Vasque Alpine GTX

Wanted a tough leather mountaineering boot that would keep me warm, dry, and stable and boy did I get it!

They should issue these boots in the armed services. I have always been a big fan of Vasque as I had a pair back in the mid eighties that I wore like slippers...just couldn't wear them out. These remind me of them.

My first outing I went up a 10,500 foot Southern California peak loaded with 2 feet of snow half way up, and I had only worn them 1 time at home. I will admit that they hurt a little in the back heal I think because I didn't have the right combo of socks on..however, I was expecting few more blisters. They were great for kicking snow steps and my foot stayed dry and the same temp all the time. I was very pleased for a first time outing. I was suprised at how dry my foot stayed considering it was in cold melting snow a lot.

Heading up Mount Whitney in a week so I should be able to give them a real test in the mountains with crampons.

One thing to keep in mind...don't buy them if you want a tennis shoe like feel from a mountaineering boot because they are stiff and tough with a more than normal break-in period.

Not sure what to say about this boot. I've had a tough time with it. Love Vasque. Have a pair of Clarion IIs that are 12 years old and a 10-year-old pair of sundowners with more than 400 trail miles on them and going strong. Had high expectations for the alpine but had trouble with the fit right away. They're quite a stiff boot, and in my opinion, even Vasque wides run narrow. Bought TWO pairs, gave one away settled on 8 Wide. Just got back from Gila wilderness in NM, where I had bilateral heel blisters by mile 3 which progressed to hamburger feet covered with blisters for the rest of the 20-mile trip despite unlacing the top. Could barely walk by the end. Granted, may be due to failure to double-sock, or to slightly imperfect fit, but beware: this boot is VERY STIFF and unforgiving, and if you're just going to be backpacking, even with a heavy pack, you probably don't want this boot. Its stiffness and failure to flex puts lots of stress on the contact points of the heel and ball of the foot. That said, it is EXTREMELY WELL MADE as you would expect from vasque, and I'm sure that if I ever break it in and can make it work that I'll have it 10-15 years from now.

Great boot. I have owned these boots for a year now and took them to Gannet Peak. The break in period only took a couple of week wearing around town and on short day hikes.

My feet were dry, and warm on summit day. No blisters although a little bit of a rub on the heals. They are a whole lot lighter and more comfortable than the hard shell boots I have rented in the past. I used crampons on these boots and they performed nicely. Vasque boots tend to run a little narrow.

I am a converted believer in gore-tex boots! These boots worked like a dream. It took a couple of days to break them in (mostly worn in house and office and on walks) but now they fit and flex better than any boot I have owned. They have a full length steel shank intagrated into the polyethlene insole. This means that they can take a step-in crampon and also provide excellent protection against stone bruising. They handled my Lowe Foot-Fangs with no problem and never popped of once (unlike previous boots I have owned). The best part is how dry I stayed spending 5 hours climbing in snow! The leather looked wet on the outside but my feet were dry and tosty on the inside! I would recommend this boot to anyone!

I have been climbing for a long time. I have always had to go through a painful break-in period with new boots. This has changed with these boots. These are the most comfortable boots (out of the box) I have purchased. I will have to see how they do for the long-term endurance.