Lowa Camino vs Crispi Summit

[ShortMountain91]

So I'm looking to grab a lighter waterproof boot for early season stomping around. I currently have some lowa hunters that I use when I'm gonna be in the nasty stuff with heavy pack and really like those boots when using for their intended purpose. However when just hiking around no pack they start to hurt the balls of my feet which I think is because of the heavy duty midsole meant for a heavy pack. So looking for something that is lighter, waterproof, uninsulated, less stiff, more cushion, and will hold up for years.

I think I've narrowed down to Lowa Camino and Crispi Summit. The new caminos say they've added cushion to the heel and ball of foot areas so may be perfect. Hopefully they would fit similar to the hunters. Crispi Summit is a little cheaper, lighter, EVA midsole so probably more cushion but I've never worn Crispi before so not sure on fit. Camino has more leather less synthetic but Summit has a full wrap rand so not sure which would hold up better. Will throw some superfeet in whichever I buy.

Any input from this fine group? Any experience with both?

 

[MoeJoe517]

These are the 2 boots I was deciding between as well. With the Summit II coming out soon, you can find some good deals on the older version...(Ross Outdoors has them on sale for $250). I ended up picking up a pair of the older Summits at a good sale price. While I was not able to try on the Caminos, I will say the Crispi fit is very nice. The flex is perfect for what I was looking for and they are super comfortable.

 

[Venom One]

I bought the Summits during Camofire's sale a few months ago. Haven't put a ton of miles on them, but they're quite comfortable out-of-the-box and the sole is flexible. They do have a lot of padding though which adds weight and warmth, plus they're taller than I prefer for a light hiker. For a lightweight hiking boot, I really like my X Ultra 3 GTX Salomon's. They're so light and flexible, and have proven to be quite tough.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zbIt0p5qL._AC_UX625_.jpg

I liked them so much, I got the Quest 4D 3 GTX a couple years ago as a late season, heavy-weight pack boot. I love both pair of Salomon's. The only complaint I have is that they seem to slip easier on wet wood.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91w7nOV8xML._AC_UX625_.jpg

No experience with the Camino's.

 

[WI in the west]

I had a pair of summits since ‘18. I still wear them to this day. I loved them and ended up buying another pair a couple months ago on the camo fire sale. I will say over the years they did shrink a hair. Id guess its from putting them close to a propane heater when theyd get damp from hunting all day. They are still water proof to. Im very pleased with mine and my feet love them. Never had a blister.

 

[ShortMountain91]

Have seen a lot of folks say they like both so I guess that's good. Maybe can't go wrong either way but would love to hear from someone that has tried both and can compare the 2

 

[ShortMountain91]

Anybody tried both than can comment?

 

[ShortMountain91]

Just thought I would follow up on where I landed on an early season boot in case anyone in the future is looking at the same models maybe it will be helpful for someone. I ended up trying out the Lowa Baldo instead of the camino because the Baldo was a lighter weight boot and supposedly softer soled than the camino which sounded perfect for what I was looking for. When I got the boot and tried on first impression was that the fit was great and very similar to my lowa hunters. However I felt the sole was just as hard as the hunters which is something I wanted to get away from since I would get some pain in the balls of my feet when I'd go for a few miles. I wore them around the house and at work for a few days and realized they just weren't what I was looking for and was already getting some foot pain in the fore foot which I believe to be from the hard midsole.

I returned the Baldos and ordered the Crispi summits. Got the new version only because I couldn't find the old version in my size. They came in yesterday and tried them on and first impression on fit was pretty good, just a touch wider than the Lowa Baldo. They seem to open up in the toe box more as well. I actually think I prefer the slightly narrower fit of the Baldo better but the Summits still fit pretty well. The midsole is definitely softer than the Baldo but not so so soft that it feels cheap or like a tennis shoe. Still feel like it's plenty of boot to take into the mountains. This is probably due to the EVA midsole. I need to get a few miles on them to say for sure but initial impression is they seem like they are going to be just what I was looking for. They are very comfortable out of the box and I think will get even better with a few miles.

Couple notes on my opinion of quality between the Baldo and Summit II. One thing that stood out to me is that the Summits seem like they will be a more durable boot. The summits have a full leather triple stitched rand whereas the Baldos have a double stiched leather rand in the rear of the boot and a glued rubber rand in the toe of the boot. Also the rest of the stitching on the crispi is double stitched whereas the Lowa is single stiched everywhere but the rand. Honestly though the summits should be a more durable boot seeing as they carry a heavier price tag ($330 vs $270). I will still give the advantage of lacing to Lowa who has IMO the best boot lacing system out there.

Overall I think I'm going to be very pleased with my first pair of Crispis but more miles will be required to know for sure. Sorry for the long winded reply to my own thread but hoping it will help someone looking at these same boots in the future.