Consumer Reports

The La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX easily pulled ahead in our tests. Though it is the heaviest boot in the review, it has the highest climbing performance of any of the boots. It is a beefy, durable boot that is insulated and fully waterproof with a full leather upper and metal lace grommets. It has the most sophisticated lacing system of the boots we evaluated, allowing the wearer to customize tightness and fit, while providing excellent heel-lock for steep ice climbing and front-pointing. This boot performs for ice climbing, mixed climbing, and mountaineering.

Switchback Travel

La Sportiva’s Nepal line has been the standard-bearer for technical single mountaineering boots for nearly two decades. There have been several iterations over the years, but the concept has stayed largely the same: a durable leather boot that excels across the spectrum of mountaineering. These boots have kept guides’ feet warm on Mount Rainer, are more than sufficient for all but the coldest days of kicking up dry ice in the Northeast, and should perform just fine on late April and May trips to the lower peaks in the Alaska Range. You can even bust out a few rock moves when needed thanks to the rubber toe.

The Cube GTX retains the classic Nepal Evo’s technicality and jack-of-all-trades prowess, but with a few notable differences. For one, we love the addition of a removable tongue, which can be moved up or down (or even removed entirely) to add padding or make more space. Secondly, the Cube comes in at 8 ounces lighter for the pair, which—while certainly a bonus over long slogs—results in less durability in the sole and midsole. If durability or cost is your most important consideration, we would instead recommend the Nepal Evo ($525, 4 pounds 7.4 ounces) or Scarpa Mont Blanc Pro GTX below ($579, 3 pounds 15.5 ounces). Otherwise, the Nepal Cube GTX will give you the warmth and support you need in a premium, time-tested package.See the Men's La Sportiva Nepal Cube  See the Women's La Sportiva Nepal Cube

OutdoorGearLab

The La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX easily pulled ahead in our tests. Though it is the heaviest boot in the review, it has the highest climbing performance of any of the boots. It is a beefy, durable boot that is insulated and fully waterproof with a full leather upper and metal lace grommets. It has the most sophisticated lacing system of the boots we evaluated, allowing the wearer to customize tightness and fit, while providing excellent heel-lock for steep ice climbing and front-pointing. This boot performs for ice climbing, mixed climbing, and mountaineering.
Read more: La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX - Women's review

Best for Most

amazon.com

bazaarvoice

yotpo

expert-review

Review: La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX - Black Sheep Adventure Sports

REVIEW: La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX Boots

The Asolo Eiger XT Evo GV is a category-bending boot. It has what we expect from a super-gaiter boot: it climbs ice, rock, and snow well, is reasonably warm, and protects our feet from the elements. The surprising thing about it is the weight; it's approaching that of a three-season mountain boot.
However, it's not perfect. The lacing system is really simple, but it lacks a lace lock, so you can't isolate the lace tension in your forefoot from your heel/ankle. The gaiter zipper isn't waterproof, which slightly reduces the waterline. It's also not quite as warm as other models, though only cold-footed climbers out in the depth of winter might notice. Nevertheless, this is our favorite mountain boot, and the pair our testers reached for on hard climbs.
Read more: Asolo Eiger XT Evo GV review

Upgrade Pick

powerreviews

Summer OR 2019: Winter Climbing Gear - Black Sheep Adventure Sports

La Sportiva's Trango Alp is a very durable summer mountaineering boot. It is made of mostly leather, which improves its durability, and also adds a little bit of warmth to an otherwise un-insulated summer mountaineering boot. This may be a pro or a con depending on your uses, but we loved it for the ability to stretch the summer season and use a lighter pair of boots for more of the year. The leather also provides a supple, natural feel when hiking and climbing, flexing smoothly with every move, and a comfortable toe box ensures more comfort on the trail. The partial shank guarantees excellent smearing and edging on alpine rock routes, by allowing the toe to flex, which increases dexterity and improves confidence in your footwork. 
The Alp is not optimized for snow, however, and is not designed at all for ice climbing. It has a rounded toe, so it cannot be used with step-in ice climbing boots that have a metal toe bail. &#40;This smooth, rounded toe makes it much better for rock climbing&#41;. The partial shank also means it is not as easy to kick flat steps in steep snow—but gives it some forward rocker to make hiking and scrambling much more fluid. The leather also adds a little weight when compared to the Trango Cubes. We felt this was well worth it, overall, due to the improved comfort and climbing dexterity of a leather boot, as well as the excellent durability.

La Sportiva's Trango Alp is a very durable summer mountaineering boot. It is made of mostly leather, which improves its durability, and also adds a little bit of warmth to an otherwise un-insulated summer mountaineering boot. This may be a pro or a con depending on your uses, but we loved it for the ability to stretch the summer season and use a lighter pair of boots for more of the year. The leather also provides a supple, natural feel when hiking and climbing, flexing smoothly with every move, and a comfortable toe box ensures more comfort on the trail. The partial shank guarantees excellent smearing and edging on alpine rock routes, by allowing the toe to flex, which increases dexterity and improves confidence in your footwork. 
The Alp is not optimized for snow, however, and is not designed at all for ice climbing. It has a rounded toe, so it cannot be used with step-in ice climbing boots that have a metal toe bail. &#40;This smooth, rounded toe makes it much better for rock climbing&#41;. The partial shank also means it is not as easy to kick flat steps in steep snow—but gives it some forward rocker to make hiking and scrambling much more fluid. The leather also adds a little weight when compared to the Trango Cubes. We felt this was well worth it, overall, due to the improved comfort and climbing dexterity of a leather boot, as well as the excellent durability.
Read more: La Sportiva Trango Alp - Women's review

Budget Pick

Review: La Sportiva Trango Tower Boots - Black Sheep Adventure Sports

La Sportiva Trango Alp Evo GTX (w)

Switchback Travel | La Sportiva Trango Tech GTX Review

La Sportiva Trango Alp Evo Gore-Tex

Mountaineering boots get better every year, and the models in this review are a testament to that. Even though the La Sportiva Trango Tower Extreme GTX scores squarely in the middle of our group, it is still a great boot. Its low price and weight caught our eye. We loved it on the approach and for climbing technical rock with and without crampons. It sports a simple and secure lacing system. The fact that it's not as heavily insulated as the competition gives it some year-round versatility.
Most climbers will find the boot warm enough in the winter, but it's not the warmest. While the ankle flexibility was great for some terrain, our testers missed it on sustained steep ice. This is an excellent boot for the warm-footed on fast and light climbs or for spring, summer, and fall alpinists who need full shank performance. 
Read more: La Sportiva Trango Tower Extreme GTX review

Though not ideal for vertical ice climbing, the La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX is a top-notch, three-season alpine boot that excels at hiking and rock climbing. It is incredibly lightweight and nimble, allowing the climber to move light and fast over snowy and rocky terrain. Footwear is arguably the best place to focus on going lightweight—just think of how many times you lift each foot en route to the summit, and suddenly shaving a few ounces becomes a much, much more significant savings.
The Cube is a lightweight specialist, however, which comes at a cost to durability. That makes it a great "sending" boot for your fast-and-light missions, but it might not be your best choice for regular trips in rugged terrain. If you have a quiver of boots, however, this one will be beloved for its lightweight, tennis-shoe-like feel, and your body will thank you at the end of a long day. 

Though not ideal for vertical ice climbing, the La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX is a top-notch, three-season alpine boot that excels at hiking and rock climbing. It is incredibly lightweight and nimble, allowing the climber to move light and fast over snowy and rocky terrain. Footwear is arguably the best place to focus on going lightweight—just think of how many times you lift each foot en route to the summit, and suddenly shaving a few ounces becomes a much, much more significant savings.
The Cube is a lightweight specialist, however, which comes at a cost to durability. That makes it a great "sending" boot for your fast-and-light missions, but it might not be your best choice for regular trips in rugged terrain. If you have a quiver of boots, however, this one will be beloved for its lightweight, tennis-shoe-like feel, and your body will thank you at the end of a long day. 
Read more: La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX - Women's review

Mountaineering Boot Comparison