BOULDER, Colo.- The Mago, SCARPA’s newest rock shoe for steep, overhanging routes, won Climbing Magazine’s 2007 ‘Editor’s Choice’ award, the only lace-up rock shoe to earn that distinction this year. The award was announced in the May issue in conjunction with Climbing’s annual rock shoe guide.

The magazine’s editors called out the shoe’s performance for overhanging routes, and its new X-tension technology, created by legendary rock shoe designer and SCARPA Climbing Line Manager Heinz Mariacher. X-tension is a new, three-dimensional approach to supporting a climber’s foot. The concept behind X-tension is rands that are shaped in an under the arch and underfoot and tightened to different tensions to support the foot as well as focus power to the most appropriate parts of the shoe.

The result is a lace-up that offers power for steep climbing, sensitivity that is close to climbing barefoot, and strategic sticky rubber placements that aid with heel/toe hooking as well as crack climbing. The Mago not only offers an uptick in performance compared to shoes in the same class, but it’s also more comfortable than other aggressively downturned climbing shoes.

“With its high-test sensitivity and power, SCARPA’s steep-climbing redpoint shoe makes an exceptional specialist’s tool,” the magazine’s editors wrote. “Funky footwork beyond 90 degrees was its forte, as was hooking from all aspects of the toe and heel - most notably the Achilles and lateral heel.”

Climbing’s annual rock shoe guide also highlighted the new SCARPA Booster and Rockette, men’s and women’s Velcro rock shoes that employ X-tension technology. It also featured the new Spectro and Sphinx, men’s and women’s high-performance edging shoes, also designed by Mariacher. Those shoes use a variation on the concept behind X-tension called the Bridge System, a tensioned rand system tailored for the demands of dime-thin edges.

Earlier this spring, the Spectro won a ‘Best in Gear’ award from Rock & Ice magazine.

These shoes are among six new rock shoes and three new approach shoes designed by Mariacher, who joined SCARPA last year and is now overseeing those lines.

For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.

About SCARPA and SCARPA North America
Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

OutsideMag.com’s Gear Guy and best-dressed media guy ever to attend OR, Douglas Gantebein says try the SCARPA Inverno.
Q: I’m climbing Denali via the Muldrow Glacier in May 2008, and I’d like to start breaking in some boots (and my feet). Unfortunately, I’m a size 14 and am having trouble finding double-plastic boots large enough. Any chance that my old (c. 1982), but well cared for, double-leather boots would be adequate?

“Honestly, I’m stunned at the advancement in randonnee boot technology these shoes represent. Scarpa has kept the power up and the weight reasonable (though heavier than Lisa’s Magics) by using dual density plastics in the shell, and by mounting the lower buckle on a support tab that mimics that of the Scarpa Spirit 3 and 4. More, the Dynafit pivot point is farther back toward the ball of the foot, resulting in a small but noticeable improvement in stride ergonomics (when using Dynees, of course). ”

Read the entire post HERE.

BOULDER, Colo. (March 15, 2007) - Highlighting SCARPA’s innovative new rock shoe program, Rock and Ice Magazine awarded the Spectro - the high-performance edging shoe from the new line - a ‘Best in Gear’ award in its 2007 Gear Guide. In addition, SCARPA’s Vision V was awarded a ‘Reader’s Choice’ Award from Blue Ridge Outdoors in the magazine’s 2007 Gear Guide in February.

“The Spectro fits likes a glove,” Rock and Ice wrote. “The new iteration, created by the renowned rock shoe designer Heinz Mariacher, feels like a hand wrapping and squeezing your foot from underneath. This edging shoe is agile and very high performance. Touch the shoe to any steep wall and the Spectro will stick, pull and smear.”

The Spectro is one of six new rock shoes designed by Mariacher, who joined SCARPA last year and is now overseeing its rock- and approach-shoe program.

In bestowing a Reader’s Choice award on the Vision V, Blue Ridge Outdoors wrote: “For boulderers and sport climbers seeking a high-performance and highly sensitive sole mate, the Vision V is your most comfortable answer.”

For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.

About SCARPA and SCARPA North America

Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

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BOULDER, Colo. (March 13, 2007) - Calling the Mustang GTX hiking boot “flawless,” Backpacker Magazine named SCARPA’s newest hiking boot, the Mustang GTX, the ‘Top All-Around Midweight’ boot in its 2007 Gear Guide, which hit newsstands in March and outlines editors’ top picks for this year’s best outdoor equipment.

In addition, SCARPA earned accolades from Backpacker for ‘Coolest New Technology’ in footwear. The latter award was bestowed for the new Grivel-SCARPA binding system, for providing an easier-to-use and more secure way to attach crampons to SCARPA’s Escape GTX boot.

Of the Mustang GTX, the magazine wrote: “Found: the quality construction, fit and performance of top-shelf leather boots - in a pair that weighs less than three pounds. After tramping 34 miles carrying 35 pounds ¦ our tester deemed these suede/Gore-Tex mids flawless. Through cold, rain and snow, mud, and on rock, as well as trails of sand and lava ash, his feet remained dry and warm. Traction is excellent.”

Of the Escape GTX, the editors said: “One of the best crossover hard-core trekking and light mountaineering boots we’ve tested, the leather/Gore-Tex Escape ¦ mates with the most innovative new crampon to emerge in years ¦” The GSb binding system, developed jointly by SCARPA and Grivel, offers a simpler, more secure way to attach crampons to the boot via a metal prong that inserts into a slot at the front of the boot’s sole. “The GSb crampon is remarkably easy to use and secure,” the magazine wrote.

The GSb system is available on different types of Grivel crampons designed for specific performance characteristics -climbing technical ice and mixed terrain or for general glacier travel.

For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.

About SCARPA and SCARPA North America

Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

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BOULDER, Colo. The world’s most experienced thermo-liner manufacturer, the world’s best thermo-moldable materials, and SCARPA’s innovative design will combine in 2007 to create the world’s most amazing family of ski boot liners available.

The new Intuition liner program exclusive to SCARPA in telemark and alpine-touring boots is built using the proven, super-resilient, Ultralon foam. Ultralon is sought out by the world’s best ski racers and high-altitude mountaineers for its superior fit, precision, light weight and warmth. The SCARPA Intuition liner program also means better fit, both out of the box and after they are custom-molded.

SCARPA Intuition liners will come lasted in half-size increments in both men’s- and women’s-specific lasts and factory-molded in the shell for which they are intended. This provides incredible fit and unsurpassed out-of-the-box comfort compared to any liner available. SCARPA Intuition liners also are custom moldable. Once molded, they provide a perfect impression of the foot supporting and stabilizing most any foot with minimal ‘boot-fitting’ required. In addition, they retain their shape with minimal pack-out compared to any other liner available. Combined with their lighter weight and limitless re-molds, these liners have no equal.

The secret lies in SCARPA Intuition liner foam, which is Ultralon closed-cell EVA foam versus the polyethelene (PE) and open-cell foam found in most other backcountry boot liners. Ultralon is a more resilient, higher-quality foam. It is a much denser closed-cell foam, so it is very resistant to compaction, very warm and very lightweight. Because of those properties, and because it holds its shape well once it is molded, Ultralon foam is commonly used in orthopedic applications to create custom footbeds. In fact, the super-supportive foam acts as an integrated custom foot bed without the need for insoles, though aftermarket footbeds can easily be used if desired. The foam’s structural integrity also means it transfers more energy to the ski than standard PE or other thermo-moldable liners for maximum performance. An overview of the some of the advantages that SCARPA Intuition liners offer:

• Because of their density and resiliency, the liners are two to three times more resilient and durable than standard PE or other thermo-moldable liners. Thus they hold their shape for longer and can be molded many more times.

• Because of their structural integrity, these liners create their own internal footbed once heat molded, thus there is no need for a standard or aftermarket footbed (however, they will accommodate a footbed if desired).

• The process of molding Ultralon is easier than PE or other thermo-moldable liners; it requires less specialized training, which means less room for error.

• They are built with light weight EVA foam rather than PE or other open-cell foam, so they lighten SCARPA boots across the line.

• All overlap stitching is ‘hidden’ due to stitch-and-turn and surge construction, so there are fewer fit problems or pressure points common with other thermo liners. They also have no seam on the bottom of the foot like other thermo liners.

• Ultralon is a closed-cell foam; it won’t absorb moisture the same way a PE foam does, so the liners dry very quickly and they won’t trap bacteria in the foam (read: they don’t smell as bad). They also have an anti-microbial treatment.

• They are built with an overlap style tongue, which offers better volume management and better energy transfer to the ski because it is more rigid with fewer pressure points.

• There are different model liners for different SCARPA boots; stiffer ones are used in more downhill-oriented boots, while more flexible ones are used in more touring-oriented boots. In addition, all liners are triple-density; they are stiffer outside where you want power and softer inside where you want comfort.

• A silicone tread on the liner sole offers purchase when used outside the shell

• They won’t increase the retail price of SCARPA boots!

In addition, SCARPA North America will offer Intuition liners via an aftermarket program, so that skiers who want to add them to their existing telemark and alpine-touring boots can do so without buying new boots. For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.

About SCARPA and SCARPA North America

Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

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BOULDER, Colo. – SCARPA North America will turn heads at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market with its new Terminator X, the first combination telemark/alpine-touring ski boot in the world. The Terminator X will be compatible in both Rottefella’s NTN (New Telemark Norm) system as well as Dynafit’s TLT alpine-touring binding, bringing to reality the oft-talked-about concept of one boot for both telemark and AT skiing.

For more than 50 years SCARPA has been a innovator in alpine sports, and for Fall 2007 it will be part of the most-talked-about current effort in the telemark world by introducing a ski boot compatible with the NTN system. NTN (photo at left) was designed from the outset to address the existing short-comings and design limitations that are inherent with the current 75mm norm: awkward walking, sloppy binding interface, and its primitive technology – especially compared to alpine standards.

From a telemark standpoint, the most notable feature of the Terminator X is its lack of the traditional squared-off toe that is the hallmark of most tele boots. Instead, the NTN binding clasps the rounded front of the sole and the ‘second heel’ – a specialized lip underneath the arch of the boot, which creates a rigid interface that transfers more power to ski edge than other bindings. The Terminator X includes tech fittings for the Dynafit alpine touring binding (photo at right), making it the world’s first plastic boot that skis both fixed heel and telemark.

The SCARPA Terminator X is a tall three-buckle boot that’s equally at home touring in the backcountry or ripping the ski hill. The tall upper creates power for driving big skis, while the lower boot has an internal Torsion Frame optimizing lateral stiffness with tour-friendly flex. The boot retails for $649 and can be demo-ed at the Outdoor Retailer Backcountry Base Camp.

For more information about SCARPA footwear, visit www.scarpa.com.

About SCARPA and SCARPA North America

Founded in 1938, SCARPA builds performance footwear for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, climbing, trail running and other outdoor pursuits from its headquarters in Asolo, Italy. SCARPA has been owned and operated by the Parisotto family since 1956. In 2005, SCARPA opened its North American headquarters in Boulder, Colo., staffed and directed by veterans of the North American outdoor industry, to oversee sales and marketing in the U.S. and Canada.

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