Double boots are funny, really. No-one actually likes them and everyone would rather be in single boots if they could be. Doubles are heavy, clunky, complicated and uncomfortable. Right?

Having just lived in them for 5 days straight, including four open-air bivvies in sub-zero temperatures and lots of cascade ice and mixed climbing, I believe the Spantiks go some way towards addressing these issues.

Firstly, let's just get the obvious out of the way: they're warm. They're really warm. Fit them right so that your circulation isn't compromised and I have no doubts you could take these up to 7000m or so. That's something for another person to cover - not my area - but you will not get cold feet in these if you know their limits.

Doubles, for me here in Japan, are all about moisture management. No, temperatures don't reach -50 C, but being able to bivvy for days on end and not worry about cold or frozen boots is a huge deal. Just take off the outers and leave them next to your bag and then either wear your inners in your bag or keep them in there with you. No worries.

I had trouble fitting these initially. Wearing a thin Coolmax liner and a midweight hiking sock it took hours of playing with lacing and insole combinations to get the fit right. Even so, I was still getting a fair bit of heel lift. Pushed for time and with a lack of options (thanks, Japan) I took the plunge anyway and relied on thermoforming the liners to solve my problems. Let me just say this: if you take the time to follow La Sportiva's instructions (see their US website) and thermoform the liners properly, these boots will fit like a dream. It's essential to get the most out of the boot as far as I'm concerned.

So, with the fit sorted, how do they perform? In a word: brilliantly. The lacing system makes it dead easy to get a solid, secure fit on both the inners and the outers with a little bit of practice. You can even do it with gloves - important in cold weather and often overlooked. It's easy to dial in the fit for climbing and walking without wasting too much time, too. The inners are toasty warm on their own and have a slightly grippy foam 'sole' so they can be used as camp slippers - I'd usually not bother with the outers for late-night toilet outings, etc.

Despite the rigidity, the flexibility around the ankle and the massive rocker on the sole make them surprisingly comfortable to walk in. That rocker can make it tricky to fit some crampons, but more modern designs (like the BD Stingers I used on this trip) are no problem.

When climbing they're pretty awesome. Obviously they're not as nimble as a single boot but they're arguably not far off - they're not THAT heavy, not THAT big and definitely a world away from classic plastics. Monopoints on doubles seems like a weird combo but with Spantiks I actually found it worked really well.

So in short? I would highly recommend them! Relatively nimble, comfortable and they climb well... what's not to like? Maybe the price...

This will be fairly short and sweet, the Miuras are pretty much rock shoe perfection!

For bouldering, sport and trad they are fantastic. I have owned a pair of velcros for a year and used a pair of lace ups regularly. They are the only shoes i have found that are comfortable enough to wear for long periods but still being technical enough for hard routes. This means you only need one pair of shoes whether your doing severes or E numbers. I use and abuse mine every week, nearly every day in fact and they are yet to get soft, or damaged, so they are very durable.

As with all shoes they are pretty subjective, so they might not fit you as perfectly, or be as comfortable for long days as they are for me. I can assure however on the durability and quality of these shoes. They dont stretch at all, which i guess could be a pro and a con, so be warned!

These used to be called the Gandalf in the US, but I can only assume JRR Tolkien's lawyers had something to say about that. Bizarrely they still have that name here in Japan. With such a name they promise big things - an approach shoe tough enough to take on a Balrog and good enough to make sure that thou most certainly shall pass.

Do they live up to that hyoe? In a word, yes. In more words...

The construction is insane. I don't think I've seen ANY shoe made this well before, including my Spantiks. They're hand-made with love and care in Italy and it shoes - these things ooze quality.The materials are all seriously robust, the stitching and glue work is perfect. Very impressive.

Externally they are like a very refined Boulder X. Lacing extends RIGHT down to the toes and allows you to make them very snug indeed. The sole is a Vibram rubber dot sole on a reasonably thin midsole. The tongue is nicely padded, but not overly so. The collar is low to allow for good foot movement, but these are still pretty supportive. Inside, the rear of the shoe has a lightly padded 'sock' liner but the front is unlined. There is a removable insole - more on this soon.

The design is superb. The rear half of the shoe is board lasted, like most boots. This makes it supportive and quite rigid. The front half is slip lasted, like a true climbing shoe, and is therefore extremely sensitive and precise, fitting your foot much tighter. The combination of these two lasting techniques really gives the shoe a unique feel and is what makes it so damn good.

Walking in them in nice. The Vibram sole is really grippy - although, as with all dot soles, performance on wet mud and grass is 'dangerous' at best! I'm following La Sportiva's idea and hiking with the insole removed. The inner is still lightly padded and they are still comfortable. It is easy to lace them comfortably.

Upon reaching the climb, the shoes come off and the insole goes in to reduce internal volume a little. This gives a snugger fit. Put them back on, relace them a little tighter (again, super easy) and you're ready to go. And boy do they go! They climb noticeably much better than either my Boulder Xs or Guide Tennies - less 'gooshy', more precise. The sole is super-grippy and they both edge and smear pretty well. They feel like a sloppy climbing shoe (the sort you'd wear for long multipitch trad routes) rather than a neatly-cut sneaker. I don't have much time climbing in these yet but the difference is already very apparently.

I will have these shoes a long time. La Sportiva say they are designed to be good for up to 10 resoles(!) due to the way the insole/sole is constructed and I have no doubt they will last that long due to their robust construction. They climb like a dream and will be my only footwear when I hopefully head to the Tetons for some alpine routes this summer. I love them!

One note: please get the fit right! I would highly recommend trying them on if possible...