GearFlogger

La Sportiva Gandalf approach shoe

Let me just say I think Gollum would have been a cooler name for La Sportiva's new approach shoe, especially since he climbs like 5.18 or something. So he kills midgets and other small game, even a mutant has gotta eat, right? Anyway, it's weird, they didn't ask me so we've got the Gandalf.

I've had mixed luck with the approach shoe category. They are either too much like a rock shoe or not enough. That's changed with the Gandalf: it fits like a glove, laces to the toes and with a combination of slip and board lasting it smears and edges well enough to work your way up 5.10 or beyond, depending on ability of course.

It also hikes comfortably. The dot pattern tread is not so deep that it collects too much mud, but is just featured enough to provide decent scrambling. Bring a brush to clean 'em up at the base of the climb and you're all set. The Gandalf can definitely replace a hiking shoe/rock shoe combo for easy to mid difficulty multi-pitch and big wall climbs with big walk offs.

All approach shoes have to trade off durability of the sole for friction purposes, but the Gandalf is designed to be resoled. With Sportiva's Italian-made quality this shoe deserves consideration, even if the price tag would make Gollum blink. Guides and other climbers who work as much as they play in the vertical world will rejoice.

$215 at Moosejaw

La Sportiva Olympus Mons boot

It's not true that mountaineers have to take off their boots to count to ten. OK, maybe sometimes it's true. If you want absolute certainty that all your little piggies will be there to count on you need to go big with a true 8,000 meter boot, and La Sportiva's Olympus Mons is the state of the art.

The Mons uses the same inner boot as the Spantik. The lacing system simply can't be beat, using velcro tabs at the end of an improbably thin zig-zag lacing system. Where the Spantik goes with a different system for the outer boot, the Mons uses the same system on both inner and outer boots. It just does not slip, and anyone who has ever fought with their laces at altitude will be instantly converted to this new system.

Even better, no overboot is required, even on Denali. The Mons tips the scales at 6lb per pair, size 43. That's lighter than most double boots that do require an overboot; even the Spantik weighs in at just an ounce and a half less for a pair at the same size. And yes, I actually weighed the them side by side. Add in the overboot, which is recommended for the Spantik on Denali, and you're looking at another pound-and-a-half at least.

Performance is paramount, of course, and the Mons shines here as well. The boot took a pair of automatic Sabretooth crampons no problem. On vertical ice, not its intended application, the Mons climbs extremely well due to the great shin support; you can really drop your heels and engage your secondary points while the boot takes some of the strain off your calves. That same stiffness makes it a slow walker, and your shins may feel it during the break-in. Not as nimble as the Spantik, especially for edging rock, the Mons is nevertheless a great frontpointer. That's good news because we'll be taking it up Denali shortly via the West Rib; more on that later. As usual for La Sportiva, foot volume is snug so you may need to go a size up.

$900.00 at Zappos

La Sportiva Nuptse double boot

Like the big-game guides say, if you're going after a big 'un make sure you bring enough gun. When the big 'un is high-altitude, high-latitude and cold enough to evaporate your pee before it hits the snow, La Sportiva's Nuptse double boot is your BFG: big freakin' gun.

The six-pound Nuptse is NOT a plastic boot: it's built from a combination of insulated, coated polyurethane and other materials, and the materials and articulated design result in an exceptionally warm, comfortable and flexible that feels somewhere between plastic and leather when hiking and climbing. Bonus: the gusseted tongue opens wide to easily get your dogs in.

What's not to like? Aside from being a bit on the porky side it's a wide boot. Specifically the toe is wide enough that it is difficult to get the front toe bail on step-in crampons to fit snugly. We tried Black Diamond Sabretooths, Grivels and Stubais and none of them attached well in the front. With that caveat, get combi crampons and you're good to go.

$309.95 at Mountaingear

La Sportiva Trango S EVO GTX boot

Single-boot heaven is what we've got here. La Sportiva only does boots, and their more-than-a-mouthful Trango S EVO GTX has been around a while and is still top of the line. I won't even try to list all the funky-named technologies they stuffed into these boots: they are lightweight, waterproof and take a combi crampon is what's what.

I reamed these suckers out on Rainier, bouncing them off rocks, ice and my partners head when he wouldn't shut up. Using the trusty ol' double-sock method - a thin liner sock under a medium-weight hiking sock - the only problem I had was a little heel lift that was easily solved by cranking down on the laces.

The Trangos took a lot of abuse and didn't flinch, with no malfunctions or even much visible wear. They give plenty of ankle support for a fifty-pound pack, and they climb like hyperactive goats. Comfy and warm, I've had no problem wearing these down to around zero degrees. A great choice for climbs and conditions that don't require a double-boot or a lot of vertical ice, and at a mere 3.2 pounds they won't slow you down.

$285.00 at REI

La Sportiva Miura rock shoe

What do I have in common with Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden? Unfortunately only my La Sportiva Miura rock shoes, because I get kicked off their walk-up routes faster than the French can surrender.

These little lace-up slot cars are designed to concentrate power on to your big toe for the ultimate in small-foothold performance. Pain-free? Hell no! But if you can get grit your teeth long enough to become accustomed to the feeling of standing on the last knuckle of your big toe, you will climb like a scared cat.

La Sportiva continues to have the best footwear lacing systems in the business, and the speed laces on the Miuras cinch tight with no effort and stay that way. The Vibram XS soles grip like a gecko, although I have managed to rough mine up pretty good in just a season. The Vibram is supposed to be pretty tough so maybe it's my sloppy climbing style. Hey, I'm man enough to admit it.

These are great all-around high performance shoes that excel at all types of climbing. Try them on a little small; I'm normally a 42 but I went with a 41 on the Miuras. You'll notice a little extra material that bunches on top of the toes, but it doesn't seem to affect performance and the fit is otherwise very precise.

$130 at REI

La Sportiva Trango Ice EVO boot

Anyone who has a gear closet knows that boots are like bunnies: we're talking rampant overbreeding with a pair for every sport-specific application I can possibly rationalize to the SheFlogger, no easy task.

I was willing to make the effort for a lighter, faster, more precise boot to fill the void in my life that is mixed climbing. Luckily, if it lives on your feet La Sportiva has a solution: cue the Trango Ice EVO, a sleek racecar of a boot that transitions seamlessly between dry tooling and vertical ice.

Sportiva only does feet, and that focus shows in the way they innovate with features such as the lacing system on the Spantik and the "Tri-Point Lacing Harness" on the Ice EVO. It performs as advertised, locking down the heel no matter how much you torque your foot around. It is a little tricky to tighten since you have to pull forward on the laces to tie them, but the intermediate locking lugs help. To round things out there's an integrated Schoeller gaiter up top, a grippy Vibram sole on the bottom and Thinsulate insulation in between. I climbed in temperatures around the single digits Fahrenheit and they felt great.

In action the EVO is more climbing shoe than mountaineering boot. Paired with the Grivel Rambo 4 crampon the entire mixed experience starts to feel more precise, with enhanced control over your movements and less effort overall. If you've been climbing vertical ice and/or mixed with a truck of a mountaineering boot, do yourself a favor and try the Trango.

$380.00 at REI

La Sportiva Spantik boot

Evolution is a beautiful thing, resulting in sublime forms such as the platypus, Brangelina, and now the La Sportiva Spantik. This boot truly represents all that is good in the (alpine) world.

The Spantik achieves the holy grail of boot design: it's a double boot that feels like a single boot. It even manages to feel lighter than its 5lb 1oz scale weight, combining and improving on the best of composite shell technology from the Nuptse and the mid- and outer-sole of the Nepal EVO GTX.

What this means to you is not having to sacrifice warmth for technical prowess or vice versa. Does it work? Not just yes but hell yes. On vertical ice at temperatures well below freezing it feels nimble and precise, yet even with just a liner sock on I never felt even a tinge of cold. The fit is just a little roomy in the toe box (I have slightly narrow feet) for a perfect fit once I added a thick mountaineering sock.

The lacing system is what you first notice on the Spantik. It's a single very thin lace on each boot that closes either with a velcro tab (inner boot) or by wrapping around a disc (outer boot). Here's the beta: modify the pull on the outer boot lace so it doesn't slip over the keeper knot and carry a spare set in case of breakage and you will absolutely love it. It sets the cuff to the desired stiffness around your ankle for great support and does not slip: hallelujah!

If you can afford the price of entry, rest assured that the Spantik is not just some marketing exec's overhyped glands at work; it delivers true innovation.

$649.00 at Mountain Gear