Lowa Triolet

Excellent boot!

This is a leather boot designed for the hikes that take you to the cliffs (approaches) -- and, doing some of the climbing as well.

It does require some break-in. It is made of substantial, high-quality leather. It is not very heavy though. The sole is vibram and the midsole is pretty stiff. This makes for comfortable travel on long, rough trails, even with a pack full of climbing hardware and ropes. The Vibram sole is some type of hiking/climbing hybrid. For the most part it is a standard vibram lugged sole; however, under the big toe area, it is flattened (like a climbing shoe) so that when you're edging or trying to smear, you get a bigger contact patch on the rock. The lacing extends far down the foot towards the toes so you can really crank them tight if you actually plan to rock-climb with them.

Downside: mine came in a vicious lime green color - yow! hard on the eyes. Should be fine once they get good and dirty.

These are on sale for a fantastic price at REI.com in fall of 2000. Also check lowaboots.com -- they may have them on sale as well.