“Excellent boot for tough situations”

“An excellent boot hampered only by a few minor quibbles. I'd give a 4.5 rating if possible... Stock laces are not so great, too stretchy - which leads to readjusting on the fly and digging into your hands trying to get the right tension. Recommend replacing with a more stout pair to take better advantage of the excellent lacing setup of the boot. Scarpa equipped the boot with a nice lace lock setup to allow very good control of upper & lower lacing ensuring good fit on the ankle & foot. Heel cup feels a bit tight and produced hot spots on both of my heels. Getting better with break in of the boot, but a bit more snug than my other Scarpa boots. That said, this boot is a bullet proof bomber for raiding your favorite approach in colder climates. Stiff and supportive, the boot excels under load and makes for fairly easy work toeing up an approach. Weight is not bad (a pound lighter than the Invernos) and the warmth of the boot appears excellent (I'm breaking in in the summer months - but given the warmth of my foot I suspect they will be cozy during winter use). While being quite warm, they appear to vent well as my feet are not soaked or clammy after a hike with typical mountaineering weight socks. Break in period is long. I have about 25+ miles on my pair and they are just starting to feel good. Be prepared to give the boots a work out before going off into the woods with total comfort. Sizing feels true if you heed the recommendation from Sierra. They do run a half size small as stated in the product info. I normally wear a 45, bought 45.5 and the fit is proving to be excellent (except for the slightly snug heel issue). Overall fit down the foot bed is great, snug without being overtly so. Toe box is typical to Scarpa, generous and comfortable. Sole performs excellent - clears mud and grips without any compromise on the trails I frequent to train on. Leather is proving quite durable and cleans up nicely from use in mud and on rocks. A really nice boot for more demanding conditions. Buying a pair will not leave you disappointed on the trail after break in, I recommend without any reservations and I'd buy again.”