There are a few things in life which can make us feel that supreme as conquering massive mountain peaks. And for such thrilling experience to be carefree, wearing the best possible mountaineering boots for Rainier is crucial.
Imagine finding yourself hours and hours away from civilization, climbing rocks in the purest natural environments, carrying all that heavy equipment on your back and suddenly your feet get wet and you start slipping because of unsuitable footwear. Not that fun, right?
High-quality mountaineering boots are probably one of the most important things you should have before starting any adrenaline-rushed climbing adventure. And our selection will hopefully help you with finding the ideal boot for yourself.
Top 4 Mountaineering Boots
- Salewa Men’s Vultur Vertical GTX Climbing Boot
- Salewa Rapace GTX Mountaineering Boot
- SCARPA Grand Dru GTX Mountaineering Boot
- Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400 Insulated Hiking Boot
What Makes the Best Mountaineering Boots for Rainier?
The best mountaineering boots need to help climbers in performing all of their activities. This includes offering great support for long walking hours and for carrying all that heavy equipment in your backpack. The grip they provide to snowy, slippery and rocky surfaces is also of outmost importance. Adding to that, keeping your feet warm and dry is essential. So, if we wish to define the main features of the best mountaineering boots, they will probably look similar to this:
- Lightweight and resistant fabrics will provide waterproof protection to your feet, at the same time not making every step you take heavy.
- Comfortable footbeds will ensure that your feet don’t ache after hours of climbing and will make them feel more natural inside the boots.
- Reinforced rubber soles will guarantee that your boots are durable through the years and will provide great traction to whatever surface you may find yourself on.
- Crampons compatibility will make it easier for you to place crampons on your feet when time for them arrives at some peak.
4 Best Mountaineering Boots For Rainier Reviews
After defining what the best mountaineering boots for Rainier should look like, here comes a brief review of our selection of the four very best.
1. Salewa Men’s Vultur Vertical GTX Climbing Boot
Salewa’s climbing boots offer a very high quality for their value. They have high shafts and come in a very modern and sporty design.
Features:
- Insulated waterproof breathable liner
- Compatibility with full-automated and step-in crampons
- Durable 360° full rubber rand
- MFF+ interchangeable footbeds
- Synthetic fabrics.
These boots surely make one of those investments which will last for years and years and they will never disappoint you at the top of any Rainier pick (icy or not). Also, they can be worn all-year round.
2. Salewa Rapace GTX Mountaineering Boot – Men’s
Our second choice is another Salewa pair of boots. These are a more affordable option compared to the first one and are ideal for slightly less demandable mountaineering.
Rapace boots come with a lower, ankle-height shaft and have a lightweight Vibram sole.
Features:
- Leather fabrics
- Breathable Gore-Tex liner
- Stiff crampon compatible midsoles
- Durable 360° full rubber rand
- MFF+ interchangeable footbeds.
These boots are surely a more than suitable footwear for any kind of mountaineering and alpine trekking and will be a good companion during all weather conditions.
3. SCARPA Grand Dru GTX Mountaineering Boot – Men’s
Scarpa is surely one of the top brands when it comes to mountaineering boots.
This type makes a good combination of stiffness for protection and flexibility for an easy movement.
Features:
- High shaft
- Rubber sole
- Waterproof Gore-Tex comfort lining
- Water-repellent upper in Perwanger suede
- Flex Point.
Scarpa mountaineering boots are a great choice for all mountain adventurers. They will surely provide great support and protection in all kind of rugged environments.
4. Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400 Insulated Hiking Boot
Last from our today’s selection, Kenetrek boots are a classic-looking exceptional type of mountaineering boots. They come in nice brown leather fabrics and have a stiff front lacing.
Features:
- K-Talon outsoles
- Forged boot hardware
- Durable Windtex waterproof membrane
- 400-gram Thinsulate insulation
- Reinforced rubber soles.
These boots are available at mid-range prices and will surely provide great stability and protection to your feet in exchange.
Buying Tips
Even if we tend to suggest ordering your boots online during these unprecedented times, mountaineering boots are very specific and so it is best to try them in-store, whenever possible.
They often tend to be very stiff (much stiffer if we compare them to hiking boots, for example) so it is crucial for your feet to have the perfect fit in there.
Wear thicker socks when trying them on and always tend to try boots at the end of the day, when your feet are slightly swollen. Walk around the store a bit, try leaning your body to the front… take your time to be sure you have the perfect fit.
Also, don’t forget to check if your crampons are easy to be placed under the boots you wish to buy.
FAQs
Are mountaineering boots very expensive?
They are certainly more expensive compared to other types of boots, but the quality you get is exceptional. Mountaineering boots are worn during extreme adventures and so the safety they provide needs to be extreme, too.
Are all these boots suitable for any kind of mountaineering?
As any other sport boot, mountaineering boot types depend on various styles of activities and grounds. Salewa Vultur boots are the perfect choice for ice climbing, for example. On the other hand, their Rapine version works better on less extreme grounds.
Can I order these boots online?
Sure you can, as they are all super easy to find online and can always be exchanged if they are not your best fit. However, we highly recommend trying them in-store.
Conclusion
Wintertime makes us dream of perfect snow blankets at the top of Rainier mountains. And with the best mountaineering boots, we easily get to enjoy such postcard moments instead of just looking at them from far away.
All boots from our selection will provide you a safe and a long-lasting adventure companion. Which are your favorites?