Gear Guide 2012: Mammut Teton GTX Boot
This affordable, all-purpose boot provides a great fit and can handle all seasons and conditions.
[all-purpose favorite]
If you want one affordable boot for all seasons and conditions, check out the Teton. A tester who wore it for a full year’s worth of trips, including a trek up snowy Mt. Shasta and a summer hike along the PCT, reports that the Gore-Tex-lined boot kept his feet comfortable and protected through it all. “My feet stayed dry and warm when hiking through deep snow on Mt. Shasta,” he says. “But they didn’t get sweaty during rainy summer days in the 70s, either.”
The upper is made of suede and Cordura that keep the Teton flexible and relatively light, but proved plenty tough when exploring off-trail in the Grand Canyon. A Vibram outsole has deep, sharp-edged lugs that were exceptionally grippy on packed snow, scree, wet rock, and mud. Fit was universally excellent: Testers with both low- and high-volume feet liked the snug-but-not-cramped shape of the Teton. The toe/forefoot area is tapered, not boxy like some burly boots, so it doesn’t feel clumsy when maneuvering off-trail. $159; 3 lbs. 4 oz.; m’s 7.5-14, w’s 5-10.5; mammut.ch