SL ACTIVE

They work. They're comfortable. They're durable.

This is my second pair.

I'm getting my last pair resoled now.

I wear the boots year round but more in the cold months in wyoming.

In about seven years when this pair needs resoling I'll probably get another new pair.

I have to get about a half size larger than needed to accommodate the large width of my foot. Although not perfect for me, it's probably the most comfortable hiking boot I've owned. There have many and most have been Scarpa.

These boots have many features I look for in a tramping boot: A one piece full grain leather upper, inclusive of the tongue bellows. A decent rand . A simple and durable lacing system without moving parts, and no gortex. I tried a few different methods of lacing until I found one that worked well, and had a few hot spots on the balls of my feet during the break in period, but after 280km, not one blister.

I've found these boots to be great in mud and deep leaf litter, so handle bush bashing well when I run out of trail. They are also excellent on scree. I have yet to get into snow, but there are any number of strap on crampons that will fit, when I do.

The SL is not the cheapest option on the market, but is still considerably cheaper than a couple of German brands I can think of, with equal quality. From the valley floor to moderate alpine peaks, it's a great all rounder.

While I still have not worn them, I did try them on and fit feels about as accurate as it could be, after using the supplied “foot diagram” tool. I ordered 1/2 a European size larger (45.5) than the 45 I normally wear with my old Scarpa Zen Pro (best approach shoes I’ve had). I am confident that soon after an upcoming brief trip to the southern hemisphere (hot summer there), I will have a chance to break-in my SL Active boots (with the help of some HS12 cream) once I get back to winter in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region.

In the process of breaking in my first pair of Scarpas, 40K so far and very impressed with the SL Active. This is a heavy old school full leather boot that I expect will last for years. I had one hot spot above my heel easily cured with a strip of tape and tightened laces. That leads to my only complaint. I had to switch out the laces, the stock ones slipped and loosened, no matter how hard I tightened them.