Earlier this year I attended a military mountaineering seminar. One of the issues mentioned was the lack of specialized mountain and ski boots for military applications. Then, at OR just a few weeks ago, I was introduced to some folks at Scarpa who have been building specialized footwear for various international military units.
The SCARPA Defender is an alpine touring boot based on the F1 concept and designed for the demands of high-mountain skiing and climbing. The Defender features a shell, cuff, and tongue made from 100% Pebax, a high performance thermoplastic elastomer. It also incorporates a Tour Lite Tech (TLT) binding system, and uses a Cordura liner. Available in Euro sizes 41-47, the Defender’s product code is 12156/551-Blk-(size). Last but not least, notice the color scheme.
Tags: SCARPA
What the hell is wrong with our beloved Mickey Mouse boots??????
I kid, I kid.
Weired that they would release this when they have the all black 10th group branded Mastrale, which is about a million times better than a rebranded F1 with a shit liner.
Agreed. A Cordura liner? So instead of an awesome Intuition heat mold liner they cheaped out with a tactical buzzword.
I tested the F1 at a couple Ski-Mo races last year and it was only AT boot that has ever given me blisters. I hope this thing stays on the shelves where it belongs.
This isn’t the only thing you’ll see from them. The F1s available right now are over run from a recent international sale. The fact remains that Scarpa is willing to run military variants of their boots.
At the risk of sounding like a complete moron. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with skis and the associated paraphernalia. It looks to me that Scarpa has made a great downhill boot but I would like to reserve judgement on the “military” application claim. Just my 2 cents worth….
Yeah, it looks pretty much like the rentals the resorts put the new guys in. They help get you down the mountain in one piece if you don’t have much in the way of skill yet, but they’re hell to walk in for any amount of time, much less to climb in under a ruck.
This is not F1 but F3 based boots. They have it also in black. Another military Scarpa model is Maestrale in grey or black.