GTX Civetta II - Men's

I've had a pair of Zamberlan Civettas for nearly 4 years now. I like them so much that I will have them re-soled when they finally wear out. I think I've put well over 500 miles of hiking on them and have been very happy. They work well with hinged crampons. Boots are a very personal choice and they must fit right for one to really like them. For me, the Zamberlan's are the ticket. I did't give them a 5-star rating only because I can not say that I have personal experence with every medium weight backpacking boot that is available. Maybe there is another that I'd like just as well or even better. I did give them a very strong 4-star rating and would suggest that they be considered if one is shopping for a well built boot.

I have had my Civettas for 2 years now. I used to twist my ankle quite frequently, but have not since I purchased these - probably due to the great ankle support of these all-leather boots. These are great boots for those doing a lot of off-trail hiking.



While I haven't experienced this, some people at work have complained that these boots tore up their feet. Only took a few days to break in for me, with no foot problems.

I`ve only had these boots for a little over a year but have hiked and climbed a lot of miles in them and without a doubt they are the BEST hiking boots I`ve ever had. They were my choice for climbing the mexican volcanoes on my recent trip.

They offer great fit right out of the box and very good ankle support; also, they required very little time to break in.

I have had these boots for about 2 years and have been fairly impressed. They are most definitely waterproof. I have hiked through heavy dew and been in some severe rainstorms in them and have not so much as gotten damp feet. In the summer, the leather/gore-tex outer allows my feet to breathe as well. The support is excellent and the sole is holding up very well after two years of rugged use.

The outsole around the toe of my Civettas began separating from the leather this summer during a hike in the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. They now allow water into the boot. I will probably buy new boots instead of resoling these since I am now using Superfeet insoles and need more volume in the boot. Five years before failure is acceptable to me for boots in this price range with the level of use I give them.

I've had a pair of women's Civettas for almost ten years. I've used them for everything from mushrooming in Santa Cruz in torrential downpours, post-holing up a Sierra peak in October and long hikes in the snow in December here in Tahoe. I've used Nikwax on them regularly and have never had a leak. The sole is getting fairly worn but these boots won't be in need of a resole for several more years.

The only reason I gave them four stars instead of five is because of the exposed Gore-Tex liner inside the boot. This liner has a few holes in the heel area now, which makes my heels sore if I'm hiking in warm weather with thin socks. I'm not sure how this could be fixed. A synthetic liner over the Gore-Tex could have prevented this problem. I'd like to know if newer models of this boot have a different kind of liner.