I recently picked up a pair of Scarpa Nangpa-la.
They are much like the Asolo’s.
The Kayland Vertigo Light’s are top as well.
All are built as hiking boots but work pretty good for most purposes …
Most work pretty good for all but a dead sprint – but when did any boot worth a darn excel there
Danner Arcadia, FT. Lewis, USMC boots. Asolo Fugitives or Meindls. Those are the only boots I use.
Uscav has the otb boots for 50 bucks right now, and two for $80! That’s $100 off each pair! I bought one of each color. They are the 8" Ferdelance Boot
Thanks for the info on this. I ordered two pair myself. I actually got $20 off per pair by the check out pricing and charge. So that is two pair for $60!!
Good deal! Thanks for the heads up.
Here is the link for anyone else interested…
http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productID=17566&TabID=548
Bates TR Kiowa’s. Great boot and feel great after wearing all day at a range.
My 2 pair of Ferdelance’s came in mail today. Can’t wait to try them out this week. $60 for two pairs of boots cannot be beat unless one were to get them free. Feedback to follow…
Another one here with the Tarhgee’s. Great boot. Looking at the Danner 453 GTX though. Anyone have em?
A week into my OTB Thor TC boots and they seem full of win so far. They make for a good low profile, breathable boot option; which is what I wanted them for.
Given the positive reviews of the rest of the line, I will likely place an order for at least another pair.
Glad you guys got the deal - US CAV only has a couple of sizes left. This is NOT reflected on their website, BTW. When I talked to their CS department this morning, they had at least 15 pairs, including
8 1/2 and 10. No 9’s - sorry about my luck.
The Scarpa Kailash seems to be getting issued to the “right” people, anyone off the board using them?
For me, AKU boots take the cake. rugged and reliable. Had a pair for five years and nothing is wrong with them yet. But the most crucial part of any boot are Super Feet! I’ve had the greens for the last six months and will never go back.
I love my OTB Abyss that I wear all the time for the past year, they’re comfortable and holding up really well.
I also have some Haix Airpower X-1 I got for EMS use and they seem really nice but they’re a bit big on me since I didn’t get to try them on first, so I used them a few times and now they’re in my trunk. I went with the factory seconds for half the price just to try them, I
couldn’t see a stitch out of place or any problems.
Lowa Elites w/ Super feet insoles. I got them from the UK before they were commercial avail here. Greatest boots on Earth, and Ive tried more than a few.
I don’t particularly like sneaker type boots. Hiking boots with comfortable soles work well for me.
A lot of people like danners, and Ive had a few pairs. They always feel really hot, and heavy to me. They last a long time but its like walking around with lead weights.
either my tried and true desert altamas or my asolos…
although I still have the pair of converse i wore when i was on QRF , the zipper was super useful so I didnt have to rack out in my boots all the time.
I still believe the ASolo Fugitive GTX is the most comfortable boot I have ever worn. It’s the only GoreTex boot my feet do not sweat in, in Iraq.
I also have a pair of OTB Thor boots, which I actually hated until I slapped a $60 pair of high arch insoles in them.
I look at the OTB Thor as an urban use, dry weather boot. The Fugitive, while comfortable everywhere, is more suited off the road.
The Kailish … it is pretty much the same boot as the Nangpa-la (top of page 3) that I have.
The Kailish differs in that is uses a full leather upper and uses full on Goretex. I went with the Nangpa-la as it used a leather/nylon upper and XCR (which is more breathable than regular Goretex) as I live in the high desert … so I was more concerned with ventilation than waterproofing.
I’ve been using them since Feb of '10
The fit is fantastic, it laces well and the nylon makes it reasonably agile. I have packed 10 hours with 30+ pound loads off-trail and it did everything you can ask a boot to do. Blister free. I usually need to replace footbeds but thus far I have not. The last Scarpa uses seems to be very good on this model range.
Around town on concrete is does pretty well. It isn’t quite a pair of lightweight Solomon light hikers on pavement, but it is certainly serviceable. Fast moving on a hard service is probably its largest point of weakness … but I have yet to find a pari of boot that feel good past a jog.
I would very much consider the Kailish if I lived somewhere that I needed a semi-rugged boot and expected a fair amount of precipitation. If you need the ventilation the Nangpa-la is great.
I’d also look at the Kayland Vertigo Light.
+1
Good accurate info.
I have had good luck with Merrell,Vasque and Raichle boots in ascending order of firmness etc. depending on the application.
YMMV Greatly,
David of vcdgrips.com
My foot is a 12.5 narrow, so I had a heck of a time finding a pair of boots. Looked at REI, Academy, Bass Pro, Cabelas, Cavenders and the local “tactical” shop and tried on just about everything I could get my hands on. Just about the only thing that worked fit-wise, was the New Balance 1500. The problem is, most companies don’t make half sizes above a 12 and by the time the shoe gets that big, if you have a narrow foot, you are swimming in the boot.