NF Lifty?

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Yes. I bought a pair for general winter wear and decided to try them on a hike as well. In December, I did the Willey/Tom/Field trek in mixed snow/rock/ice conditions with a temp aroung 30 degrees. They were hugely comfortable and breathed really well. At the end of the day, my feet and socks were totally dry. I use Ice Tekkers (not recommended for durability) on part of the hike, and there were no problems.

They are very pliable and flexible and do not really give much ankle support, or foot cushioning. However, they do provide pretty good feel, and the traction was excellent. They are amazingly light weight (about 1lb lighter than most boots). I hope to try them out snowshoeing if we ever get snow. I suspect they would be great in really cold conditions. I also suspect that they would not hold a crampon very well, although mine seem to fit fairly well (under living room conditions).

The best way to describe them is a cross between running shoes, insulated gore-tex hiking boots, and bedroom slippers. :)
 
pegbert
Have you worn the Columbia type boots?
I'm concerned that the Lifty may be to warm
 
I also got the Lifty this year. I LOVE them. As Pegbert says, they have great traction and are incredibly light weight. The first time I wore them was in temps that hovered around 35. I found them too warm in that temp. But since then, I've snagged 11 4000 footers in temps below freezing and found them perfect. I tend towards cold generally, so I look for a warm boot. They've had a lot of hours in crampons and have been fine. I have noticed some wear on the toe box from rubbing against the crampon frame. They come with a thick foot bed that I find very comfortable. And my feet have stayed dry, even on a long hike in very wet snow.
 
I have not. I have been hiking recently in my Vasque waterproof, Goretex, super solid, 3 season (spring, fall, warm winter) hiking boots. These have worked great for me so far this winter (see various "Paul and Boomerang" trail reports).

I looked at the Columbia boots last winter and decided against them because I did not like the way they bent in the ankle area. Also, I do not think they are nearly as breathable as the lifty's. Thus, I do not think your feet will stay as dray, nor feel as warm and toasty.

I am interested to hear from others who have actually used their Lifty's with crampons.

Paul
 
Top