My affair with Lowa’s excellent boots began three years ago with the near-perfect Weisshorn. The Weisshorn competes directly with SCARPA’s (great!) Mont Blanc and LaSportiva’s (superb!) Nepal EVO, offering an insulated boot capable of climbing vertical water ice, low-to-moderate rock, and walking for hours.
Lowa offers several other boots, including some very “niche” models like the recently upgraded Latok (awesome looking, insulated, with an integrated gaiter like SCARPA’s Phantom Guide), as well as some “do-it-all” models like the Cevedale Pro GTX (3 lbs. 6 oz., 1560g, without insoles; $380; lowaboots.com).
I snagged the Cevedales mid-summer, as I was preparing for my final exam through the American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) – the alpine. Perfect timing for a three-season, uninsulated generalist like the Cevedale. I spent a week in the Cascades with it and several more in Colorado, hiking too much (training), climbing a bunch of ridge routes, and step-kicking in moderate snow and alpine ice.
My take-away: another great boot from Lowa, durable, gorgeous, and comfortable – for the right kind of foot. Read on.
Viva Italia
Lowa is indeed a German company, but they make some of their high-end boots (the Weisshorn and Cevedale to name just two) down in the motherland … Italia. The craftsmanship shows, with tight stitching, excellent detailing, and a clean, traditional vibe to the work.
I assume the leather is also Italian sourced, but whatever the case, it’s on par with SCARPA and Sportiva’s stuff, and rightly so. After 20-30 days of mixed use, the things are bomber, totally unscathed. If I can judge from their other boots, I’ve hammered the Weisshorns relentlessly and they’re perfect – three years later.
Fit
The Cevedale looks like a pared-down Weisshorn (200g lighter per boot), truth be told. Lower ankle cuff (two lacing studs instead of three), no insulation, but still ample room in the toe box. This was both a blessing and a curse – more on this in a sec.
Lowa boots have a much straighter last than a LaSportiva (slightly more than SCARPA), generally speaking. I have a ballerina foot; super-high arch, low volume, and most of my foot’s “volume” falls to the outside of my second toe. Straight-lasted boots, on the other hand, assume your foot’s shape is bisected by its second toe. That is, if you drew a line down your second toe and towards your ankle, it would split your foot in half.
So out of the box, my foot just isn’t shaped for a Cevedale. That said, I added my custom orthotic and laced ‘em up – not a problem. For whatever reason I notice the straight last more with the Cevedale than I do with the Weisshorn. The Weisshorn is the best mountain boot I’ve ever used, in terms of fit and performance. The Cevedale took a little more finagling with lacing to get comfortable. It features roller-ball lacing down to the toe, with locking studs at the ankle, so you can fine-tune the fit above and below it. Loosen the ankle a bit if you want more range of motion (French technique on steeper snow) or lock it down if you’re hopping talus.
I did several training hikes out of Boulder (weighted backpack, up Bear Peak) to break in the Cevedale, without hot spots or blisters. Though my foot isn’t perfect for the last, it’s testament to the Lowa platform that I can still wear ‘em comfortably. Once I got to the Cascades I did a long three days back to Eldorado Peak which included an 8.5 hour trail/rock/glacier approach, loose rock climbing up to 5.7 (scary!), and plenty of step-kicking. The Cevedales were comfortable for the duration.
Performance
My only significant grip with the Cevedale was the performance on fifth-class rock. The roomy toebox is great for approaches (and probably helps with warmth, too, though I didn’t test ‘em in the cold), but once you’re truly rock climbing, I’d prefer a slightly narrower, more performance-driven fit. Keep this in mind when choosing the boot. It’s not necessarily a flaw, but don’t expect the Cevedale to climb like a red Trango.
Backpacker magazine called out the Cevedale’s roomier toe box as a plus, noting the tester carried 70-pound loads in Alaska, off-trail. I’m not surprised and think this is probably the strength of the Cevedale, as an all-around alpine boot and/or high-end trekking rig. Stiffness comes from a 5mm nylon shank that runs the entire foot, protecting the wearer from pointy stuff, but also relaxing one’s feet if you’re humping loads.
Lowa puts a Vibram “Dolent” sole on the bottom, which lacks the climbing zone of the Vibram Mulaz (stock on the red Trango), but also seems to walk a bit more smoothly. Given the choice I’d probably go with the Mulaz for the Weisshorn and accept the Dolent on the Cevedale, as the Cevedale is more of an all-‘rounder and the Weisshorn more specifically an alpinism boot.
The stiff midsole makes the Cevedales quite capable on snow and ice – they have the most positive heel counter I’ve ever seen for a step-in crampon, too. I ran a C.A.M.P. C-12 on them in the Cascades, happily flat-footing up and down a 1500-foot climb to Triad Col. Secure, comfortable, and supportive. Gore-tex for waterproofing. Acceptable, but I’d love to see someone try Polartec’s NeoShell in a boot, as it’s way more breathable.
Lowa uses the same “FlexFit-Syncro” ankle construction as the Weisshorn and it’s great. You get fantastic range of motion in flexion, but adequate support side-to-side. This is one of the noticeable differences in the Lowa system versus other boots. I find flat-footing/French technique much more comfortable in a Lowa boot than I do the competition.
Missing
One nice detail from the Weisshorn that’s missing on the Cevedale is the carbon “I-Core” midsole. Like many high-end boots, Lowa uses carbon to fine-tune the flex in the Weisshorn, but sadly the Cevedale doesn’t have it. I realize it’s an expense issue, but man … a carbon inlay would really upgrade the flex and walking performance of the Cevedale, if not save some weight, too. How much more would it add to the price? No idea, but I’d pay another $40 for it, no doubt.
Overall
Great boot, though my foot doesn’t marry with it perfectly. I think a wearer with a higher-volume foot might find the fit a bit more “performance,” so keep that in mind when you’re considering the Cevedale. My twin bro has feet like Fred Flintstone – flat, square, fat – and this might be the perfect fit for him.
Apart from my own foot issues, this is fantastic boot. Walks well, kicks step in firm snow, takes a crampon securely, and it’s light enough to qualify as a trekking/backpacking boot. I’d love to add some carbon to the sole and I’d narrow the toe, but apart from those details, this is a handmade, artisan boot worthy of your consideration. Bravo, Lowa!
Rob Coppolillo is an internationally certified mountain guide and co-founder of Vetta Mountain Guides, based in Boulder, Colorado.
