Scarpa Men's SL Active Hiking Boot

Initial review- I mainly bought these as heavy duty all around trekking boots, suitable for trails or a long day at a zoo. I debated between these, and a work boot style, and due to versatility I chose these and I'm glad I did! I took a chance, and they fit my foot very well. I wear a size 12 shoe normally, but the 11.6 size fits me perfectly. Construction is terrific. These certainly require break in though. I wore them around the house and yard a few days and they loosened up a bit and got more comfortable. The lining is great- in humid ~80 deg weather my feet stayed comfortable amazingly whether I used thin or thick socks. Also, with all of the support my knee pain was greatly reduced. Though I didn't walk through a stream or anything, we were caught in a steady rain a few times, and my feet stayed nice and dry.Update 10/3/16- I found my problem, I either laced the top loops too tight, or they needed more break in time, or a combination. The Activefit soles are not removable unfortunately, but once I realized my achilles area was getting too much pressure and I loosened the tops of the boots up, my feet were happy again. They could use some more cushioning, but these aren't exactly made for comfort. I raised the review to 5 stars as the construction, fit and finish are absolutely top notch, and am looking forward to a long time with these.

I'm replying to the Email prompt to review this product even though the boots are still new & they have only been worn for six days. Initial reactions are good! I like the stiff grippy soles & low level of flex the boots have making them an above average hill climbing boot. I've used them from down on tidal coastal mud flats to up above the snow line so far with days of up to 10hrs waklking. Breaking in is still occuring but they are quite comfortable for new boots and I haven't had a single blister yet. The only down side so far is that after about 4hrs walking the balls of my feet get a little footsore. This may be caused by the inner soles being made of too hard a material but could well just be part of the breaking in process with the inners not properly molded to my feet yet.Six days use is insufficient usage to give a comprehensive review. They have not been adequately tested in scree, rivers & ice conditions yet. Durability remains an unknown. I'm interested to see if they handle being used wet for days on end. If I remember I'll post an update to this review in six months time & let others know how the Scarpa boots performed in the largely untracked country of the South Island of New Zealands West Coast rain forest, tussock, snow, ice & scree country.

Love these boots straight out of the box. Quality is A+++ fit is great and comfortable, somewhat stiff but should break in perfectly. Bought these for wildland fire fighting as they are 8" leather lace up lugged sole boots. I work on a type 3 engine and these are exactly what I was looking for and Scarpa knows how to make quality boots and they're still made in Italy! I don't think you can find a better boot for the money. Scarpa also makes a Wildfire specific boot but almost twice the price, and I felt that I didn't need that much boot since I'm not on a Hotshot crew which would demand a little more performance in a boot. I Highly recommend this boot for anyone looking for a sturdy, comfortable, reliable pair of boots that are actually very affordable compared to anything else with this level of quality. Scarpa A++ good job

This is my 4th different model of Scrapa's and all are very well made and comfortable. They are worth the money and need no breaking in time as I hunt them right out of the box. The shank is stiff making it stable on steep hills or loose grades. They grip very well and even sticky clay can't stick to the sole. It automatically cleans the threads with each step, I don't know how it works but it's absolutely amazing. I buy it a whole size bigger as they run a little small, for walking down steep sections my toes never touch the front, as we all know is worse than a blister!!! They are very durable too as the lava rocks in Hawaii are brutal on shoes. They are also 100% waterproof too as I walked in mud and water all day long in New Zealand with ZERO leaks and came home with dry comfy feet. You won't be disappointed and it's worth the money. I would say Scarpa's and Lowa are the best boots out there.

I've been backpacking for over 25 years and used and tried many different boots. Scarpa Active are, in my experience and in my opinion, a far superior backpacking boots to any other brands. This is my second pair. I bought them about a month before a weeklong trip in Grand Canyon backcountry. I used them sparingly before the trip and I was a little apprehensive. They performed wonderfully - they provide amazing stability and support on steep unstable slopes, fantastic grip on solid rock and they hug my feet perfectly. This is a huge load off my mind when I don't need to worry about my feet while backpacking. After a week of really hard, long days my feet and toes were fine - no blisters, no black toes, nothing. I don't write reviews, but these boots I wholeheartedly recommend. These are the best boots I've ever used.

nice boot but too small

Bought these boots as a replacement of the same model of 2000. These boots still fit my feet the same, but the tongue is no longer full leather. While this boot has a full rand, which the older model did not, I am sure the laces will rub on the tongue where the softer black material is placed - but we will see. Still a very good boot with great support and grip.