A new range of UK-specific budget walking boots from the company
behind Scarpa in the UK is in the shops now.
We've told you about Contour before - see the article links at the
bottom of this page - but if you missed it, here's the deal. The
five-strong Contour range of boots looks kind of familiar, that's
because effectively it's based on superceded Scarpa models.
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The Contour Navigator -
recognisably based on
the old Scarpa Trek,made from full-grain calf
leather and with an all rubber but non-Vibram sole.
Price is a reasonable £69.00
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So, for around £69 you can buy a pair of Contour Pathfinders,
which are recognisably related to last year's £110 Scarpa Trek
boot, which has just been replaced with the new Trek M2. So what's
the deal?
Think VW-Audi group cars, where the cutting edge stuff happens in
the VW and Audi ranges, while, say Skoda and Lada use the technology
that the top end brands were utilising a couple of years back.
With the boots, a major cost of manufacture is the tooling up for
each boot. Every model and each size needs its own 'knives' or
patterns, which costs a lot. With Contour, the old Scarpa knives are
being re-used, which saves a lot of capital investment. In addition,
the boots are produced in a Scarpa-owned factory in Roumania, they
use high quality leather for the uppers and own-brand rubber soles
rather than the more expensive Vibram units used across most of the
Scarpa range.
The range uses a UK-specific last - the artificial foot the boot
is built around - which has slightly higher volume than a traditional
continental last and means a better fit for more Brits.
All these savings mean that that prices run from £50 to
£90, which looks like great value for money. Initially the boots
are available in sizes 36-48, but we reckon if sales go well, we
could be looking at some women's-specific models in the future.
The five-model range (all effectively '3-season' we think) comprises:
• Landmark - £49.99 - a walking shoe
• Pathfinder - £59.99 - suede / Cordura boot based on the old Scarpa
Lite Trek, but without a waterproof lining. We like the look of this
and reckon it should be good for summer use.
• Explorer - £79.99 - suede / Cordura boot with waterproof/breathable
lining based on the old Scarpa Lite Trek.
• Navigator - £69.99 - leather boot based on the old Scarpa Trek
• Venture - £89.99 - leather with breathable waterproof membrane
For further information contact The Mountain Boot Company by
e-mail or on 0191 296
0212.
Harry McMahon
