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Salewa Raven 2 GTX

rated 4 of 5 stars

The Raven 2 GTX has been discontinued. It was replaced by the Salewa Raven 3 GTX.

photo: Salewa Raven 2 GTX mountaineering boot

Very well made, very high quality. May not be the perfect match for every foot and ankle.

Pros

  • High quality materials to protect the foot and withstand use/abuse/time
  • Rock solid shank and still relatively lightweight
  • Heel totally immovable if able to completely tighten laces
  • 3 specific zones of lacing system to customize tightness where it's wanted/not wanted
  • Wider fit than some
  • Rubber toe and heel rands

Cons

  • Excessive material in tongue gussets, bunches up when boot is tightened causing discomfort in ankle
  • Footbed designed with slight arch that cannot be removed, may prove uncomfortable for some
  • Only 2 color schemes available
  • Has taken 2-3 days to notice hot spots

The Lamborghini of boots. Very rigid shank even though it's not steel, provides enough flex in the  front of the foot for comfortable movement.

Top quality materials. I purchased these a few days ago after having done thorough research and trying on multiple other comparable boots. I have begun to notice, after three days of wearing, some slow to arise comfort issues, primarily with the footbed design that's arch is more pronounced than what my feet are used to. I've resulted in putting flat insoles in them and am still finding the arch to be too high for my liking.

My other issue is with the excess material of the tongue being too bulky against my ankles when I snug the laces down. I have bruises from where it's putting pressure. I've tried to rearrange how it folds when tightened with no relief. I think there is simply too much material they've placed here for ease of donning and doffing. Because of this issue, I'm unable to tighten them enough to totally snug my heel into place.

The width is more comfortable than many others I tried out. My 5th metatarsal bulges out a bit and I typically aim for wider sizes, but these allow for the bulge more so than did the Asolo Fugitive wide size (and were also stiffer in the shank).

My other anatomical problem is skinny ankles, which isn't helping with this boot.  

It truly is a very well made boot, but at this point I'm still uncertain if it is totally compatible with my feet. I'll be slightly bummed if this new relationship doesn't work out, but as it stands, a long trek in these may leave me with a lot of discomfort unless they begin softening up and my feet and ankles begin toughening up.  

I purchased a size 10, 6 foot tall, 170 lbs.  Lamborghinis aren't necessarily for everyone...

Source: bought it new

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Specs

Men's
Price Historic Range: $226.66-$339.95
Women's
Price Historic Range: $179.99-$339.95

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