Scarpa Gea RS Boots

The Scarpa Gea RS: off again, on again. And when the switch is between years spent earning an Editors’ Choice Award and a Gear Guide selection, flip-flopping isn’t too bad.

Two years ago, Scarpa overhauled the Gea RS and its male counterpart, the Maestrale RS, with Grilamid/carbon construction to reduce the boot’s weight and to bulk up stiffness to a 120 flex. Also a redesigned shell and liner were incorporated to better fit women’s wider, lower calves; and an easy-to-grab walk lever aimed to slice down transition times. The redesign netted the Gea an Editors’ Choice for winter ’17/18, but the boot ceded the podium to the Maestrale last year.

The Gea’s major upgrades are again being recognized, including by one long-and-lean tester who found the boot to be “sufficiently stiff enough to power skis of all genres and weights. It’s not the lightest model,” she admitted, “but it’s much lighter and more comfortable than the alpine-boot-turned-AT models from traditional alpine brands, and nearly as comfortable.” And while another tester found the women’s-specific cut of the liner to run a skosh too narrow through the heel, another found “the out-of-box liner fit secures your Achilles and heel in place with minimal play.”

There are new additions to the RS this go-around, too, though they run pretty minimal, like a new power strap that incorporates RECCO technology designed to help in an avalanche burial. Two upper buckles and one lower accompany the techy power strap, and one tester noticed: “A highly effective and efficient buckle design…slightly more aggressive forward lean angle than most.”

$799
scarpa.com
5.5 lbs.
Last Width: 101 mm
Sizes: 22.5-27