Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Modern mountaineering boots

Just a bit of a rant - What the hell is up with mountaineering boots over the last 15 years or so? All the boot companies seem to be in a contest of who can make the most narrow sole.

Doesn't matter if it's a D width or EEE, the sole itself, the part that contacts the ground, has gotten so damn narrow over the years it drives me nuts. The last pair of mountain boots I bought that were worth a schit was the old school Scarpa Rios. The several pair I've bought since then are a giant pain in the azz, or ankle as it were.

Granted, my feet ain't everybody elses feet, and my connective tissue ain't all connected anymore, but I just don't get the uber narrow footprint of todays boots. Feels like I'm walking on a 2x4....on edge.

There are a few places where a narrower heel comes in handy. Ok, only one that I can think of: continuous sidehilling.

Otherwise, I agree. I have a pair of Asolos that I hardly wear for the same reason.

What brands did you try on, just out of curiosity?

Newer Scarpa's, AKU's and Sporteva's. Tried on a couple others. I kept the AKU's as they fit the best. Even though the tall and narrow heel gets me at times it was better than the others.

CWH2 - Yes sir. Just spent a couple days putting some miles in on some steep rocky country. I still like the old Scarpas with their wider sole better. Or maybe I just liked my ankles from 15-20 years ago better. Lol.

I have to eat some crow on this one. I put the Asolo soles up against my Meindl soles, and they are virtually identical in width. Maybe they are just taller, but they feel way less stable.

And the part on the ground is where rollover protection starts ... this is like the ever-shrinking candy bar. WTF

I watched a video by Schnee's I believe a while back where they discussed boot width during fitting. They said the majority of width with fitting is just changes in length to the upper to accommodate more volume in the forefoot...which could be judged by the visible width of the tongue when laced comfortably. The soles are all the same.

I think most of the mountaineering boots popular in the hunting circles are made in Italy. There's probably more inter-company connections than we realize, especially with lasts and methods.

I used to skateboard a lot and have a lot of chronic ankle injuries. I also used to believe I needed extra-wide soles to prevent rolling ankles. I've found that I have some muscle/ligament imbalances from my injuries that caused most of my issues. I've found in the last few years that a svelte shape with some torsional rigidity from the heel to the ball allows me to be more sure-footed. The extra material I'm used to having just causes me to trip more.

If you've got recurring ankle (or knee, back, etc for that matter) issues, I'd recommend discussing it with a physical therapist that has personal experience with a similar sport. Mine taught me a lot about the mechanics of my issues and cross-training that would make my body stronger to avoid them. I've avoided a lot of knee surgeries and doctor visits due to building a relationship with one when these things were just starting to crop up.