Best Scrambling Boots and Shoes

Essential Characteristic 1 – Full Rand Coverage (Rubber Protection Around Base of Boot / Shoe)

Every pair of cheaper boots I have ever owned, has worn in exactly the same place while scrambling – the mid food edge, behind the toe protection.

When you’re scrambling, you use the edges of your boots just as much as the sole (often weding boots into cracks), and so if it’s made of soft fabric, you’re going to end up shredding it.

That’s why the #1 recommendation I have for a good scrambling boot or shoe, is to make sure the boot is covered around the whole base with protective rubber.

La Sportiva and others refer to this as the “rand”.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

Essential Characteristic 2 – Grippy + Shaped Rubber Sole

Having grippy rubber will make a huge difference in your confidence levels during scrambling (particularly on crux / difficult sections), and so it’s essential that you get this right.

In a nutshell, the grippier the rubber, the shorter it’s lifespan, because rubber gets more friction from being soft (more of it contacting the rock) and that softness makes it wear out faster.

Most scrambling boots will have a rubber type in between that of climbing shoes and walking boots on the softness scale, allowing good grip while being reasonably durable.

Vibram is a company that specialise in making rubber soles, and many of the top manufacturers use them for their boots, such as Scarpa, La Sportiva, and Hanwag.

I have personally tested a number of Vibram soles, and have always found them to be grippy and durable.

Shape

There are some specific characteristics that make the correct shape of scrambling boot / shoe.

These are mainly focused on the toe area, and the heel area.

Essentially, in a good boot or shoe these will be flattened or contain much shallower grip (and in some cases softer rubber) in order to make it easier to edge on smaller foot holds.

Here are some examples:

Essential Characteristic 3 – Sole Stiffness

When you’re balancing on a toe or heel in a small hold, the stiffer your boot, the longer you can last without getting tired.

Essentially a stiff sole allows you to balance more effectively, but will be more uncomfortable to walk on during the approach.

This stiff part of the sole is usually found in the mid sole of the boot, in between the outsole (the rubber grip section) and the insole (the soft cushioning your feet touch).

A good scrambling boot or shoe will have a moderate level of stiffness, to account for the potential of a long walk in, with the likelihood of small foot holds during the climbing sections.

A Note on Winter Conditions – Crampons

If you plan on using the boots to do winter scrambles, you will require a boot that can handle a crampon (which requires a certain level of sole stiffness to be attached).

The rating level for crampons to boots is as follows:

• B0 – Not suitable for crampons.
• B1 – Flexible boots, can only handle C1 crampons.
• B2 – Semi-rigid mid soles, C1 or C2 crampons.
• B3 – Fully rigid soles, can handle C1, C2 or C3 crampons.

Choose a boot that’s compatible with your winter mountaineering goals.