2012 Spantik Sizing

[kayaker2119]

Just got some spantik's for my birthday. I tried some baruntse's on at Mountain Shop in PDX (they don't carry spantiks ) to get the sizing. They had whole sizes and the 45 felt about right.

 

My patagonia hiking shoes are an 11, my brooks running shoes 12.

 

Expected use:

Some technical ice, but not a ton. Not a whole lot of 6-7k+ meter summits (for now). I'll mostly be doing Cascade winter peak bagging, BUT will be using these as touring boots for skinning up and snowboard descent boots for riding down. Thus the stiff spantiks.

 

Sizing dilemma:

My right foot is just slightly larger than my left. With smart wool mountaineering socks the fit is great, except that my right toe just barely touches the end of my boot when I give it the kick test.

My low volume feet mean that sizing up to a 45.5 might leave the boots laced pretty tightly.

 

Advice? Size up or stay put? Anyone with spantik's have wisdom after break-in and stretch?

[Dane]

45 and 44.5 shells are the same. There are no true half sizes in the La Sportiva dbl boots. A 45.5 and the 46 are the same. 43.5 and 44 are the same size shell.

 

Doesn't matter if it is the Oly Mons, Spantik or Baruntse. No half sizes. Baruntse's fit a bit bigger in the toe area than the Spantik.

 

You have several options.

You can get a boot guy to punch out the toe a little on the Spantik. And trim your toes nail often. Just use the much bigger 46 shell and a bigger inner boot. Or switch inner boots and put a Baruntse inner in the boot you have and then have it heat formed to your feet with enough room for you bigger foot.

 

I've done all of them and settled on the Baruntse inner in the smaller shell. Having climbed a lot in the 46 and 45 shells the bonus is for a warmer and lighter boot when you are done.

 

All the details to those comments and more than you'll likely ever want to know about the Spantik here:

 

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com/search?q=spantik

 

 

[kayaker2119]

Wow. You're my hero. If you're in PDX, I owe you some basecamp 22oz'ers.

[kayaker2119]

Reading your blog it sounds like you don't see much reason to go with the Spantik over Baruntse, which is what Mountain Shop was telling me. With the caveat that it'll be doing double duty as snowboard boot, would you still agree with that?

[ADKMan]

Reading your blog it sounds like you don't see much reason to go with the Spantik over Baruntse, which is what Mountain Shop was telling me. With the caveat that it'll be doing double duty as snowboard boot, would you still agree with that?

 

I own both a pair of Spantik's and a pair of Baruntse's and in my opinion the Sapntik's are a bit "stiffer" so although I am not a snowboarder, I would assume they might work a bit better for your application.

 

By the way,FWIW, I wear a 10.5 shoe / boot in almost everything and the Baruntse / Spatnik's in size 44 are just a bit snug for me.

[Dane]

ADK is right on. Spantik has a stiffer ankle, not so good for climbing on really technical ground for the unwashed masses, good for endurance ice, front pointing, skiing and likely snow boardiung

[CaleHoopes]

Love my Baruntse's. Had a boot fitter in Bellevue (Sturtevant's) work em over and it was a huge improvement.

[kayaker2119]

@ADK you're a 10.5 in everything, and the Baruntse/Spantik's are too snug, just right, or need to be packed out/heat molded?

[ADKMan]

@ADK you're a 10.5 in everything, and the Baruntse/Spantik's are too snug, just right, or need to be packed out/heat molded?

 

My liners have been molded but I sill find I get some toe bang when I use anything thicker than a thin liner sock. The Baruntse is a bit better because the toe box is silghtly wider and I can lace them tighter but unfortunately still not a perfect fit. Fortunately I get absolutely no heel lift with either.

[trainwreck]

FWIW I am 42 in virtually ever La Sportiva last ever made and the 43 Baruntse was MASSIVE on me. I am thinking I'd likely be a 41.5 Baruntse, that's a whole lotta boot.