La Sportiva  Nucleo High II GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

I very much liked the fit, and the lightness of this pair. On the plus side they turned out to be reasonably water resistant (except on snow). However, they have several major weaknesses, especially when considering the price. First, both shoes started breaking after about 6-7 months of use(~ 25-40 days of hiking & backpacking). Both shoes ripped in the exact same place (the gore-tex along both sides of the shoes). For a cost of > $200, that's not what I would expect. I initially had them repaired since I was on a longer backpacking trip, but within a year both sides of one shoe and one side of the other shoe gave in beyond repair. Another, somewhat more subjective, downside is that I found the shoes to offer comparatively little side-stability (the sole is rather soft, which is comfortable but feels a bit 'wobbly' when walking on a narrow ridge or similar terrain). Still, if there wasn't the issue of quality, I'd highly recommend them for trekking (but not for more alpine adventures).

Bought a pair of the carbon/chili flavor after returning some Solomon Quest 4s. Initially I was super happy with the purchase because they felt way more comfortable and light but after I put them through the ringer on 4 tough trips in the Northeast US (give or take 100 miles), the rubber on the toes began to separate from the leather. So far I haven’t had a problem with permeability but I expect since water is now able to get between the seams, the separation will only get worse. Happy using them (for now) but without any sort of manufacturers warranty this isn’t what I expect when I purchase a pair of boots for $250.

They run small and somewhat narrow. Very poor durability. I've had mine for about a year and they are completely falling apart. In terms of performance, they were good while they lasted. The water proof feature lasted about 2 months. The sole is too fragile so it gets pretty uncomfortable to walk in them after a couple hundred miles. I hike a lot and was hoping to have a somewhat long-term shoe when I bought these. I will not be buying another pair as they can't withstand the rigors demanded by outdoor usage.

To start with, these boots have an almost perfect fit, great dry grip, average wet grip, and great snow grip. Fit wise, I would like to see a lower set of lace hooks over the instep, but otherwise these have a nice snug fit. My only problem is that the fabric and rubber on the inside of the arch on each foot is not durable enough for rocky terrain. I have tears on both boots that will need to be patched. Fortunately the tears are only in the outer fabric, not the goretex “sock”. I would like to see this area be solid leather

Over the course of 6 months, I did 6 backpack trips in these, plus a few dozen day hikes. They fit well, they were comfortable, they were pretty good at keeping my feet dry, but they weren't very durable. The web-patterned rubber panel on the inner side of the boot disintegrated, followed by the leather underneath. This obviously compromised the waterproofness. One other smaller complaint is that the factory laces are flimsy, so you need to replace them with something decent, and the top three lace hooks have this weird locking tab that makes them hard to lace and unlace. I returned these to REI for a refund.

I’ve had these boots for a year and hiked 334 miles in them. First the good. They are very comfortable and worked well in snow and on trails. They are the driest boots I’ve had in a long while, which is nice in Washington. Now the bad. The laces suck, so bring an extra pair with you. Most important, they are not durable. The weird material along the length of the foot, between the upper and the sole wears out fast. My last pair of hiking boots lasted 2.5 years and 800 miles. It’s disappointing to have these nice boots wear out in a year.

Boots fell apart after < 1 year and just over 200 miles of backpacking. I bought on the strong recommendation of REI salesman. Side split out of both boots, similar to experience of other reviewers. REI and La Sportiva should stop selling these, as they have a clear design failure.

While the boots held up well for everyday wear before I moved to Arizona, they unfortunately couldn't handle the rugged terrain I encountered here. In the past two months, I've hiked about 40 miles on rocky trails, and the harsh environment did a number on them. A quarter-inch hole has formed on the bottom of one boot, and a three-inch gash now tears open the side, exposing the interior. Clearly, these boots were designed for gentler paths and weren't built to withstand the hard rocks of Arizona. For anyone planning on hitting similar trails, I wouldn't recommend them. A quarter-inch hole and a three-inch gash after 40 miles on Arizona rocks? These boots need serious reinforcement.

I bought a pair of these boots in February 2021 and was looking forward to using them over the years to come. They were comfortable and looked similar to my old KSB boots. But 18 months later both boots have split where the fabric joins the sole (as shown in photos). I have not used them much since February 2022 and over the previous year I only wore them at weekends on trails. They have not had heavy mileage. I have contacted La Sportiva directly and they have been less than helpful. They simply note that boots wear out. If you are happy to pay over $200 for a pair of boots that only last 18 months with irregular and not heavy use then these are the ones for you as they are comfortable. However, if you expect boots to last for a decent period of time then do not buy them. My previous boots (Karrimor KSBs) lasted for over 10 years before they needed replacing, including two years of daily use in Afghanistan. REI have only been marginally more helpful but as I now live out of the US the option of returning them to a store is not possible. I have looked at posting them, but the cost is more than half that of the purchase price with no guarantee of any refund. They have given me $25 voucher to spend in a store, again failing to note I am not in the US. In summary boots that looks good, are comfortable, but poor quality. The fact both boots have split in the same place shows it is not simply heavy wear or that I some how damaged one of them. Neither REI or La Sportiva want to acknowledge this.

How can you go through two pairs of shoelaces on one hike? I read some of the other reviews on the shoelaces but thought that I would try it out for myself. So I also purchased the REI heavy duty shoelaces and took those with me as back ups. Well I’m glad that I took them because my hike would have been ruined if I hadn’t. The shoelace eyelets are of such poor design that it even chewed through the REI heavy duty shoelaces on one trip. The way that the shoe eyelets are designed it makes it tough to tighten up the shoes and so you don’t achieve proper fitment and as a result this is the first time in 30 years that I’ve had blisters and black toenails as a result. I do not recommend these boots I think this is one of the worst designs I’ve ever experienced.