Scarpa Zodiac Plus GTX

Light, sturdy, good grip, snug around the heel and foot but leaves a little wiggle room where you want it up front.

I bought these to replace my old Scarpa Zen Pro Mid GTX. The Zodiac Plus do a god job at that, but only off road. The Zen Pro Mid would get a 5-star review from me without a doubt. I have given the Zodiac Plus GTX  four stars because of what makes them so good on the ruff stuff is their downfall on paved roads. This makes them lose a lot of versatility that the Zen Pro Mid had in heaps. For off-roading though, anywhere you want to go, with heavy pack or without, the Zodiac Plus are amongst the very best if not the best boots available today.

Very light yet durable, stable, and supportive. Over the course of 1.5 years I have done many long hikes in mine and they are great for just about any terrain except on paved roads. The hard sole gets a bit tiresome.

Just to clarify. This shoe has a little stiff sole, meaning that the flex and twist of the boot is stable and supportive. It is not a stiff boot as many have erroneously said though. There is very little dampening in the sole. So if you want soft cushioned feel, this is not for you. If you are walking in uneven terrain, especially with a backpack filled with gear for a couple of nights out, this is the kind of sole you want. It will take a little bit of walking for your feet muscles to adjust to a hard soled boot like this.

Once it's broken in, and you are too, then these are amazing shoes. Very good grip in the rubber though it doesn't seem like it's fast wearing. I wear these almost daily, hiking on rocky mountain trails and off them. They are perfect for that, but when I get on the mile-long paved road that leads home I have often thought that these are a bit harsh on the shins.

Do go up a whole size from what you normally wear! If they feel perfect in the store, go a whole size up! They will shorten a bit and you don't want to butt your toes against that hard front when going downhill. You might also want room for a thicker sock when it gets cold out.These are my go-to boots, both with a heavy overnight pack, or when out hunting with a light pack, for general off/on trail hiking and foraging in the forest.

I'm giving them 4 stars since they are not as good for road use and lose versatility. For on/off trail use only, these would get 5 stars.

Background

I own many different types of shoes. Back when the Zen Pro Mid was available I often didn't need anything else, but when they went out of production I have been forced to seek out new models. In my experience there is no one-shoe today that can replace the Zen Pro Mid. But two pair can, if one of them is the Zodiac Plus and the other is something lighter yet still grippy and tough, something like the Salewa TX4 perhaps.

There is also a low version of the Zodiac Plus, called simply Zodiac. In my opinion, these don't make any sense. Same with the low version of the Zen Pro. If you need shoes of this caliber, you also need ankle protection from rolling rocks and whatnot. The added support that the higher cuff lends without ever getting in the way of anything also makes sense in this segment of boot. If you want a lower cuff my guess is that you can almost certainly get away with a more nimble shoe.

A tough companion for heavy terrain, less for casual trail walking.

After this, I have thrown away my Hanwag boots (company messed around, resoled with extremely slippery soles, so I even had an accident—no warranty for their faulty work, of course).

Sole grips well. Not sure about rubber compound of this one, maybe Vibram X-Trek. Vibram Megagrip compound is mildly better (Asolo Greenwood or Fandango) - that is designed for wet surfaces. Due to polyurethane midsole (this gives less weight and more comfort) boot will need resoling after about 8 years, like 90% of trekking shoes these days. If you don't use them frequently, surprisingly, midsole wears faster! 

The boots are light—this is of extreme importance. One pound on your foot equals 6-8 x weight in your backpack!

Specially treated waterproof Perwanger leather is 1.8 mm only—but looks sturdy all the same, will probably cover minimum 2,000 miles easily. I am confident up to 4,000 meters, winter max. 2000 (with gaiters). After a lot of exposure, needs reconditioning probably (hundreds of miles?). 

Background

Alpine setting, over 500 miles, 1000- 4000 meters.