Scarpa Ribelle HD - First Impressions

[lifeisgoodsteve]

I hadn't seen any mention of the Scarpa Ribelle HD in other threads, so thought I'd put this up for a little reference with some comparisons to the Scarpa Zodiac Tech I've also got for fit testing at home. The Scarpa customer service folks (who were very helpful) recommended the Ribelle HD as an option for those who do a lot of sidehilling and off trail in uneven unstable terrain, which I seem to do a lot to get away from hunters and get to game.

I can't speak from field experience yet, as just ordered a few different pairs for trying on at home for fit. Will fill in after a final decision is made and get them into the field. Test fitting with Superfeet Green Insoles.

Initial Impressions:
FIT
Always foot specific but for me I really LOVE the wonderfully snug and secure fit without pressure points. They also lock in my heel much better than the Lowa Tibets (which I like, fit my foot relatively well though a bit large in volume and never gave me blisters) and better than the Scarpa Zodiac Techs I'm testing at home also. Interestingly, the Zodiac Tech has a very good fit, but not quite as snug and secure and has notably more heel lift for me, even with some surgical knots to try to lock the heel down. The Zodiac's heel profile goes more vertical while the Ribelle HD turns in a little just above the heel which might be why this is. I need to spend longer time in the Ribelles to just confirm the heel snugness causes no Achilles Tendon pressure for me as I had some tendonitis lingering. Really hope it's clear as I just love this fit.

STIFFNESS
Feel about the same as the Lowa Tibet Hi GTX I have, which is quite stiff and worked very well for me last season. The Zodiac Tech flexes a little at the ball joint. Scarpa says the Ribelle HD has a notable heel roll to aid in walking more groomed trails and putting miles on with such a stiff sole. Haven't tested so can't comment.

WEIGHT
At about 3lb 1 oz. per pair they feel great on my feet and notably lighter and more nimble than the Lowa Tibets (4lb/pair). The Zodiac Techs are a touch lighter (about 2lb. 12oz / pair) though for just around the house I don't notice it as much. The fit is so much nicer for my feet on the Ribelles that in my mind it far outweighs (no pun intended) the weight difference.

LACING
I hadn't put much throught into it, but really like the lacing system of the Ribelles, as the lower foot pulleys are super easy to tighten with the laces flowing easily through each pulley, allowing the whole area to tighten with one pull from the back. In comparison the Zodiac Techs have more drag per lace hole, which could allow more individual tightening per hole, but takes longer. The Tibets with their 6ft laces and tons of loops made me appreciate this little benefit on the Ribelles.

WATERPROOFING
While I haven't stood in the bathtub to test it yet at home, notable is their different construction with the Ribelles in an outer dry system vs. goretex inner liner. I actually was looking for a lightweight summer boot but the fit and weight on the Ribelles is so good that I can sacrifice some breathability to stretch its use into 3 seasons or more. Research and reviews seems positive for the Scarpa outer dry tech.

ROBUSTNESS
Can't really comment until put them to hard use, but initial impression is they feel rock solid and have a beefy full rand that actually goes a little higher on the back of the heel.

CRAMPONS
They can fit them, but honestly I'm totally ignorant about their use as I've never needed them.

COLOR
I'm definitely a function over form kind of guy, but wow I'm having a real hard time wrapping my head around wearing bright orange boots of the Zodiac Techs. If they fit perfectly it would have been touch. Suppose that since their the suede finish they'd accumulate dirt and darken pretty fast to maybe a rusty brown-orange which I could probably live with. Luckily the Ribelle grey is just fine and while I don't need the neon yellow accents, it's not a big deal for me.

Bit of a long post, but figure others who might like a stiff boot might be curious to find even a little reference to the Ribelle HD.

Will share more if I pull the trigger on them and put some wilderness miles on them.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Topo_trekker]

Thanks for the review. How far can you bend these flexing them in your hands with all your strength?


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[Spoonman]

I have these and have put 50-60 miles on them and absolutely love them. Very waterproof (many creek crossings in the rain forest in WA), great support and overall have been my favorite boot to date. I think they are pretty stiff, I can’t really bend them much at all unless I really put some ass into it. A+ boot as far as I’m concerned!

 

[kipper09]

I have been eyeballing these. I been wearing Tibet’s and up front they have just a little too much volume. Sounds really similar to the OP. How’s the ankle support? Appreciate this post.


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[Spoonman]

I have been eyeballing these. I been wearing Tibet’s and up front they have just a little too much volume. Sounds really similar to the OP. How’s the ankle support? Appreciate this post.


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Ankle support is great.

 

[kipper09]

Sorry for the questions guys, fit true to size? Expect these are in the Tibet caliber for extended trips with weight in pack??


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[Spoonman]

Yeah for seems to be pretty true, I normally run 44.5 but these felt better at 45. I use them for everything honestly, definitely good for extended trips and weight in your pack but I find myself wearing them when we do a small family hike. I did switch out the insoles for the comfort super feet.

 

[ljalberta]

I'll be following along. I used a pair of Scarpa Zodiak GTX to try out this year for backpacking and hunting and they were the most disappointing boots I've ever used. They were noticeably falling apart after 7 days use in multiple places and after 15 days were basically trash. I'll be sending out an email to Scarpa shortly and hopefully get some warranty credit. I'm trying to decide between the Charmoz and Ribelle HD right now. Any experience with the Charmoz to compare to?

 

[Spoonman]

I'll be following along. I used a pair of Scarpa Zodiak GTX to try out this year for backpacking and hunting and they were the most disappointing boots I've ever used. They were noticeably falling apart after 7 days use in multiple places and after 15 days were basically trash. I'll be sending out an email to Scarpa shortly and hopefully get some warranty credit. I'm trying to decide between the Charmoz and Ribelle HD right now. Any experience with the Charmoz to compare to?

Buddy has the Charmoz and I’ve worn them and they are a great boot as well but I find they are very flat so walking on hard flat surfaces feels kinda clunky. The Ribelle has a different style sole that curves up slightly in the toe so the boot rolls over easier and to me is much more comfortable to walk in for regular hikes or even going to Home Depot(witch I’ve done). The rubber rand on the Ribelle is higher and a better design in my eyes than the Charmoz.

 

[JohnB]

My left foot loves my Zodiac Techs. My right foot hates them. I've been pretty happy with the stiffness and the mid height ankle. The width of the forefoot on the right isn't quite enough. I've had enough problems with my right foot in various boots that I'm now thinking that a half size larger would be the ticket over there.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Thanks Spoonman for chiming in as it's great to hear from someone with actual miles in them. I must say that even though they're super stiff, as you say, they fit so well they're comfortable leaving them on.

So have you put many miles on hard flat surfaces (other than short trips to Home Depot)? Just curious if you feel the roll in the sole mitigates potential stiff sole issues when putting in miles on hardpack trails?

Spoonman is best resource with actual experience but will share my in house observations on questions:

Stiffness - Spoonman nailed it. Can barely bend with hands at pretty much the same stiffness as the Tibet GTX.

Ankle Support - Only at home test but feels very good and notably more support than the Zodiac Techs.

Fit - Mine was similar to Spoonman. I wear an 11 in the Tibet (which is a touch too much volume for me but needed it for toe clearance in front) and the 44.5 (11 equivalent) in the Ribelle HD feels good but I think leaves just a tad too little room for me to be going downhill with a heavy pack. I should be getting the Eu 45 tomorrow to try it on in the hopes it's ideal.

Extent of Use/Seasons - Initially I was looking for as light a summer boot that still had the leather uppers (rattlesnake protection) and enough stiffness and ankle support for sidehilling/heavy packing. Waterproof wasn't needed, but I've read a lot of good things of guys using these boots in early snow season too and plenty of creek crossings with good success. So if the Eu 45's fit well I might use them all year, sell the Tibets (non-insulated) and consider an insulated boot if going to do as much snow/cold weather hunting as I did this year.

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Spoonman]

Hey Steve! I do find it much easier and less “clunky” walking on flat ground with the rolled front sole. I didn’t walk anything long but I did put my 2 year old (32 lbs) and some fishing gear and 2 rods in a pack and walked 8+ miles for a round trip fishing this fall and they felt great. The majority of that walk was on a forest service road. Coming out I was slightly heavier as I a caught two 9-10lb salmons. So to answer your question if i feel it mitigates the typical stiff sole feel, I do. I feel that they are actually easier on the joints as well.

As much as I love the way the sole feels on flat ground there is a slight drawback in the ability to climb steep slick slopes head on. With the round front sole it tends to not “bite”into the ground as well as a flatter traditional sole on a hiking/mountaineering boot. I feel this is a very small drawback to the rounds sole and I really enjoy everything else about the boot so much that I am just nitpicking.

The ankle support is really good in my eyes. I had Salewa mtn trainers, and a pair of Lasporteva’s and the Ribelle has more support by far. They side hill great as well and feel very stable.

The heaviest pack I’ve had was only around 60-65lbs. The hike out was maybe 4 miles and nothing very steep or off camber and felt great all around all the way out.

The fit and feel of the boot with the factory insole leaves a little to be desired. As with most boot manufacturers they put insoles in the boots that Closely resemble a sheet of paper. Put in a aftermarket insole for more support (for my foot type) and a better feel.

 

[Outwest]

Great to hear you will be testing these out, I have been curious about them since they became available in the US. My past three boots have been the charmoz, zodiac plus, and now zodiac tech. The zodiac techs for me, are the best boots I have ever worn in the mountains. I've used them this whole past season and I have yet to have a blister or any foot pain with heavy loads over nasty terrain. The orange was annoying at first, but they are dirty now and with some oil they have darkened quite a bit. I finally found a lightweight, stiff boot that excels in the steep and is totally comfortable on more mild terrain. Looking forward to your reading about your real world experience with the Ribelle.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Thanks Spoonman and Outwest for sharing your experiences as I'm sure there are other folks curious too.

Outwest, it's good to hear that with some mountain mud and oil on them they start to blend in. Hadn't thought about the oil, but that's a great idea. I really do like the Techs in so many ways as a light stiff boot, but for my personal foot shape it just doesn't hold my heel down well enough. Interestingly it's easy to see the shape difference between the Zodiac Tech and Ribelle at the heel area, with the Tech more vertical and the Ribelle curving in a touch above the heel.

How have you felt the ankle support on the Zodiac Techs with the heavy pack and sidehilling nasty terrain? Probably worth mentioning where your body naturally fits into the need for ankle support, in other words, on the spectrum how easy is it for you to turn an ankle, even mildly?

This seems important and some folks mountaineer and do serious hunting, carrying out heavy packs with trail runners while others wouldn't last half a mile like that without being crippled on the mountain with a sprained ankle or worse.

cheers

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

I did switch out the insoles for the comfort super feet.

Why did you choose the comfort insoles rather than one of the hiking specific ones? With the stiffness and existing support of the boot did you simply want a little cushion to give a little comfort on the harder surfaces?

Thanks

 

[Spoonman]

Why did you choose the comfort insoles rather than one of the hiking specific ones? With the stiffness and existing support of the boot did you simply want a little cushion to give a little comfort on the harder surfaces?

Thanks

Exactly the reason you just stated. I feel the boot it’s self offers everything I need with the exception of a good insole. I like the way the comfort feel on my feet is all it came down to.

Today happen to be one of those days I just wear them everywhere I go. I got up early to check trail cams (3 miles on service roads) then hit the rifle range to try some different bullets in the smoke pole and next stop is a lacrosse meeting. My feet still feel great. It’s the first boot I’ve ever had that I’m not dying to take off by the end of the day.

 

[Outwest]

Thanks Spoonman and Outwest for sharing your experiences as I'm sure there are other folks curious too.

Outwest, it's good to hear that with some mountain mud and oil on them they start to blend in. Hadn't thought about the oil, but that's a great idea. I really do like the Techs in so many ways as a light stiff boot, but for my personal foot shape it just doesn't hold my heel down well enough. Interestingly it's easy to see the shape difference between the Zodiac Tech and Ribelle at the heel area, with the Tech more vertical and the Ribelle curving in a touch above the heel.

How have you felt the ankle support on the Zodiac Techs with the heavy pack and sidehilling nasty terrain? Probably worth mentioning where your body naturally fits into the need for ankle support, in other words, on the spectrum how easy is it for you to turn an ankle, even mildly?

This seems important and some folks mountaineer and do serious hunting, carrying out heavy packs with trail runners while others wouldn't last half a mile like that without being crippled on the mountain with a sprained ankle or worse.

cheers

Thankfully, I have fairly sturdy ankles. I will roll an ankle very occasionally but it is usually my own fault for just taking lazy steps.

Being a lightweight boot, there is a slight sacrifice for absolute support, but in my opinion it is very minimal.

One instance that comes to mind is packing my wife’s ram out this past September. I didn’t weigh my pack but from experience I would say I was in the 80-90lb range. While sidehilling down a steep and loose slope, I caught the edge of a rock and my ankle rolled pretty severely. When we got to a flat spot, I laced the boots a little tighter and was able to make it out the rest of the way without any injury. I did let someone else take a few lbs. off my pack afterwards as a precaution. I don’t think my ankle would have made it if I had been in anything less.

I do have some pretty vertical heels that fit nicely in the techs. I have never had any discomfort in that area. The charmoz however would chew my heels if I climbed in them for any length of time.




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[Flydaho]

Thanks for the review Steve. I'm looking to pick up a pair of the Ribelle HDs soon and this thread helped make up my mind. You mentioned that you went up a size (in EU sizing) to get a more comfortable fit, was this true for both the Zodiacs and the Ribelles? Or do you know if they are built on the same last?

Also, could you post some close-up pics of the boots?

Thanks again!

 

[ljalberta]

The boots are built on different lasts. I had to size up in my Zodiacs.

 

[Flydaho]

Ljalberta, have you tried on the Ribelles? A 46 in the Zodiacs fits me well. I'd like to know how the sizing compares between the two as I'll have to order the Ribelles without being able to try them on.