La Sportiva

Very comfortable shoe right out of the box. I'm having a little pain in the toes of my right foot , but that may just be me. Tread is pretty aggressive. Makes it easier climbing rough rocky trails. I'm definitely out walking the dogs more!

I wore these out of the box for a 50-mile race that mixed dirt roads with swamps and steep mountain trails. They were comfortable on the road and perfect for the rugged conditions. They dried out quickly once I was out of the muddy parts. The laces never came loose, even. I am very glad I found this shoe - I wanted something slightly beefier than the minimalist shoes I usually wear because of the distance. I do hope La Sportiva continues to make these.

I climb up and run down steep terain. great grip on my narrow foot. I do wonder how long the top eyelet will last- since I cinch them up tight. just sewn in eyelets. great shoe though!

I have the La Sportiva Katana's for more technical climbs and I bought these for the all day climbs because the Katana's killed my feet after a short 70' climb. My Katana's are 11.5 so i thought i would try a 12 in the Arco, looks like 12 was a huge jump in size...should have tried them on in the store. It isn't like i'm swimming in the 12's more just a lot looser than i anticiapted. Still a great climbing shoe and they are comfy and i can still climb a fairly techy route with them!

This is a great shoe. Lots of support/traction/light weight and looks cool as well. Very good for narrow/medium feet. I have long narrow feet and my only small gripe is that the heels are a tiny bit loose. But that won't be a problem for most other people. I would give this shoe 5 stars if the heels grabbed on more - my other lasportivas have better fitting heels. If you have a wide foot I would stay away from this model, unfortunatley.

great for trails

These shoes feel pretty true to size. I think I have a sorta wide foot and they fit perfect. my girlfriend bought some la sportiva's and she loved them. Even though they dont have laces you can still get a pretty snug fit.

I bought these because I wanted a boot that would be good to go in the snow and fine with crampons. I hiked 4 mountains in them. Each time my feet got wet, getting more soaked with each subsequent use. There was a weird rubbing issue on my right foot which didn't cause a blister, but was sore the next day. These are not waterproof. I wouldn't even call them waterresistant...as much as any shoe is. The rubber over the toe box began to separate after 3 outings like mentioned in the other review. These boots would be okay if you're looking for something that won't have to get wet, but then you'd probably want a fast and light trail running shoe anyway. Compared to other boots I've tried these pretty much left me wanting a lot.

La Sportiva makes excellent mountaineering boots. I think most climbers will agree with this statement. The Trango Alp is my personal favorite in the La Sportiva line for 3 season use in the Sierra Nevada range. It's light, waterproof, and very easy wearing, making it a great choice for mixed rock and snow climbs. It's only slightly heavier than the Trango S boot, but uses more and less abrasive durable materials, which helps it hold up better, especially when you're rubbing it on granite. The boot will accept "semi-auto" or universal crampons, but not full automatic as it lacks a toe welt. The 3/4th shank is not ideal for crampon use, but a good compromise for climbs where you'll be spending a good portion of the time on rock. This is not an insulated boot, so it is likely not appropriate for colder climbing. Also, the lightweight materials present something of a compromise durability wise. It's not going to last as long as a full leather boot, but at a pound a foot that's probably a worthwhile trade-off. The boots insoles are a bit flimsy, I'd like to see something with a bit more support for a shanked boot, but that's somewhat a matter of personal preference, and there are many 3rd party options. Fit is very imporant in a mountaineering boot, so a few comments on that. The trango boots are fairly narrow, and low-volume. If you have big, wide feet, they likely are not for you. If you have a fairly small, low volume foot, this is probably one of the best options. For reference size wise, I am usually a 7.5, and have had several pairs of La Sportiva trail runners over the past few years in size 40.5. The size 40 Trango is a good fit for me. Overall, this is a very versitile lightweight mountaineering boot. If it fits you, at the STP price it's an absolute steal!

These were a step up from my second hand, well-worn climbing shoes I'd been using, but definitely will take some getting used to... I think they'll be great once broken in. Oh, word to the wise, they'll dye your feet red the first few times you wear them!