and i want some cashmere socks to go with them………any good deals anywhere?

Smartwool socks – the very best there is.

What do you want to wear the boots for? Anything remotely serious and you might be best looking at 3/4 shank boots. Given your over-average weight, you put far more pressure on boots. Someone your weight would find 3/4 boots flex about as much as normal boots do for normal people. I’ve always found ‘normal’ boots feel too soft for me and the additional stiffness in stronger boots makes them feel far more comfortable. My old Grivel leather mountain boots are still the most comfortable footwear I have. Scarpa aren’t a patch on what they used to be.

Smartwool socks – the very best there is.

Prefer Teko myself for general stuff. Same feel but last much longer than Smart Wool. Hard to beat Smart Wool Mountaineering for warmth though to be fair.

Second Scarpa LS (think that’s what Stoner meant!). Things of beauty – mine are from the last year (2005?) where they were made from just one piece of hand-crafted leather!

It’s definitely SL.

I still walk with a pari of Scarpa Trionic from 1985. Great boots.

Choose the ones that fit best.
I have been a Asolo user for years, but now have a pair of Raichle’s (Mammut) and they have an ace walking ‘roll’ to them as well as being comfy.

If you go for Scarpa Mantas you’ll be a bit “overbooted” for most trails in the UK, they’re sort of the equivalent of a 6″ travel bike with 2.5″ tyres I would say. Definitely “All Mountain” footware.

Personally, plastic Scarpa Alphas for Freeride winter and icy stuff and Meindl Nepal for XC rambling.

Seriously though, whatever fits best – the only answer, there’s no “best”.

Best boots i have found are Lowa Combat GTX.

I’m a Salomon man. They’re the only boot I can get to fit my feet. Luckily, they are also well-made and long-lasting.

Another Scarpa fan. I think Scarpa boots tend to fit people with wider feet, Salomon/la Sportiva are usually narrower.

ton – Member

scarpa manta’s are not leather tho??

eh? They look leather to me, Crosta Leather ankle and presumably reverse Anfibio Leather Uppers (I presume reverse leather because they’re hairy). They’ve also got a rubber rand, which is always a good thing in my experience. If you intend to go winter hill walking then I don’t think the Manta is OTT.

Scarpa Manta if you need winter crampon capable

ZG10 for a general walking boot. Best boots I’ve ever owned

I want to be buried in my Lowa Combat GTX, I wish they’d let me take them down to Lympstone when I do my marine training