Kevin's Question:

Have you tried the Tecnica Alta TCY 2, and what did you think of these boots?

Simon-Pierre Pelletier
Loretteville, Quebec

Expert Answer:

From one Canadian to another,"Bonjour." Before I — or anyone — can responsibly answer your question, I'd need to know what you intend to do with the boots. That's because different boots work best under different conditions. You and I could, by some miracle, have the same size and shape foot, yet if we engage in different activities in different climates and locations, then I might love them but you'd end up hating them.

Also, when asking me or other gearheads in GORP's Gear Forum for a recommendation on a pair of boots, you'll want to know if the user had the boot fitted by a skilled boot-fitter. If someone has trouble with a boot it could be that it was not fitted properly, not that the boot is not good. Conversely, people can be happy with a boot due more to good fitting rather than any particular virtue of the boot.

Proper fitting initially involves selection of a boot from a manufacturer whose concept of foot shape coincides with the shape of the purchaser's feet. (The Alta TCY 2 may or may not be a good choice for your foot shape.) Then custom footbeds and possibly some boot modification may be involved, along with the purchase of high quality socks that fit properly.

Boots are probably the most idiosyncratic and highly personal of any gear you take with you into the wilderness. Whether or not I or someone else likes the Alta TCY 2 depends on a number of factors that are not characteristics of the boot itself. But, to answer your question, I personally have not tried this boot.