The Scarpa Terra has been a part of the Tiso footwear range for several years now and with good reason. The Terra is a comfortable, lightweight walking boot that fits most customer’s feet extremely well right out of the box. Its design combines a traditional leather aesthetic with the latest footwear technology, to create a boot you won’t want to leave home without.

At a glance the Scarpa Terra, with its oiled brown leather upper, looks slightly old fashioned. Like those heavy, bombproof, leather monsters you used to smother in beeswax by a wood burning fire after a long day in the hills. But pick it up and you’ll soon realise this is not the case. Despite its traditional appearance the Scarpa Terra is in fact as light as any of its new age counterparts and is packed with the same high performance technology.

Hidden behind its 1.8mm full grain leather upper is the latest Gore-Tex Performance Comfort breathable waterproof membrane. Put simply, this means is your foot is surrounded by a waterproof barrier that will keep water out, but also allow moisture from within the boot to escape, so you don’t get sweaty feet. Gore-Tex offer a range of different waterproof membranes designed for different ambient conditions and different users, each one is backed up by the ‘guaranteed to keep you dry’ Gore-Tex promise. The Performance comfort membrane in the Terra is optimized for use in moderate to cool conditions, which makes it an ideal match for the Scottish climate.

But having the best waterproof technology means nothing if a boot is uncomfortable, something the designers at Scarpa are keenly aware of. All-round comfort was clearly the objective for this boot and comes as the result several of the boots features. In general the boots are not too stiff and flex naturally as you walk. Foam cushioning around the cuff ensures comfort for your ankles even when the boots are tightly laced. The internal shape of the boot offers plenty of width across the toes and a medium volume fit, which will suit the majority of customers’ feet well. These features combined with boots low weight make it a fantastic choice for an entry level all-rounder when comfort is your priority.

Moving on, we get to the business end of any outdoor footwear, the sole. Once again Scarpa have continued with the theme of lightweight comfort when they selected the Energy sole from Vibram for the Terra. The Energy sole unit features a relatively soft rubber outsole to provide maximum grip on varied terrain. This is then combined with an injection moulded polyurethane midsole to give the ideal mix of cushioning and support for type of light hill and trail walking the boot is designed for.

It’s worth noting here that if you are gearing up for some technical scrambling, climbing or walking off trails in very rough terrain, this boot probably isn’t the best choice for you. That’s not to say you wouldn’t find them comfortable, but you might find that a stiffer boot with a more aggressive ‘climbing zone’ edge on the sole unit would work better in that context. This boot is really aimed at recreational trail and light hillwalkers, who favour all day comfort over all out climbing performance.

For the walking boot traditionalist, who wants a taste of the new world of lightweight technology while sticking with a full grain leather boot, there is really no competition to the Scarpa Terra. Combining a classic leather upper with a modern waterproof Gore-Tex lining and a Vibram sole Scarpa have produced a boot that is stylish, multi-functional and prioritises comfort above all else. The build quality is excellent and even though the Terra sits at the entry level end of the Scarpa’s vast boot range, it is made to the same high standard of craftsmanship as all their outdoor footwear. The bottom line is, if you’re using this boot for what is was designed for, you won’t be disappointed.

A note about boot fitting:

At Tiso we always recommend you come into store and consult one of our expert Boot fitters to make sure you purchase the boots that are the best suited to your requirements and your feet. Feet come in all shapes and sizes to so it’s really important to ensure you get the best fit possible, even if it means choosing a slightly different boot than you had your heart set on. This can seem like a bit of a daunting process so that’s why we’re here to help. Come see us today and let us do the hard work of finding your next perfect boot for you!