How to Choose Mountaineering Boots
La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST GTX Mountaineering Boots - Men's
$349.00
Members get an est. $34.90 in rewards
Seeking an ultralight boot for multiday excursions, glacier travel and alpine objectives? The men's La Sportiva Aequilibrium ST GTX mountaineering boots perfectly balance technology and performance.
- High-tenacity nylon Honey-Comb Guard uppers provide durability and keep the boots light
- GORE-TEX® Performance Comfort linings ensure waterproof protection and provide breathability to keep your feet comfortable
- Molded TPU heel and toe caps provide protection and are compatible with semi-automatic crampons
- TPU Mud Guards provide medial and lateral abrasion resistance and increase durability
- Enhanced 3D Flex EVO system has a directional flex joint to provide support and increased ankle mobility
- Low-density PU midsoles and outsoles deliver high cushioning while allowing the sole lugs to deform around terrain features to improve traction and grip
- Double Heelâ„¢ sole lug pattern increases downhill braking and promotes fluid strides to reduce muscle fatigue
- Hybrid carbon-nylon weave insoles add support
- Vibram® Mont rubber compound outsoles with Impact Brake System™ wrap up the side of the midsoles, creating additional surface area for grip on technical terrain
Imported.
View all La Sportiva Men's Mountaineering Boots| Best Use | Mountaineering |
|---|---|
| Footwear Height | Over-the-ankle |
| Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Type of Waterproofing | GORE-TEX Performance Comfort waterproof breathable laminate |
| Upper | Honey-Comb Guard stretch textile/TPU |
| Midsole | PU/rubber/TPU insert for rear crampon attachment |
| Outsole | Vibram Mont rubber compound |
| Can Be Resoled | Yes |
| Crampon Compatibility | Hybrid |
| Vegan | Yes |
| Weight (Pair) | 2 lbs. 7 oz. |
| Gender | Men's |
| Sustainability | From a Climate Neutral Certified brand |
La Sportiva Footwear - Men's
| 34 EU | 35.5 EU | 36.5 EU | 37 EU | 37.5 EU | 38 EU | 38.5 EU | 39 EU | 39.5 EU | 40 EU | 40.5 EU | 41 EU | 41.5 EU | 42 EU | 42.5 EU | 43 EU | 43.5 EU | 44 EU | 44.5 EU | 45 EU | 45.5 EU | 46 EU | 46.5 EU | 47 EU | 47.5 EU | 48 EU | 48.5 EU | 49 EU | 49.5 EU | 50 EU | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Men's | 2.5+ | 4 | 4.5+ | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5+ | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5+ | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 10.5+ | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 12.5+ | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 |
| U.S. Women's | 3.5 | 5 | 5.5+ | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5+ | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 9.5+ | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 11.5+ | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 13.5 | 13.5+ | 14 | 14.5 | 15 | 15.5 | 16 | 16.5 | |
| EU | 34 | 35.5 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 39.5 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 41.5 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 43.5 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 45.5 | 46 | 46.5 | 47 | 47.5 | 48 | 48.5 | 49 | 49.5 | 50 |
| Mondo | 24 | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 |
Sizing Notes
For boots: Add one half size to your street shoe size. You should be able to slip one finger behind your heel when you are standing up with the boot unlaced and your toes touching the front. If the boot is too short, your toes will get smashed walking downhill. Too long and your heel will slide up and down and give you blisters.
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WesternSlopeDano
Western Colorado
Alpine 13,500 Winter-Like Conditions
3 years ago
I climbed with these for 6 hours in winter-like conditions (deep snow, light snow, icy snow, rock, dirt, scree, steeps) up to 13,500 Feet with 30 Mph gusts with sub freezing temperatures and negative windchills. They walked comfortably, climbed with excellent traction, post-holed in to the snow without cooling my feet and descended with extreme confidence. The lugs are revolutionary, they remind me of the superior traction that I get from my Solomon Cross Hike GTX Lows (my go-to summer 14er shoe.) I have no complaints with this boot for 3 season alpine use and I really look forward to the next climb. Time will tell if they can handle true winter conditions. I think they run true to size. These will likely be my go-to fast and light shoulder season alpine boot.
Age:45–54
Weight:150–175 lbs.
Height:5'7"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 9.5
Yes , I recommend this product
Adam
Burlington, VT
Spring mountaineering boot
2 years ago
Very comfortable spring mountaineering boot. Semi-automatic crampons work great for secure fit even on steep terrain when front-pointing firm snow. Trying them on around the house I thought the toe box seemed a little tight but once I started moving around in them, that all went away. I size my winter mountaineering boots up by 1/2 size but went with my street shoe size for these in case I find myself on technical rock and want a snug fit; seemed like that was the right call. (45.5 for my size 12 street shoe fit). Need to get more mileage on non-snow terrain, but suspect they’ll at least be better than plodding across rock/talus in Evo Nepals
Anonymous
Very Promising
3 years ago
Very promising and appealing boots. I got these for winter trekking in the snow and they are almost perfect for me. The deep lugs look like they will clear material effectively and despite the support the boots wall well. The fit is good in the heel and mid foot, however I have a wide forefoot and have to send them back for a bigger size. One of these brands needs to step forward with an Altra style toe box because although these are wider than a lot of Sportiva footwear, the diamond point in the toe box ruins it for some of us. I can’t speak to durability yet but they seem well made.
Height:6'4"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 12
Yes , I recommend this product
aaron3221
NC
Great boots, worked on Mount Rainier
2 years ago
These boots are great. I recently summited Mount Baker, Eldorado Peak, and Mount Rainier in these boots and they were great. My feet would get cold during longer periods of inactivity but as long as I was moving I was warm. They were great for approach hikes (common to PNW mountains) but rigid enough for postholing and kicking your way up icier slopes. Can't recommend enough for late spring/early summer mountaineering on lower altitude climbs.
Age:18–24
Weight:150–175 lbs.
Height:5'9"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 9.5
Yes , I recommend this product
Makwa
Mount Hood Or
Great Boots. Thoughtful Design!
3 years ago
After 250 mountain miles: Best overall comfort and grip! Still going strong. Have tried out ,for many years; more and less expensive, major and non-major brands. These are mid-range expensive, comparatively, universal, and better. No metal lace guides or hooks on the lower half, to get smashed, bent, snagged, caught on your crampon, or snowshoe mechanisms and straps. More comfortable now than ever before. Bought fancy insoles and ended up using them in my hikers. Comfort from the get go. Broken in. Almost Therapeutic! Unlike others. I have yet to need to apply any waterproofing, if not yet guessing never. Rigid and yet not too rigid, they're great! Traction and grip, the best! My toes got cold one time, when I stopped in -30 F, for half an hour long lunch. And were fine when started moving again. They are really just like the specs and description say they are. A rare enough thing in the World. Thanks REI and La Sportiva!
Age:45–54
Weight:250–275 lbs.
Height:6'4"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 13
Yes , I recommend this product
David P
Excellent All-around Summer Mountaineering Boot
2 years ago
Although I only have one trip under the belt with these boots, I was impressed with how they felt on my feet and how they allowed me to move easily on variable mountain terrain. They are light, felt solid with strap-on crampons and worked well on loose scree, talus, and solid rock, too. Not overly hot in summer conditions and did well to keep feet dry in wet snow and for stream crossings.
Height:5'7"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 10.5
Yes , I recommend this product
ChristianT
Anchorage, AK
Winter Boot In Alaska
3 years ago
I have only used these boots twice, but so far have performed well. Light, nimble, comfortable as all of my other La Sportiva’s. I have been using these for winter hiking/scrambling in AK and they have kept my feet warm and dry in single digit temps. Not only does the Gore Tex work well but the outer material sheds moisture to prevent it from absorbing into the boot. This is the first pair of boots where my feet are bone dry at the end of a winter mountain hike. My only problem is that the laces seem to come untied at some point which normally hasn’t happened with La Sportiva laces. Not a deal breaker as I can double knot but I am surprised this wasn’t noticed during testing. Who knows though, maybe its just my foot geometry/gait. Anyway, highly recommended light technical boot for winter day outings or shoulder season where you may or may not need crampons.
Age:35–44
Weight:150–175 lbs.
Height:6'2"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 9.5
Yes , I recommend this product
Anonymous
Texas
Fantastic Boot - Still Pending Decision
3 years ago
I did a lot of research to narrow down to these. Wanted to be able to find something I could use for Fall to Spring hikes in Texas but also something that would work to head a bit further north in the winter. Have done two bigger hikes in them so far (plus a bunch of snowmobiling). Mistake was taking them on a 15 mile hike to start with, which they actually felt great for the first 10, but ended up hobbling out the end. I was worried about how cold I could wear them in. My second bigger trek was a night run/hike (14 F, approx 1 ft snow). My toes were quite warm (I typically run warm). Would be confident they would stay warm anothr 5 to 10 degrees cooler (with a mid winter wool sock). Stability is excellent, enough flex to be comfortable but plenty of support. My only gripe so far is my toes start to go numb after a while (2-3 hrs) of wearing them. I just bought some insoles to see if that helps, may also need to try keeping looser on the front. I'm really hoping I can get that issue to resolve because I love everything else about them. FYI - my feet are narrow. Sorry this was a bit of a jumble of thoughts, hope it helps someone.
Age:35–44
Weight:225–250 lbs.
Height:6'4"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 13
Yes , I recommend this product
Morgan
PNW
First impressions
2 years ago
These are my first impressions off of just receiving these and breaking them in around the house. My last pair of boots lasted me 10 years, I attempted glueing the soles back on as they were separating. That worked for a couple more trails but it was time for something new. I do a lot of my hiking in the winter, lots of incline sometimes snowshoeing, along with spring and summer trips. I needed something waterproof with an aggressive tread, good ankle support, and most importantly wanted something quality that I can stretch another 10 years or more. I tried lots of reputable brands on in store, none felt like what I wanted, one of my keys would be missing. But I found out of everything i tried, I really liked the Sportivas. I decided to look online and saw these, took the gamble and I’m so glad I did. While I know these might be overkill or not be suitable for some of my summer activities I wanted an all around boot, one I can use for anything I need. Off the bat they check everything I was looking for, ankles feel very supported, tread is crazy aggressive, lace up is comfortable and feels super secure on foot, fabric seems very durable and waterproof, the quality of the stitching and soles looks great! My one gripe is the coloring is very loud, while I’m not trying to win any fashion shows out on a mountain so I don’t really care what they look like, an all black or brown pair would be nice. Either way super stoked on these, I’ll update if they fail me on my next trip!
Age:25–34
Weight:200–225 lbs.
Height:Taller than 6' 5"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 13
Yes , I recommend this product
Anonymous
Hood River Oregon
Perfect fit
1 year ago
CHOICE! They fit like a glove! I have size 14 feet. Can’t say enough good about these mountaineering boots. Thank you so much for a perfect shopping experience REI😊
Age:55–64
Weight:225–250 lbs.
Height:6'3"
Typical Shoe Size:Mens 14
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