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...

It's surprising that there's not more reviews on these boots!

So, I've been climbing in LS Batura's for some time now, and I love them, they're the best boots I've ever owned, but, aside from some of the quality issues I've had (see the relevant review) I've had one other major issue! I get cold feet, I always have, and whilst the Batura was billed as one of the warmest boots out there, it still didn't keep me warm, particularly if I was standing still...not nice on a cold welsh winter route, so it was time to upgrade.

Until recently, the Spantiks were the only boot in this category (except maybe the Scarpa Vegas...(shudder) - see my next review!) and so there wasn't much competition, but with the advent of the Scarpa Phantom 6000, there's more to choose from, so I did my review searches on the internet, and tried them on, and settled on the Spantiks!

They're a double boot, but not a plastic in the conventional sense, offering far greater comfort and dexterity than you'd get in an old-school double boot.
The spantiks have a simple, one handed operation to lace up the well fitted inner boot, and the outer, allowing them to be put on in the cold high altitude regions without removing your gloves
the inners are complex, having a lot of design and research invested into them, and giving the perfect insulating layer to the user.
The outers are sturdy and hard wearing, yet once on, their light weight and carefully designed fit makes them parallel a single boot for feeling and dexterity on technical climbs, you don't get the usual double-boot cumbersome-ness that you might expect.
One thing I read was that it's a good idea to replace the laces with a stronger cord, I haven't yet, but I can see the concern over La Sportiva's standard laces as being a bit flimsy.

the bad...not cheap...very not cheap! at £490 RRP, they'll break the bank, but, when their performance is considered against the top end single boots, and their price tags are lined up side-by-side, you'll quickly realise that they're not so extortionate after all, and at the end of the day, they'll keep you're feet warm...so, at £49 a toe, maybe they're not so bad!

Some suggestion that they're a bit over the top for Wales though? however, since I get cold feet, I don't care what other people think of how I look, I've got to be practical! and, as I get more advanced, and climb higher, into the greater ranges, others who thought I was going over the top will soon come to envy me!

This is a truly die hard staple in the alpinists arsenal of gear. Boots are a foundational piece of equipment. These boots excel at everything. I have climbed technical himalayan routes at 7000m, gullies in forbidding New England weather and have shoveled my driveway in them. At $700 pair.... that is $70 a toe. No big deal...$700 is a lot of money, but there are very worth it. If you search / wait you can can get them for less. Bottom line: Dont ever get stuck in the mountains with cheap boots. Your feet will suffer, You may lose your toes and all other sorts of bad news. BUY GOOD BOOTS. Dont be cheap.

Note: Get the perfect fit. Dont rush buy these boots... scrutinze them to death... take a long time getting used to them in the store until your satisfied.. Boots like this will last easy 5+ years in my opinion. The lacing system is unique but totally viable. Always bring an extra set of comparable laces with these boots though.These are the premier boots for winter mountaineering / high altitude technical alpine climbing.