Kuiu's Grand Dru GTX Boot

[tipsntails7]

They look good, but that's a ton of money for something I can't put on my feet before hand.

 

[todd kelly]

They look good, but that's a ton of money for something I can't put on my feet before hand.

Yeah, I would never buy boots online unless I have tried them on somewhere first. I am glad to hear they will be bringing the DRU into other retailers this winter. I'm sure the price will be better as well since a lot of the outdoor stores around here have the mont blanc on sale a couple times a year.

I tried on some Triolets a few weeks ago. Nice boots but I like something a bit stiffer and taller.

My Liskamm would still be good for a couple more years but I ended up putting a 4" cut into my boot with an axe last year. Super glue has worked really well at keeping them together but I have noticed them starting to leak now as the GTX liner got cut as well.

 

[bogeyboy555]

So I pre-ordered these boots from KUIU. I went to my local Scarpa store (Wilderness Exchange, Denver) and tried on the Mont Blanc's. They were STIFF, Heavy, and a beast of a boot. The insulation on the Mont Blanc does make the inside of the boot feel a little bulky, almost like a ski boot feels when you first get it before the padding settles down. What I did like was having a bullet-proof boot, that I could really rag on. I also looked at a few pairs of Asolo boots that our local Sierra Trading Post store had - not even close in terms of brute strength.

I called Scarpa's office in Boulder and they said these would be generally available at a later date. I asked when, and the guy said he wasn't sure but that it had been recently noted (early March) that KUIU does have the exclusive rights through 2015.

 

[SDHNTR]

Did anyone get there hands on these boots at the shows? I'm needing to replace my Scarpa liskamm in the next year or so and can't decide between the triolet, mont blanc, and the Grand Dru?

Why not buy the Wrangell then? They are the Liskamm replacement.

 

[todd kelly]

Why not buy the Wrangell then? They are the Liskamm replacement.

Because I am wanting a heavier duty boot just for Goat/sheep hunting. I have used my liskamm as an everyday boot for the last 6 years, but now have a pair of lighter duty Zamberlans for that purpose.

Don't get me wrong, the liskamm has been the best all round hunting boot I have ever worn. I'm just at the point now of using more purpose built boots.

 

[kodiakfly]

I really like my pair of Mont Blancs. What again is the difference with the Dru's?

Mont Blanc in my opinion is a great boot, up to the ankle, and then it turns into a vert ice boot, almost slipper. But like heavy duty leathers, almost to the point of plastics. The foot bed and box is very comfortable and roomy though. I'd love that foot box with a heavier ankle.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I absolutely love my Mont Blancs. No doubt the best, most comfortable, mountaineering boot I've ever owned. I've owned hunting boots that were more comfortable but nowhere near as capable.

 

[bogeyboy555]

does anyone have these boots yet? I am torn between these Scarpa's and the Asolo Bajura boots from Sierra trading post.

thanks,
dustin

 

[todd kelly]

does anyone have these boots yet? I am torn between these Scarpa's and the Asolo Bajura boots from Sierra trading post.

thanks,
dustin

bump

 

[bounds]

There's no photo and no product info, but I just saw the Grand Dru is now available on Scarpa's website.

https://www.scarpa.com/grand-dru

 

[AK Shane]

I swear that Scarpa had the Grand Dru on their UK site back when Kuiu announced they would be carrying them but I don't see in on the UK page now. Glad to hear other stores will be stocking them soon. Hopefully one of my local shops will pick them up so I can try them on.

 

[jherald]

Anyone get their feet into these yet? Would like to hear some reviews. In the market for a more robust boot than my Lowa's and am really liking the looks of this boot.

 

[AK Shane]

Looks like the Grand Dru's are showing up in the North American market. Barney's Sports up here an Anchorage received their first shipment of the Grand Dru. In talking with the shop owner and trying them on side by side with the Scarpa Wrangell's (the new Liskamm), here's my thoughts. The Dru offers a more technical fit than the Wrangell. They are slightly narrower in the heel and ankle which gives you more of a glove like fit that you see in the mountaineering boots. For me they had really nice fit through the ankle and heel. Slightly narrower in the toe box vs the Wrangell as well. The lacing system is solid with simple rings and hooks, not the fancy roller ball systems you see in some boots. The shank is solid with very little toe flex, yet the boot has a good heel rocker and the ankle design allows for a little forward articulation so they actually walk fairly comfortably on flat ground. At least as comfortably as a a solid shank boot is going to get. The sole on the boot is pretty narrow, which I was told isn't always liked by some of the bigger guys because they aren't as stable due to less surface are bearing on the ground/rocks/walking surface.

The Wrangells are a very stiff leather boot. They have more volume through out the foot which is going to fit a wider range of users. The Wrangells are a little more rounded in the toe which will eliminate some of the potential pinky toe smush when going down hill. They have a wider sole made of the hardest vibram available to increase the life and a full shank for stability in the mountains. Off the shelf the ankle is slightly more stiff in the forward direction and they don't have much of a heel rocker so they are a bit more clunky when walking on flat ground. Same simple ring and hook lacing hardware.

Both of these boots are thick leather mountain work horse boots. Both offer adjustable tongues. I've also found Scarpa to have one of the best heel pockets out there. I know a ton of people run the Lowa Tibet or Hunters, so think of the Wrangell as one of these Lowa's on steroids. The Wrangell's will however run a touch narrower than your Lowa's. The Dru you really can't even compare to the Lowa, just a little too much difference between the two.

Someone asked how the Dru compares to the Scarpa Triolet. I recently retired my Triolet's after a few seasons of use. The Dru is a more robust and stiffer boot. I would say the fit in the ankle and heel are nearly identical between the two. The toe box of the Dru has more room and the outside of the boot along the pinky toe doesn't narrow up as fast as they do in the Triolet. The added room in the Dru's toe box is going to fit a much larger group of people than the Triolet. On long trips I always had problems with pinky toe rub in my Triolet's due to their aggressive narrowing along the pinky toe. I doesn't feel like I have the same problem with the Dru. Function wise the Dru's are the Triolet's bigger badder brother. If you like the Triolet but want stiffer, then this is the boot to look at.

Well, that's the showroom floor review, for what it's worth. I'm seriously thinking the Grand Dru's might be on my feet for sheep season next year.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Jason wanted to sell boots, which is a de facto decision to use Gor-Tex given the competitive landscape. Good business people rightly tend not to make strategic decisions based on emotion.

Gore tex has a wrap on a lot of Boot MFGs. They are known for being pretty much all or nothing with companies. They pulled REI's shoes licenses after REI introduced a competitors WPB in jackets, back in the day.

I think outdry is a better solution for footwear but while they have grown substantially their solution is still limited. Lot of MFG's are scared of gore. It's changing though

 

[todd kelly]

Looks like the Grand Dru's are showing up in the North American market. Barney's Sports up here an Anchorage received their first shipment of the Grand Dru. In talking with the shop owner and trying them on side by side with the Scarpa Wrangell's (the new Liskamm), here's my thoughts. The Dru offers a more technical fit than the Wrangell. They are slightly narrower in the heel and ankle which gives you more of a glove like fit that you see in the mountaineering boots. For me they had really nice fit through the ankle and heel. Slightly narrower in the toe box vs the Wrangell as well. The lacing system is solid with simple rings and hooks, not the fancy roller ball systems you see in some boots. The shank is solid with very little toe flex, yet the boot has a good heel rocker and the ankle design allows for a little forward articulation so they actually walk fairly comfortably on flat ground. At least as comfortably as a a solid shank boot is going to get. The sole on the boot is pretty narrow, which I was told isn't always liked by some of the bigger guys because they aren't as stable due to less surface are bearing on the ground/rocks/walking surface.

good info, thanks!

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Anyone using these lately? I'm debating a pair, would love to hear some thoughts if anyone's had them in the mountains this fall.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Hmmmm...tough decision. I mean, here's a company with a long term inventory control problem that keeps introducing new product lines outside of their core business (hunting clothing) and discontinuing and/or redesigning them AFTER epic failures or fanboy input and are working full time to censor consumer comments on their message board. Now they wanna add an expensive new item that requires they carry inventory in a wide variety of sizes and widths. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Hmmmm...tough decision. I mean, here's a company with a long term inventory control problem that keeps introducing new product lines outside of their core business (hunting clothing) and discontinuing and/or redesigning them AFTER epic failures or fanboy input and are working full time to censor consumer comments on their message board. Now they wanna add an expensive new item that requires they carry inventory in a wide variety of sizes and widths. What could possibly go wrong?

Um....no thank you? I don't, and I'm betting others don't log into Rokslide to be lectured on inventory and your thoughts on our decision making. I asked about a Scarpa boot, which KUIU happens to distribute. Other retailers are selling these on line now. If you haven't used the boot on the mountain, there's absolutely no reason to hand out free unwanted opinion.

If anyone's actually used these, I'm all ears, especially wondering how they compare to the LA Sportiva, other Scarpa, and Selewa lightweight mountaineering offerings.

 

[tipsntails7]

Hmmmm...tough decision. I mean, here's a company with a long term inventory control problem that keeps introducing new product lines outside of their core business (hunting clothing) and discontinuing and/or redesigning them AFTER epic failures or fanboy input and are working full time to censor consumer comments on their message board. Now they wanna add an expensive new item that requires they carry inventory in a wide variety of sizes and widths. What could possibly go wrong?

You realize that Kuiu has NOTHING to do with this boot other then they offer an option to order?

What exactly do you yourself gain from constantly shit talking Kuiu? It's well documented people's thoughts for or against kuiu, and this thread was about a Scarpa boot... Literally nothing to do with Kuiu other then they offer it for sale...

 

[tipsntails7]

Um....no thank you? I don't, and I'm betting others don't log into Rokslide to be lectured on inventory and your thoughts on our decision making. I asked about a Scarpa boot, which KUIU happens to distribute. Other retailers are selling these on line now. If you haven't used the boot on the mountain, there's absolutely no reason to hand out free unwanted opinion.

If anyone's actually used these, I'm all ears, especially wondering how they compare to the LA Sportiva, other Scarpa, and Selewa lightweight mountaineering offerings.

Mat the best info I've seen is from AKShane above in this thread, they are a pretty niche boot and the sector of the hunting community that will use these is probably pretty small. I did try them on, they were a great fit for me. I run Lowa Tibet and am just now breaking in a pair of the tech lite hunters. They are a very very hardy boot, pretty stiff and for me to much boot for the type of hunting I do, while certain areas I hunt may warrant this type, my approaches are just to long for me to tolerate this type of boot constantly. As with anything fit per individual will be the deciding factor, because there will be zero gripes about how well this boot is made.