Raichle Women's Mt Envy Boot Reviewed

Raichle Women’s Mt Envy GTX Boots Tested

The Mount Envy’s designed as a specialist Via Ferrata boot, so there’s a glut of places to wear it in the Dolomites but just one in the English Lakes.

That said, it’s also B1 crampon compatible so it’s suitable for ice work, or you can wear it as a tough scrambling boot, which opens up plenty more options for use.

B1 boots are general hiking boots but with a stiffer-than-average sole unit, so you can attach a strap-on crampon if you need to. That can be useful if you’re out in the hills in winter, but it’s also an asset on dry rock at times. If your walk turns into a scramble, the stiff sole will support your foot even if only your toes actually have solid ground under them, which makes life easier.

Speaking of soles, the Mount Envy uses the Vibram Mulaz sole unit. The name Vibram is well-known as a term of good, grippy quality, but what does this particular member of the Vibram family do? Well, it’s a sole designed to be able to cope with Alpine use, so it’s a good choice for a Via Ferrata and crampon-compatible boot. Features include a narrow last, so you can place your feet as precisely as possible and a flat sturdy wedge of more grippy rubber under the toes, called the ‘climbing zone’.

Internally, Raichle’s ‘motion control’ system is designed to, well, control motion – of a lateral variety, in this case. The heel is raised slightly to direct your feet forwards and stop you rolling over to one side as you walk, and there’s memory foam around the ankle to help with support too.

We began by taking the Mt Envy at its word and treating it as a specialist Via Ferrata boot. We dutifully trotted off to the Dolomites – such a hard life - accompanied both by the Mt Envy and by a scrambling shoe – the Merrell Jam, in this case. And which did we end up wearing?

As the sun shone on our first couple of routes, we went for the scrambling shoe option because of one main consideration – weight. The Jams have a pretty firm sole and so we didn’t see the need to go for a full mountaineering boot to provide the under foot stiffness and support that you want if you’re scrambling up steep rock.

Not every day is sunny though, and not every route sticks to good dry rock, so there was still a chance for the Mt Envy boots came into their own later in the trip.

When did that happen? Well, for a specialist Via Ferrata boot, the Mt Envy is actually something of a generalist. It ticks a lot of boxes, so it’s really useful if you’re going to cover a variety of terrains. Climbing Via Ferrata routes with a glacier crossing was one such occasion – the boot sticks to the rock and you can strap on a crampon when you need to.

Although Via Ferrata routes with glaciers are few and far between on this side of the English Channel, that adaptability comes in very handy in the UK too. The stiff Vibram sole and ‘climbing zone’ on the toe makes it a good choice for scrambling as well as Via Ferrata. We really felt the benefits of this – so long as you can get your toes on a foothold, the boots do the work of keeping the rest of your foot in place. At the same time, you have the reassurance of knowing that your footwear can withstand the elements courtesy of the Gore-Tex liner and general ruggedness.

The other aspect we liked was the ankle support. The ankles have memory foam cushioning around them which was comfortable – like the rest of the boot – and supportive too.

So, were we won over? For mixed terrain use, iffy conditions, or complete reassurance: yes, absolutely. For a light and steep route on dry rock: we’d probably pick something lighter.

Mountains often have other ideas though, and that’s when the Mt Envy comes in. It’s comfortable enough that you wouldn’t mind putting in normal hill miles in it – the ankle protection is particularly comfortable. But more than that, it’s good for scrambling and even low-gradient ice as well.

The stiff sole unit is perfect for scrambling, and the boot as a whole has a rugged, reassuring feel. So, as a combined steep ground and winter boot in the UK, it’s a great option, even if it wouldn’t always be your first choice of Via Ferrata shoe.

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