Salewa RAPACE GTX-M Boot

Salewa rapace has to be the best boot I have ever used. I have been hiking since I was in my mid teens and climbed mount Olympus twice. Plus I was in the Marines. I have never used boots that are so comfortable and required absolutely no break in time like these rapace boots. I have struggled with plantar fasciitis for a long time and I have narrow feet with high arches and finding boots that fit well can be a struggle. I took the advice of folks that recommend getting half a size larger than normal. Put on some wool socks and went for a 4 mile hike at Tenaja falls CA with a 30 lbs pack. No break in time, no hot spots. This boots are a light weight mountaineering boot. It’s stiffer than most but still has a bit flex so it’s not uncomfortable. The heel and tread design ensure good grip even in steep and loose ground. The lace system ensures that the boot conforms to the foot ensuring no hot spots or blisters. I’m glad I got them half a size larger. This gives me a bit of room so when I’m going down hill under heavy load my toes don’t hurt. I also like the included extra insoles. The fit with my sock combo make a perfect fit. I know that each person’s feet are different but these are great for me. Update: I used these boots for a three day trip in the Sierra Mountains just a bit lower than 7000 feet of elevation. Wend down and up on some very steep terrain with loose rocks and soil. The boots were awesome. Good grip, support for the ankles enough flex to be comfortable but stiff enough to support going uphill. If they provide waterproof I’ll say they are perfect.

Great boots I have several pairs. Fit is good I have wide feet. Never had a blister. I wear them for hiking and everyday for about a year then wear them daily for work. They last over 2 years that way.

A little history and context: I hike twice a week in Utah from desert to forest to alpine terrains with 4+ weekender backpacking trips per year. After purchasing the mountain trainer mid leather hiking boots four years ago (10.5) and wearing them for several seasons (they could probably still be re-soled), I opted for the Rapace GTX boots as a stiffer option with waterproofing at a high ankle level that allows me to skip a little less carefully through springtime streams. The toe-box cradles my narrow feet and I've never had a blister in either pair with up to 30 mile hiking days. I opened the box on the Rapace GTX boots and was confident enough that, apart from wearing them on only a couple of small 4 mile hikes, I felt comfortable wearing them relatively untested through Grand Gulch (23 miles over 3 days). No problem whatsoever. They have continued to out-perform as a solid gear component for another 2 seasons through every conceivable condition. Without hyperbole I say I've staked my life upon the performance of these boots and the grip of the Vibram sole.

If this boot fits your foot and your outdoor needs then you will love it. It's stiff but not Frankenstein stiff for me. Rockered sole keeps you walking in the flats and nice and stiff in the steeps. If you're looking for a full bore mountaineering boot, this may not be your boot - probably not warm or stiff enough. For me it's a heavy duty backpacking boot and mountain hunting boot. It's pretty light weight but still gives me the support I need. I have a low volume foot and this boot can be adjusted with the additional layer of footbed that comes with it for thinner feet. Personally, I use an aftermarket insole which is just a preference - there is plenty of arch support built into this boot. If I could change anything about the boot, it would be a softer compound rubber on the sole, Brown or tan leather upper, and maybe an inch taller. Otherwise this boot does a lot of things very well!

I usually wear size 11 and ordered 1/2 size up based on several reviews I read throughout various websites, just to make sure I ordered both a size 11 and a size 11.5 so that I could try both on. When I got the shoes I was somewhat puzzled because they both looked just about the same size wise, the 11.5 was just a tad larger but certainly not 1/2 size larger. I felt the same when I wore them to try them out, I hit the front of the shoes with my toes while standing when wearing the size 11, I did not hit the the front of the shoe in the 11.5 while just standing standing but I do hit it if I am walking briskly, I guess what I am trying to say is that it is not what I would have expected for an 11.5 shoe as it almost feels like I should have gone up to a size 12. If I could return the size 11.5 I would as these are pretty expensive and not having a perfect fit is quite disappointing. My advise is to order at least 1/2 size up and maybe even a full size up, one thing that might be contributing to the weird sizing is the fact that the shoes are pretty narrow towards the front, if you have wide or somewhat wide feet you will feel the tightness for sure. I give it 4 stars because the shoe is of excellent quality, if the sizing issues were not present I would have given it an easy 5 stars...

These boots are solid while being dry, comfortable and stable. Grip is outstanding. I live in CO and hiking trails out here you can encounter all types of terrain. I bought mid August and only wore them for two short hikes less than 5 miles before elk hunting season. Then hiked over 100 miles in a 14 day period. No blisters. Was hiking steep untrained terrain while side hilling. No issues. Had to retie show more than other boot but I figured this will be just during the break in period. They are a stiffer boot. Love the steel shank. Can step on a rock under forefoot and not be bothered even with a heavy pack. Awesome boots!

After receiving my shoes I discovered that while they were indeed new they may have been shipped previously or at least looked at by the seller. I could tell the packaging with the shoe had been open at some point. The only problem was that part of the fit system insole was missing. I contacted Salewa support and they were able to find and send me replacements free of charge. I could not be happier with their service. As for the shoes themselves, they are really nice. The quality is very good. While these resemble tennis shoes, make no mistake they are not. The soles are stiffer and more supportive for trail use. I like the narrow profile and unique appearance. The fit was spot on for my normal mens 10 sizing. I will likely buy more shoes from this brand.

These are amazing feeling boots. I wear them for work and I'm on concrete and in motion for virtually the whole eight to nine hour shift. Once I found the "right" socks to go with the boots, it was about as good as it gets. I really like the feel of Merrells (and that was what I wore before getting these Salewas), but I needed something a bit more rugged with a full leather upper to take the demands of work. This is my first experience with this brand and I can only say that so far I'm not disappointed with anything about this boot. The lacing is precise with no slippage and the feel is as good as it gets. I would recommend these boots to anyone looking for high a quality boot with a very good, snug but comfortable fit. I'm sure they're as dependable on the trail as they are on concrete.

Bought a bunch of equipment for a recent trip to New Zealand and these were probably the best purchase. They broke in quickly, are extremely durable and completely waterproof. Only time they got wet was when water came in through the top during stream crossings, hardly a design flaw. Tread is good on snow and the boots worked well with semiautomatic crampons. Would definitely recommend.

Dopo qualche mese di utilizzo sono molto soddisfatto di queste Salewa. Ho acquistato il mio numero abituale e la calzata è precisa e confortevole, la soletta è scomponibile a seconda della pianta del piede (o dello spessore delle calze che si indossa, come faccio io). La qualità delle finiture è assoluta. La prima volta che le ho indossate ho avuto la "brillante" idea di testarle in una camminata di 30 km, dei quali almeno 25 su asfalto: risultato, due enormi vesciche sotto il quinto dito...ma questa è stata una mia noncuranza, pertanto, il consiglio è quello di lasciare che la calzatura si adatti alla fisionomia del piede prima di sfruttarla a fondo. Nelle escursioni successive comunque non ho più avuto problemi di vesciche e ho potuto apprezzare la resistenza, la leggerezza, la comodità e la traspirabilità di queste calzature...e pure la rigidezza, che torna molto utile nei percorsi in cui è richiesta una certa precisione di camminata anche se penalizza inevitabilmente sui lunghi percorsi su fondi rigidi. Consiglio queste scarpe a tutti coloro che amano vivere la natura, anche se per chi è poco allenato, per l'utilizzo in montagna, consiglio delle calzature che proteggono la caviglia.

I ordered a 42 and got a 43. Blisters guaranteed. I love the boot but wearing something too big would feel like wearing clown shoes. Now i gotta pay to return something that is the seller's error. Nice service.

Ist bereits mein zweites Paar dieses Models. Das erste hatte ich noch im Einzelhandel erworben, aber mittlerweile führt kein Sport-/Outdoorfachhandel im Umkreis von 100 km mehr Salewa Schuhe. Aber jetzt zum Schuh: Design: Sehr schöne, technische Machart. Farbe (grün/schwarz) einfach nur gei... . Der Schuh macht einfach was her. Ganz anders als vergleichbare Modelle von Lowa, Meindl und Co. Passform: Eng geschnitten, durch die teilbare Einlegesohle aber gut anpassbar. Und vor allem, mit diesem Schuh noch keine Blasen gelaufen. Insbesondere der Fersenbereich, mein sensibler Punkt, bietet genügend Platz. Da reibt und drückt nichts. Trotzdem sitzt er fest, auch Dank des 3F Schnürsystems. Zur Größe kann ich sagen, dass sie normal ausfällt. Trage hier eine 45, genauso wie bei normalen Strassenschuhen. Sohle: Stabil, fest und komfortabel. Auch auf unebenem Geläuf wie grobem Schotter, Wurzeln und ähnliches, bietet der Salewa eine hohe Trittsicherheit und Traktion, ohne dabei umkomfortabel zu sein. Selbst längere Trails werden mit dem Schuh nicht zur Qual. Sonstiges: Bei meinem ersten Paar war nach ca einem dreiviertel Jahr die Wasserdichtigkeit nicht mehr gegeben. Bin mit den Schuhen aber wirklich auch viel gelaufen. Bis dato sicher um die 1000 Kilometer. Fazit: Ein fast perfekter Schuh, der absoluter Preis-Leistungssieger in der Klasse bis 160 Euro ist. Hab da einige andere Modelle schon zum Vergleich gehabt, u.a. von Lowa, Adidas, Salomon und Meindl.

Qualità e prezzo al top, gli stivali sono di ottima fattura, molto rigidi inizialmente ma dopo poco acquisiscono comodità, testati in acqua e nella neve ed in entrambe le situazioni si sono comportati egregiamente, tenendo al caldo e asciutti i piedi, molto apprezzata anche la soletta intercambiabile all’interno della scatola perfetta sé si usano delle calze più o meno spesse, anche la tenuta sui vari terreni è degna di nota, non mi hanno mai dato problemi ai piedi neppure appena comprate