La Sportiva  Karakorum Mountaineering Boots - Men's

These are the best boots I have ever owned. I have owned La Sportiva in the past with the Glacier and Makalu models, and these are a step above. Shorter break in and better comfort and support than any other boot I have tried. I bought these boots in May 2010 and put 125 miles on them by November. They were used to climb 8 peaks in the Wasatch Mountains including Twin, Lone, and the Pfeifferhorn and performed amazing. No slipping, no blisters or hot spots, no sore feet, and great traction. I expect the boots to last 5-10 years. Best summer trekking boot on the market.

Sportiva Karakorum purchased Spring 2010, after long and careful shopping, for heavy-duty backpacking, scrambling, and moderate mountaineering. Used with Superfeet insoles, which worked well but I think Spenco closed-cell foam is softer and warmer. Most of this review written 10/2010, updated 1/5/2011. I love the light weight, fit and comfort. What sold me on this boot is the rocker sole; gives a smooth fluid stride. I've never had a boot stiff enough for kicking steps in steep snow that gave me such a short break-in time; I've had none of the painful heel-pressure problems I've come to dread in a stiffer boot. Good for serious scrambling and moderate climbing, and very comfortable for working on your feet, good foot support. The boots are so comfortable that I'm reluctant to return them despite the following major issues: I do not think this boot is suitable for wet places like the Washington Cascades. Admittedly, around here, a 'dry boot' is an oxymoron, but I have never experienced wetness like this even with worn-out Norwegian welt boots. Water cannot get out of them; the full rubber rand makes them like small bathtubs. No scuppers. The cloth liners and foam padding hold lots of water. When they're squelching wet from fording streams or walking wet brush, I can see standing water in the boots, turn them upside-down, and nothing comes out. You literally can't pour water out of these if the instructions were written on the sole. I sponge it out with my mittens or socks; it takes 2-3 repetitions. On a 9-day trip in early September, wet weather for 7 days, mostly on-trail, my feet were constantly wet just from wet brush (with gaitors and rain pants). I had minor trench-foot numbness for a month afterwards. Not until day 8 of this trip, I developed an unusual skin rash all around my upper ankles which became quite painful [photo]. This day was steeper and often off-trail with several booted fords, so I'd tightened the uppers, and perhaps it was too much for my water-softened skin. Luckily, day 9 was easy. NOTE: I was very, very glad to have these boots at High Pass, a steep dangerous traverse with no ice axe. The gimmicky lacing system is awkward and slow, offering no advantages over the traditional D-ring and hook system with a central locking hook. The fabric lace loops at the hinge make it very hard to disengage the locking D-rings, and they were half worn through by mid-September anyway, so I quit using them and found the boot notably more comfortable and much easier to put on/off. The locking D-ring severed the kernmantle on one of the laces in December, when it still looked brand-new. These laces are so slippery that a double knot can come undone unless it's very tight. I advise replacing them with a solid lace without kernmantle. The tight 3rd & 4th ring hooks may constrain your choice of replacement lacing, be prepared for that. The double stitching at the top edge of the green leather at the inside ankle bulge was worn through by December, leaving over 1" of the seam wide-open on one boot. The leather itself shows almost no wear at this place.