Scarpa Delta GTX Activ Review

© Dan Bailey

Ah, my boots – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Thou art more comfy than a slipper and much warmer than a wellie. You keep my feet so cosy and never let them get too smelly. Your Vibram soles are rugged and help me cling to slippy rock. Your Activfit insoles lift arches and protect the toes from shock. Footroom can be roomy but this doesn’t cause a rub. And the ‘heel tension system’ holds my ankle sure and snug. Best of all when wading through deep and icy water – The Gore-Tex lining meant I stayed dry and did not falter!

Okay so seriously, I really like the Scarpa Delta Activ. These are very sturdy, well-made, all-leather, three-season boots, and yet they still manage to feel light on the foot. I've used them in all weathers for several months now, and I've yet to find anything much to criticise. Yes £200 seems a lot to pay, but that's nowadays pretty standard for quality boots. 

Robust all-leather construction  © Dan Bailey
Robust all-leather construction
© Dan Bailey

Uppers

The other day I genuinely did wade through a huge flood of icy meltwater that lapped at the top of my boots, and while my partner’s toes got drenched mine stayed miraculously, and thankfully, dry. The calf leather upper helps in this regard, good thick leather that shrugs off the water, with a minimum of stitching that could leak or degrade over time. Backing this up is a waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex lining. I'd almost say that was redundant given the quality of the leather and workmanship, but over the course of a long wet day it's still nice to have. Down at the front a small rubber rand protects the uppers from the worst of any scuffing, and also helps to guard your toes from rocks. The soft nubuck of the tongue and cuff feels very luxurious, while the modest padding on the inside helps both to keep your feet in place and, I reckon, provides a little extra insulation. These boots have been out with me for most of the winter, and I've yet to suffer cold toes in them - something I'm no stranger to normally. I guess if we do have a heatwave in Scotland this year (anything above 20 degrees counts) I might be cursing their warmth, but then that's the sort of weather that trail shoes were made for. 

My feet were about the only bit of me that was warm  © Dan Bailey
My feet were about the only bit of me that was warm
© Dan Bailey

Fit and comfort

I normally wear my own insoles for extra arch support, but having checked out the Activfit Sockliners (aka insoles) that come with the boots I thought I would give them a chance. I haven’t regretted it: The Sockliners have a good light level of heel and arch support backed up by something called a Viscoflex ‘memory foam’ cushioned toe area. Normally if I don’t use my special insoles I come down from the hills with very sore front feet – but not with these.

I can also struggle to find boots with both a narrow enough heel and a wide enough toe for my foot shape. For me the Delta GTX Active is spot on here, with plenty of space at the front. At first I worried that my foot was free to move a little more than I would like, however that didn’t seem to cause any discomfort or rubbing. To be fair to the boot it may also have been because they were still relatively new. Now they've been broken in for a few months and the leather has softened in the right places I can get a closer fit when lacing them up. 

The Delta boast something called a ‘heel tension system’, and while I'm not sure of the mechanics behind it this does provide a comfortable but firm level of heel support so that you feel very well ‘held’ in the boot. The ankle cuff is medium-high, I'd say, giving a good level of anti-spraining support without hindering flex too much. I doubt I'd want a higher-cut boot than this.

Sturdy enough for year-round use, minus crampons  © Dan Bailey
Sturdy enough for year-round use, minus crampons
© Dan Bailey

Soles

The Vibram biometric sole is good and stiff without feeling clumpy, so there's plenty of support for your feet on uneven terrain and long days out. The sole gives a really nice roll to the foot when you are striding along and has a solid base and deep grip for when tackling rougher ground. Mud, snow, slippy wet grass - it's all good. If you're venturing above the snow line on hillwalking ground then the Delta GTX would take a flexible strap-on crampon at a pinch. However winter mountaineering is well beyond its sensible limit, so I'd use these boots only on winter hill routes without too much steep ground. This is technically only a three-season model after all, though its deep tread has proved more than adequate on easier snowy walks. Come the summer (nearly there now - whoopee) I'll be hapily scrambling in these boots - the stiff soles hold a rock edge really well.

Chunky tread for wet and slippy ground, mud and snow  © Pegs Bailey
Chunky tread for wet and slippy ground, mud and snow
© Pegs Bailey
  

Summary

While two hundred pounds does seem a lot to spend on a boot, you are clearly getting top-notch footwear for your money. Supportive without being too heavy, the Scarpa Delta GTX Active are excellent all-round walking boots that'll do you year-round for all hillwalking below the crampon level. We are already firm friends, and with their obvious build quality I'd hope to share many more happy days on the hills with them.

Scarpa Delta GTX product shot  © Scarpa

Weight: 1466g / pair (size 42, my weight)

Sizes: 37-42 Women's 41-48 Men's

Scarpa say:

"The delta is a full leather 3 season boot which boasts Scarpas Activ fit technology to provide continual optimum comfort and performance."

"Combining four elements; last, sole, ergonomic design and footbed, ActivFit provides a new level of instant, out of the box comfort and performance. Built on the superb new BD last the foot will stay continually supported and secure, aided by the new auto fit foam inserts in the heel area. Underfoot the Biometric sole provides the state of the art in sole technology, featuring dual density PU, produced in a highly scientific environment to maintain the highest performance and quality standards from the material. The midsole is reinforced with an additional moulded thermo plastic shank (TPU) and finished with the Vibram outsole."

For more info see www.scarpa.co.uk

 



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