La Sportiva Eco 4.0 Review

Likes
We like the La Sportiva Eco because it is exceptionally light and yet offers support comparable to much heavier boots. While not as comfortable as some others, it still was among the more comfortable of those tested. It has a decent lacing system, although getting a really snug fit is difficult and often uncomfortable. The tread pattern really excelled at gripping wet rock, which made it useful for canoe tripping and snowy approaches.

The La Sportiva Eco has an unusually large toe box that makes it rather awkward to wear at first. You feel like a Labrador puppy, feet too big for the rest of your body. It's a real pain on root-choked trails or talus hops but we discovered that the extra surface area is a boon on ice-crusted snow. At times it can make the difference between post-holing and walking.

Dislikes
The La Sportiva Eco really suffers when it gets wet. The material becomes supple and flaccid. It provides nearly no support. So while it may grip well on wet rock or glide over ice-crusted snow, it doesn't really matter if the boot itself is as limp as a Bizkit.

As for durability, the La Sportiva Eco did well, but not spectacularly. There were no critical failures but the toe rubber delaminated and a rivet was torn out. The boot remained waterproof, however.

Best Application
The La Sportiva performed well at all basic, mild-weather hiking-type activities. It does not do well at either end of the temperature spectrum, or when wet, or with particularly heavy loads. But as an all-arounder, it does very well for itself. We recommend it for just that the happy place between the extremes, the average, the middle of the bell curve. Keep it on moderate trails in moderate climes. This is an Aristotelian example if we've ever tested one.

Value
At around $150 the Eco is a much cheaper, more durable, and all-around better performing alternative to the Scarpa Kailash. In our Heavy category, it earned our Best Buy award.