Scarpa Trek GTX boot
FOOTWEAR FOCUS
H
enry Harington found the Scarpa brand a novelty and a conundrum but discovered “Good things come to those who wait” (Remember the Guinness advertisement)
When I first heard I was to be offered a pair of Scarpa
boots to road test I thought Scarpa described the ability to clear off i.e. scarper or more politely “take to one’s heels.” I also thought the name might represent the ruggedness of the Orkney Islands where Scapa Flow, one of the world’s finest natural anchorages, has been a haven from the wild North Atlantic storms since the Vikings and is the graveyard of Kaiser Wilhelm’s German navel fleet that was sunk to prevent it being of use to the British after World War I. I was totally off course, so I delved a little further.
What do a pair of Italian boots made by Societ Calzaturiera Asolana Riunita Pedemontana Anonima, Dartmoor and a glass of Guinness have in common? Dartmoor and Guinness have a smooth white top (Dartmoor after the
snow and the Guinness when it’s poured). Oh! Yes and the boots. Well I tested a pair of boots made by the Societ Calzaturiera Asolana Riunita Pedemontana Anonima - which is now known as Scarpa for short - in the snow on Dartmoor. Yes, yes, but what is the connection to Guinness? Well, Rupert Edward Cecil Lee Guinness, 2nd Earl of Iveagh heir to the
Guinness brewing fortune helped establish Scarpa in Northern Italy in the 1930s. He obviously recognised the skills in the Asolana area but otherwise it is not recorded whether he was a keen mountain hiker.
Blimey ‘e took the boots and scarpered guv
Rupert not only brought us Scarpa, he brought us the Guinness Book of
Records that is the bible of superlatives: the biggest, heaviest, highest, fastest, tallest etc., etc. What he could not have imagined is the way in which his shoe company has been transformed over the years into a global company making some of the highest quality walking, climbing and ski footwear. The Scarpa Trek GTX is a tough boot. It is made from oiled full grain
leather, which makes it waterproof. When it comes to footwear “ waterproof” can be a relative term. The day I did the main test there was several centimetres of snow on the moor and the snow continued to fall in flakes the size of 50p pieces. But, rain had preceded the snow so there were huge puddles with snow floating on them and lots of slush – just the day you want not a waterproof boot, but a D-R-Y boot. I am happy to confirm that in three hours of slushing around my feet remained completely dry. Waterproof is not a relative but an absolute term for the Terra GTX. Scarpa say: “ Grip is provided by the new light weight Energy sole unit
which keeps you firmly planted on the path”. On another occasion I not only took them at their word by walking on trails, I decided to go scrambling over the rocks of Hound Tor. Although Scarpa said the boots keep you firmly planted on trails and
make no claim for them on rocks, these boots have an excellent grip. I was able to clamber over the rocks and felt quite safe and comfortable with the grip the soles gave me. If you do more than a Sunday stroll in the park with your boots and are a little adventurous such a feature can make a difference to the type of boot you want. Again these boots are not sold as mountain boots, but when you are
clambering over rocks you don’t want a heavy boot – these are feather light. Oh! Yes. And the other connection that links Scarpa boots, Dartmoor and
Guinness? When I had finished the road test I felt I had earned and used sufficient energy to justify a pint at my local. Mine’s a Guinness thank you – on expenses of course!
RRP - £169.99 Scarpa Trek GTX Wholesale: £90.43
24 • FOOTWEAR TODAY
• APRIL 2010
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40