Scarpa Zen Pro

Excellent fit with minimal to no break in required. Comfortable and nice looking as well.

I've only had these shoes a couple weeks, probably not more than 30 miles on them so far. 

I got these shoes from Sierra Trading Post just a few days before leaving for a week in Big Bend National Park.

On initial inspection they seemed very well made, with no dangling threads or seams that didn't appear finished. 

After wearing them around the house for a couple days I decided that they were sufficiently broken in to take on the trip along with a pair of Salomon boots for actual backpacking. The shoes were comfortable for traveling, and during our first couple days of desert camping and day hiking they were as comfortable and stable as anything I've worn.

I liked the fact that the shoes are a solid suede material as protection from thorns and cactus spines is a pretty big priority with me!  I never had a problem with the shoes being penetrated by the aggressive vegetation found here.  

The third day we loaded up backpacks and headed in to the mountains for a couple nights at elevation. My intention was to change to a pair of Salomon Wings Sky GTX boots for better support while carrying about 40 lbs of water, food and assorted gear. However, apparently these Scarpas felt good enough I never thought about changing footwear until I was a long way from the truck.

As it turned out this was not an issue. We hiked a total for 20 miles in the mountains, including an initial 8 miles with 2,500 foot elevation gain to our first camp, and I never, not once, wished that I had worn the boots.  

Even on the descent, I didn't have an issue with toes sliding forward and banging in to the front of my shoes.

Traction was fine throughout the trip. I never felt my feet sliding or out of control in any way.  

After coming back down it was a simple matter to brush the shoes off and wear them into town for dinner.  

Of course, this is hardly a long-term test and how they'll stand up over many more trips remains to be seen.