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The author leads the crux pitch of ‘Polar Circus’ (WI 5; 700m), Canadian Rockies, wearing the new La Sportiva G-Summit boot. (Photo: Anthony Walsh)
Myself and two testers (one with an “average-width” foot, the other with a wider foot) spent all of last winter putting La Sportiva’s new G-Summit boot through absolute misery —including on Carlsberg Column (WI5; 90m), High Five (WI5+; 200m), Nasty Habit (WI4 M7; 180m) and Polar Circus (WI5; 700m) in the Canadian Rockies; and Juvsøyla (WI5/6) and Not only a Nice Guy (M7) in Rjukan, Norway. Between the three of us, we climbed roughly 20,000 feet in our boots, hitting altitudes of 10,000 feet in temps that bottomed out around –40°F with 40 mph winds. What is so remarkable about the G-Summits is that, despite all three testers having notably different shaped feet, all of us raved about the boot’s comfort.
How does that happen?
La Sportiva G-Summit design
The G-Summit gets the rare distinction of being both a single and a double boot. Depending on the temperature and how warm of a person you are, you can wear the boot shell with a stock 5mm thermal insole, or you can remove it and wear a 3mm inner boot instead. The G-Summit’s BOA system has a big range—much larger than other BOA boots I’ve tried—in order to achieve a snug fit at both of these notably different volumes. Plus, the G-Summit, unlike the G2, shrinks equally in the smaller sizes; the length is shorter, but the boot gets narrower, too. (If this feels like it should be common practice in boots sized 37, trust me, I agree with you.) Both of these traits conspire to make a boot with a fantastic range, suited for narrow and wide-ish footed alike. And for climbers with narrow, low-volume feet like me, the G-Summit is the only boot I don’t experience heel-lift in. Life changing.
Since I’ve been so preoccupied with finding a boot that simply fits me, I didn’t—until now—know the joys of a BOA tightening system. Boots feel a little baggy mid-pitch? Quick tighten. No blood circulation once you get to the belay? One click open and they immediately loosen. Despite thousand-meter front-pointing sessions, overhanging mixed climbing, and multi-day alpine approaches, none of our testers reported any blisters. And thanks to the boot’s slim liner and featherlight weight (830 grams per size-42 boot), we all agreed the G-Summit climbs more like a svelte single boot than the double it really is.
I found the G-Summit’s single-or-double design especially useful on approaches. Often I’d swap the liner sock for the insole (or even a supportive orthotic) to provide a less-warm option for sweaty hikes uphill, then put the liner sock back on once I knew I’d be standing around for freezing cold belays.
Warmth wise, the G-Summit is more insulated than La Sportiva’s G-Tech single boot, yet not as warm as Sportiva’s G2 or Scarpa’s Phantom 6000. The G-Summit is ideal for the Canadian Rockies or the Northeast in deep winter, or warmer months in Alaska.
Durability
Durability wise, after a ton of use, the G-Summit suffered minor wear and tear: a bit of rand peeling, a tiny crack in the toe-cap, and some scuffing where stiff plastic met rock. For a $929 boot, it’s worth mentioning, but no part of the G-Summit came even remotely close to failure. (I’d also like to see the boot that weathers 10,000 vertical feet of rough mountain terrain and comes out unscathed.) The sticky rand is excellent—one tester took full advantage in a crucial heel-toe cam in a flaring M7 crack. The lugs even survived long limestone approaches in early season without getting chewed up.
One caution: the external BOA can be a weak point while hiking through boulder fields. Ours never broke, and they are replaceable, but if you do break one off—as one tester did in an old pair of La Sportiva G5s—they are too finicky to replace on the side of a mountain. If that makes you nervous, you might prefer the lace-up system on the Scarpa Phantoms.
My only gripe? The inner boot has no pull tab, which is mildly infuriating with frozen fingers—though not enough to be a dealbreaker. I’ve opted to sew one on, which hasn’t given me pressure points or blisters.
The bottom line
If you prioritize warmth, comfort, and performance on steep ice and mixed ground, the G-Summit is absolutely worth a look—especially if you have lower-volume feet. The boot is expensive, and not indestructible, but it has the best blend of precision, warmth, and fit I’ve found.
The G-Summit is currently out of stock at most North American retailers. We’ll include a link where to buy when the boot is back in stock at the end of December.
