Scarpa Kailash Review

Likes
These boots are great for all the same reasons they were in 2008. They are light, comfortable, and supportive. As with most synthetic boots, there is nearly no break-in period. They are as waterproof as a rubber glove.
A commonly named favorite feature of the Kailash is the heel cup, which is said to eliminate blisters and hot spots. While this is true, it certainly isn't unique of the Kailash. None of the boots we tested gave us blisters. It seems that in the intervening years since the Kailash's debut and initial success, other boot manufacturers have updated their technology.


Dislikes
We devised a devious durability test for this review, one that involved six weeks of continuous wilderness canoe tripping. Canoe trips are notorious for destroying boots, and it's not uncommon to go through several pairs of boots in a single summer, so we were duly impressed when the Kailash lasted four full weeks intact. But then one seam near the ball of the toe blew, and a few more followed, as documented in the pictures above. (The all-leather boots and the La Sportiva eco managed to make it through the entire summer, and then a few months of park ranger-ing, with only aesthetic damage.)