SCARPAFuego Hiking Boots for Mountaineering and Wildland Firefighting

Gnarly, Stiff, Quality: three words that summarize my first impression of these boots. I had been watching them for a while, waiting for a sale. Then I saw a pair of 46.5s used in good condition for $150 and I jumped. I would normally wear a 46, but I followed the advice in many reviews and went a half size bigger. Glad I did too , and not just for the $100 savings in the used boot. I also have a pair of Scarpa Mid GTX approach boots which I bought in 46, and I can see how the extra 1/2 size would have helped. So I am glad I upsized with these Fuegos.Gnarly: these kicks just look as though they are gonna' attack and eat whatever gets in their way. There is amazing padding in the tongue and around the ankles. Despite going up a half size to 12 1/2, these boots don't look like clown shoes.Because the entire boot is so beefy, the extra length seems unnoticeable.Stiff: like many reviews say, you can't bend them by hand. I mean you can, but it is hard. I stand on ledges, branches and other narrow footholds when snapping photos and am confident this stiffness will reduce fatigue and pain from extended standing on 'rung like' surfaces.Quality: these boots veritably SCREAM quality. Stitching is flawless. The suede uppers feel luxurious and durable, the lining strong and comfortable. As with my Scarpa GTX mids, the Fuego's insole is basically an unpadded liner. If you want a cushy footbed, buy an insole. The hardware through which the laces pass is quality too....no sharp edges to cut hurried, searching fingers in the dark.To sum up, these boots are up for any challenge, are built like a tank, stiff as a board (a good thang) and look as though they will outlast me. Buy a half size up on sale for $100 off and you too will be writing glowing reviews of these fine, fine boots.UPDATE: Went for an off trail photo hike today along the steep slopes of a burn recovering costal canyon. I've been wearing Bates and Bellville for years, but these Fuegos are a whole different class. Outstanding! They will take time to break in, but the inherent stiffness of the Scarpas makes brush busting easy.

I switched from some old logger style boots to these Scarpa boots. I wear a 9 to 9 1/2 in most boots and I went with 9 1/2. I'm glad I did. The boots fit perfectly for rough terrain and heavy loads backpacking and hunting. They are a stiff boot out of the box. Much more than any boot I have worn before. They are feeling a bit more like a normal boot but I am loving the support they offer. If you are not used to the mountaineering type boot the "ski boot" feel might be a little strange at first but you get used to it and they soften up a bit as you break them in. I wore mine on a few elk hunts and mule deer hunts right out of the box. No hot spots or blisters. If your thinking of some boots for backpacking, hunting or any sort of rugged wilderness work, these boots will probably work great.

Love the Scarpa fuego! Super comfortable and solid construction and quality which I have come to expect from Scarpa. I've been in wildland for 18 years and I will never use a logger boot again. Highly recommended for anyone looking to try something different than a traditional logger style. Overall no break in period for comfort, but give them 4-6 weeks to unstiffen Overall. These do have a stiff feel at first but still comfortable out of box, first hike no discomfort or hot spots at all. I do recommend going up a half size too. I would say true to size but if you're like most all wildland hikers you need that little bit extra for the downhills. Best boot and good price considering the high price for loggers now a day. I also died mine black and it held up so far, 10 PT hikes, and 4 fires.

These shoes are made with excellent materials. They are very solidly made. I did have to return the first set I ordered, because they were size 11 which I wear, but they were just way too tight. So I upped the size to 12 1/2, and these fit my feet perfectly. I had zero trouble making the boot exchange with Amazon. The first set of boots came in about four weeks after I ordered them. I sent them back, and the new set was delivered in less than 10 days. These boots are very firm around the ankle and foot . I have not worn these through the winter yet, and that is the main reason I bought them. I do a lot of outside work on snow shoes, and I thought these would work well. I will have to update this review after the snow starts falling and I have to switch to snow shoes.

I've worn these boots every day/all day at work, all summer and into September and October at the time of this review. The width seems perfect and the toe box is shaped perfectly although the toe area seems about a half size to short. Perfect for flat ground but a toe jammer on the down-slope. The fit is quite "snug" in the instep which is great for preventing your foot from sliding forward when going down hill. The cushioning of the insole (I'm not sure there even is an insole) seems almost non-existent and I'd recommend not buying these boots without first putting your favorite insole in them during the fitting. Break-in wasn't bad with little or no hot spots to speak of. These are stiff boots all the way around and have loads of support. The sole is super stiff and I can't bend them by hand which is fine for uneven terrain. Frankly, other than being just a smidgen short in the toe area, they seemed just about perfect until... I determined they were never going to be comfortable. There's something about these boots that just make my feet hurt. It's not blisters or hot spots but my feet just ache from wearing them and no amount of break-in is going to fix it. You know the "walk" when you pull your boots off at the end of the day and sit down for a little while and then get up again to walk somewhere and you move like your barely ambulatory. These boots will get you from here to there and protect your feet in the process and will also enhance your ability to bear low level pain for long periods. I wish they were a little less durable so I could wear them out and replace them with a clear conscience.