One of us has fat feet and needs a wide toe box, the other needs flex in the sole to move more naturally while hiking. Over 20 miles later, no blisters, no hot spots, no problem. We climbed over 1000ft in the soggy Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Brevard, NC. We were surprised how little we noticed them on our first day out. Between the Brake System and the lace system, you’ve got a boot that fits like a glove.Īll boots (especially leather boots) have a break in period. The downward push into the front of your boot after a long descent where you end up with hot blisters on the ends of all your toes just doesn’t happen here. This sole was designed to help cushion and stick to terrain when moving fast down hill. The Nucleo’s Vibram Nano Sole with Impact Brake System is no exception. La Sportiva has a long history of making particularly sticky shoes- it’s their specialty. We also like how well the boot grips on different types of surfaces. After a quick hose off, we ended up with dry feet and Nucleos with a story. After one particular rainy (think torrential downpour) day, both pairs changed color with the stain of two-inch thick mud. We throw them on, forget to lace them, chuck ‘em out of our mudroom (the step up into the van) and otherwise beat these boots up on a daily basis, and they withstand it all. While we have put them to the test in the field (scree, talus, and boulders), we appreciate their durability in daily van living. The Nucleo is made from rugged Nubuck leather and La Sportiva’s proprietary Nano-Cell mesh that makes the boot feel indestructible while offering the breathability that you would expect from a synthetic option. The breathability and waterproofing of the Nucleo, while extremely important to us, were outshined by their most important feature- durability. At a pound each (5 ounces under the average weight for leather boots) these lightweight champs are still kicking in the final round. These boots, when used with warm socks, offer good protection in the high snowfields of Colorado. We literally walked through the swamp of Congaree National Park and our feet were happier for it. The boots have full waterproof protection, while also BREATHING. It consists of a polyester mesh insole that allows air to pass under the Gore-Tex bootie insert, negating many of the complaints users have when wearing Gore-Tex. Gore-Tex has been used in hiking boots for a long time, but the Nucleo features a material called ‘ Gore-Tex Surround ’. One of our favorite features of these boots is how breathable they are. Each time we’ve been more impressed with the versatility of these leather, medium duty hiking boots. We’ve put these boots to the test in the rolling mountains of the Appalachian Trail, the craggy peaks of Colorado, and the swamps of South Carolina. We’ve been rocking the Nucleo High GTX Boot (La Sportiva’s most breathable boot to date) since April, and we’re smitten. This mid-duty boot is made with water-resistant GORE-TEX material too and helps us get across stream crossing without issue.For almost 90 years La Sportiva has been designing high quality footwear to get you to, up, and from the mountains. The durable Vibram tread looks more like something we’d normally find on an overlander vehicle while the tall lace-up build keeps our ankles protected. The La Sportiva Nucleo High II GTX Wide Boot is what we strap up when we’re getting ready for intense hikes in the backcountry. Why We Like The Nucleo High II GTX Wide Boot
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