Salewa Women's Rapace GTX

Great all-around lightweight boots for scrambly terrain. Great for summer outings.

I love these boots. I've used mine intensely for the last three years and they are still good as gold. They are extremely comfortable and very lightweight. They fit my feet (I've got wide and flat feet) perfectly and don't even notice them on my foot due to their light weight.

They are my preferred pair for summer outings in rocky terrain and scrambly adventures. The edges are perfect for scrambling and the soles are very grippy, which makes it a perfect pair of boots for hiking more technical routes out there. My pair is also fairly waterproof still. I use beeswax to keep them waterproofed.

The boot comes with a crampon fitting on the heel, which I have used with my Petzel Sarkens a couple of times. It was a good that it had that at the time, as I could use them with the crampons I own, but I wouldn't want to walk all day with more technical crampons on these, as just after a couple of hours they started giving me hot spots.

So it's good to have the option, but I'd recommend just using G10s with these, or more flexi crampons that don't rely on the heel hook if you are planning to be using crampons for hours on end. They are stiff enough for hiking in rocky ground and for the use of edges, but too soft for ice climbing or front pointing for too long. Definitely not designed for that, but you could get away with easier climbing. 

I am impressed at how long the sole has lasted me, taking into account I do hike in rocky terrain lots with them. And the leather is still great, as well as shoelaces, etc...

They are not the warmest, but incredibly enough I used these in rocky terrain in Antarctica on warmer days (-1°0 to -15°) and they kept my feet warm enough. I did have warm socks and they were dry, so it would be a different story for snowy conditions. 

I would highly recommend these boots for anyone looking for a pair of light summer weight boots though. 

Background

Have had for three years
Intensive use
Used in Antarctica in summer