Customer Reviews Scarpa SL Active

The SL Activ is a beautifully made backpacking boot. The sole, which is the same as in the Zanskar and Kinesis Pro, is very stiff and flexes only slightly at the toe - definitely more suited to backpacking than day hiking or everyday use. There is a bit of a rocker in the sole though I have tried similarly stiff boots with a more comfortable gait. The last shape is exceptionally comfortable for my slightly wider than average feet. It is one of the roomier boots volume-wise that I have tried on. Whereas I normally wear a 46 in hiking boots, I ordered the 45.5 knowing they are spacious. I think the sizing was perfect length- and width-wise, but I really have to cinch down on the ankle lacing to keep my heel down. There is generous padding within the boot and around the ankle to reduce the chance of hot spots. Another thing I noticed is that the ankle area is very flexible relative to the rest of the boot, which takes some getting used to. If you are looking for a lot of ankle stability/stiffness, I am guessing the Kinesis Pro or Zanskar would be a better choice based on the upper construction. On a related note, the leather in the ankle and tongue area is somewhat noisy as it flexes and rubs together, in case you were hoping to sneak up on any creatures in this boot. As I understand it the Kinesis Pro is a very similar boot but with a Goretex lining. The Cocona lining in the SL Activ seems to breath well, and based on what I read the thick one-piece leather upper is pretty water resistant if well-maintained. Overall the sole was stiffer than what I was looking for, otherwise I really loved the fit and comfort of the SL Activ. It is one of the most foot-friendly boots I have tried on, gives the impression of extreme durability, and looks like a work of art. To be honest it was a little hard to return.

These boots are of the highest quality, as is typical of Scarpa. They are very well made, using the best materials available, but as my other Scarpas are, they are tight in the width. This is my second pair and I ordered my normal size width, but they are again very tight in the heel area. The rest of the width for the foot is comfortable and would be too wide if I had went up in a width size. So far, both pairs have been indestructible and will serve you well for many years.

I had a pair of the old Scarpa Attack boots years ago. When they finally wore out after thousands of miles of rock, mud, ice, sand, etc. I went with another leading brand. I've been looking forward to them wearing out so I could get back into some Scarpa boots again. It's been a few years, and I was a little disappointed to see that the Attack is no longer sold, but as soon as my foot was in these boots all my fears were gone. These things are comfy and even tougher than the Attacls were.

I bought these boots back in January, but didn't start wearing them on a daily basis until May 2015. I loved the boot at first, despite the stiffness, and time to break it in. Now, less than 3 months down the road, the inner heel material has completely worn through so my heel is rubbing on the hard construction under the fabric and padding. What would cause them to wear out so quickly? I have contacted Scarpa regarding this issue and am awaiting reply. For the price of this boot I was very disappointed to see it wear so quickly. I have never had a pair of hiking boots do that, and my old ones were half the price. I'm pretty bummed about it, and hope they have a solution.

Great boots. I've had Lowa, Raichle, Danner, White's, Russell, Merrell, and others and these are as good or better than all. They're rigid enough for rock and steep stuff but still comfortable. Took just a couple days of mild walking around to break in.

The leather and build on these is fantastic too bad they are so low volume and short! I even had another friend with a 1/2 size smaller foot try them and she found them still a bit undersized. They'd be great for someone wiht a low volume narrow foot. I am going to try 1 size larger because they are so well constructed I really want them to fit!