User Review: La Sportiva K3

Reviewed May 14, 1998 by an anonymous hiker

Rating: rated 4 of 5 stars
Materials: leather
Use: mountaineering/climbing
Break-in Period: 50-100 miles?
Weight: pretty heavy
Price Paid: $300 ($200 on sale)

First, these are ice climbing boots and I haven't taken them out for that yet. It's basically a rather heavy full shank boot that works well with step-in crampons I have a sort of love/dislike relationship with these boots. Other than the recommendation not to buy them if they don't fit your feet... here are the major points.

1) Fit. It took me some time to get used to them. Before I realized that I needed to lace them up to the very top on the non-technical parts of the approaches I got some pretty inhuman blisters. Once I figured out that (and had a hundred miles or so to work them in) they have been perfect.

2) Stiffness: The model I have has a rather thick full steel shank (the current ones have backed off a bit in this regard - composite?). For edging they work surprisingly well, even with a pack on. As far as friction climbing goes, they can be problematic. When I'm climbing I have to lace them down all the way so that I have enough ankle movement. You can learn to climb rather decently with them, but because you have so little feel it really does take some getting used to. Of course on snow they kick steps wonderfully - though I've found that they tire me less on flats if I shuffle my feet some rather than lifting them every step (they're heavy, especially when wet). I've top roped to 5.8 and lead to 5.5 (probably could do better) with them so there's nothing that can't be worked around - it just takes practice and...faith. In general, though, I wouldn't buy them as a first climbing boot - we'll see how they work in ice climbing at the end of the summer.... Basically, I know many people who get the K3's and K2's and realize that it's overkill for what they want to do (mountaineering rock climbing & rock climbing approaches).

3) Water-proofness: OK. If you are out in the snow for more than a day at a time the water will eventually work it's way through the leather. I've have better luck with mine than other people I know because I apply Nik-Wax religiously (along with cleaning my boots). The best way to do it seems to be to rub the Nubuck with a brush while under water so that you can wet it. Then apply the Nik-Wax. Mine are now, after many applications, pretty water tight. Not plastic boots, but, then again, they're not plastics either (a site more comfortable in my very limited experience). The other problem is that they take a long time to dry out. The local cobler suggests taking out the liners and packing them with crumpled newspapers, then changing that twice per day. I stick a hair drier on low and set it in the ankle of the boot for 15 - 20 minutes. Do this two days in a row or once in the evening when you get back, then again in the morning. If you are trying to dry them out on the route, well, I've never succeeded. Then again I climb in the Cascades.

Overall, I think that they would be just the thing for mixed routes. They kick steps well, they take step-in crampons. They climb low class 5 with packs well, except that the sole is too stiff to mold to the rock much on steep slabs, though perhaps not as bad as plastics. I wouldn't get them for general backpacking, and you can find boots that double as better climbing boots. They are definitely a pair of boots with their strengths and weaknesses. If you like their strong points I recommend them.

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