La Sportiva TX5 GTX, Men's Mountain Boots

Product Information

The La Sportiva TX5 GTX is an approach shoe designed for those carrying heavy loads or heading on longer hikes into the hills. The forefoot is wide and felt quite roomy, with quite a large volume, despite the low profile. The heel cup held the foot well on uphill sections, and the ankle cuff and tongue had just the right amount of padding.

The uppers of the European-made Salewa shoe are 1.6mm suede with an overlay containing the brand’s 3F system that links the top of the lacing area with the shoe’s heel and arch area, providing a good stable hold on the rear of the foot. Look a little closer into this brilliant boot and you'll notice every stitch, seam and join is meticulously crafted to ensure you're never let down.

La Sportiva’s TX5 GORE-TEX gives a perfect blend of approach shoe grip and hiking boot protection. Derived from their iconic Trango series, the high-cut ankle cuff is supportive and protective, enhanced by the 3D Flex system for optimal freedom of movement. Stable and comfortable, it’s ideal if you’re carrying heavier loads on those mountain paths. Featuring waterproof GORE-TEX up top and Vibram Megagrip rubber underfoot, the TX5 GTX achieves sure-footed performance in both the wet and dry. The Scarpa Mescalito with good design features for technical terrain, combined with very good comfort overall. But let’s not dwell on what you don’t have, instead we shall teach you how to ascertain your size using some common household objects. The Venture Vent is a neutral-design shoe that doesn’t look out of place on the High Street but is equally at home on the trail.

Comfort around the ankle and heel were good too. The Boreal shoe has a short inbuilt gaiter as the rear section of the ankle padding, which gave good flexibility for the ankle. The tongue had just the right amount of padding, but the gusset is quite thin and had a tendency to wrinkle a little if the shoe wasn’t laced carefully, introducing a little discomfort on the side of the foot. The gusset only comes half-way up the lacing, which allowed water to get into the shoe on deeper bogs and puddles. Although the Mescalito has no membrane, the suede uppers did repel some splashing and coped with a shower or two.The midsole uses expanded polyurethane and, combined with the foam insole, provided a medium amount of underfoot cushioning.