la sportiva vs scarpa vs lowa

[skimbleshanks]

I have my eyes on some boots I am planning to buy. They are:

La Sportiva Nepal cube gtx

Scarpa Mont blanc pro gtx

Lowa weisshorn gtx

 

I plan on doing Mt hood in the spring as well as the 3 sisters Mt Jefferson and Mt st Helens over the next 2 years. Mt. Rainier in the summer after that. If I end up going higher than that or making attempts in winter I will move up to a boot more suited to that kind of activity. Wondering if there are any other boots I should be looking at that can be had in a size 13-14? Under $600 too. Full shank with heel and toe welts. I am going to go with the best fitting boot so would like to try them on. Any place in Salem or Portland that would have these or be able to order them in to try? Local REI is being kinda fussy about getting them all at once to try back to back. Thank you for your help.

Edited January 19, 2015 by skimbleshanks

[Water]

throw 2cents out there..

 

Only can speak to Lowa but I really like the pair I have from them, the Mountain Expert. Would love to replace them with a new version, after 5 years they are starting to go. Find them to be great for Cascade peaks you speak of. step in compatible. Cheaper and just as functional as Weisshorn--you probably won't be doing much in the way of vertical ice climbing on the mentioned peaks if you're new to climbing.

 

it's 7/8th shank

 

Looks like it is in stock size 13-14

http://www.rei.com/product/866158/lowa-mountain-expert-gtx-evo-mountaineering-boots-mens

[DPS]

These are all great boots, and your plan to go with the one that fits best is a good idea. Zappos allows you to order has many different pairs as you want and then send back the ones you don't with no shipping costs. It looks like they don't have the Scarpa Mont Blanc though. FWIW, people typically either fit LS or Scarpa well, as LS tends to fit narrower feet, Scarpa wider.

 

http://www.zappos.com/la-sportiva-nepal-cube-gtx-yellow

http://www.zappos.com/lowa-weisshorn-gtx-lime-black

[billcoe]

 

I'd email Oregon Mountain Community and ask what they have. They have a pretty good selection (not saying that they have all the boots you list) and had this deal where they would match an internet price. I walked in to get my TC Pro rock shoes there and they sold them to me for less money that I expected: and that was the reason they said. Told me they were matching some internet price. It's worth a few extra bucks to support local folks IMO, and sizing a boot may take a while and you want it right. No sense saving a couple bucks buying off the net and having shipping issues and getting blisters on your heels when you are climbing.

 

But that's me.

 

http://www.omcgear.com/

 

They have an 11 and 13 Weisshorn GTX on sale for $369 right now. http://www.omcgear.com/lowa-weisshorn-gtx-boot-men-s.html

[YakCLimber78]

Fit Comes First..... All are great boots. Also look at the newer light alpine boots from Salewa. I have a "Sportiva Foot" and the Salewas were uber-cumfy.

[Bondo]

Agreed it's all about fit. I'm hit or miss on LS, Kayland is a sure fit every time.

[Linnaeus]

I wear a size 48 (US14) have the AKU equivalent of the boots you listed:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1129379/AKU_boot_opinions#Post1129379

 

I really like them so far. I mostly use them for steep water ice and alpine routes, not so much general mountaineering. They work well and have a carbon shank, Primaloft insulation, GTX liner, etc. Unlike some the models you mentioned, they have rollers instead of D-rings for the lower laces which is really nice feature. I was worried before I bought them because I wasn't very familiar with AKU, but the cost was about half of a Scarpa Mount Blanc GTX or Nepal EVO. I have very, very happy with my purchase so far.

[sgraepel]

For the climbs you mentioned, I might also recommend LS Trango Cube. Its super light (under 3# for the pair), waterproof, and really comfortable - wider than their trail runners.

 

But - do note they are not full shank and do not have a toe welt. But again, for the routes you are looking at, you may not need it.

 

For a deeper review, you can see my review on Gear Junkie:

 

http://gearjunkie.com/la-sportiva-trango-cube-gtx-review

 

And for REI, just order them online and return what you didn't like. No fuss. Good customer service w/o the clerk BS.

[keenwesh]

I'm had LS boots explode on me more than once. Sent them in for warranty and every time LS has told me that it's not their problem and basically to get bent. If you're only using them rarely you'll probably be fine, but keep in mind they have shit durability and LS will not honor their warranty policy when they do go bad.

 

For reference I put at least 60 days a season on my workhorse boots. (LS Baturas)

[KevinJ]

I have the Weisshorn and I love them. I actually like the extra stiffness in the sole for front pointing, but that's me. They are a super durable, sturdy boot. If your looking for something more flexible in the sole, I'd also highly recommend the Lowa Mountain Expert. The only bad thing about Lowa boots is you don't get new ones every two years :-)

 

I really can't compare the other models, so please take that into consideration.

[mccallboater]

Can't add any info about the Scarpas, but you might be interested in these comparison pics of LS Trango S and Lowa Cevedale boots. I've also included my Trango Primes and Dynafit EVOs for comparison. Sizing, I wear a 45 Trango, and 44.5 in both the Prime and Cevedale. The EVOs are mondo point 28. All fit well.

 

The Trango Cube looks like a great boot, hopefully longer lasting and drier than the Trangos. Even lighter too. But $$$!!! The Cevedales were $150 on sale at Sierra Trading post with one of those "extra 40% off" emails.