UKH

I've been given a 'birthday pass' for hitting a significant age and decided to try Peak Lenin before getting onto the other Snow Leopard peaks. Currently reassessing what gear I have that can be used as most of it's spent years in the cupboard (not from want but lack of opportunity).  While things like jackets & trousers etc. can pretty well be bought mail order, boots obviously cannot. 

I'm looking at the La Sportiva G2 SM or the Scarpa Phantom 8000m boots.  The big issue is that there's no shop within several 000kms where I can actually try them out - flying back to the UK to size a pair of boots isn't in the 'birthday pass' .

I take a standard size 8.5/42.5 shoe. I have a pair of Scarpa 6000's size 44, which were really comfortable back in 2014(!)  so my question is would a direct change of Scarpa boot work i.e. size 44 6000's to size 44 8000's? Is the volume the same?  If I went for the La Sportiva's what is the size and volume difference between those and the Scarpa 8000's.  The RocknRun boot sizer would give me size 8 i.e. EU 42 which would match the current conversion and sizing for the 6000's.

So do I go for size 44 in either the 8000's or G2's?

Thanks

For what it's worth (very little...) I've been buying Scarpa size 42 since ~1992 and found them totally consistent in size. 

Mantas in 1992, which I did try on (and still use day to day although they're far past mountaineering.) Cerro Torres later in that decade, tried them on. Pair of ski touring boots in the early 2000s, tried them on. Since then, a B2 replacement for the Mantas and a couple of pairs of those suede climber-style Mojito-things. The B2 things and the Mojitos, no tryon, they just fitted off the shelf/internet. 

I'm actually in the market for a B3 replacement for the CTs (long story, nothing wrong with the boot) and again, I'll buy size 42 and am 98% confident it'll just work untested. So if it were me I'd be confident to buy the boot in the specification/size that I need. 

People who know more about footwear than me say that Scarpa changed their last sometime in that period, but I haven't seen it affect sizing. Hence, I know nothing about Sportiva. 

Good luck. Nice hill. I'm jealous, Tajikistan was a bit fighty when I was frequenting those sorts of places. 

Y

Scarpas tend to be consistently sized across different models in my experience. I'm always a 45.5 in their mountain boots, which is annoying when it comes to their approach and running shoes that don't always come in half sizes.

La Sportiva european sizes do not correlate with UK sizes i.e. a 46 is a 11.5 rather than an 11. I take a 46 in a G2SM i.e. half a size up from what I take in a Scarpa. However, the fit between the Scarpa 6000 and the G2SM is very different.

I use all Sportiva as Scarpa is too short/wide for my foot. ie. Sportiva 47 is just right, Scarpa 47 is too short, a Scarpa 48 is too sloppy wide, if available at all.

I used Spantiks on Peak Lenin, I don't normally get cold feet (though I used OlyMons on all my Antarctic expeds)  and tbh on summit morning just above high camp (6300m?) my feet were a bit cold. I had to stop and warm one up at about 6600m. After that they were fine to the summit and down. 

If I was planning to do Pobeda and Communism I'd opt for 8000m boots, just for peace of mind, and because the normal routes are not technical. Sportiva G2 would be my choice for other, lower things.

I used Lowa 6000 Evo RDs on Lenin Peak whenever going above Camp 1. My feet were warm and toasty for the whole exped, even on summit morning when a fierce wind was blowing. My fingers were not so happy - definitely invest in some good mitts!