User Review: La Sportiva Makalu

La Sportiva Makalu
Above: The current Makalu, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed August 1, 2001 by Joel

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Materials: one piece leather upper
Use: Heavy duty backpacking, light mountaineering
Break-in Period: ~50mi with lots of vertical gain
Weight: pushing 5lbs.
Price Paid: $230 (got mine on sale when they dropped gray model)

These boots continue to amaze me!! Firstoff, break-in is best accomplished with a series of short climbs with much vertical. It took my achilles a while to get used to the extremely stiff shank and my boney heels suffered a few blisters as my soft skin wasn't accustomed to being pitted against a steel shank. After leather begins to become more forgiving the Makalu fits like a glove. Superfeet insoles compliment the boots very well.

The Makalu is the only boot that I could find that is hardcore enough to stand up to everything Montana can throw. From kicking steps up steep snowfields to downclimbing through waterfall formed crevasses to traversing talus fields these boots have never let me down. With a couple applications of Nikwax I have never gotten wet even the sligtest bit while walking through streams and wet snow crossings. The only wear these boots have shown so far is a bit bit of rubber missing on the outside and inside of the large lugs of the Vibram Cluzaz sole from edgeing on knarly rock. I can't wait to step into some crampons.

These boots are well worth the investment especially if you can get them on sale!! They'll last forever!!

Where to Buy

Buy Online We found the Makalu at 2 online stores:

StoreProduct DescriptionPrice

Moosejaw
2 purchase options:		Women's Makalu Boot (Spring 2008)$255.00Buy Now
Men's Makalu Boot (Fall 2008)$270.00Buy Now

Backcountry.com
2 purchase options:		Makalu Mountaineering Boot - Men's$269.95Buy Now
Makalu Mountaineering Boot - Women's$269.95Buy Now

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