots on the market that perform the same way as those piles.

[EastCoastBastard]

My extreme's just arrived and I'm looking forward to using them. The workmanship isn't as nice as on my old extremes (the original yellow leather ones) - some of the new-age fabric around the ankle has a fold in it, but it's not a high-wear point so I don't see it being a problem. And they're so much more user-friendly than my old ones - those were a big pain in the ass to get on and off.

I've got a big trip coming up in the next couple weeks, so I'll write a report on how they hold up.

[suckbm]

trango prime just looks like a new version of the la sportiva trango ice evo boot

[Dane]

trango prime just looks like a new version of the la sportiva trango ice evo boot

 

And Suck wins the $64K! Prime doesn't have the dbl rocker sole or sticky rubber of the Ice Evo....which is too bad. But the Prime (at least some of them) has a Goretex liner, better/more insulation and more tongue padding and a more user friendly lacing system. The Prime really is an updated Trango Ice Evo with simpler lacing system, a little more warmth and a little less weight . Great kicks for most everything but really cold weather.

[josephfazioli]

I've got the extremes and I have to say, they are the best boot I've ever worn. I had the trango ice for a while (loaner when I was working at a shop) and I hated them for everything except steep ice. The extremes hike really well and are surprisingly warm. They got me through a brutally cold ice climbing season in upstate NY.

[EastCoastBastard]

As promised, I'm back from my trip (a dismal failure) with a report on the new Trango Extreme evo's. They're pretty nice, kept my feet warm and dry, climbed rock pretty well and did just fine on ice. The lacing system was great - so much better than my old ones. My biggest gripe is that the soles flex a bit when frontpointing. Apparently all the modern ice boots do this nowadays, but my previous ice boots (the old trango extremes) didn't flex nearly to this degree. It's just something I'll have to get used to.

 

My other gripes are about the durability of the boot - the lorica stuff started to get a little rough around the edges just from walking through snow, and the edges of the rand got worn faster than my old boots. The kevlar mesh stuff got very fuzzy where my gaiters rubbed against them, but that's not such a big deal.

 

Overall, I give them a solid A- . They'd get the A if they were a little stiffer.

[Dane]

Had the chance to wring out a few boots in the last couple of weeks.

 

Here is some hard data

 

Weights of one size 45 boot on a US postal scale?

 

Boots listed in both weight and warmth.

Warmer boots as you go down the list.

Everything listed is a rigid sole technical boot.

 

Trango Prime 45 2# 2.7oz

Extreme EVO Gortex 45 2# 4 oz

Batura 45 2# 8.5oz

Spantik 46 2# 14.6oz

w/ Intution liner

 

Prime (and Evo Ice) has a softer cuff (read extremely flexable and thin) and is no higher than the Extreme Evo. Extreme Evo is ever so slightly larger internally than the Prime. ( I tried several of each in a 45) Both Trangos (and the Ice Evo) use the same mid sole so have the same stiffness / amount of sole flex. Nepal and Batura are slightly stiffer in the midsole but not a lot or enough to make it noticable in my size 12s/45 for ice climbing and welcomed for hard rock climbing and approaches.

 

The Extreme Evo is second only to the Batura for upper insulation (more than the Prime or Ice Evo) and has a Gortex liner which no other Trango Extreme boot has and whcih they all need it IMO. Prime has some type of "water resistant" liner but no one including Sportiva USA could tell me exactly what or how it works. Goretex we all know. Prime has the bigger last as does the Extreme Evo but just not the amount of additional insulation as the Evo so it isn't the best for for my skinny long feet.

 

Metal hooks on the older boots (last season's) work much better than the ring "snaps" on the newest boots which are made of a majority of plastic. The rings are lower profile however. Hooks got pretty beat up in talus but still worked fine.

 

Newest Prime and Evos are 1/2 size bigger in the sole (45 compared to 45) and will need to have crampons refit. And a bit bigger inside as well.

 

My old Evo Ice, Batura and Nepal Evo all take the same size crampon with a 45 size boot. The newest Extreme Evo and Prime in 45 are both 1/2 size bigger in the sole and needed the crampons refit.

 

Extreme Evo still has a thin, sticky rubber sole which really noticable on rock.

In the LWT boots at Sportiva it is the best buy/performance IMO.

 

One of the best LWT weight technical boots Sportiva offers is the Ice Evo, if you dump the funky lace system and have your local cobler add some eyelets. Weighs a bit less than the Prime, has Thinsulate insulation, sticky rubber and the smallest internal profile of anything listed here. So small in fact I had to go up a half size over my normal 45. If you can get a good fit they climb everything extremely well and are easy on your feet for hiking in and out on any terrain. On sale they are a frugal buy hard to pass up.

 

 

 

 

I think the Batura offers the most promise but needs a Gortex liner or better yet a thin water proof innner boot that you could pull and easily dry out every night. The Batura also needs a more substanial cuff and a more user friendly lacing system.

 

Finally, if you plan on climbing in cold weather with a lwt weight bivy in your future?

 

I tried all four of these boots in some pretty cold weather. The only boot that my feet didn't fall asleep in on a alpine bivy was the Spantik and only then if I loosened the lace system of the outer boot. What that means is if you spend an unplanned night out, the Spantik might well keep you from getting any cold injuries to your feet. No surprise as the Spantik was designed just for such antics. Batura just wasn't up to the task insulation wise once the laces were loosened. The Intuition liner also added a vbl to the boot so it was even warmer and easier to dry. Good set up.

[5.12Dreamer]

Dane has given some very good and thorough info so I'll just add my personal experience with the Extreme and Nepal boots.

 

I bought the Extreme last year to replace the prior design (yellow) that was 1/2 size too tight. Climbing one season on each of those I felt that the Extreme was perhaps not quite as stiff and that the "lightweight" construction was not worth the loss of durability.

 

At the time I bought the Extremes I noted in the LS catalog that the boot was supposedly at most a couple g's lighter than it's predecessor--not at all worth the sacrifices IMHO. I will acknowledge they are nice for approaches and rock, but so were the prior design.

 

Now, for steep ice I find the Extremes too flexy when coupled with a "semi-rigid" crampon. I don't agree with Dane that the Nepal and Extreme are close in stiffness for a large boot (Size 47). The Nepals seem far superior to me on steep ice, and their lacing system is also far superior to the Extreme. You can really get your heels locked down in the Nepal and the removable tongue insert saves your shins from the agonizing pain the Extremes can impart when really cranked down.

 

If one is going to use the boot for long approaches to alpine rock and moderate ice, I'd probably stick with the Extreme or look at the Prime (not familiar). For pure vertical performance I find the Nepal blows away the Extreme and with snow covered approaches they seem fine. This season I parlayed my Extremes to buy the Nepals and I have been very pleased.

[Dane]

FWIW the Nepal is not a boot to easily compare to the Trango line. Nepal is much, much more boot with just a little more weight. Everything you have said is true, only disagreement is the the stiffness in the soles. (at least for a 45 they are the same) No matter what the boot is, short of plastic, the bigger/longer the boot the more flex in the sole. Starts making a difference in 11s and up I think.

 

How stiff a boot is in the ankle is a totally different story from stiffness in the sole. No question the Nepal wins "stiff ankle" hands down. They are a pretty stiff boot (ankle and sole) by almost any standard. You are comparing a leather upper in the Nepal to a fabric upper on the Trango series. Just wanted to make sure we are talking the same thing. Also when you talk "Trango Extreme"...there have been 5 different versions of the "extreme" Trango not including the Extreme Ice series. The early ones were all leather, the later ones, all fabric, including 3 versions in yellow. To date the Silver Extreme Evo Gortex LWT is the stiffest ankle and still all fabric so not that stiff when comparing to a leather boot like the Nepals. The newest yellow Trango, Prime, is much softer than even the other fabic boots in the ankle with a rigid sole. ( same mid sole for 3 or 4 generations )

 

I'll add the Nepal Evo weight in a 45 when I get time. But I left it out of the discussion because it really isn't a super LWT mtn boot like the Trango series.

 

Nepal Evo is a great boot and I love mine but it is more along the lines and durability of a traditional leather boot.

 

FWIW the Batura is a all fabric boot, with a rigid sole, and again, with a very soft ankle. No where near the precise fit of the Nepal Top although adding a Nepal Evo inner tongue helps a bit for fit.

 

[5.12Dreamer]

Thanks for the clarifications and the extra info; I agree with your statements on comparing (not) the Nepal to the Extremes.

 

And I definitely agree with the extra leverage a larger boot exerts on its shank. I've been amazed to watch people climb ice in small boots that I could never use in a Size 13.

[Dane]

Nepal Evo in a size 45 (one boot) is 2lb 10.5oz. So just bit more than the others and closer to the Batura than I would have thought. The difference between the lightest to heaviest Sportive "technical sport boots" in a PAIR of 45s is only

12.8oz.

 

Depending on your size foot, the heavier Nepals may be well worth the extra 12.8 oz on hard ice. They are for me. For other climbs I use the Batura for extra warmth and long walks and the Tango Evo for longer walks in milder conditions.

 

 

 

[Matt Kidd]

To resurrect this discussion, anyone using the Primes these days? Durability, comfort? On the Trango Extreme Evo there are lots of reviews complaining of poor durability especially of the sole. How are they wearing?

[Dane]

The older Trango series have a super sticky and not very durable rubber sole. I like how sticky it it however and think it worth the trade. No fabirc boot is very durable...may be Sportiva even less so.

 

The Prime has the same outer sole at the Batura which is less sticky and more durable than the Trango Ex Evo.

 

Comfortable....??

 

I have yet to find any of the fabric boots "comfortable" in comparison to the Nepal Evo..which is mostly a leather boot.

[Matt Kidd]

Funny, I have the original Nepals and the Trango S Evos and find them both to be very comfortable. The Nepals are a bit more generous in the toe box, which is nice, but I don't mind walking in either.

The discussions of 20 hrs of usage devastating the sole are possibly a bit of hyperbole then? I don't mind a bit less durability from the fabric boots if they are performing well. Not wealthy enough to resole every 20 hrs though.

Basically up here I can try on the Trango Extreme Evo at MEC but I don't think anywhere carries the Prime. Would like to try on both and have a sense of how both are working for people before I drop the $$. Seems as if not too many people are getting into the Primes, which is too bad because I think they might be what I'm looking for.

[Dane]

I had both and returned the Prime. One of the reasons was I liked the sticky sole which the Prime does not have. And it fit differently, wider than the Trangos. Wider than my Nepals. Also the Prime is harder to get in and out of by most everyone's accounts. I have a pair of the Ice that were converted to laces eyelets and they have the same problem. Easy to rip the gaiter out of the boot when getting them on in the morning. Not worth the hassle imo. Wish it were a different answer.

 

Some type of liner in the Prime but No Goretex...which THE reason most have decided against it imo. If you have used any of the other Trango Series.....it is obvious they would be a much better boot if they were water proof. Goretex seems to be the best of the liners for waterproofness, warmth and durability.

 

But yes, 20 hrs of hard use should be easy enough to get from any Sportiva I've had no complains. Any run down 4000' of Canadian scree is going to show up on a fabic boot I suspect.

[Matt Kidd]

Good info, thanks. The wider fit alone kills it for me. Not going to go on a huge search for a pair to try if they probably won't work anyhow. The narrow fit with fairly generous toe box has been what has always kept me in sportivas.