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La Sportiva Boulder X review: the scrambling shoe that’s still going strong after five years

Superb grip on dry rock, all-day comfort and durability that shrugs off years of Snowdonia. Just keep it out of the wet.

Some kit earns its reputation slowly. We’ve spent five years, repeated trips to Snowdonia and more than one scramble on Crib Goch and Tryfan in the La Sportiva Boulder X, and it’s still the approach shoe we’d pull on first for a dry day on rock. It grips brilliantly, fits like it means it and has outlasted everything we expected of a suede upper. Its one big flaw is that it isn’t waterproof, but more on that shortly.

✓  Top PickLa Sportiva Boulder X UpperSuedeOutsoleVibram Idro-GripRRP£140 The good✓  Superb friction on dry rock
✓  Climbing zone for precise footwork
✓  Comfortable over 15–20 mile days
✓  Original sole and insole after five years
✓  Tough suede upper and protective rand
✓  Secure, precise fit
The not-so-good✗  Not waterproof, and slow to dry
✗  Heavier than newer rivals
✗  Sizing can run small
Check out the La Sportiva Boulder X →

At a glance

Overview

The Boulder X fills a gap that’s easy to miss until you’ve felt it. It’s a technical approach shoe built for scrambling, rocky approaches and mountain days where a hiking shoe feels cumbersome and a climbing shoe is far too specialised. A suede upper wrapped in a protective rubber rand, a Vibram Idro-Grip sole and a climbing zone at the toe do the heavy lifting, while the cushioned midsole keeps it civilised on long approaches. It’s happiest on dry scrambling and technical mountain routes, not wet-weather hiking, and we’ll be straight about that throughout.

La Sportiva has a serious following among climbers, mountaineers, outdoor enthusiasts and military users, and it’s a brand people who take technical footwear seriously tend to covet. The Boulder X isn’t coasting on the badge, though. It’s a properly technical shoe with the performance to back up the reputation.

A note on price

At £140 we think it’s very good value, mostly for one reason: it lasts. Our pair is around five years old and still perfectly usable, with its original insole and Vibram sole. Lighter, newer approach shoes exist, but few make us question the Boulder X’s mix of grip, comfort and longevity. They hold their value well and have stayed popular for years, so if you want a technical shoe you can keep using rather than replace every season, the price is easy to justify.

How we tested

We’ve had the Boulder X on our feet for around five years, and a good share of that has been in Snowdonia. Crib Goch and Tryfan have been the toughest examinations: ordinary mountain paths, exposed rocky terrain and technical scrambling, often within the same day. Those routes ask for grip, precision, stability and comfort in equal measure, which makes them an honest test of an approach shoe.

We’ve also stretched it well beyond the short approach it’s supposedly built for, wearing it on longer mountain days of around 15–20 miles. No rubbing, no hotspots, comfortable from start to finish. The most revealing outing, though, was a wet day on Tryfan, and we’ll come to that below.

Features and performance

Grip and footwork on rock

This is where the Boulder X earns its keep. The Vibram Idro-Grip rubber bites onto rock with the kind of friction that lets you move precisely across slabs, ledges and technical terrain, and on dry rock we genuinely struggle to fault it. The climbing zone at the toe is the other half of the story. It lets you put a foot exactly where you want it, far more accurately than a conventional hiking shoe manages, and on Crib Goch and Tryfan that precision is what stops the shoe feeling cumbersome. It’s the reason we trust it on exposed ground.

“Five years on, it still has its original insole and Vibram sole, and we’d happily buy another pair.”

Comfort, fit and sizing

For a technical shoe, the Boulder X is remarkably comfortable. Those 15–20 mile days never turned into a problem, and after five years our pair is thoroughly bedded in, still comfortable and secure even now, particularly with a very thin sock.

The fit is closer than a typical walking shoe, and that’s the point. When you’re edging or placing your feet precisely on rock, the last thing you want is a shoe shifting about, so it should feel secure rather than loose. Just leave enough room to walk downhill comfortably.

Sizing is where we’d urge a little caution. La Sportiva’s European sizing and that precise fit mean your usual size may not feel like the size you’d expect from other brands. A UK 8 may feel relatively small depending on your foot shape and how snug you like your shoes, so if you can, try them on in a shop rather than trusting your normal size.

Construction, durability and weight

We’ll admit we were sceptical about how a suede-style upper would cope with repeated abuse on rock. Five years on, we’re impressed. It has proved remarkably robust, with no significant issues, and the substantial rubber rand takes the brunt of all that rock contact, which has undoubtedly helped these shoes last. Our pair still has its original insole and Vibram sole, which is quite something for a shoe used on demanding mountain terrain.

All that protection does come with a weight penalty. At 448g a shoe, the Boulder X isn’t light by modern standards, and you’ll notice it if you’re carrying them rather than wearing them. But over a full day of scrambling, the comfort and security make it a trade-off we’re happy with, and after five years we think the durability-to-weight ratio is excellent.

Wet weather: the catch

Now for the bit that stops the Boulder X being perfect. There’s no waterproof membrane here, and it shows the moment the weather turns. On a wet day on Tryfan, descending over wet grass and damp ground, the upper wet out considerably, and the shoes were still noticeably damp the following day.

That’s the biggest limitation for UK use, but it’s worth remembering that approach shoes aren’t meant to be waterproof hiking shoes. For dry scrambling and technical mountain days it’s a non-issue, and if you don’t mind wet feet, there’s very little terrain where we’d hesitate to take them. Think of it as a fair-weather shoe. If keeping your feet dry matters more, waterproof versions of technical approach shoes are out there.

How it compares

The Boulder X isn’t the lightest option any more, and there’s plenty worth knowing about. The SCARPA Mescalito is a more modern, lighter take on the technical approach shoe, at around 400g a shoe with Vibram Megagrip rubber, though you’ll pay around £190 for it. The Salewa Wildfire costs about the same as the Boulder X at around £140, weighs roughly 380g a shoe and has a climbing-oriented sole with a more trainer-like feel, so it suits anyone who wants technical performance without the Boulder X’s substantial feel. Closest in spirit is the Wildfire Leather, with a leather upper, technical outsole and climbing zone, at roughly £140–£160 and about 360g a shoe. All three are capable and all three are lighter. But of the comparable shoes we’ve used, the Boulder X is the one we’d pick, for its grip, its comfort and its staying power.

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Our verdictA five-year favourite that has earned its reputation on dry rock.If you want a technical approach shoe for scrambling and dry mountain days, the Boulder X is very hard to beat. It grips superbly, feels precise and secure on rock, stays comfortable over 15–20 mile days and has proved remarkably durable, with our original sole and insole still going after five years. It’s close to best in class for what it does.It isn’t perfect, and we wouldn’t pretend it is. The lack of waterproofing makes it a less obvious choice for wet UK conditions, it’s heavier than newer rivals, and the sizing needs care. But for dry scrambling, technical approaches and mountain days, we’d choose it every time. If we hadn’t already bought the La Sportiva TX4s in a waterproof Gore-Tex version, we’d happily buy another pair of Boulder Xs. After five years of use, that’s probably the strongest endorsement we can give.Check out the La Sportiva Boulder X →

FAQs

Is the La Sportiva Boulder X waterproof?No. There’s no waterproof membrane, so it wets out in prolonged rain or wet grass and can stay damp for a good while afterwards. It’s best treated as a fair-weather shoe for dry scrambling and mountain days.

Does the Boulder X run small?It fits closer than a typical walking shoe, and La Sportiva’s European sizing means your usual size may not translate. A UK 8 may feel relatively small depending on your foot shape, so try them on in a shop if you can.

How durable is the Boulder X?Very. After around five years of scrambling in Snowdonia, ours still has its original insole and Vibram sole, and the suede upper has shown no significant issues.

Is the Boulder X comfortable for long days?Yes. We’ve covered days of around 15–20 miles in them with no rubbing or hotspots, and they’ve only got more comfortable as they’ve bedded in.

Is the La Sportiva Boulder X worth the money?We think so. At £140 it’s not the lightest or newest approach shoe, but its grip, comfort and longevity are hard to beat, and it’s a shoe you can keep using rather than replace every season.