ID these boots!

[satyaclimber]

Hi all,

The folks on the NEice forum thought some gear heads here might have some clues...

Just getting into ice climbing this winter after a couple years being on rock. I got a used pair of boots at Outdoor Gear Exchange (Burlington, VT) that are pretty old. But, they fit and they were only $60. So, here's where the trivia comes in. I'd like to find out a little more about the boots (age, quality, past use, etc.).

They look to me to be at least fifteen years old. They have a leather liner, and few identifying marks. You can see on the sole that it says "K2," "Made in France," and "gg." They are a size 44.

So, all you ice climbing savants: what's the story behind these boots?

Thanks for any information you've got!

-Jarred

 

Inside of boot

Boots with liner

Bottom of boot

Boots

 

Note: I didn't attach pictures to this page because I didn't want to slow things down. PM me if you have any trouble opening them. Thanks!

[G-spotter]

Look out for old plastic boots, even mixed plastic/leather like these look like, they can shatter very easily as the plastic does not age well and becomes brittle over time..

[Ben_Heavner]

I was just looking at Mark Twight's web page. The boots look like ones on a picture on this page: Check out the third picture in the second row (guy in blue doing a drop knee on ice).

 

The caption says "He used plastic boots made by Trappeur that blended a plastic lower shell with a flexible leather ankle cuff"

 

It might be a clue, anyway.

Edited January 9, 2011 by Ben_Heavner

[wdietsch]

looking at the liner, it is very similar to some old Kastinger Robsons I had years ago .. circa 1984

 

 

[Dane]

The first boot to mix plastic and leather was a San Marco. Blue colored shells. Vintage 1978 or '79. The ones you are looking at are newer than that by the look of them...but likely mid '80s at best...and the plastic does have a well deserved reputation of getting brittle over time.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Some old boot discussions have been popular at supertopo.com before if you really need to know, but I'd guess mid-1980s too although that was before I really started paying attention to such things.

 

If you are just using them for stuff near the road then use em till they bust. Get a few trips in and you got a good deal and can spend some time to find a good deal on something newer if you really get into the ice game.

 

If you are considering a long approach where a shattered boot shell could be more painful you might want to stick em in a cold freezer or leave em outside then beat on em a bunch and see if they crack.

 

Somewhere on here there was a hilarious story of someone ice climbing and taking a step on the approach where there the plastic shell broke and left the sole entirely detached (i.e. not just a crack you could duct tape over for the day).

[JBC]

They look a lot like some of the mid 80s One Sport boots (Now Millet) One Sport was one of the first I remember to do boots with an integrated gaiter.

 

Jim

[tradhead]

I have heard several stories from acquaintances that had not skied in 10-15 years, where their ski boot shells catastrophically exploded on their first or second run out. I'm not sure how the plastic in ice climbing boots compares to ski boots but be forewarned...

[G-spotter]

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=753123

[satyaclimber]

Thanks for the heads up G-spotter! That story is hilarious, and I'm hoping not to repeat it. The plastic on these boots does have some small cracks and I'm just using them to get my feet, er, wet.

 

Ben--thanks for the link to Mark Twight's page. Those boots do look pretty similar.

 

So, the best guess then is that these boots are from the early-mid 80's and that they were made by Kastinger or One Sport? I wonder if the "K2" on the bottom of the boot is the symbol for Kastinger?

 

I'll check out supertopo.com and see what else I can find out.

 

Thanks all!