Scarpa boots

[Mr. Clean]

Has anyone tried or heard anything about the new Scarpa Mustangs? Backpacker gave them a good review, and I'm looking for a boot that is a bit more rugged for support for my feet. How about Scarpa's in general? I have a heavier Bean Cresta hiker which feels wonderful, but would rather not carry the weight with every step, and my Bean Mtn treads are not quite supportive enough anymore without more rigid inserts.

[neighbor dave]

italians are fine boot makers. check 'em out!

[terrapin_too]

Best boots I ever hiked in were Fabiano Trionics. Long gone, though.

[neighbor dave]

Best boots I ever hiked in were Fabiano Trionics. Long gone, though.

i can vouch for fabiano boots,which is essentially the same boot!
i've owned and still own fabiano mountain masters since 1976

[RobKimball]

A far cry from a standard hiking boot, but I have used a pair of Scarpa Invernos for my technical winter needs for a few years now, and they are positively magnificent. Extremely well made boots that will stand up to a lot of wear and tear!

[Sly]

I loved my Fabiano Rios. Not for hiking though, too heavy and at $250 too much money. Now I buy cheap and light.

[Spirit Walker]

I wore a pair of Scarpas for snowy sections on the CDT and PCT, since I prefer more protection/warmth when dealing with snow. They were great boots. I prefer to wear something lighter most of the time, but they worked. I wore them for about 1000 miles.

On my first AT hike I wore Italian Pivettas - also a heavy leather boot. They lasted 2200 miles - but tore my feet up every time it rained. Durable is overrated sometimes.

[Mr. Clean]

I hear you, sometimes boots can be too stiff. If I wear two pairs of smartwools, though, I never seem to get blisters, but the bottoms of my feet do get hot. I've put some rigid insoles into my Beans mtn treads and have worn them to work, on cement floors all day, for several weeks now, and my feet seem to be better, so maybe I'll do a shakedown hike in the mtn treads w/ the inserts.

Any other thoughts?

[neighbor dave]

ya, i only use mine for "tweener season". otherwise i'm in trail runners.

[Ramble~On]

I love my Scarpa's but wish they had something lighter. I agree..they're great for winter.

[NewHampHiker7]

I bought a pair of Fabiano Mountain Master 772's in 1985 for about $175.00. I still have them and I'll always keep them. These are the best damn hiking boots I've ever owned. They are quite heavy, but, on week long + backpacking trips, hauling 50 LB'S plus, they were perfect. After 26 years, they look fabulous. They are true legends and must be ranked as one of the alltime greatest hiking boot ever made. I'll be wearing them again in the future when I start hiking in my beloved White Mountains of New Hampshire.

[springerfever]

I had a pair of Scarpa Kalish (or something like that) and ended up selling them on ebay. Originally they were extremely comfortable, had great traction and the heel felt just right. After a three day AT hike in Georgia I had developed blisters just below the base of my toes on both feet. Apparently my feet were just a little cramped in the regular width/size12.

I thought about getting another pair in a WIDE. That would have probably solved that problem, but tried on a pair of Lowa Renegades that I have worn ever since and love them. Scarpas are great boots, just be advised they may run a little narrow.

[aaronthebugbuffet]

I had a pair of Scarpa Kalish (or something like that) and ended up selling them on ebay. Originally they were extremely comfortable, had great traction and the heel felt just right. After a three day AT hike in Georgia I had developed blisters just below the base of my toes on both feet. Apparently my feet were just a little cramped in the regular width/size12.

I thought about getting another pair in a WIDE. That would have probably solved that problem, but tried on a pair of Lowa Renegades that I have worn ever since and love them. Scarpas are great boots, just be advised they may run a little narrow.

I have the same boots and I agree they are a little cramped in the toe box.
I've worn them a few times in winter. So far they seem decent. Pretty comfortable and they haven't bothered my toes yet. I usually tend to hike much fewer miles on winter trips though.
I wore them at work a few days ago and it rained about 4 inches. My feet stayed dry all night.

[BJStuart]

I have a 20-year old pair of Scarpas I still use sometimes; never had a problem or a blister. I don't use them in the summer anymore, but if it's nasty out they're great. I do lean more towards something lighter these days for short walks, even in a little snow or something. But for multi-day hikes when the weather or conditions could be bad, they're what I use.