La Sportiva Trango Cube GTX Mountaineering Boot M 40.5

Size: Male 40.5

Color: Highlander

Retail Cost: $399.00

Winner of the Gear Institute's Best New Gear award at the Outdoor Retailers Summer show,  the all-new, incredibly light La Sportiva Men's Trango Cube GTX Mountaineering Boot makes your extreme high-altitude pursuits heavenly. The GORE-TEX insert ensures that water won't slip into the boot and tank your toes midway towards the apex of Gannett Peak, and part of the tongue comes out when you need more room for your foot. Direct-inject lacing system and an exclusive Vibram sole lightens your load so you can pack an extra chocolate bar (or 6) to celebrate the summit.

Put together without seams, the uppers blend waterproof QB3 and FlexTec 2 fabrics to keep external water away from your toes. A rugged Vibram rubber rand protects your toes, wards off water, and rounds out this stable shoe when the trail takes a new twist on technical. The direct-inject Thermo-Tech TPU lacing system keeps seams at bay for extended durability while shaving off nearly 1/3 of the weight of traditional riveted lacing systems. GORE-TEX Performance Comfort lining guarantees a waterproof, breathable climate-controlled environment for your foot whether you're learning to self-arrest on ice or starting out well below the snow line.

A low-profile 4mm graded nylon insole puts a skinny pillow under your heel and has a barely-there feel by the time it reaches your toes. A combination of materials create a stable platform for hiking without taking away underfoot cushioning. Opposing lugs of the Impact Brake System offer traction for the trek up and trip down. ONE, an exclusive sole made by Vibram for La Sportiva, keeps the weight off and the silhouette on the down-low. The TPU heel insert allows the Trango take a hybrid crampon for quick changes to accommodate the hyper-variable environment.