La Sportiva

Nepal Cube GTX Mountaineering Boot - Men's

Dangerous boots... Don't buy

I used to love these boots but not anymore... After less than 1 year of use the toe welt at the front is completely destroyed. Because of that the crampons can't be securely attached anymore. The crampon welt at the back is perfectly fine (because it's plastic) while the one at the front doesn't exist anymore. I lost my crampon twice last week on a very steep north face. Consequences could have been catastrophic. I'm not the only person with that problem. Another climber in my group has the exact same issue. A quick search on the internet shows that other people have the same issue but still... it has never been fixed... Is it a strategy to sell more boots ? Or to save weight ? It seems like La Sportiva doesn't care at all about safety as long as they can sell boots... That's unacceptable for such expensive mountaineering boots and even more unacceptable when it has an impact of our safety. I won't buy this boots anymore unless they fix it with a decent plastic welt at the front (like all the other brands do). I'll go with their concurrent brand for my next pair of shoes. Maybe not as comfortable for the size of my feet but at least I won't die using them.

Not good.

Size Bought:

43

I use it for Mount Baldy in California 10,064' I had symptoms of hypothermia, my feet went numb for three months, I tried double sox and it didn't solve the problem. I still use it but with warmers. I don't know if it's the model or just that one came out defective

Great boot for cold winter ice climbing.

I bought this boot for ice climbing in New Hampshire. I've been out four times now in temps down to the single digits (F). Finnish: The first thing you notice when unboxing these is, well, how nice looking they are. The "look" like the build quality is exceptional. Weight: Size 43 (US 10) each boot weighs exactly 1000g. Fit: The fit right out of the box is fantastic. The sizing seems to be spot on with all my other shoes. (US 10, EUR 43). My feet are a little wider than average and I often have compression at the widest part of my foot. Not with these, these fit perfect. I'm not sure how these will fit a narrow foot so be advised to check that if your feet are narrow. As mentioned in other reviews, the lacing system is simple and functional. The locking eyelets allow differential tightening between the top and lower part of the boot. Crampon fit: Grivel Rambo 4 crampons fit perfectly. Steep ice. Great support on steep ice. Hiking: The stiff insole that make these great for vertical ice makes these relatively stiff and inflexible for hiking. For approaches on snow they are fine but I'd look for something else for longer hikes that don't involve steep climbing. Warmth: My feet get cold. I have some toe nerve damage from many years of playing outside in the winter. I have used these standing on ice for 6 hours in air temps in the teens. I've done a couple hikes in temps in the single digits. I do have to put a chemical toe warmer in the toe of the boot but with that my feet have been comfortable in those conditions. The G5 Evo's are probably warmer but these work for what I want. I am very impressed and happy with these boots for what I need (winter ice climbing in temps down to low teens (F). I recommend these for this purpose and would buy again.

Runs too Narrow.

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

42.5

Height:

5' 8"

Weight:

175

These boots are made for ultimate performance, but unfortunately runs too narrow. I even went size up for these but still too narrow.

Weather Proof

The quality doesn’t disappoint. They feel comfortable and warm. Sizing is mostly accurate when one leaves thinks of extra space for thick socks and crampons. The inner sole has an arch that may feel awkward until one gets used to it. Lacing is complex as provided laces are short. Bots this heavy require double knots to firmly keep the laces tight. Leather is beautiful and I enjoy the colours. Overall, an excellent warm alpine boot. My last Sportivas lasted 10 years of heavy use and abuse.

First Impressions

Have half a season in these and the impression so far is very positive. The boots are comfortable, no issues with breaking them in, no awkward spots or pressure anywhere. The lacing system let's you dial in fit. Having the little rings lock of the lower half of the boot is quite nice and as long as you double knot the upper section stay tight as well. At lower temps (lower teens) I started to feel a bit cold, especially when belaying, but this is manageable with a double sock or just something thicker. One area which I think could be improved is the amount of space on the crampon lip, it could be a bit deeper. In deeper powder this did not disappoint, absolutely no snow got inside. For sizing I went with a 44 (I'm typically a US 10 in street shoes), and that gave ample room for the foot to move when using crampons without feeling loose in the heel.

Great boot!

Honestly thought they would be warmer in the harsh conditions

Warmth

These boots are the warmest I’ve been able to find. Also comfortable enough for long hikes in deep snow. Sizing was very accurate. Great overall product.