When most bloggers write a review of a product they do so after barely taking it out of the box. This review is, however, written after four years of intensive use of these boots. I reviewed them when I first got them and then subsequently I reviewed them annually. So I think I can claim that my review is one of the most thorough you can get.

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “to maybe think about buying a new pair of boots”.

My Scarpa Delta GTX boots are not what they were. A bit like their owner they are becoming frayed around the edges. When I first bought these boots and took them out on the hill I was incredibly impressed by how waterproof they were. They seemed impervious to any water ingress at all and were so resistant to moisture that when I tried to treat them with any leather treatment it just dripped off the surface of the leather. I can say without hesitation that these boots have been the most waterproof boots I’ve ever bought in their class. The Scarpa Delta GTX are three season boots and would be pretty comfortable and well up to the job in the Scottish Hills well into the autumn. I have worn them in all kinds of conditions and even in light snow. These boots would obviously not take crampons but that’s not what they are designed for.

Click here to read my review after 1 year’s use

Although I have Treated these boots very regularly with waterproofing products in recent months I have noticed that my feet are beginning to get a little damp in them. It’s also the case that the upper on one boot has begun to separate from the sole. In my experience once this happens water gets between the upper of the boot and the sole and every time you step this creates a pressure in the boot and slowly but surely works the sole away.

You can see from the photo that this is beginning to happen. In my experience this is the beginning of the end for a pair of boots and I’m pretty sure that these Scarpa GTX won’t see another season. I’m sure that lots of folk will suggest ways that I could repair the boots but I find that, as they are beginning to be permeable by water, there really is not a lot of point in trying to repair them. If you’re a walker it’s incredibly important what happens to your feet, so good boots are top priority. As my walking is predominantly done in the Scottish Hills I spend much of my time plodding through bogs so it’s really important to me that my boots are waterproof. For this reason I’ve decided that after four years I’m going to retire my Scarpa GTX boots.

I have to say that I would happily purchase these boots again. They have given me four years of excellent service and I’ve been extremely comfortable in them for all that time. The soles on the boots are still reasonably serviceable, clearly there is some wear and they’re rounded in places but actually they give reasonable grip even now after four years of service.  The leather of the uppers is scratched and worn in places but after four years of use I think that is only to be expected. All the stitching is intact and none of the lace islets has sustained any damage. This has been a problem on a lot of boots I’ve worn.

The boots remain comfortable to walk in, in dry conditions, and it’s only because I spend so much time trudging through bogs that I think it’s time to replace them. If I was to be using these boots on the relatively dry paths of somewhere like the Lake District, I think I’d probably still get another year out of them. Overall I give these boots 5 stars. I’m really happy with them they’ve come to the end of their life but they given me really good service and it’s just time to replace them.