Arctis Expe

If you're looking for warm and comfortable plastic boots, these boots will give anything out there a run for its' money. I have stood around in 0 degree temps on belay for 2 hours in the snow, with no overboots or anything, and my feet were still warm. The uppers flex fairly well for walking, and the rockered sole helps them to not feel like you're walking in ski boots when on hard surfaces. Occasionally the inner boot pinches the inside of my ankle, but that's because I have flat feet, and one foot seems to pronate in more than the other one (the pronated one is where I sometimes have the problems).....for those with "normal" feet, you shouldn't have a problem at all. I keep hearing about "shin bang" in plastic boots, but have used nothing except Koflachs....and have never experienced it. They hold the step-in binding crampons very well, and the Vibram sole is excellent. All in all, an extremely warm and comfortable boot, capable of anything from high altitude climbing, ice climbing, winter camping, etc.

Excellent boot. Very lightweight. Easily broken in. My first pair lasted me 12 years with only one resole. My feet are always warm in these. I did upgrade the liners just to be sure but the ones that come with the boot are OK. They (the liners) do tend to crack and split at the top of the ankle support. Duck tape is useful here.

I just bought these boots for a trip to Antarctica. I tend to get cold feet and wanted the warmest thing on the market. First time out, the boots were surprisingly comfortable,and very warm. I took them on a training climb of a local 13,000 foot peak during a storm that was pelleting us with snow and 40-50 mph winds. My feet never even felt chilled. I did develop a "hot spot" that had to be repaired with Compeed, and that may continue. The only drawback to these boots is that, like all mountaineering boots, they are made for men. This means that the top of the boot hits the leg at a different place on women than it does on men. I felt that the liner was digging into the back of my calf (on men the calf breaks higher up apparently). This could be fixed with a custom liner but then why buy the Arctis's, it would be better to go with the cheaper Degre.

Great Boots. I used them for the first time on Mount Rainier and they didn't even give me one blister. Great liners kept my feet dry and warm the whole time. Easy to clean. Just remove liners and throw into the wash. Definitey recommend to anyone who is doing a lot of high altitude or alpine mountaineering. Definitely worth the money.

Great boot. I spent two days on Mt. Hood with these boots. My feet were comfortable and warm the entire time. I basically took these boots right out of the box for this trip. So, to say that they break in easily is an understatement. The inner boot made for a nice boot by itself for around camp use. There is no need to pack a pair of booties when you have these.

Had mine for four years and love 'em. The first time out, my shins were rubbed raw but since then they have proved warm and comfortable.

Other more experienced mountaineerers have reviewed this boot. My addition is to point out that it works well in combination with a short approach ski (130cm Hagan Tour Extreme and Silvretta 500 binding, see other reviews), making a light weight backcountry ski set with easy ascents and not too wobbly descents.

I got mine one sale hence do not know what year model (they are screaming green). First trip was an 18 hour round trip ascent of Barre des Ecrins (2500 vertical meters up, then down) - not the tiniest little blister!

Have used them confortably in temperatures from -15C to +20C and have been warm but not hot. Have not tried extreme cold, but guess that -25C would be the lower limit, considering that I can only fit a standard hiking sock into them. Chosen slightly larger with dual socks, I think they would work down to very low temperatures.

For ice-climbing, they are warm and comfortably, but does not give as much feeling and control as leather boots.

Walking on rock, they are a bit clumsy and definately not as good as leather boots. But if the route is dominantly snow and glacier with crampons, I choose these carrying some light running or approach shoe for the lower parts of the mountain.

I have used them for two years with no signs of wear, but they are probably not as long lasting as leather boots. Overall, I am very happy with these boots.

I love these boots. Comfortable (at least as far as plastic boots go) and warm. Worth the extra money over the Degrees especially if you are going high.

I am using this boots now for several years and I am fully satisfied with them. With their special inners, they might cost something, but it's one of the few products which keeps your toes sane in Asian mountaineering

I used these boots on Denali with smart wool socks and forty below overboots. I was toasty warm the whole trip. I didn't use the foot warmers that I carried with me. No reason to try other boots. I did find that at -25F it was a little hard to fit the liner into the shell. By the end of the trip it was much easier. A little pricey but what are your toes worth?

After renting boots from various outlets and suffereing due to my wide feet I finally opted to buy a pair and have them blown out. I have a EEE foot width (very wide) and opted for these boots because of reputation and past experience. Unfortunately I was unable to find a qualified boot fitter who would try to work with Koflach's the bonded plastic shell. This is a fairly high volume boot, but if you have wide feet and need the boot blown out, be sure to find someone who is willing to work with them.

The Arctis Expe is a remarkably comfortable boot for moutaineering. The sole is rigid and great with crampons, evening extended front pointing. Yet, I can hike a 30-mile approach in them without blisters.



The line is a significant shortcoming. First, they aren't warm enough. Second, they are hard to get in and out of the boot, partly because of the distinct heel on the liner. Lastly, they don't last very long. Find a used pair and put the money you saved into a good custom liner.

This is a benchmark boot. Too much boot if you will only be climbing in the lower 48. They're great in extreme cold (-40) my feet stayed warm, the rest of me froze. They're a bit more expensive than my scarpas, but at $35.50 per toe, it's not a bad choice for a serious high altitude climber.



These boots are very comfortable and light considering their warmth. Going high, you will love this boot.

I loved the way the boots fit. I have wide feet and can reccommend this boot.

Very warm.

The draw back here is the proce of the liners. I think they should be priced a little lower to compensate for the expensive boot.

WOW, these are the warmest boots that I have ever climbed in. I have used them once so far asince i just got them... but I used them on the coldest climb that I have been on so far. Very warm, the wind was blowing at least at 40 miles per hour setady and my feet were warm. Comfertable too extermemely comfortable. My feet became uncomfortable after 7 hours of climbing... The ultimate boot.





The only drawback would be the laces being too short.

These are the best mountaineering boots on the market. They are very warm in the coldest of temperatures. I however would recommend replacing the stock insoles they are cheap and uncomfortable. Replace them with the Ed Viesturs SOLE custom insoles instead they will reduce blisters and make the boots more comfortable overall.

These boots have treated me great during the three trips I've made above 17k feet. I've also used them on Rainier and a few other glaciated peaks in the lower 48, while they work great on lower peaks they are probably overkill unless you expect sub-zero F temperatures. I've never had a problem with blisters or other feet ailments with these, despite the fact that my feet are notoriously prone to blisters and hot spots.

The boots are very warm and comfortable, but also very heavy. On hindsight, I think a pair of less expensive plastic boots with a custom liner would be just as warm and comfortable, but lighter. The boots are also a bit clumsy to put on and take off, as others have mentioned.

I like that the boot liner has a sole that allows you to walk around base camp without the plastic shell. I do that sparingly though as I don't want to wear it out.

I tried them on for the first time on a hike today and i have nothing but good things to say about them, warm and actually comfortable. I bought 11uk size... Im a 11us shoe... They gave me room to kick steps with big socks. Even braking them in wasnt to bad